Virgin Trains East Coast launch day

[sadgit]

Modern coaching stock has tapered ends so that the corners won't swing out so much when going around curves.
Most EMUs have 20m-long coaches that only need a small angle on the corner, while SWT's 444s and the Mk3/4s all have 23m long coaches and so have more of a noticeable wedge cut off.
The IEPs have 26m bodyshells - a first for the UK - with the same spacing between bogies as a 23m Mk3 and hence very long end overhangs. That gives them a very noticeably tapered end that can't be used easily for seating, hence the rather odd interior layout.

The curvedness is just the effect of chopping a vertical slice at an angle across the curved bodyside profile of the stock.

Thanks for the explanation. That'll stop bugging me now

 

[lincolnshire]

How I agree.

One journey from Leeds to London on those moulded one-piece Mallard seats, and I know about it for days afterwards.

The embrocation specials!

New cushions, please, with a separate piece for the base and a slope towards the seat back rather than forwards. Then I'll stop avoiding East Coast. The present ones do my back in after 10 minutes.

I totally agree with the pair of you the crapiest seats you can find, rather sit on a pacer seat at least they slope to the back and your seated in a better position.

Its good when an East Midlands train is used , OHHHHH such nice seats to sit on or if there is a Hull Trains or Grand Central due shortly I will catch that instead and sit in comfort with good legroom too.

Get rid of them seats and get something better instead.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Anyone riding or working the 11:00x KGX today might be interested to know that at NCL a team from Haddington Based Communitty Radio Station
http://www.eastcoastfm.co.uk
will bord and after setting up will broadcast live between 2 and 3pm including an interview with the MD. This is at the invitation of VTEC and follows a live broadcast done to and from KGX by the same team a month ago.

 

[ainsworth74]

In others words thats your seat reservation so sit in it and don,t use another seat, then passengers without a seat reservation can then sit down in the empty seats.

Or just carry on as now and either sit in the seat and moved if asked or check to see if the station the seat was reserved from has passed and if it has then sit there.

I've never understood why people don't just check to see where the reservation is valid from and then sit there or not accordingly!

 

[Mark62]

I am travelling first class on in my usual Newcastle to London train this Thursday so it will be interesting to see how things compare after just a few days of privatisation. I hope Jamie is still the magnificent drinks steward.

 

[DarloRich]

I am travelling first class on in my usual Newcastle to London train this Thursday so it will be interesting to see how things compare after just a few days of privatisation. I hope Jamie is still the magnificent drinks steward.

they will be exactly the same apart from some branding changes.

 

[marks87]

The first proper look at the new livery.

Source: https://twitter.com/paul_at_RAIL/status/572340932030435328

I like it.

 

[hibtastic]

Very nice indeed. Much better than that drab East Coast grey

 

[Saint66]

I really quite like that full livery. Some probably won't, but it's a huge improvement on the 'stand in' virgin stripe.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not sure about the swish towards the V. I guess they are sticking with the idea that the "proper" red, silver and grey only goes on new stock?

Neil

 

[jopsuk]

they ended that stance when they did the Pretendolino didn't they? The livery of which would look much nicer on here!

 

[marks87]

Not sure about the swish towards the V. I guess they are sticking with the idea that the "proper" red, silver and grey only goes on new stock?

Neil

The Pretendolino carried the red, silver and grey and that certainly wasn't new stock.

East Coast is getting a distinct identity from the West Coast. Notice also that the grey part is very similar to the Stagecoach corporate style.

 

[life210]

I was hoping they would re do the doors similar to the west Coast

 

[gavin]

Another image

 

[cf111]

The first proper look at the new livery.

Source: https://twitter.com/paul_at_RAIL/status/572340932030435328

I like it.

That is not bad at all. I was one of the few who quite liked the East Coast livery but that is an improvement.

 

[CallySleeper]

Hot off the press

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ynw02hr7kjyu9x/IMAG1093.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y57ix9zcns2kjzq/IMAG1095.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b2ld3ls6ocktcli/IMAG1096.jpg?dl=0

 

[howittpie]

Just seen it at Kings Cross and I agree it looks good.

 

[marks87]

That's a definite Virgin/Stagecoach hybrid livery.

And very nice it is too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's a definite Virgin/Stagecoach hybrid livery.

And very nice it is too.

Is it? Doesn't look very Stagecoachy to me, looks pure Virgin.

I think silver would have looked nicer though, the white looks a bit washed out.

Neil

 

[gavin]

Agree with the above a very nice livery have they done the interior as well or is it just the livery

 

[Retorus]

Is it? Doesn't look very Stagecoachy to me, looks pure Virgin.

I think silver would have looked nicer though, the white looks a bit washed out.

Neil

The swish is very Stagecoach.

 

[dosxuk]

Horrible. Make's the 91's look like a toy train with it's fake painted on windows and curves where it has none. It's one of the least sympathetic to the vehicle structure paint jobs I've ever seen.

And as for the mk4s, gradients never look good the way they've done it. Did they get the guy who designed the First barbie look to do this?

 

[dk1]

Not sure I like it & I'm usually a big VT fan.

 

[marks87]

Is it? Doesn't look very Stagecoachy to me, looks pure Virgin.

The end swishes are very Stagecoach.

 

[jopsuk]

do the swishes change direction on coach F (in the middle) or coach H (café-bar)?

 

[387star]

Not sure why black window surrounds aren't compulsory on neutral liveries as most operators end up applying black

 

[Blindtraveler]

Anyone onboard the 11:00x KGX?

 

[TheEdge]

Guy with a different view, that is absolutely hideous. Looks like the packaging for a raspberry ripple ice cream...

 

[alexl92]

That's better than I expected to be honest. I was dreading seeing Virgin's livery on the 225s but this works. I like the extensive use of white as a base colour on the coaches, but am not so keen on the hint of stagecoach across the set - I think Stagecoach's livery looks cheap.

 

[cf111]

Hot off the press

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ynw02hr7kjyu9x/IMAG1093.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y57ix9zcns2kjzq/IMAG1095.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b2ld3ls6ocktcli/IMAG1096.jpg?dl=0

Nice wee hint of the EC livery there with the purple stripes. Are they only on the 1st class coaches?