I hope they've got something good enough to remove the dirt on those Class 153 windows then! It must be 'caked' onto those windows now - How does Great Anglias cleaning regime compare to that of NX? Much better i hope!
Greater Anglia's cleaning regime is 1000x better than NXEA's ever was. On 153s and Mark 3 coaches (very dirty under NXEA) you can now see out of the windows without seeing brown. The 4 refurbished 153s are all very clean and 153314 isn't bad, as it recieved an exam under NXEA far more recently than the others (I assume).
Adam
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The 156's are being refurbished first (402 and 422 to go first). 153314 will be sent for overhaul in April 2014- when the 156's are done. 314 has enough miles left in it before its due an overhaul.
156407/417/422 not currently keeping their maps, but discussions in place to keep them.
402 is not keeping its advertising livery, neither is 419. All 156's to receive the same livery as the 153's- white with red doors.
170's/90's/Mk3's/DVT's not being repainted in this franchise. Will be done in the next GA franchise.
Any idea what the 156407/417/422 refurb will consist of. I hope they get new seats as the seat shells and the seat covers are knackered and a clean will not fix them. The 156s are in a far worse state than the 153s were, aside from external cleanliness.
I do hope 07/17/22 keep their maps, as they are a lovely addition to the trains, although the liveries they are in are just dreadful. I found 156417 at Ipswich yesterday so I now have pictures of all 3 table maps :P. I assume 156402 will lose it's tables with pictures of shopping centre items on.
Before the 153s were refurbished, 153314 was by far the cleanest with the least damaged paintwork so it makes sense that it was the last one to receive an exam and a clean under NXEA. I was on it on Tuesday on the late night run to Bury St. Edmunds from Ipswich and it was clean inside (and I think outside too, although it was very dark) and it was nice to see the older style carpets again as they are more exciting, albeit dirtier.
170270 aside, all the 170s are fine now they have had a proper clean both inside and out and do not really need a repaint. I am still hoping against hope that 170270 is "unwrapped" like 360115 was as it's livery is vinyl (it still has an Anglia green roof, like an XC Voyager's red roof), unlike 3-car units 170201-170208. It looks dreadful and if it was unwrapped it would be in Anglia "Ghost" livery like fellow 2-car units 170271-170273.
I am glad the 90s/Mk3s/DVTs are not being repainted as I like them in their current liveries now they are clean, and the interiors are also much better as GA look after them properly. I am now very fond of the IC70 seats with their strange moquette, despite the lack of headrests :P. Also, the longer 90009 stays in it's current colour scheme the better :P. Was
10229 repainted as a trial, or did it have alot of paintwork damage or something like that? Any idea of it's current whereabouts as I haven't seen it about in service?
Are 156402 and 156422 going for a refurb together then? And when? What will GA do for cover while these are gone as 150280 has gone back to CDF; will we see LHCS with DRS locos out and about again (I hope so :P)?
Thank you so much for all this info, it's great
Adam
