NXEA (one) 317 into new livery.

[PaintYourWagon]

RailTalk magazine suggests that a class 317 is at Ilford for repaint into NX livery and that it is in the 317501-515 (one livery) or 317881-892 (Stansted Express livery).

Can anyone reduce the range: eg 317/5 or 317/8 or give further clarification please?

 

[O L Leigh]

Yup. It's lurking inside "B" Shop at Ilford but you can see what it is through the windows.

As to which unit it is, until it breaks cover it will be a process of elimination to establish it's identity. I know it's not 511 because that's still out of use on the Plessey Roads and is missing it's DTOS "A" together with a number of other key components.

one TN

 

[Z12XE]

If anyone wants the details of the launch:

The first launch event will take place at Norwich with Richard Bowker, our Chief Executive Officer and Andrew Chivers, our Managing Director, at 9am. They will travel on the 0930 with key stakeholders to Liverpool Street on a fully branded Mark 3 set.

The main launch event will take place at Liverpool Street at 11.40am. This includes a photo call with the Mark 3 set, a fully branded 360 and a fully branded 317.

The Mark 3 set will depart for Norwich as part of its normal timetable at 1200 and continue its normal service from then on.

The 317 will then depart at 12.28 for Cambridge where David Franks, Business Unit Director for Trains, will lead another photo call at 2pm. The 317 will resume normal service from Cambridge after 2.30pm.

The 360 at Liverpool Street will also resume normal service in the afternoon.

This is all happening on the 27th Feb

 

[O L Leigh]

Not seen any evidence of the NatEx "Doodlebug". If it's hiding somewhere, it's not at Ilford.

More on the Cl317's, though. I was lucky enough to get a bit closer to "B" Shop (though not close enough to get any number), and I wouldn't be at all surprised that the unit in question isn't getting an internal refit. From what I could see, the external livery appears to be complete but they are doing an awful lot of work inside the vehicles. It might be just another lick of paint and some new seat covers, but it might be a bit more besides. It would tally with something I read at the magazine stand at WHSmith the other week about these units getting a refurb at (I think) Bombardier Ilford. In addition to this unit, there was another (a Cl317/5) keeping it company in "B" Shop with a Cl317/6 in "A" Shop, though both still in 'one' colours.

In other news, 317511 which has been been stored on the Plessey Roads for about a year and providing a source of spares (and a vehicle to 502) has been moved into the New Shed. I couldn't ascertain whether it has been returned to a full 4 car formation and was in the process of being recommissioned (or whether they had just moved the unit so that they could strip the remaining parts in greater comfort), but the very fact that it's in the New Shed is positive. Space is so tight there that the old Cl306 Shenfield unit had to go to Kineton, so the fact that they have given it half a road of it's own suggests that this unit has somehow found it's way to the top of the "to do" list at long last. However, I suspect that if it is returned to service it and 502 will remain as hybrids of each other.

one TN

 

[Z12XE]

The 360 is yet to be done, it will be done at some point between the weekend and Wed, 360115 is supposedly the one.

317506 is the 317 in the new colours at Ilford. Week after next 156419 should also be done as its going for its internal refit