Class 350/1 refurbishment

[Goldfish62]

I am surprised they haven't swapped the tubes for LED as it's a simple drop-in replacement. That said, I'm not sad about that as the railway only seems to buy stark bright white LEDs, which make for a less relaxing environment than the warm/cool white tubes used in Desiros.

LEDs are more energy-efficient than flourescent tubes, and are available in warmer whites (eg Borismaster).

 

[RealTrains07]

Anyone know the status of the 350/1 refurbs??

its been noted on the 350/4 thread that issues are occurring with refurb thanks to the continuous delays of the 350/4 units transferring

 

[Silverlinky]

Slow progress. No new livery on 350/1's yet.
350126 back from Long Marston and in service, 350129 moves from Bletchley MD to Kings Heath today after refurbishment.

No other units away at present.

 

[BucksBones]

I very much hope they put the refurb programme on hold until they have all the 350/4s in traffic and working reliably. The constant short formations are causing much consternation among commuters at present.

 

[Silverlinky]

The corrosion repairs are taking place as they are part of a programme ordered by the leasing company. The refurbs though are requested by the operating company so they could be put on hold.
Fleet availability is very tight at the moment, I believe 76 units are required daily, and with the four 4’s they only have a total of 81. There are the usual exams and failures to contend with anyway, before any refurbs and mods. Once the fleet size is up to 87 the daily requirement will be 79 I’m told, so there will be more slack then to do all the cosmetic stuff.

 

[RealTrains07]

I very much hope they put the refurb programme on hold until they have all the 350/4s in traffic and working reliably. The constant short formations are causing much consternation among commuters at present.

no 4s will be going anywhere near Kings heath until they are all in service thats are sure

 

[NewSt]

Slow progress. No new livery on 350/1's yet.
350126 back from Long Marston and in service, 350129 moves from Bletchley MD to Kings Heath today after refurbishment.

No other units away at present.

Thanks for the update on 350126, I've updated the list.

 

[RealTrains07]

As of right now thats around 23% of units fully completed. 7 out of 30

on top of:
2 units with just refurbishment
2 unit with just corrosion repair and undercoat


So with 9 refurbished units running around we have a somewhat good chance of riding/seeing a refurbished unit

 

[NewSt]

So with 9 refurbished units have somewhat decent chance of riding a refurbished unit

I saw 2 today (out of about 5 LNR units), so you certainly have!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Overall, both refurbs are fairly similar with SWR having a slightly better maquette. In terms of appearance LNR is better as the green grab poles really do transform the colour scheme!

I'm on one now. Seats nicely non-collapsed (it's noticeable how much higher up I sit on what are quite thick cushions). But the moquette is already wearing (cheap and nasty?) and, to be honest, the green grab poles and moquette and carpet highlighting look utterly awful against the light blue end walls and door panels. They really should have sprayed/replaced those, it can't have cost much more, it really looks truly awful. Blue and green should never be seen, LNR!

On the upside the sockets are attached to the seats so they don't stop you putting your foot up on the conduit as I like to.

7/10, could do better.

 

[Bletchleyite]

LEDs are more energy-efficient than flourescent tubes, and are available in warmer whites (eg Borismaster).

And my house, which is all warm white GU10s - good quality Philips ones, a tenner a pop but well worth it as they are indistinguishable from halogen other than that it doesn't feel like there's a 2-bar electric fire in the middle of the ceiling. But the railway seems to like the cheap and nasty option, as ever. The ones on the 230s are a particularly horrid colour, and I had expected they'd use the same.

They do seem to have cleaned the conduit out, at least. There have been refurbs where they haven't even bothered to do that!

 

[dorsetdesiro]

How do the refurb'd LNR 350s compare to SWR's 444s? Are both standard & first any much nicer and more comfortable than the other? I haven't been up that way since LM became LNR...

 

[Bletchleyite]

How do the refurb'd LNR 350s compare to SWR's 444s? Are both standard & first any much nicer and more comfortable than the other? I haven't been up that way since LM became LNR...

In Standard, I'd still go for the 444 because the seat spacing is better, I can sit comfortably in any seat, which I can't in the 9-row centre sections of a 350. Otherwise they are very similar. I prefer the SWR colour scheme and the fake leather headrests but LNR's use of moquette is better than SWR's flat cloth.

In First, well, I don't think any 2+2 First is worth paying for (for me, the selling point of 1st is being able to have a seat which is both a window and an aisle), but if it's any help the 444 has seats (FISA LEAN) which are better than the ones in Standard, whereas the 350 retains the Fainsa (not Sophia) seating they had before which is inferior to the Grammer E3000 used in Standard, therefore there's still no point bothering with it. Just get on early and grab an extra legroom table by the cab, it's much better than 1st.

 

[Doomotron]

In Standard, I'd still go for the 444 because the seat spacing is better, I can sit comfortably in any seat, which I can't in the 9-row centre sections of a 350. Otherwise they are very similar. I prefer the SWR colour scheme and the fake leather headrests but LNR's use of moquette is better than SWR's flat cloth.

In First, well, I don't think any 2+2 First is worth paying for (for me, the selling point of 1st is being able to have a seat which is both a window and an aisle), but if it's any help the 444 has seats (FISA LEAN) which are better than the ones in Standard, whereas the 350 retains the Fainsa (not Sophia) seating they had before which is inferior to the Grammer E3000 used in Standard, therefore there's still no point bothering with it. Just get on early and grab an extra legroom table by the cab, it's much better than 1st.

Personally I'm not that bothered about SWR's flat cloth, I didn't find it that bad (it's better than Southern astro-turf any day of the week). I think that flat cloth is also better with heat because after a long day on moquette the seats get very hot indeed (395s are not fun for that). I do think the 2+2 first class isn't good, despite me being against all first class. I think it should be at least 1 seat less than in standard. Hell, the seats can be the same, just get rid of a row and add separate armrests! If I was SWR I would have made FC cheaper or kept the the existing arrangement, but this isn't an SWR thread.
PS: Slightly pedantic but the first class seats in 350s and 450s are from Compins, which are also used in Electrostars.

 

[Bletchleyite]

PS: Slightly pedantic but the first class seats in 350s and 450s are from Compins, which are also used in Electrostars.

Slightly pedantic but Compin is owned by Fainsa, though possibly it wasn't at the time the seats were originally purchased.

 

[NewSt]

Just short of a week late, but here's the updated list for February 2020:

350101 - Refurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350102 - Unrefurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350103 - Refurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350104 - Unrefurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350105 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350106 - Refurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350107 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350108 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350109 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350110 - Refurbished, LM ‘Project 110’ Livery with LNR branding
350111 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350112 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350113 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350114 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350115 - Refurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350116 - Refurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350117 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350118 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350119 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350120 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350121 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350122 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350123 - Refurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350124 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350125 - Refurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350126 - Refurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350127 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350128 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding
350129 - Refurbished, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
350130 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding

Key:

Normal text = no refurb, LM Livery with LNR branding
Bold text = no refurb, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery
Green text = refurb, LM Livery with LNR branding
Bold green text = refurb, Corrosion Repair Complete, in LNR Undercoat livery

As ever, keep me updated with any changes and I will update the list!

 

[Spirit555]

350130 is not refurbished or corrosion repaired. Still in service in battered LM livery and old style seating.

HTH

Mark

 

[NewSt]

350130 is not refurbished or corrosion repaired. Still in service in battered LM livery and old style seating.

HTH

Mark

Apologies, will change that now!

 

[RealTrains07]

Whats the status of 113?

Last I was aware. Its refurbished with LM livery??

Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Spirit555]

Been told 350126 has had internal refurb, but is not corrosion repaired and is still in LM Livery

Also been advised that any work has been suspended for the time being.

HTH

Mark

 

[JonathanH]

350103 - Unrefurbished, LM Livery with LNR branding

Aboard 350103 now - 0749 London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street - fitted with plug sockets, screens and new seating moquette - externally still in old colours.

 

[NewSt]

Been told 350126 has had internal refurb, but is not corrosion repaired and is still in LM Livery

Also been advised that any work has been suspended for the time being.

HTH

Mark

Thanks, just seen 126 at New Street so I can confirm that it does indeed still have LM livery/LNR branding. List has been updated to reflect this.

 

[NewSt]

Aboard 350103 now - 0749 London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street - fitted with plug sockets, screens and new seating moquette - externally still in old colours.

Excellent, thanks for the update. I've amended the list.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Thought I travelled on 66839/350119 today and it was refurbished inside, white outside (10.05 NMP-EUS). It didn't seem particularly 'fresh' so I'm surprised it hasn't been reported and I now wonder whether I was mistaken.

 

[RealTrains07]

Thought I travelled on 66839/350119 today and it was refurbished inside, white outside (10.05 NMP-EUS). It didn't seem particularly 'fresh' so I'm surprised it hasn't been reported and I now wonder whether I was mistaken.

Did it have green hand rails? If it did then it was definitely refurbished

 

[Defiance149]

Thought I travelled on 66839/350119 today and it was refurbished inside, white outside (10.05 NMP-EUS). It didn't seem particularly 'fresh' so I'm surprised it hasn't been reported and I now wonder whether I was mistaken.

66839 is in 350129 not 350119

 

[Merle Haggard]

66839 is in 350129 not 350119

Schoolboy error! Thank you.

 

[Bletchleyite]

LNR are saying that any further work is now paused until all 10 350/4s have arrived.

 

[Spirit555]

350125 has had internal refurb complete with internal screens. Still in London Midland livery

Mark

 

[NewSt]

350125 has had internal refurb complete with internal screens. Still in London Midland livery

Mark

Thanks for the update, I'll amend the list.