I still call them tombstones, though it’s largely because of the way FGW arranged them with very few bays of four. Even worse I think they’ve left them in the same “Thames Valley metro” layout for the 2+4 sets in the south west.
IC70 seating might have been fine in the 1970s but in the 21st Century they were out of date, uncomfortable (with fixed armrests you had to be a gymnast to squeeze into the airline seat from the aisle) and didn't meet current safety requirements.
Lots of people still refer to them as such, I’ve heard passengers asking why they were given tombstones to sit down in.
You can have all of them, then!
That's what I thought when I heard of them too, I guess a good UK analogy are the Class 220 and 222, built with the same tilting shells of the 221s, but without any tilting equipment?Apologies for the off-topic, but isn't "non-tilting pendolino" an oxymoron?
Essentially yes. The Italo Evo (ETR675) is an actual Alstom Pendolino, and so can be specified with tilting apparatus (as per the ETR600/610), but wasn't so in this case. Confusing all the same.
They weren't uncomfortable; quite the opposite in fact.
I'm afraid that's just laughable.
I think this goes to show how subjective seat comfort is. When I used the Chiltern slam door Banbury set, I would often choose to stand rather than try than limbo into one of the vacant window seats.
Like I said they might have been comfortable in the 1970s but that was 40 years ago in much the same way that Mk1 seating might seem comfortable now but doesn't meet current safety requirements so the best place for them is the scrapyard.
Pretty much why I detest the IC70 seating and much prefer the more modern seating.
Thanks for confirming. Was the design flaw fixed on XC HSTs too?
Okay, either way they are comfy.
Indeed. What does "learnt their lesson" mean? Unless he means the earlier GWR refurbishments of these sets.
The best 455s would have SWT seating and layout, with the improved ceilings and lighting of the Southern units.
We're talking refurbishments. None of those were refurbished after privatisation.The best must surely be the SWT CIGs and BIGs, followed by the VEPs, and then the CEPs and BEPs.... None of this slidey door nonsense thank you!
As the thread title says - best and worst post-privatisation refurbishment. None of them were refurbished after privatisation. SWT did re-cover some seats, but I'm not sure that counts. Connex generally just let theirs rot.
Quite. Chiltern's Mk3 refurbishment was excellent apart from the retaining of IC70s, which took it from "fantastic" to "Avoid, if at all possible" in one fell swoop.
The best must surely be the SWT CIGs and BIGs, followed by the VEPs, and then the CEPs and BEPs.... None of this slidey door nonsense thank you!
Well explained. Thank you.
