Class 175s to GWR

[northernbelle]

I would have thought that any stock being repainted anyway now should be into the GBR livery, despite the fact that I much prefer the GWR one. This begs the question of how much other stock is destined to be repainted as a matter of course in existing TOCs' liveries, rather than the GBR one, and thus how long each TOC might only have one 'show' train in the new livery.

There is a lead time on painting a train - clearly the first few 175s had the paint/body works contracted in before the instruction was given for GBR livery (noting they were announced on GWR in summer 2024, and GBR livery wasn't announced until December 2025). I suspect the first few will be green and they'll switch over at a sensible point in the work.

 

[Jrocks]

Looks as if it might be goodbye to the comfy TfW seats judging by that image

Nope, definitely the same seats inside, just in GWR colours - we havent lost the comfy seats luckily! Wont get onto another seat comfort debate though, thats dangerous territory.......

 

[3RDGEN]

Agreed and I was just about to post something similar. It has always disappointed me that when 175s have been repainted the side skirts have let them down by looking shabby.

Doesn't matter what you paint them in weeks/months they will be the mucky brown colour they are today, unless you constantly clean them. Should have been removed years ago to save time and improve cooling.

 

[Deepgreen]

I actually would have liked the GWR green to be the basis of the GBR livery - simple, understated and elegant. It would need tweaking to include visible and useful indications such as first class yellow stripes (as applied to the 769s) rather than the futile grey pencil stripe!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 13:42 ==

There is a lead time on painting a train - clearly the first few 175s had the paint/body works contracted in before the instruction was given for GBR livery (noting they were announced on GWR in summer 2024, and GBR livery wasn't announced until December 2025). I suspect the first few will be green and they'll switch over at a sensible point in the work.

Fair point - I do tend to forget the huge lead time for refurbishments these days!

 

[XFeed]

Doesn't matter what you paint them in weeks/months they will be the mucky brown colour they are today, unless you constantly clean them. Should have been removed years ago to save time and improve cooling.

Yep the "mucky brown colour" isn't great.

The amount of times that the units had sustained heavy lineside debris strikes with the side skirts being pretty badly damaged at times and if they weren't fitted the equipment and wiring harness` behind would have been damaged instead, easier to replace skirts than rectify damaged equipment and wiring. 197s have been vulnerable to this.
If the maintenance regimes are followed cooling is ok.

 

[REVUpminster]

I think GBR colours, and I don't like the same bodyside being used on the trailer coaches, should be only used on the intercity trains.

A regional colour used on the local trains as England is still going to be divided up into regions.

 

[3RDGEN]

Yep the "mucky brown colour" isn't great.

The amount of times that the units had sustained heavy lineside debris strikes with the side skirts being pretty badly damaged at times and if they weren't fitted the equipment and wiring harness` behind would have been damaged instead, easier to replace skirts than rectify damaged equipment and wiring. 197s have been vulnerable to this.
If the maintenance regimes are followed cooling is ok.

How many "Thermal Events" occurred by oil leaks being hidden/missed due to the skirts preventing visual inspection on daily Service Checks?

 

[BillStampy]

175006 lost 43 minutes at Bodmin Parkway 2C32. Unsure why 006 has been cleared for service as looking at RTT it's only been on one day of round trips for milage accumulation which surely can't amount to the full 1000 miles, unless someone has something to say that proves me wrong otherwise.
Edit: Just assuming 006 has a fault, by the way, it could be for a completely different reason!

 

[REVUpminster]

006 seems to be the only one out today.

 

[Apedlar12]

175006 lost 43 minutes at Bodmin Parkway 2C32. Unsure why 006 has been cleared for service as looking at RTT it's only been on one day of round trips for milage accumulation which surely can't amount to the full 1000 miles, unless someone has something to say that proves me wrong otherwise.
Edit: Just assuming 006 has a fault, by the way, it could be for a completely different reason!

GWR journey check saying the delay is due to a fault on the train. Interestingly it is also saying that it will be formed of 1 coach instead of 2.

 

[CR165022]

GWR journey check saying the delay is due to a fault on the train. Interestingly it is also saying that it will be formed of 1 coach instead of 2.

One coach locked out perhaps?

 

[83G/84D]

One coach locked out perhaps?

Indeed running with one coach locked out due to a door fault.

 

[Harpo]

Maybe at the moment, keeping GBR livery away from the 175s is a sensible bit of reputational protection?

 

[BillStampy]

Indeed running with one coach locked out due to a door fault.

Better than cancelling the service short.

 

[Doomotron]

I haven't been keeping up with the 175 situation for a while - has GWR got all the 175s now or are they still only leading the whole fleet bar one? And have the interiors changed in the repainted units? I know the seats are the same but I don't know if the moquette or carpet has been updated.

 

[XFeed]

How many "Thermal Events" occurred by oil leaks being hidden/missed due to the skirts preventing visual inspection on daily Service Checks?

Some oil leaks on top of the engine combined with the unfortunate build up of leaf debris also on top of the engine were not the majority of the thermal events, even if the skirts were not fitted you cannot see the top of the engine in that area except when in a pit.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 21:15 ==

Indeed running with one coach locked out due to a door fault.

Unusual for one car completely unable to be used do to a door fault, bodyside door I assume, unless its one of the No1 end doors and if the fault could not be rectified enroute in TfW days the unit would be withdrawn at the next major station or maintenance depot.

 

[tfw756rider]

have the interiors changed in the repainted units? I know the seats are the same but I don't know if the moquette or carpet has been updated.

Great Western Railway (GWR) seat moquette (on what looks like the original seats) has been seen through the windows of 175103 and/or 175110, the two units in GWR green so far.

Your question still stands regarding carpet (as in the floor covering) though (along with any other form of interior refurbishment).

 

[43102EMR]

I haven't been keeping up with the 175 situation for a while - has GWR got all the 175s now or are they still only leading the whole fleet bar one? And have the interiors changed in the repainted units? I know the seats are the same but I don't know if the moquette or carpet has been updated.

Some are still at Wolverton and Ely, most at Laira doing their 1,000 miles fault free running prior to be accepted by GWR.

From the above images the seats have been reupholstered on the repainted units, though arguably that’s all they really need cosmetically.

 

[brad465]

Some are still at Wolverton and Ely, most at Laira doing their 1,000 miles fault free running prior to be accepted by GWR.

From the above images the seats have been reupholstered on the repainted units, though arguably that’s all they really need cosmetically.

There are only 1.5 units left at Ely, and the 0.5 (008) is near-certain to not be running again. 175104 is the other, which could well leave by road given the previous 175 to leave the site did so this way.

 

[REVUpminster]

003 and 114 both out on passenger duties. 114s interesting as it's never been to Wolverton and has been at Laira nearly two years and is fairly reliable.

Nothing else about at the moment.

 

[northernbelle]

114

003 and 114 both out on passenger duties. 114s interesting as it's never been to Wolverton and has been at Laira nearly two years and is fairly reliable.

Nothing else about at the moment.

I might be wrong, but I suspect it's more to do with the fact that 114 was 'kept warm', regularly run up and tripped along the main line to keep it alive while it was in storage. Don't think whether or not things have been to Wolverton is a factor.

 

[RUK]

Will say, does look a bit odd that everything is freshly painted except the solebar which is still in faded TfW grey.

My presumption is that the bodies have been vinyled rather than painted, so there would be no paint available in the first place to do the sole-bars anyway?

 

[43102EMR]

My presumption is that the bodies have been vinyled rather than painted, so there would be no paint available in the first place to do the sole-bars anyway?

Surely if it was vinyled they would have done that to the rest of the fleet at Laira in house? Especially considering the length of time those two have been at Wolverton as well.

Not to mention they do look glossier compared to the 800/0s, which gave off a duller look in comparison whilst they were vinyled.

 

[RUK]

Surely if it was vinyled they would have done that to the rest of the fleet at Laira in house? Especially considering the length of time those two have been at Wolverton as well.

Not to mention they do look glossier compared to the 800/0s, which gave off a duller look in comparison whilst they were vinyled.

Seems a waste to paint them when GBR is coming anyway - vinyl seems more temporary than paint. I guess maybe First Group want to leave their mark on the railway for as long as possible, and have their colours hiding underneath GBR vinyl, rather than replaced by GBR paint. Somewhat ironic, given that the first unit to be given GBR livery, a Class 387, 387 172, was vinyled over the GWR livery, albeit running with Southern.

 

[XFeed]

My presumption is that the bodies have been vinyled rather than painted, so there would be no paint available in the first place to do the sole-bars anyway?

I`ve looked at the recent videos and and I found it pretty impossible to confirm either way with the units travelling at speed, at one point I thought I noticed overspray on a bogie but when I looked again I thought no.

I expect that we will find out the answer when one is seen stationary at a station or earlier with some insider knowledge.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Today at 13:12 ==

114
I might be wrong, but I suspect it's more to do with the fact that 114 was 'kept warm', regularly run up and tripped along the main line to keep it alive while it was in storage. Don't think whether or not things have been to Wolverton is a factor.

If this was the case with 114 it certainly points to the poor storage regime regarding the other units and their problems.

When I read the VMI storage instruction document it listed similar tasks, among with many others, but can`t remember if it required occasional main line movement or just movement within the sidings ?

I don`t think that I had a copy of the document, only read it.

 

[RPI]

Seems a waste to paint them when GBR is coming anyway - vinyl seems more temporary than paint. I guess maybe First Group want to leave their mark on the railway for as long as possible, and have their colours hiding underneath GBR vinyl, rather than replaced by GBR paint. Somewhat ironic, given that the first unit to be given GBR livery, a Class 387, 387 172, was vinyled over the GWR livery, albeit running with Southern.

What tosh, there's no reference to First group on them at all, the first reference was removed from everything else a couple of years back too.

After December 13th GWR still exists, just as a DFT TOC and not First group

 

[43102EMR]

Seems a waste to paint them when GBR is coming anyway - vinyl seems more temporary than paint. I guess maybe First Group want to leave their mark on the railway for as long as possible, and have their colours hiding underneath GBR vinyl, rather than replaced by GBR paint. Somewhat ironic, given that the first unit to be given GBR livery, a Class 387, 387 172, was vinyled over the GWR livery, albeit running with Southern.

c2c’s 357s are currently going through a repaint programme and up until recently were painted in their new white/magenta livery. Going forward now all others will be repainted into GBR livery.

Likely a case of the GBR livery won’t emerge until GWR’s officially nationalised in December. Perhaps the paintwork was already scheduled in, that is if they were repainted.

 

[REVUpminster]

175103 came out green 17 July 2026, painted or vinyl. Maybe they washed it on Thursday before it left Wolverton because it did look smart.

 

[CR165022]

I believe it's already been mentioned, but the 175s are painted and that decision was made long before GBR was even a thing, which is why they're coming out in green. It would cost even more money to switch the contract to paint them in GBR this last minute