WMTrains livery and station branding

[sufian123]

Only when a C6 overhaul is due, I would have thought. The 172 fleet start to become due theirs next year, not sure about the 350s that are staying with the franchise as Angel Trains don't seem to have publically published their rolling stock plan.

Personally I think that the front ends would look less incongruous if they'd used a lighter colour on the lower cab fronts. The reason that the proposed livery treatments for the Virgin Azumas and new TPE stock looks so striking IMO is because the black noses contrast with a lighter bodyside colour.

As an enthusiastic subscriber to the late eighties post-bus deregulation school of livery design - sharp lines and big blocks of colour - I really quite like the new WMT liveries. I think they convey a strong brand image: Now if only the TOC could work out what those brands are actually for!

Case in point - I heard the Shrewsbury service being announced as a "London Northwestern Railway" service at Birmingham New Street last night: I thought that one was supposed to be within the West Midlands Railway fold?

I also find the new website quite difficult to track down: Typing "West Midlands Railway" into a popular search engine, two of the top three results are for the West Midlands Rail partnership site (The other is the franchise Wiki page), which does then at least pop up a message redirecting you to the WM Trains site - A clear admonition that there's plenty of room for confusion.

Tweet them and tell them. Shrewsbury is managed by ATW best asking them to update the system.

 

[sprinterguy]

Tweet them and tell them. Shrewsbury is managed by ATW best asking them to update the system.

I'm not that fussed, just thought it was curious - As long as the train is going where it says it is, I don't much mind who's supposed to be running it (And the announcement was at the mecca that is Birmingham New Street, with both LNW and WMR services branching off all over the place).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm not that fussed, just thought it was curious - As long as the train is going where it says it is, I don't mind too much who's supposed to be running it (And the announcement was at the mecca that is Birmingham New Street, with both LNW and WMR services branching off all over the place).

The problem is caused by them still using the LM operator code for everything so someone has to go and prat with it manually.

 

[sprinterguy]

The problem is caused by them still using the LM operator code for everything so someone has to go and prat with it manually.

Ah, that'd make a lot of sense.

 

[59CosG95]

Only when a C6 overhaul is due, I would have thought. The 172 fleet start to become due theirs next year, not sure about the 350s that are staying with the franchise as Angel Trains don't seem to have publically published their rolling stock plan.

Personally I think that the front ends would look less incongruous if they'd used a lighter colour on the lower cab fronts. The reason that the proposed livery treatments for the Virgin Azumas and new TPE stock looks so striking IMO is because the black noses contrast with a lighter bodyside colour.

As an enthusiastic subscriber to the late eighties post-bus deregulation school of livery design - sharp lines and big blocks of colour - I really quite like the new WMT liveries. I think they convey a strong brand image: Now if only the TOC could work out what those brands are actually for!

Case in point - I heard the Shrewsbury service being announced as a "London Northwestern Railway" service at Birmingham New Street last night: I thought that one was supposed to be within the West Midlands Railway fold?

I also find the new website quite difficult to track down: Typing "West Midlands Railway" into a popular search engine, two of the top three results are for the West Midlands Rail partnership site (The other is the franchise Wiki page), which does then at least pop up a message redirecting you to the WM Trains site - A clear admonition that there's plenty of room for confusion.

According to the newest issue of Modern Railways, the WMR "Cadbury's" livery will have black front ends in place of the yellow from the next set onwards; the black ends didn't appear on 172339 as there wasn't enough time to fully implement the proposed livery before launch day.

 

[Bletchleyite]

According to the newest issue of Modern Railways, the WMR "Cadbury's" livery will have black front ends in place of the yellow from the next set onwards; the black ends didn't appear on 172339 as there wasn't enough time to fully implement the proposed livery before launch day.

Interesting - I guess the 172s must already have compliant lights, then?

 

[sprinterguy]

According to the newest issue of Modern Railways, the WMR "Cadbury's" livery will have black front ends in place of the yellow from the next set onwards; the black ends didn't appear on 172339 as there wasn't enough time to fully implement the proposed livery before launch day.

Well that should look a little less jarring than the purple.

 

[59CosG95]

Interesting - I guess the 172s must already have compliant lights, then?

Presumably, being a fairly recent design.
I suspect that the LNW 350s *may* have similar work; a black corridor or even a dark green one to match the rest of the front of the unit would be better than yellow.

(you can probably work out where I stand on yellow fronts; Germany, Belgium and France manage fine without them)

 

[Domh245]

Presumably, being a fairly recent design.
I suspect that the LNW 350s *may* have similar work; a black corridor or even a dark green one to match the rest of the front of the unit would be better than yellow.

(you can probably work out where I stand on yellow fronts; Germany, Belgium and France manage fine without them)

Neither the 172s or 350s will be currently compliant unless they can illuminate both headlights in a dimmed setting for night time running (GM/RT2131 3.3.1 c). Fix that and redo the paperwork and then they'll be able to run around black fronted.

 

[59CosG95]

Neither the 172s or 350s will be currently compliant unless they can illuminate both headlights in a dimmed setting for night time running (GM/RT2131 3.3.1 c). Fix that and redo the paperwork and then they'll be able to run around black fronted.

Ahh, that lighting adjustment (and subsequent re-certification) must be why 172339 appeared in yellow ends on the launch day.

 

[Darkinsider]

deleted

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Any further units redone that I can update the list with?

 

[Darkinsider]

deleted

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No new WMR livery on 172's. Don't see electrics.

Ok, thank you

 

[E_Reeves]

I don't think they're too fussed about rolling out their new livery at the moment. Just slapping stickers on for now, I believe.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I don't think they're too fussed about rolling out their new livery at the moment. Just slapping stickers on for now, I believe.

Which units sorry?

 

[superalbs]

Which units sorry?

Well there's one.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Well there's one.

Thank you

 

[birchesgreen]

Finally saw the purple one today, it looks ok though also saw a 172 with the new logo applied to the old LM livery and that looked better...

 

[atsf_fT]

I have heard a rumours that a 170 is at the present time being done at Tyseley in WMTrains Vinyls for the Rugeley line?
I guess time will tell if this is true or not.

 

[pt_mad]

Perhaps if slightly more yellow was added to the 350, just around the headlights, it would improve things?

 

[TurboFintan]

Bit late but I'd thought I mention this, the lack of yellow ends except the gangway doors reminds me of this:

Source: http://www.penmorfa.com/Archive/sixteen.htm

(It's a class 150/2 without full yellow ends)

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Well there's one.

There was a similar sticker on the black portion of a 323 I travelled on yesterday. First time I'd seen one.

It looks very, very temporary.

 

[pt_mad]

There was a similar sticker on the black portion of a 323 I travelled on yesterday. First time I'd seen one.

It looks very, very temporary.

Any news on any more units being completed or in progress with the new livery yet?

Any rumours of potential tweeks or changes?

Interestingly, post #218 on this thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-to-liveries-to-make-them-nicer.157358/page-8 suggests that re liveried 172s will have no yellow on the front on the final livery, as head lamps are compliant.

Could this be the case with the class 350s?
Could they be planning to upgrade 350 head lamps as the units are re liveried?

 

[XCTurbostar]

I think that’s nonsense. I email wmtrains and asked about the poor launch livery and they said they’d made a note of my comments (heard that before) but it was too late to change for the rest of the fleet.

 

[pt_mad]

Posted three more livery mockups with a modified yellow front on the LNR 350 in the livery thread here if anyone wants to see... (post #220) https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/slight-changes-you-would-make-to-liveries-to-make-them-nicer.157358/page-8#post-3277890

 

[E_Reeves]

172339 yesterday apparently, had 3/4 of one carriage covered in Graffiti. So that didn't take long then.

Somebody obviously doesn't like the new livery...

 

[XCTurbostar]

Have any of the London North Western fleet been given a sticker over where the London Midland branding was?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Have any of the London North Western fleet been given a sticker over where the London Midland branding was?

Not that I've seen. Some still have LM branding including on the PIS.

I'm very unimpressed so far, it's all completely lackadaisical and just a bit rubbish. They've even slacked on things like providing formations on the PIS - some of them are missing when they used to be near 100% there. OK, they aren't having a collapse of reliability like LM was in its early days, but I'd really expected them to do better.

 

[Silverlink]

I see a lot of passengers confused asking is this a LM service or LNW train. No stickers on trains. PIS is all wrong. Conductors even still saying welcome onboard this LM service. It’s all a mess