TPE franchise awarded to First

[185]

Apparently Northern switched their diagrams yesterday to ensure a 156 was present at platform 11 instead of a 142 while the press were taking photos of the newly livered 185!

Whilst I'm sort of liking the new paintscheme, I'm not entirely sold on the new 'star' logo, a bit Windows 98 Paint done in a rush.

<-- My take on it....

 

[387star]

I understand tpe are getting new hitachi trains

Did I hear a number of 185s will be lost in the process to Northern?


According to wiki a few are on hire to northern?

I thought Northern were hiring 156s to tpe

When will,the 185 refurb start and are trains in first livery getting new logos ?

 

[northwichcat]

I understand tpe are getting new hitachi trains

Did I hear a number of 185s will be lost in the process to Northern?

In total 22 x 185s and the 350/4s will be released by 2019. Future operators haven't been confirmed.

Northern are loaning 4 x 185s from TPE until December 2017 to cover the services which have transferred from TPE to Northern.

 

[IanXC]

According to wiki a few are on hire to northern?

I thought Northern were hiring 156s to tpe

Northern are indeed hiring 185s each day to operate services transferred from the old TPE franchise to the new Northern franchise. These same services the old TPE were partiality operating using 156s hired from the old Northern.

 

[scotsman]

Agreed - yesterday at Huddersfield:

The PIS was down again
The "Station Info Supervisor" was busy on the island platform handing out cup cakes but didn't have a radio on him so couldn't find out what was going on
The train was late
There was no explanation or apology
Some of the staff were busy doing an April Fool Facebook post about the station cat


Then today there are cancellations for lack of drivers.

So not a great start! I think they need to focus on the basics before they start repainting the trains.

I think it's a bit harsh on the staff there - you have zero evidence that they made that Facebook post during company time, or if it was by someone working for the company, or - in fact - that it involved more than one person as you implied
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Apparently Northern switched their diagrams yesterday to ensure a 156 was present at platform 11 instead of a 142 while the press were taking photos of the newly livered 185!

Their communications team did an excellent job if that's true!

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Cant knock Felix, not only is it a good PR feline but the positive morale boost to punters, staff and the company as a result of the moggys meanderings around Huddersfield and on Facebook just cannot be dismissed.

Facebook postings are done out of busy times and staff requirements, often when they are not on duty at the beginning, end or breaks in shift or in their own time. They certainly wont be dealing with Felix if staff are busy dealing with disruptions or other station calls or duties.

 

[northwichcat]

Their communications team did an excellent job if that's true!

On checking it seems 2 x 142s which were on an early Hazel Grove-Piccadilly service and would normally have gone on to a Piccadilly-Chester service with the rear unit returning to Piccadilly platform 11 alone, were instead put on a Marple run, with a 156+150 formation which had arrived from Longsight being used on the Piccadilly-Chester instead resulting in a 156 arriving at Piccadilly platform 11.

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The TPE Hitachi AT300s will have 330 seats per set according to RAIL's Facebook page.

 

[bnsf734]

Can anybody point me to a decent online photo of the new 185 livery please.

Thanks

 

[fgwrich]

Can anybody point me to a decent online photo of the new 185 livery please.

Thanks

There's a few on Flickr. I'm still undecided, I like Dynamic Lines myself whereas I feel this makes less visual impact = largely down to the light coloured sides. The framing around the windows works on rolling stock like SWT because they carry it on, whereas the 185 looks a little odd because of the window layout on the 185s.

Also find it a little odd that the bottom colour almost appears to be Northern Rail Purple. So right after Northerns Purple & Blue livery is set to disappear in the North, it sort of makes a comeback in TPEs new livery.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=185108&sort=date-posted-desc

 

[cactustwirly]

There's a few on Flickr. I'm still undecided, I like Dynamic Lines myself whereas I feel this makes less visual impact = largely down to the light coloured sides. The framing around the windows works on rolling stock like SWT because they carry it on, whereas the 185 looks a little odd because of the window layout on the 185s.

Also find it a little odd that the bottom colour almost appears to be Northern Rail Purple. So right after Northerns Purple & Blue livery is set to disappear in the North, it sort of makes a comeback in TPEs new livery.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=185108&sort=date-posted-desc

I've always liked the dynamic lines, but the new livery looks nice, but not as smart as GWR. It's still 1000 times better than that awful SWT red livery

 

[ajdunlop]

There's a few on Flickr. I'm still undecided, I like Dynamic Lines myself whereas I feel this makes less visual impact = largely down to the light coloured sides. The framing around the windows works on rolling stock like SWT because they carry it on, whereas the 185 looks a little odd because of the window layout on the 185s.



Also find it a little odd that the bottom colour almost appears to be Northern Rail Purple. So right after Northerns Purple & Blue livery is set to disappear in the North, it sort of makes a comeback in TPEs new livery.



https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=185108&sort=date-posted-desc

185108 was the Liverpool capital of culture train! I always enjoyed seeing it 8 years after the event. Sad times now it has gone.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Monumental cockup on Saturday. 185123 the other reliveried unit was allocated to BPN-MIA services operated by Arriva!

 

[WatcherZero]

Or fiendishly clever, advertising to a rivals customers!

 

[fgwrich]

Or cleverly confusing with it's TPE/Northern ish livery!

 

[ash39]

Or cleverly confusing with it's TPE/Northern ish livery!

It won't be the last time this happens - the 4 sub-leased to Northern will be from the common pool so as TPE get through the overhauls/revinyling, they will be fairly common on Northern services.

Side by side of the old/new liveries I took last night...


Old & New by Flash 3939, on Flickr

 

[WatcherZero]

I still always think waveform visualizer when I see the old TPE livery. Very 2000's MP3 player.

 

[alexl92]

185108 was the Liverpool capital of culture train! I always enjoyed seeing it 8 years after the event. Sad times now it has gone.

I always felt that one looked messy compared to the rest. Yes, it stood out, but it was a bit like the Northern 158s that had the WY advertising in the white stripe - not smart.

It won't be the last time this happens - the 4 sub-leased to Northern will be from the common pool so as TPE get through the overhauls/revinyling, they will be fairly common on Northern services.

Side by side of the old/new liveries I took last night...


Old & New by Flash 3939, on Flickr

The dynamic lines livery was okay but I wasn't keen on the blue/purple fade. I love the concept of the new livery but having silver/grey as the main base colour through the middle of the train makes it look like it's in an unfinished undercoat livery. Wish they'd used the light blue from the cab ends there instead.

 

[CAF397]

https://trainsandtransport.smugmug.com/Railways/UK-Diesel-Multiple-Units/Class-185/i-tFGbXsR/A

A photo of 185123 in Manchester returning from Glasgow on Friday 1st April.
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Monumental cockup on Saturday. 185123 the other reliveried unit was allocated to BPN-MIA services operated by Arriva!

185108 was definately on the Blackpools on Saturday and I believe it was 123 on the Blackpools on Sunday

 

[sprinterguy]

185108 was definately on the Blackpools on Saturday and I believe it was 123 on the Blackpools on Sunday

Indeed; 185123 was stabled at Sheffield around Saturday teatime, so not on Blackpools at that time.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Right, so OK it was the "other" unit! Still ironically allocated to northern work either way, not exactly spreading the new identity across the network parked up in a siding in Sheffield.....

 

[Haydn1971]

Just seen the new livery at Oxford Road, looks great in my option, very modern

 

[66Yorks]

Saw the new livery today. The vinyl is coming off near to the drivers cab door already!

 

[yorksrob]

It won't be the last time this happens - the 4 sub-leased to Northern will be from the common pool so as TPE get through the overhauls/revinyling, they will be fairly common on Northern services.

Northern are leasing a 4SUB ?!

I'm definitely catching that

 

[Boothby97]

Right, so OK it was the "other" unit! Still ironically allocated to northern work either way, not exactly spreading the new identity across the network parked up in a siding in Sheffield.....

Well it had worked through to Cleethorpes earlier on in the day

 

[Peter Sarf]

Northern are leasing a 4SUB ?!

I'm definitely catching that

Hmmmmm, they will be using 442s over the Pennines soon then .

 

[yorksrob]

Hmmmmm, they will be using 442s over the Pennines soon then .

Too predictable

 

[BurtonM]

Through the Woodhead Tunnel!

 

[Darren R]

Northern are indeed hiring 185s each day to operate services transferred from the old TPE franchise to the new Northern franchise. These same services the old TPE were partiality operating using 156s hired from the old Northern.

So until the end of last week, the Manchester Airport to Blackpool North services were TPE-operated using rolling stock on hire from Northern, but now they are Northern-operated using rolling stock on hire from TPE?

 

[gimmea50anyday]

So until the end of last week, the Manchester Airport to Blackpool North services were TPE-operated using rolling stock on hire from Northern, but now they are Northern-operated using rolling stock on hire from TPE?

Errr.... Yeah!

Pretty much sums it up!.....


No, nothings changed. Some services were diagrammed a 185 whereas others were 2x156. Just the sponsoring franchise has changed, not the diagramming.

 

[Haydn1971]

Will the northern 185s be liveried as Northern ?