Heard a similar tale myself. Although I heard it was going on the rear ex Mach! Never mind, time will tell.
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1st refurb ATW 158. Out this week
- Thread starter merlodlliw
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Heard a similar tale myself. Although I heard it was going on the rear ex Mach! Never mind, time will tell.
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merlodlliw
Established Member
Unless their as been a last minute change, those with invites give it in Aberystwyth far earlier, Gareth Marston will know. As the TV media are invited
its bound to be on show for a couple of hours.
Bastiaan
Member
There's a photo of 158840 on the website of Railway Herald: http://www.railwayherald.com/imaging.centre/showimage.php?image=187756&gallery=X2
Fincra5
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Deffinately looks a lot smarter in that livery. Now that W&S has gone a service from Aber to London would be good 
Ofc I'd rather W&S were still in service but heh.
Ofc I'd rather W&S were still in service but heh.merlodlliw
Established Member
Just had word from ATW that the unit is scheduled to be back at Shrewsbury from BHI at 1422, going forward to Chester, due Gobowen 1441, Chirk 1447, Ruabon 1453, Wrexham 1500, Chester 1522, if anyone wants to ride/look/take pictures , etc.
Bob
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Electrostar
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What are the words to the right of the Arriva Trains Wales (and its Welsh translation)? I like the livery but I'm not sure about the go faster stripes. They remind me of the stripes on the original Virgin livery.
merlodlliw
Established Member
as the media see it, no pics yet, I am told film will be on BBC Wales at 1830 & possibly ITV Wales 1800, on sat all over the UK this evening
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/loc...ngers-on-scenic-cambrian-line-55578-28524716/
No comment was made about the hourly services,unless I missed it
bob
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/loc...ngers-on-scenic-cambrian-line-55578-28524716/
No comment was made about the hourly services,unless I missed it
bob
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175001
On Moderation
CardiffKid
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Interior shot http://twitpic.com/4l5bpq
Blindtraveler
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good there doing a thurror job of it. do any other 158 refurbs feature plug points? fsr maybe?
mallard
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Looks very much like EMT's refurbs, just with a different colour scheme.
175001
On Moderation
Interior shots have appeared on ATW's facebook page, looks very nice, yep, as EMT, but green is much a much easier colour on the eyes!
starrymarkb
Established Member
The seat tops look narrower then on HSTs/EMT
Having seen it today:
- Interior passenger saloon is pretty good, with new seating throughout, but it has the benefit of being clean at the moment. At least the sliding door open buttons are better now, consistent with many other trains. The seats align nicely with windows.
- Cab is not much changed - the outdated and very un-ergonomic seats still the same (though re-covered), destination blind panel control now mounted by the PA handset rather than above driver. Unfortunately it seems that no guards or drivers have actually been trained how to use the new digital keypad system, so setting the destination may be problematic...
There is air conditioning, if it works. The external lights control panel has been modified and improved.
- Underframe is basically unchanged, looks like just a coat of black paint to make things look pretty for now. Maybe work in that area would just have cost way too much over budget, or been unneccesary.
- Lighting is much better, internal and external.
The general impression is that this is a rather 'surface only' makeover in many ways, which is surprising given the length of time taken and the money spent. On the other hand, a 20 year old train is a 20 year old train, not much can be done to disguise that fact - and this refurbishment badly needed doing.
- Interior passenger saloon is pretty good, with new seating throughout, but it has the benefit of being clean at the moment. At least the sliding door open buttons are better now, consistent with many other trains. The seats align nicely with windows.
- Cab is not much changed - the outdated and very un-ergonomic seats still the same (though re-covered), destination blind panel control now mounted by the PA handset rather than above driver. Unfortunately it seems that no guards or drivers have actually been trained how to use the new digital keypad system, so setting the destination may be problematic...
There is air conditioning, if it works. The external lights control panel has been modified and improved.
- Underframe is basically unchanged, looks like just a coat of black paint to make things look pretty for now. Maybe work in that area would just have cost way too much over budget, or been unneccesary.
- Lighting is much better, internal and external.
The general impression is that this is a rather 'surface only' makeover in many ways, which is surprising given the length of time taken and the money spent. On the other hand, a 20 year old train is a 20 year old train, not much can be done to disguise that fact - and this refurbishment badly needed doing.
Been on 158840 since 1131 this morning and still going strong, currently heading for Aberystwyth, got to love these powerpoints + internet dongles! ... pictures off my phone have been uploaded to my flickr site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrivatrainswales158/sets/72157626379565363/with/5621873707/
Enjoy Folks!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrivatrainswales158/sets/72157626379565363/with/5621873707/
Enjoy Folks!
Looks very good.
I love these grammar ? seats as used on FGW HSTs and EMT 158s. They have enough padding whilst still being robust enough to stand the test of time and have sturdy armrests and generous flip down tables. They also ensure adequate leg room.
Well done on ATW for ensuring seats line up with windows... so it can be done!
Will transform the Cambrian line!
I like the pattern on the vestibule ends
I love these grammar ? seats as used on FGW HSTs and EMT 158s. They have enough padding whilst still being robust enough to stand the test of time and have sturdy armrests and generous flip down tables. They also ensure adequate leg room.
Well done on ATW for ensuring seats line up with windows... so it can be done!
Will transform the Cambrian line!
I like the pattern on the vestibule ends
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Blindtraveler
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Ooo, hard one, think i'll go for the pacer!
merlodlliw
Established Member
As a passenger saw it, from the web
Anyway, on the run earlier eastbound from Aber., I jumped on at Shrews., and just went to Wellington to try it out. Seats, lighting, layout FANTASTIC!, reasonable number of four-round-a-tables, reasonable alignment with windows, disabled toilet and wheelchair/bike spaces EXCELLENT considering what a challenge the bodyshell taper presents, luggage stacks very good, but of course not room for enough of them when lots of people loaded up to/from seaside hols., uni., etc., and now the big BUT......
.....Seems as though virtually nothing's happened below the solebar: - engine noise, transmission, vibration, running gear/suspension, and general ambient background noise level, etc., no better than on an existing unit in averagely good nick. And when decelerating with drive engaged, it made that sort of horrible whining/juddering/screeching/exhaust rattle/transmission noise that the Italians used to design their boy racer cars to make when accelerating violently to 40mph in 2nd gear and then decelerating equally violently and rapidly again, only of course much worse, from an engine 10 trimes the size. Ben Davies did seem to indicate to us last Dec. that they were going to have a bit of a go at all this, because the intention was to present it to the public as a virtually brand new train.
What worries me is the huge amount of WAG money that's being spent on this will be a terrible waste if they don't address this quickly and incorporate at least a degree of soundproofing/acoustic engineering/vibration damping/mechanical tweaking in the mix, because the new interior, good though it is, is really only about the minimum people expect nowadays, and if it's allied to what is clearly a rough noisy old train then it's not going to get people saying to their friends "brilliant new trains, try them!"
and we won't get the numbers up the way we want to.
Anyway, on the run earlier eastbound from Aber., I jumped on at Shrews., and just went to Wellington to try it out. Seats, lighting, layout FANTASTIC!, reasonable number of four-round-a-tables, reasonable alignment with windows, disabled toilet and wheelchair/bike spaces EXCELLENT considering what a challenge the bodyshell taper presents, luggage stacks very good, but of course not room for enough of them when lots of people loaded up to/from seaside hols., uni., etc., and now the big BUT......
.....Seems as though virtually nothing's happened below the solebar: - engine noise, transmission, vibration, running gear/suspension, and general ambient background noise level, etc., no better than on an existing unit in averagely good nick. And when decelerating with drive engaged, it made that sort of horrible whining/juddering/screeching/exhaust rattle/transmission noise that the Italians used to design their boy racer cars to make when accelerating violently to 40mph in 2nd gear and then decelerating equally violently and rapidly again, only of course much worse, from an engine 10 trimes the size. Ben Davies did seem to indicate to us last Dec. that they were going to have a bit of a go at all this, because the intention was to present it to the public as a virtually brand new train.
What worries me is the huge amount of WAG money that's being spent on this will be a terrible waste if they don't address this quickly and incorporate at least a degree of soundproofing/acoustic engineering/vibration damping/mechanical tweaking in the mix, because the new interior, good though it is, is really only about the minimum people expect nowadays, and if it's allied to what is clearly a rough noisy old train then it's not going to get people saying to their friends "brilliant new trains, try them!"
and we won't get the numbers up the way we want to.
Fincra5
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The majority of refurbs are just cosmetic stuff. It costs more than you might think to refurbish trains with new interiors, PA systems, paint jobs.
The best laid plans...
Arrived at Aberystwyth expecting the unit to be there (going by the info that invites were apparently saying it'd be there from 6:40) and a trip to Machynllyth on it. Only the de-branded Alphaline unit in the siding was there when I arrived at about 10 to 9. After seeing the train come in (making 3 out of ATW's 4 158 liveries in the station at once, my least favorite being the one missing!) the platform was rather busy, so I decided it wasn't worth getting a ticket to stand to Machynllyth, so I had to make do with the exterior. I ran out to the footbridge a little way out of the station to get a shot of the train heading off.
My only stills are frame grabs from the video, and they didn't come out too well, so you'll have to make do with the video.
On the refurb, the unit looks alot smarter than the ones in either of the 2 previous ATW 158 liveries. I noticed that on arrival the destonation display on the front was scrolling. I think the static display (the LED version) on some current units is much clearer. The inside (from your pictures, I didn't get to see for myself) looks alright generally, but there's too much Arriva turquoise the handles here, the armrests and the strip beneath the windows here. I also morn the loss of the navy blue carpet beneath the windows and the blue strips on the luggage rack and between it and the top of the windows (basically the bits that were reminiscent of Regional Railways / Alphaline).
Arrived at Aberystwyth expecting the unit to be there (going by the info that invites were apparently saying it'd be there from 6:40) and a trip to Machynllyth on it. Only the de-branded Alphaline unit in the siding was there when I arrived at about 10 to 9. After seeing the train come in (making 3 out of ATW's 4 158 liveries in the station at once, my least favorite being the one missing!) the platform was rather busy, so I decided it wasn't worth getting a ticket to stand to Machynllyth, so I had to make do with the exterior. I ran out to the footbridge a little way out of the station to get a shot of the train heading off.
My only stills are frame grabs from the video, and they didn't come out too well, so you'll have to make do with the video.
On the refurb, the unit looks alot smarter than the ones in either of the 2 previous ATW 158 liveries. I noticed that on arrival the destonation display on the front was scrolling. I think the static display (the LED version) on some current units is much clearer. The inside (from your pictures, I didn't get to see for myself) looks alright generally, but there's too much Arriva turquoise the handles here, the armrests and the strip beneath the windows here. I also morn the loss of the navy blue carpet beneath the windows and the blue strips on the luggage rack and between it and the top of the windows (basically the bits that were reminiscent of Regional Railways / Alphaline).
159jim
Member
FGW HST seats ????!!!! WTH
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Desiro Flip-down seats????!!!! WTH
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Been on 158840 since 1131 this morning and still going strong, currently heading for Aberystwyth, got to love these powerpoints + internet dongles! ... pictures off my phone have been uploaded to my flickr site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrivatrainswales158/sets/72157626379565363/with/5621873707/
Enjoy Folks!
Desiro Flip-down seats????!!!! WTH
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northernrailer
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Saw this unit this afternoon on the 12:36 New Street - International coupled to 158837, then travelled on the unit from Smethwick GB @ 1630 as far as Wolves, very impressed with the refurb excellent job, funny seeing the destination blind scrolling arrivas website rather than Aberystwyth.
They seem to be making a bigger thing of this refurbishment than EMT made perhaps because Wales has seen little investment to its trains.
I wonder what trains will be next for refurbishment because other than this one and ScotRail (both devolved Governments) there are few new plans.
I wonder if any of the Northern PTEs could finance a scheme for their 158s.
At least we know these 158s will stay in Wales intead of unit them moving elsewhere.
When I went on the Cambrian in 2002 the trains were a mess with Central Trains livery and Wales and Borders branding. The interiors were foul even then.
Does anyone have photos of refurbished ATW 153s for I have seen very little. I realise not all are completed due to the need for second hand seating
I wonder what trains will be next for refurbishment because other than this one and ScotRail (both devolved Governments) there are few new plans.
I wonder if any of the Northern PTEs could finance a scheme for their 158s.
At least we know these 158s will stay in Wales intead of unit them moving elsewhere.
When I went on the Cambrian in 2002 the trains were a mess with Central Trains livery and Wales and Borders branding. The interiors were foul even then.
Does anyone have photos of refurbished ATW 153s for I have seen very little. I realise not all are completed due to the need for second hand seating
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jones_bangor
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I love the Gerald style livery.
I say forget the 175, couple two of these to make a 4-coach and run these on Gerald 2!!
merlodlliw
Established Member
PS, I have just been e mailed five photos of the 158 at Crewe, these will be published on next Tuesdays North Wales Rail websites special.
I am unable to put them up due to obvious reasons, if anyone wants an advance look, you will have to PM me an e mail address.
The signs by the way in the middle of the coaches are the same wording and logos as seen on Welsh Assembly Subsidised buses,EG Wrexham/Barmouth
WAG Dragon & connecting Wales.
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Apparently the moquette is the same as what the 175/153's have
so 158840's diagrams for that day are :
1G25 0930 Aberystwyth - Birmingham Intl 1250 (Leading out of Shrewsbury)
1D14 1309 Birmingham Intl - Holyhead 1711 (Will be the leading unit to HHD)
1J70 1721 Holyhead - Shrewsbury 2025
2K91 2029 Shrewsbury - Crewe 2119
5K91 2130 Crewe - Chester CS 2200 ECS
HTH
Sorry didn't see this to correct until now. Leading out of Shr on 0930 to BHI means trailing on 1309 to HHD so detaches at SHR at 1422 to form leading set on 1431 to BHI, trailing set 1609 BHI to AYW, leading out of SHR at 1731 thus in theory 1930 AYW-BHM. Poss got swapped out at some point otherwise this ended up on the 2255 BHM-CRE.
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