Pendolino Refurbishment?

[Blindtraveler]

would it be too costly to upgrade the lighting to use as an example lams that simulate daylight?

 

[edwin_m]

Lighting might help - certainly a lot of operators are replacing their spotlights with LEDs that use less power, emit less heat and most importantly for a train need replacing much less frequently. These are available in a purer white as well as a "warm white".

Even though the've never allowed smoking, the Standard interiors remind me a bit of the nicotine staining you used to get in places where a lot of people smoked.

 

[pt_mad]

Even though the've never allowed smoking, the Standard interiors remind me a bit of the nicotine staining you used to get in places where a lot of people smoked.

Yes.

And the mottled pattern/colour on the top panel where the lights are reminds me of a common style of kitchen worktop during the 90s. Probably thought this was fashionable at the time.

 

[rebmcr]

On a whole, I find them very clean and well looked-after. Compared to a lot of other stock on the network, I think they'd still be better even if they stayed as-is for another 5-10 years.

 

[jon0844]

Lighting might help - certainly a lot of operators are replacing their spotlights with LEDs that use less power, emit less heat and most importantly for a train need replacing much less frequently.

I can't quite remember, but I think they already do have LED lights in the place of the halogen spot lights?

You can now get LED lighting to replace fluorescent tubes, but I have no idea how many companies have done that. I expect it's quite hard to tell, unlike the difference between a halogen bulb and a LED one.

Whitbread seems to have fitted out most of its pub/restaurants with LED lights now. LED lighting is now more than capable of competing with regular bulbs, with much higher brightness levels AND no longer that horrid white/blue (cool) light. Most LEDs are now warm white, which are virtually indistinguishable from old-school incandescent lights.

 

[HSTEd]

My only real problem with the Pendolinos is the awful nose styling.

Those sort of pseudo organic curves always date horrendously.
I prefer the look they have on Pendolinos on the continent.... far more angular.

 

[Bob Ames]

I think they're really cute, and the earlier mention of baby Pendos almost had me running down to my local station to hug one...

 

[LexyBoy]

Lighting which is too "cold" (similar to daylight) doesn't suit an indoor environment for general use. The lighting on FGW HSTs gives me a headache if I have to use them after dark - and if (as seems often the case on late services from Paddington) the lighting is set to "bright" I literally have to cover my eyes.

Pendos are a bit on the dim side (which personally I quite like), but I hope they don't go to the other extreme...

 

[WatcherZero]

I think they're really cute, and the earlier mention of baby Pendos almost had me running down to my local station to hug one...

Doesnt quite conjure up the same mental picture as 'Baby Deltic' does it

Now that would be a scary child.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

A higher seat will restrain the heads of passengers in a collision, so basically a higher seat is more crashworthy than a lower seat. Whether this is actually justifiable, given the very small number of crashes where it might make a difference, is open to question.

Sitting in my cramped Ryanair seat the other day I set to thinking why new GB railway seats are significantly taller than in a brand new Boeing 737.
I would have thought that all the necessary "crashworthiness" safety criteria would be built into the aircraft seats.
I can easily see all over the cabin from a 737 seat, but can't see over the top of a seat in a refurbished FGW HST or EMT/ATW 158.

 

[bronzeonion]

Pendolino interiors are terrible, yellowey textured plastic everywhere and lighting so dark its fit for a sleeper service! However they really do look the part on the outside.

 

[jon0844]

I've never found them dark inside TBH. There's perhaps a bit too much yellow, but when FGW opted for cool temperature lighting, it didn't seem to gain many fans.

Wagn also replaced all the lights on their 317/1s with cool white lights (2003/4?), and I actually quite liked the brighter looking interior - but it did seem rather clinical and they were gradually changed back to warm white.

 

[Mikey C]

Sitting in my cramped Ryanair seat the other day I set to thinking why new GB railway seats are significantly taller than in a brand new Boeing 737.
I would have thought that all the necessary "crashworthiness" safety criteria would be built into the aircraft seats.
I can easily see all over the cabin from a 737 seat, but can't see over the top of a seat in a refurbished FGW HST or EMT/ATW 158.

On planes, in any accident you're likely to be flung forward (being hit from behind is unlikely!) so you don't need high seats for safety. The backward facing crew seats are very high backed , as they'll be flung back into their seat on landing.
Being tall I like higher back seats - the seats on 319s, 465s etc are only high backed if you're 5'6! - but the newer seats are so tall it does make the interior a bit claustrophic, especially with airline seats.

 

[edwin_m]

It's also almost impossible to tell when entering the coach which seats are empty!

 

[Geezertronic]

It's also almost impossible to tell when entering the coach which seats are empty!

Depends on how tall you are. At 5' 10" I can see seat availability when entering the coach fine

 

[Aictos]

My only real problem with the Pendolinos is the awful nose styling.

Those sort of pseudo organic curves always date horrendously.
I prefer the look they have on Pendolinos on the continent.... far more angular.

Hahaha, really? I'm sure there's more important issues to be resolved then the styling of the nose which isn't that big a deal and actually looks good!

 

[edwin_m]

Depends on how tall you are. At 5' 10" I can see seat availability when entering the coach fine

I'm the same height but can't. I can see over the top of the seats but most of the sitting passengers aren't visible above the seat backs.

 

[8J]

I think that the lighting on pendolinos is good. The warm lighting helps you relax on long journeys but there is different, colder lighting in the vestibule area. I like that combinatipn! It is similar on the Merseyrail 507/8's. In the seating area there is warm lighting, however by the doors, there is cooler spotlights.

I think the nose and exterior design of the pendolinos is fine myself. When they first came out, they looked the part and to be honest, 10 years later they still do. They'll never look as good as the old pretendolino ( the dvt reminds me of thunderbird 2 ) but still they are reliable and fast, fact. Comfort and styling are down to opinion, but for me, the pendolinos are fine.

 

[broadgage]

would it be too costly to upgrade the lighting to use as an example lamps that simulate daylight?

I would favour this, but have my doubts as to how popular it would be.
As a worker in the lighting industry I meet many requests for "lighting that resembles daylight" When this is installed, the usual response is along the lines of "oh no, we dont like that ! it is too bright, or too harsh, or too cold"
Daylight IS much brighter than most electric light, and is also much colder in colour than most electric lights.

First great western refurbed their HSTs a few years ago and fitted new brighter lights of a colour that resembled daylight.
I rather liked them, but suspect that I was in a small minority regarding this.
On most services, half the lights are now turned off due to complaints of being too bright , and the "daylight" lamps are being steadily replaced with warmer ones, due to complaints about the colour.

 

[jon0844]

Sounds like it's what FCC has gradually been doing with the lighting on 317s after Wagn changed to cool white. What we have now is a real mix, along with all the blown tubes.

I suppose it's not surprising that different TOCs within the same group don't compare notes, but given FCC had experience of cool white lighting not going down well with users, it might have just alerted FGW to the potential problem it was making for itself.

Still, I liked the cooler lighting. It made the interior a lot brighter and cleaner looking.

 

[pt_mad]

With regards to seats, are the seats used on the xc class 170s tall enough for 125 running?

They are of a better hight and very comfy imo.

 

[WillPS]

With regards to seats, are the seats used on the xc class 170s tall enough for 125 running?

They are of a better hight and very comfy imo.

There are some seats on EC's Mallard sets which are the same as these; I think they were added on by NXEC?

 

[Dave1987]

I think it all depends what you want when you travel by train. Some people love pendo's for what they offer, others hate them because of how different they are to previous trains. It's just a shame they can't offer what everyone wants. I am not someone who is nostalgic about "the good old days" of loco hauled trains as technology has moved on greatly from the 20th century and I like to see modern efficient trains. One thing I like is a window to watch the world go by. Is that too much to ask? But the one thing that does get me is the people who board the busiest trains of the day that are the max length they can be and then moan that they have to stand. I understand capacity is a big thing on the pendo's but for long journeys they could be a bit more comfy.

 

[thetangoman]

Surely there will only be a refresh of the seat upholstery and carpets as the new stock for the 11 car extensions will still be practically brand new.

 

[Hellfire]

I travel on a Pendo every week, Preston to London and am very happy with them. Yes, there are seats with no windows but a quick glance at the online seating plan tells you where they are so you can avoid booking them.

Toilet smell always a problem so if they can sort that it would be a big improvement

One other annoyance is that on some sets the sliding door between coach A and the crew area opens on its own letting cold and noise in. No idea why.

 

[pt_mad]

Love the way the new 'Fly Virgin Trains' advert shows every seat with a table and a window.

 

[Hellfire]

Love the way the new 'Fly Virgin Trains' advert shows every seat with a table and a window.

And the shot of her boarding the train shows her being welcomed on board by a member of train crew which they do in FC yet she's boarding coach F and is travelling standard. Still, you don't expect an advert to be true to life do you?

 

[bronzeonion]

The reason for the seat backs being mega high is because of crash worthiness?!

 

[pt_mad]

The reason for the seat backs being mega high is because of crash worthiness?!

God help us!!

 

[HSTEd]

And the shot of her boarding the train shows her being welcomed on board by a member of train crew which they do in FC yet she's boarding coach F and is travelling standard. Still, you don't expect an advert to be true to life do you?

I travel first class reasonably regularily from Euston to Manchester and vice versa....
I have been "welcomed on board" precisely once.... when a member of train crew took exception to my t-shirt, fleece and cargo trousers:

"Sorry mate, that's first class"
"Yes.... I know"
"You need a first class ticket to go in there"
"Well... that would follow"
".. Can I see your ticket please?"
"Yes, here you go" *shows pass*
"Oh... sorry sir"