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WMTrains livery and station branding

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Bletchleyite

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I liked the old LM livery, but one thing I particularly liked was the black and green branding on stations and timetables. I thought it looked very classy and professional.

If there’s one thing LM did VERY right it was the branding and “look and feel”, right up to the end and saying goodbye. With that they managed to make Abellio et all look really sloppy.
 

73001

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If there’s one thing LM did VERY right it was the branding and “look and feel”, right up to the end and saying goodbye. With that they managed to make Abellio et all look really sloppy.

This x2... Used them on and off from Liverpool to Birmingham. Any dealings with them were always professional, prompt and fuss free. Delay-repays were no problem. Trains and stations looked good and the "goodbye" email was a nice touch at the end. Let's hope the new set up is as good.
 

atsf_fT

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West midlands railway , operated by West midland trains ! That will confuse some passengers .

24296721397_5556aaa0e4_b.jpg


39127475122_8d96e1f1da_b.jpg



The chocolate bar has been in service a lot

38450029974_99e08f3d09_b.jpg
 

backontrack

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I really like the Northwestern livery on that 350 in the first post - the three-tone green looks very sophisticated, and I like what they've done with the front end. The mock-up of the 172 didn't look so good but having seen 'live' pictures such as the one above it really looks a lot better.
 
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387star

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London Midland was an excellent brand ... this looks like a mess

Or bring back Centro
 

Bletchleyite

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A little late, but this was 350373 at Euston on its first day of operation:


London Northwestern 350373 at Euston
by Timothy Young, on Flickr

The more I see that, the more I think it just looks a bit rubbish (basically as I said above like the whole thing so far). They couldn't even be bothered to centre the unit number over the window, it's too busy, and it's overbranded (the W appears three times in some form, two is the most you can really get away with - same issue as SWR).

As the yellow draws attention to the gangway it really shows that they couldn't be bothered painting the scuffed bit, too.

OTOH I quite like the West Midlands "Cadbury's" livery - but then "wmtrains" didn't design that.
 

sprinterguy

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Why didn't they repaint the gangway, seems an odd thing to miss out for the "launch" vehicle.
Because there remains a minimum area yellow warning panel requirement on all stock that has not been modified to have, or is unable to be fitted with, compliant headlights.
 

sprinterguy

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I think he means (and I do mean) the ugly scuffing visible on the right hand side of it, not the yellow.
Ah, gotcha. :oops: In which case probably because the whole livery is, as I understand it, a vinyl wrap, no paint required. Though you'd expect there to be a few tins of black paint knocking around the depot...
 

simple simon

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Hopefully in the new year repainting will start in earnest.

Previous experience with trains that have the Harlequin diamond pattern does not bode well - many years ago a different service along the WCML was branded as a Harlequin Line and alas the service was awful. The name did not stay for very long.

Simon
 

Sparks807Evo

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Forgive me if already mentioned but I assume the liveries are going to be refined then before they start the mass repainting/refurbishment programme? I also assume they will use actual paint on the units (i.e the front ends) rather than wrap around vinyl. There is already a small yellow strip visible under one of 172339's headlights.
 
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delt1c

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Complete waste of money, we should have a corporate livery with operators name ( as in London Buses) not a waste of money on complete new livery. Companies talk of being green and carbon neutral then do this.
 

physics34

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Complete waste of money, we should have a corporate livery with operators name ( as in London Buses) not a waste of money on complete new livery. Companies talk of being green and carbon neutral then do this.


100% agree. Its messy as it is....now we have these two oddities.
 

Bletchleyite

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The WMR livery is certainly odd but I can’t help liking the London NW one!

I'm definitely the other way round - Cadbury's livery looks nice, the LNR one is just a bit rubbish. (I actually do quite like their "quietly competent" use of a Helvetica like font, and the 1970s shadowed text posters - I just think the livery is just, er, not very good - too many vertical elements and overbranded).
 

ChrisHogan

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Complete waste of money, we should have a corporate livery with operators name ( as in London Buses) not a waste of money on complete new livery. Companies talk of being green and carbon neutral then do this.

That's the idea. The WMR livery is a requirement of TfWM and will presumably stay the same when the franchise is relet.
 

sprinterguy

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I also assume they will use actual paint on the units (i.e the front ends) rather than wrap around vinyl. There is already a small yellow strip visible under one of 172339's headlights.
Only when a C6 overhaul is due, I would have thought. The 172 fleet start to become due theirs next year, not sure about the 350s that are staying with the franchise as Angel Trains don't seem to have publically published their rolling stock plan.
Also that picture you've taken Tim makes the unit look like it's black instead of the dark green, which I think if they were black would make them a little bit "more easy on the eye".
Personally I think that the front ends would look less incongruous if they'd used a lighter colour on the lower cab fronts. The reason that the proposed livery treatments for the Virgin Azumas and new TPE stock looks so striking IMO is because the black noses contrast with a lighter bodyside colour.

As an enthusiastic subscriber to the late eighties post-bus deregulation school of livery design - sharp lines and big blocks of colour - I really quite like the new WMT liveries. I think they convey a strong brand image: Now if only the TOC could work out what those brands are actually for!

Case in point - I heard the Shrewsbury service being announced as a "London Northwestern Railway" service at Birmingham New Street last night: I thought that one was supposed to be within the West Midlands Railway fold?

I also find the new website quite difficult to track down: Typing "West Midlands Railway" into a popular search engine, two of the top three results are for the West Midlands Rail partnership site (The other is the franchise Wiki page), which does then at least pop up a message redirecting you to the WM Trains site - A clear admonition that there's plenty of room for confusion.
 
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