Intercity first class interior Gatwick express 1984

[Helvellyn]

Would have been a good marketing tie in with the rollers.

Why couldn't they have made a tartan moquette though !

I think it was out of fashion with BR for new stock in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The IC70 seats originally came with blue (Second) and orange (First) cloth covers. The PEP family EMUs and the refurbished CEPs/BEPs also had cloth seat covers. The argument was the covers were easily removed and could be laundered, so could be kept in better condition than moquette.

 

[yorksrob]

I think it was out of fashion with BR for new stock in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The IC70 seats originally came with blue (Second) and orange (First) cloth covers. The PEP family EMUs and the refurbished CEPs/BEPs also had cloth seat covers. The argument was the covers were easily removed and could be laundered, so could be kept in better condition than moquette.

That's interesting. I remember the brown/grey cloth on the CEP's. I wasn't aware that they were removable and washable (I thought that only came in on the SE with the Networkers).

 

[Helvellyn]

That's interesting. I remember the brown/grey cloth on the CEP's. I wasn't aware that they were removable and washable (I thought that only came in on the SE with the Networkers).

Others will be able to confirm but I think the cloth covers didn't wear well but also didn't keep their shape over time, so back to moquette it was.

Tiger Stripe and Provincial Blue (the checkered design) were intended to match the cloth colours for older seats - thankfully with Provoncial Blie they went for a dark blue headrest when used on early Mk 2 style seats rather than that light grey colour in my posted image.

I think there was a red/blue version of Tiger Stripe known as Raspberry Ripple as well. I know a number of the Mk 1 InterCity First Class charter coaches got refurbished with that moquette in the mid-1980s.

 

[yorksrob]

I think there was a red/blue version of Tiger Stripe known as Raspberry Ripple as well. I know a number of the Mk 1 InterCity First Class charter coaches got refurbished with that moquette in the mid-1980s.

Yes, that one was particularly attractive.

 

[Helvellyn]

I did a quick search to see if I could find an InterCity Mk 1 FO with the Raspberry Ripple moquette. No luck (so far) but I did find a better image of one of the prototype Mk 3 TFs with IC80 seating in Tiger Stripe (all credits on the linked Facebook page).

MK1. MK2. MK3. MK4. MK5. COACHES | First class interior a HST MKIII in 1983 | Facebook

First class interior a HST MKIII in 1983. Photo courtesy of Ian Waters.

www.facebook.com

 

[WesternLancer]

I think it was out of fashion with BR for new stock in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The IC70 seats originally came with blue (Second) and orange (First) cloth covers. The PEP family EMUs and the refurbished CEPs/BEPs also had cloth seat covers. The argument was the covers were easily removed and could be laundered, so could be kept in better condition than moquette.

That’s a good analysis