FGW Regional Livery

[starrymarkb]

East Coast livery is very plain, Nat-Ex switched to all over white, FGW seem to be ditching the lines?

 

[Michael.Y]

the way i see it, its cheap, and easy for them to apply and it will not cost much to change,

FGW only have around 14 months left on their franchise, so they want to spend as little as possible on pretty much everything

Assuming they don't win it again.

 

[PHILIPE]

If you want to see some FGW livery, wait until 153369 is attached to 52202 this week to form a 2 Car Hybrid. 150202, of course, being the Unit involved in the Westbury derailment, the 57 vehicle being at Wolverton for attention after the damage.

 

[fgwrich]

Thinking about that, im supprised as to why 52202 wasn't paired up with 57212 to form a temporary 2 car refurbished 150/2 around the network, whilst postponing 57212s move into 150121.

Still, i suppose it increases the capcity of the Dogbox, and gets the 2 3 Car Hybrids out and about on the now Cardiff to Paignton diagram - releasing 158s for Portsmouth to Cardiff - And the 153 + 150/2 Combo should be around for a good few weeks as 52202 has been refubished, whilst it's sister car 57202 hasnt yet.

 

[HSTEd]

In my opinion, the only significant post privatisation livery not to look awful was GNER blue/red. And that is gone now

 

[TEW]

And the 153 + 150/2 Combo should be around for a good few weeks as 52202 has been refubished, whilst it's sister car 57202 hasnt yet.

It was originally suggested that 57202 would be out for some time as well, it received some fairly substantial underframe damage in the Westbury derailment.

 

[PHILIPE]

If 52202 has been refurbished and paibted without it's partner, forget my livery post

 

[fgwrich]

If 52202 has been refurbished and paibted without it's partner, forget my livery post

-52202 went into refurbishment along with 57209 & 57212 after 150001 was released from Bristol Barton Hill sometime back in January

 

[370001]

I do think that the mk3s would look odd with their dynamic lines vinyls removed as it would be too plain, though the local units look fine.

Maybe they would look a little more "natural" with a very light grey band at window level along the whole length of each coach

 

[whhistle]

Could someone post pictures in order of the three different neon/dynamic lines liveries for the HSTs?

I thought they went from their last version of Barbie to the one they have now (although they dropped it from the HST from the pictures before but I don't count that as a livery change).

 

[starrymarkb]

Could someone post pictures in order of the three different neon/dynamic lines liveries for the HSTs?

I thought they went from their last version of Barbie to the one they have now (although they dropped it from the HST from the pictures before but I don't count that as a livery change).

Version 1 was on two coaches displayed in STEAM - http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JRCyqZfAnYU/SpVklU0w6BI/AAAAAAAACD4/RfaQg4w0ycY/s1600/IMGP2126A.jpeg (haven't found better so far)
Version 2 http://www.therailwaycentre.com/New Photo File Loco/HST_14.jpg - only applied to 2 Powercars and 3 Trailers for the launch. They lasted about 18 months.
Version 3 is the current livery revised after experience from operating version 2

 

[158722]

One of the reasons for change of livery policy is apparently to do with corrosion on the steel bodied 150s & 153s, where any moisture which gets trapped between the vinyl and paint/steel below, can do far more damage than a normally painted-only vehicle. Several FGW 150/2s have been cited as having excessive corrosion around the door frames, accentuated by the vinyls. I would imagine this has resulted in discussions between FGW and the leaseco and no doubt a contributory factor to the change in livery. The same issue has been cited for the HST power cars and trailers.

Aside from this, I agree with posters saying the livery does in fact look better, being less fussy and more dignified.

 

[Aictos]

In my opinion, the only significant post privatisation livery not to look awful was GNER blue/red. And that is gone now

Nope, hated it when it started to replace my beloved InterCity Swallow livery.

 

[BestWestern]

One of the reasons for change of livery policy is apparently to do with corrosion on the steel bodied 150s & 153s, where any moisture which gets trapped between the vinyl and paint/steel below, can do far more damage than a normally painted-only vehicle. Several FGW 150/2s have been cited as having excessive corrosion around the door frames, accentuated by the vinyls. I would imagine this has resulted in discussions between FGW and the leaseco and no doubt a contributory factor to the change in livery. The same issue has been cited for the HST power cars and trailers.

Aside from this, I agree with posters saying the livery does in fact look better, being less fussy and more dignified.

That's an interesting thought, I hadn't considered that but sounds perfectly feasible. I often notice the window frames on the HST trailers are becoming visibly rusty throughout the fleet or so it seems, though these are painted rather than vinyled.

The units looked very striking when the 'Local Lines' scheme first appeared, but with time they are beginning to fade and look a little tired. A fleet-wide repaint after such a short period of time would be a luxury! Certainly be a stark difference to the previous 158 'livery', ancient, grotty, peeling semi-vinyled TPE really wasn't a good look!

 

[whhistle]

Version 2 http://www.therailwaycentre.com/New Photo File Loco/HST_14.jpg - only applied to 2 Powercars and 3 Trailers for the launch. They lasted about 18 months.

But that looks like the one they have now?
Maybe it's my eyes :P FGW isn't exactly "local" for me

 

[CC 72100]

But that looks like the one they have now?
Maybe it's my eyes :P FGW isn't exactly "local" for me

The difference between the two is that power cars now are plain, and there is less of the purple and then shade of blue, it is all one colour. Vinyls on the coaches are the same....

But yes, still very similar really, FGW do like to chop and change a bit!

 

[starrymarkb]

First do struggle with branding, just look at their various attempts on the buses (and especially the new bus livery) Dynamic Lines was probably the best one they've managed, and is now being applied to Truronian coaches.

 

[transmanche]

First do struggle with branding, just look at their various attempts on the buses (and especially the new bus livery) Dynamic Lines was probably the best one they've managed, and is now being applied to Truronian coaches.

'Dynamic lines' does looks very smart. OT I know, but other than dynamic lines, probably the best livery they ever created was their London bus variant.

 

[150222]

'Dynamic lines' does looks very smart. OT I know, but other than dynamic lines, probably the best livery they ever created was their London bus variant.

That's the old First London livery!

 

[warriorwarlord]

That's the old First London livery!

Yeah the yellow and white stripes and lit up yellow backed logos on the destination bit are dissapearing from them, being replaced with plain red with white first logos.

Anyway in terms of trains, I thought the fag packet livery was the smartest on a HST. Green and gold being a nod at the old great western railway legacy of course.

 

[transmanche]

That's the old First London livery!

Indeed.

 

[BestWestern]

That's the old First London livery!

It's pretty nasty IMHO! Only my view though

 

[fgwrich]

'Dynamic lines' does looks very smart. OT I know, but other than dynamic lines, probably the best livery they ever created was their London bus variant.

Itself adapted and created from the former Capital Citybus operation, once formed from:

Capital Citybus was not a privatised London Buses company. An independent, it grew from the tendered bus activities of Ensignbus of Rainham. The blue and silver of Ensignbus gave way to the yellow of Capital Citybus with a sale to Hong Kong Citibus in 1990.
Capital Citybus bought its own Metrobuses, single-doored forward staircase examples, in 1988, and added many more secondhand buses from around the country. Some second-hand London examples were bought too.

The 80% red rule applies to buses regularly used on inner London routes, so some of the Capital Citybus Ms appeared in their attractive red and yellow scheme.

FirstBus took over in mid 1998, so the Citybus "Arrow C" logos gave way to "First Fs" on the front panels.

http://www.countrybus.org/Metro/metro2.htm

http://londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com/p363243346/h3A0D673B#h3a0d673b

And with a pretty rare vehicle on the left:

http://londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com/p82143790/h1E902A9C#h1e902a9c



But certainly for me, the best HST liveries, and FGW liveries, have to be that of Dynamic Lines - It's almost a slight nod to BR having the power cars in all over blue, and the Mk3s similar but with the Dynamic Lines - Just as BR would have had a loco in BR Blue with Blue Grey coaching stock...

And FGW 'Fag Packet' Green / Gold - Not only a smart livery which was simple to produce (just vinyl over the previous Green & Ivory Roundel designed 'Merlin Livery') whilst looking smart in the process - Afterall, who couldn't love a picture of a 47 with a rake of matching 'Fag Packet' Mk2s powering away from Marazion! (Well, ok, some of you probably couldnt!)

 

[PHILIPE]

-52202 went into refurbishment along with 57209 & 57212 after 150001 was released from Bristol Barton Hill sometime back in January

153399 formed with Hybrid 153369 and 52202 now out and about and it is in
Hybrid Livery. If you go to FGW Coffee Shop Forum, thread Hybrid 153/150,
you will see an excellent picture.

 

[Michael.Y]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolvercotewanderer/6782133324/in/photostream/

 

[fgwrich]

153399 formed with Hybrid 153369 and 52202 now out and about and it is in
Hybrid Livery. If you go to FGW Coffee Shop Forum, thread Hybrid 153/150,
you will see an excellent picture.

True - I was told that 52202 had entered Refurbishment with 57209 and 57212 but obviously not...My Mistake

 

[thelongestroad]

So when will the HST seats be making a candid appearance in the 'new' 150s?

I say somewhat in jest. Some of the refurbished 150s with the new LED lighting strips (in place of the strip bulbs) make it seem the seating won't be replaced for the moment.

 

[TEW]

Seating stays for now, although the seats have been reupholstered and they are much more comfortable.

 

[387star]

can anyone post a class 158 in plain blue livery (computer generated impression) as I think they would look great