Great Western Livery

[Deepgreen]

But where is this 'big impression'?! One presumes there will be some form of batch introduction of IEP, which surely would have made the desired big impression!

What is annoying me about this whole issue is the glory that FGW is trying to claim in "transforming the west of England", etc, etc., claiming it is not just a re-branding - it IS just a re-branding, with huge investment from anyone but FGW - i.e. government TOC subsidy, Network Rail for the electrification, etc. The rolling stock renewal would have had to accompany the electrification anyway, which was not FGW's strategic decision or investment risk.

I do like the new brand look but the claims that it is a new railway provided by FGW/GWR/whoever, are fallacious.

 

[VP185]

What is annoying me about this whole issue is the glory that FGW is trying to claim in "transforming the west of England", etc, etc., claiming it is not just a re-branding - it IS just a re-branding, with huge investment from anyone but FGW - i.e. government TOC subsidy, Network Rail for the electrification, etc. The rolling stock renewal would have had to accompany the electrification anyway, which was not FGW's strategic decision or investment risk.

I do like the new brand look but the claims that it is a new railway provided by FGW/GWR/whoever, are fallacious.

Technically First make payments to the government, to Network Rail and to the leasing companies so they are investing and transforming the West of England albeit indirectly. Virgin proclaimed the exact same thing when the Pendolinos were introduced. It's just clever marketing.

 

[jimm]

But where is this 'big impression'?! One presumes there will be some form of batch introduction of IEP, which surely would have made the desired big impression!

I don't know about batch introduction, but the plan seems to be to start infiltrating the IEPs into service from May 2017 or thereabouts but it's unlikely to be one big dollop and the last AT300s will not be appearing until the back end of 2018.

Similarly will all the emus arrive in green or will they have to wait their turn for painting? They are also likely to be phased in as more wired sections become available, meaning transfers of Turbos west will likely be in dribs and drabs, even if they are all in green by then. The 158s and 150/2s will presumably be done as and when they visit works.

So the idea there will be a big bang moment at any point in this franchise seems unlikely.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Technically First make payments to the government, to Network Rail and to the leasing companies so they are investing and transforming the West of England albeit indirectly. Virgin proclaimed the exact same thing when the Pendolinos were introduced. It's just clever marketing.

And long after the Pendolinos were introduced... for some reason East Coast is not claiming credit for the 'investment' in IEPs. The Stagecoach influence at work, perhaps?

 

[swt_passenger]

I don't know about batch introduction, but the plasm seem to be to start infiltrating the IEPs into service from May 2017 or thereabouts but it's unlikely to be one big dollop and the last AT300s will not be appearing until the back end of 2018..

The franchise spec has a proposed timetable for the IEPs, it is basically a linear build up of one train per week for just over 13 months, with a short gap over Christmas 2017.

Train 1 - 25 May 2017
Train 57 - 6 Jul 2018

 

[xavsinden4]

Does anyone know when or if the green HST/Turbos/Sleeper set will be at Paddington on Saturday? If not is there a way I can find out?
Thanks

 

[Michael.Y]

Does anyone know when or if the green HST/Turbos/Sleeper set will be at Paddington on Saturday? If not is there a way I can find out?
Thanks

Short answer: no.

Long answer: Allocation of stock to diagrams is done overnight by Train Planners and won't be known until about 4am on Saturday, and then only by staff with access to set allocation data. I would be surprised if the Green HST *didnt* get to Paddington *sometime* on Saturday, but if it's working a Penzance train there could be a long wait between visits.

FWIW the Green HST (perhaps we should call it Henry) was on the 1815 to Swansea tonight.

 

[395 Olympic Javelin]

Anyone know what the Green GWR HST is doing today cause I was hoping to see it on Wednesday at Penzance but it got Canceled from Plymouth which I am hoping it will come today or tomorrow

 

[jimm]

More green HST

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95960212@N08/21437917049/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/95960212@N08/21008342913/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFQ9Iyzn3U


166204 at Redhill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf3T9qpF_mU

166206 in use at Reading on Tuesday but awaiting the finishing touches to the livery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XOhbYD6To
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XOhbYD6To

Green Turbo interior

https://instagram.com/p/75RoV1mWrH/?taken-by=itsmemarkymark

Creative Review report about the rebranding, which makes clear the idea came from First Group.

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2015/september/the-rebirth-of-the-great-western-railway/

 

[irish_rail]

Green machine on 1106 to Plymouth, and 1600 back to padd.....

 

[Deepgreen]

More green HST

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95960212@N08/21437917049/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/95960212@N08/21008342913/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFQ9Iyzn3U


166204 at Redhill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf3T9qpF_mU

166206 in use at Reading on Tuesday but awaiting the finishing touches to the livery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XOhbYD6To
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-XOhbYD6To

Green Turbo interior

https://instagram.com/p/75RoV1mWrH/?taken-by=itsmemarkymark

Creative Review report about the rebranding, which makes clear the idea came from First Group.

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2015/september/the-rebirth-of-the-great-western-railway/

I really like the green turbo interior - bright but not garish - now just change the pink-headed route diagrams on the bulkheads and we're nearly there! Thanks for sharing the shots.

 

[Noddy]

I like the Turbo interior too, but will they remain 2+3 when they head out west?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: Allocation of stock to diagrams is done overnight by Train Planners and won't be known until about 4am on Saturday, and then only by staff with access to set allocation data. I would be surprised if the Green HST *didnt* get to Paddington *sometime* on Saturday, but if it's working a Penzance train there could be a long wait between visits.

FWIW the Green HST (perhaps we should call it Henry) was on the 1815 to Swansea tonight.

I take it that set, rather than being sent to Scotland, will therefore be bricked into the strategic reserve sidings inside Box tunnel...

 

[xavsinden4]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: Allocation of stock to diagrams is done overnight by Train Planners and won't be known until about 4am on Saturday, and then only by staff with access to set allocation data. I would be surprised if the Green HST *didnt* get to Paddington *sometime* on Saturday, but if it's working a Penzance train there could be a long wait between visits.
.

Thanks, I'll check with the GWR facebook team tomorrow morning.

 

[Mintona]

It's booked to work the 2000 Paddington - Bristol tonight and spent the night at SPM.

 

[sprinterguy]

I like the Turbo interior too, but will they remain 2+3 when they head out west?

The class 166s will be refitted with 2+2 seating, for use on the Cardiff to Portsmouth runs, but the 165s will retain 2+3.

 

[jimm]

The class 166s will be refitted with 2+2 seating, for use on the Cardiff to Portsmouth runs, but the 165s will retain 2+3.

While the 166s will mostly be 2+2, the size of the engine coolant header tanks means some three-seat benches will have to stay in place to hide them unless a smaller tank can be used.

 

[swt_passenger]

The class 166s will be refitted with 2+2 seating, for use on the Cardiff to Portsmouth runs, but the 165s will retain 2+3.

Was there a mention of combinations of 2 and 3 car units being used to allow for some 5 car services on Portsmouth Cardiff, or did it never get anywhere?

 

[sprinterguy]

Was there a mention of combinations of 2 and 3 car units being used to allow for some 5 car services on Portsmouth Cardiff, or did it never get anywhere?

To the best of my knowledge that's still the plan: 5-car 166+165 formations.

 

[yorksrob]

Well, I hope they paint some IC 125's into the new livery. Given these trains have been stalwarts of the route for forty years, and given they pretty much helped to secure the railway nationally, it would be pretty disrespectful for GWR to just shuffle them off without ceremony or livery.

 

[455driver]

Well, I hope they paint some IC 125's into the new livery. Given these trains have been stalwarts of the route for forty years, and given they pretty much helped to secure the railway nationally, it would be pretty disrespectful for GWR to just shuffle them off without ceremony or livery.

Its a train which is being withdrawn from service with FGW/GWR, it has served its purpose so its time to get rid of it, why all the sentiment, the accountants wont have any!


On a personal note can we have one in original flying banana livery pretty please!

 

[Mintona]

The green set worked the 2015 to Swansea instead of the 2000 Bristol, so is presumably now at Landore.

 

[395 Olympic Javelin]

Is the green set coming to Penzance today or not

 

[jimm]

Is the green set coming to Penzance today or not

Doesn't look like it. Post on GWR Help twitter feed says it is on an 08.20 Swansea to Newbury Racecourse special and will them work a 15.05 Newbury Racecourse to Plymouth special.

 

[455driver]

Is the green set coming to Penzance today or not

Such a polite way of asking!

Even makes me sound polite!

Not really a surprise what services it is running either, nice bit of diagramming yesterday though.

 

[59CosG95]

Doesn't look like it. Post on GWR Help twitter feed says it is on an 08.20 Swansea to Newbury Racecourse special and will them work a 15.05 Newbury Racecourse to Plymouth special.

Saw that on one of the "HST enthusiasts" groups on FB, saying that it was on 'the Zulus'. Presumably 'zulus' is slang for race specials.

 

[D1009]

Doesn't look like it. Post on GWR Help twitter feed says it is on an 08.20 Swansea to Newbury Racecourse special and will them work a 15.05 Newbury Racecourse to Plymouth special.

That is correct, I saw it at Bristol Parkway. Personally I find it a rather drab shade of green, it's going to be difficult to get decent photographs in the countryside as it won't stand out very much. It rather reminds me of the old SBB livery.

 

[jimm]

Saw that on one of the "HST enthusiasts" groups on FB, saying that it was on 'the Zulus'. Presumably 'zulus' is slang for race specials.

Not for the racing. There is a GWR staff and families event taking place at the racecourse today, as 455 driver noted elsewhere. There are also extras from Plymouth and Reading for this event

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2310547

Zulus is a reference to the use of Z in headcodes to indicate a special service, e.g. the afternoon train to Plymouth is 1Z30

As an aside, whether or not it is representative of anything, there are a lot of likes on Instagram pictures of the new-look GWR trains and some approving comments as well. Perhaps from people not too worried about how the trains photograph in the countryside - I suspect there it is going to be a case of pick your backdrop and lighting conditions carefully. I thought the HST looked pretty impressive in this picture https://www.flickr.com/photos/95960212@N08/21437917049/

 

[59CosG95]

Ah. Well, I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover!

 

[nidave]

Lets hope the next franchisee doesn't also embark on an unnecessary re-bra

Regarding the metal gWr on the HST powercar, seems reminiscent of the swallow we saw on HST powercars back in the day.

.

I like the look - Wonder how long it is before one of the letters comes loose and hits something

 

[spark001uk]

I like the look - Wonder how long it is before one of the letters comes loose and hits something

Or gets nicked!