GNER Mallard Refurbishment

[Crossforth]

Afternoon all

I'm wondering if any of you have good memories?

I'm wanting to know rough dates for when each GNER MK4 set was refurbished to Mallard standard specifically how many sets survived into 2005 in the original livery WITHOUT the red doors.

I've had a look through the forum but I've unable to find anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[hexagon789]

Afternoon all

I'm wondering if any of you have good memories?

I'm wanting to know rough dates for when each GNER MK4 set was refurbished to Mallard standard specifically how many sets survived into 2005 in the original livery WITHOUT the red doors.

I've had a look through the forum but I've unable to find anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

I know that in early 2004 only two 225 sets had been done. I actually have no memory of the refurbished trains under GNER but I can remember 225s pre-Mallard refurbishment.

 

[route101]

Can remember travelling one pre mallard from Glasgow to Edinburgh in July 2005

 

[Bletchleyite]

I know that in early 2004 only two 225 sets had been done. I actually have no memory of the refurbished trains under GNER but I can remember 225s pre-Mallard refurbishment.

If you've been on one more recently, the only thing VTEC changed was the seat cushions and covers. If I recall rightly the Mallard had some dark blue and some grey seats in Standard, I *think* all blue in 1st. The Standard seats used a very poor single-piece cushion on which the base sloped the wrong way, so they gave me backache. The VTEC refurb fixed this with a new two-piece cushion.

 

[FQTV]

If you've been on one more recently, the only thing VTEC changed was the seat cushions and covers. If I recall rightly the Mallard had some dark blue and some grey seats in Standard, I *think* all blue in 1st. The Standard seats used a very poor single-piece cushion on which the base sloped the wrong way, so they gave me backache. The VTEC refurb fixed this with a new two-piece cushion.

The GNER Mallard refurbishment in First Class employed a mix of navy blue seats and mushroom beige seats. They were a rather bland successor to the wonderfully Eighties slouchy armchairs with their polished steel trim and smoked glass carriage partitions.

The earlier GNER HST First Class refurbishment, by contrast, was much more of a hat-tip to a bit of luxe, with faux veneers at the saloon ends, and table lamps among other additions.

 

[delt1c]

Used to travel regularly between Kong’s Cross and Leeds and Edinburgh in early to mid 2000’s. The Mallard refurbs were a breath of fresh air as the Mk4’s were getting tired internally, especially the 1st class. It was like traveling on a new train.

 

[jimbouk1]

There's a couple of interesting articles online from soon after the refurbishments took place.

https://acumen-da.com/media/GNER-2005_Rail-Magazine_Review.pdf

https://acumen-da.com/media/GNER-2004_Railway-Interiors-Intl_Review.pdf

 

[hexagon789]

If you've been on one more recently, the only thing VTEC changed was the seat cushions and covers. If I recall rightly the Mallard had some dark blue and some grey seats in Standard, I *think* all blue in 1st. The Standard seats used a very poor single-piece cushion on which the base sloped the wrong way, so they gave me backache. The VTEC refurb fixed this with a new two-piece cushion.

I have been on one post-VTEC refurb but strangely I still feel in the back of my mind that I preferred the older scheme

 

[superjohn]

The book “Train Doctor” by Roger Senior has a very detailed chapter on the Mallard refurbishments, including a table showing when each set entered and left works.

Train Doctor: Trouble Shooting With Diesel and Electric Locomotives: Amazon.co.uk: Roger Senior: 9781473838031: Books

Buy Train Doctor: Trouble Shooting With Diesel and Electric Locomotives by Roger Senior (ISBN: 9781473838031) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

The book is an excellent read, covering his days as a Technical Riding Inspector on the ECML as well as many other related topics.

 

[43096]

The book “Train Doctor” by Roger Senior has a very detailed chapter on the Mallard refurbishments, including a table showing when each set entered and left works.

Train Doctor: Trouble Shooting With Diesel and Electric Locomotives: Amazon.co.uk: Roger Senior: 9781473838031: Books

Buy Train Doctor: Trouble Shooting With Diesel and Electric Locomotives by Roger Senior (ISBN: 9781473838031) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

The book is an excellent read, covering his days as a Technical Riding Inspector on the ECML as well as many other related topics.

Better still, rather than buying it from some big US company, get it from 125 Group - all profits to preservation.

Train Doctor – by Roger Senior

Troubleshooting with Diesel and Electric traction. ‘Train Doctor’ is the story of Roger Senior’s career in the railway industry, from 1968 when the author joined British Railways, until…

www.125group.org.uk

 

[route101]

Never really enjoyed the leather seats in first class compared to cloth. Least we dont have that on the 800s.