Class 387

[southern442]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oWAxpWplHY

A tad one-sided? Ignoring the fact that he liked the seats, which is fair enough, the review didn't cover any negative points. It was still nice to see the images of the new train.

 

[talldave]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oWAxpWplHY

If he's going to go to the trouble of preparing all those captions, why not put them in a colour your can read and invest in a spell checker?!

The video could have been 4 minutes long and just as informative.

 

[physics34]

If he's going to go to the trouble of preparing all those captions, why not put them in a colour your can read and invest in a spell checker?!

The video could have been 4 minutes long and just as informative.

Yeh it was a bit over the top

 

[leomartin125]

Are GWR set to receive their first set of Ex Thameslink 387's this month with the introduction of the Class 700 on Thameslink services?

 

[swt_passenger]

Are GWR set to receive their first set of Ex Thameslink 387's this month with the introduction of the Class 700 on Thameslink services?

Isn't that what I posted yesterday evening (in reply to your post) in the GW electrification thread? Is it not what other posters then also confirmed?

Unless anything changes those dates are the current plan.

 

[Class377/5]

Are GWR set to receive their first set of Ex Thameslink 387's this month with the introduction of the Class 700 on Thameslink services?

GWR arent planning to do anything this month. From 4th April there is susposed to be testing paths for platform gauging works which only requires a couple of units.

700s are not coming into service this month.

 

[capital12]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oWAxpWplHY

Watching that has got to be worse than watching paint dry - had to stop after about 90 seconds and surprised I lasted that long!

Stylish luggage racks and the grey priority seats make it feel like an express train?! WTF?! It's a commuter train and nothing more.

And with all the coloured bits that don't go together (red seats, grey seats, blue poles, a different blue on side panels, green panels on internal doors and black carpet!) it looks like they've used up all the leftover bits from past orders at Derby!

 

[physics34]

Watching that has got to be worse than watching paint dry - had to stop after about 90 seconds and surprised I lasted that long!

Stylish luggage racks and the grey priority seats make it feel like an express train?! WTF?! It's a commuter train and nothing more.

And with all the coloured bits that don't go together (red seats, grey seats, blue poles, a different blue on side panels, green panels on internal doors and black carpet!) it looks like they've used up all the leftover bits from past orders at Derby!

yeh that was kind of buttery....and vomit inducing. This guy would have multiple orgasms if the interior was actually comfortable!

Well there doesnt seem to be anyone employed to design, test, evaluate train interiors these days there is no surprise they are badly designed and decorated inside.

Carpet should be grey so it doesnt show up "white" dirt/marks so easily.

The light blue for example is quite random now as it doesnt appear anywhere in the livery, whereas it did on the 442s (on the doors). This would be better if it was also red.

 

[387star]

yeh that was kind of buttery....and vomit inducing. This guy would have multiple orgasms if the interior was actually comfortable!

Well there doesnt seem to be anyone employed to design, test, evaluate train interiors these days there is no surprise they are badly designed and decorated inside.

Carpet should be grey so it doesnt show up "white" dirt/marks so easily.

The light blue for example is quite random now as it doesnt appear anywhere in the livery, whereas it did on the 442s (on the doors). This would be better if it was also red.

The colour on the grab rails cannot be the same as the seat fabric for DDA reasons?

I remember when the 377s were introduced they had a very light grey carpet but quickly changed that. The dark grey is fine in that respect and neutral enough...

Regarding 387/2s The drivers cab still has southern green seats and there is southern flooring in the toilets ie grey with green specks as well as the vinyl sections bewteen vestibule and main corridors. Not sure why they don't have red stripes on the doors instead of green.

The light blue side panels are graffiti resistant and are the same type as used on the refreshed 377s where they replaced grey panels that quickly looked very grim... Except those which had the original connex spec interior which were given a darker blue side panel presumably so as not to clash with their blue heater grilles... Though I also heard it was a mistake in the supply chain but that's for another thread


I see gatwick express do not stop at east croydon these days pretty sure they used to... The route map shows haywards heath, burgess hill etc as the limited stops on the brighton runs.

 

[fgwrich]

yeh that was kind of buttery....and vomit inducing. This guy would have multiple orgasms if the interior was actually comfortable!

Well there doesnt seem to be anyone employed to design, test, evaluate train interiors these days there is no surprise they are badly designed and decorated inside.

Carpet should be grey so it doesnt show up "white" dirt/marks so easily.

The light blue for example is quite random now as it doesnt appear anywhere in the livery, whereas it did on the 442s (on the doors). This would be better if it was also red.

The light blue is an odd one - What Southern appears to have done here is had a wobbly and managed to mash up original Nat Ex GAT EX style with the standard Southern parts bin. The Carpets are Southern, Seats are Southern, the Moquette is NX GATEX coloured astroturf, the interior paneling is Southern. It really doesn't do well to hide the fact it's basically another Southern 377 in GAT Ex Clothing. NX did use that light blue in the interior of the JOPs and on the bottom of the doors as a contrasting colour.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55223...Xaw-r8Jpw3-h2yWhy-aQhB5i-5ZZ1dT-aDXz9a-8xrRvT

Nice to see Bombardier has still managed to solve it's problem of random reading light positions. The original positioning of the lights were put in for the Connex 2+2 with tables, and since then Bombardier hasn't bothered changing it - so you can have seats with no lights and a luggage rack that does. Not that they make that much of a difference with the lighting being that bright anyway! :roll:

And yes, for some reason I did click on the video. The most uninteresting thing I've seen all week, after anymore I would have fallen asleep - it's been a long week for me!

 

[southern442]

The light blue for example is quite random now as it doesnt appear anywhere in the livery, whereas it did on the 442s (on the doors). This would be better if it was also red.

On the inside it basically looks like a really cheap version of the 460.

Funny how the guy tried to compare these trains to 332's, even saying that these were better as the reading lights are available in both classes. Aside from the fact that most trains on the Southern region have reading lights in both classes, AND the fact that first class is the same as standard class, do the reading lights contribute anything to the train? The lighting is bright enough (more than enough in my opinion) so the reading lights aren't needed!

 

[phil beard]

Within 10 seconds I had lost interest as they mis-spelt practical as practicle. If they cannot get that right how can the unit's design be right!

 

[jon0844]

I can forgive the bad spelling as the author of the video did have a bad back at the time...

 

[physics34]

The colour on the grab rails cannot be the same as the seat fabric for DDA reasons?

I remember when the 377s were introduced they had a very light grey carpet but quickly changed that. The dark grey is fine in that respect and neutral enough...

Regarding 387/2s The drivers cab still has southern green seats and there is southern flooring in the toilets ie grey with green specks as well as the vinyl sections bewteen vestibule and main corridors. Not sure why they don't have red stripes on the doors instead of green.

The light blue side panels are graffiti resistant and are the same type as used on the refreshed 377s where they replaced grey panels that quickly looked very grim... Except those which had the original connex spec interior which were given a darker blue side panel presumably so as not to clash with their blue heater grilles... Though I also heard it was a mistake in the supply chain but that's for another thread


I see gatwick express do not stop at east croydon these days pretty sure they used to... The route map shows haywards heath, burgess hill etc as the limited stops on the brighton runs.

The gat ex has never really stopped at East Croydon but the Brighton express used to. Dark grey carpets would've been better rather than the black, and yeh I remember the dark blue side panels were ordered as a mistake

 

[Marklund]

Forget the seats, the GX and GATWICK EXPRESS being different fonts is quite possibly the worst.

 

[physics34]

Forget the seats, the GX and GATWICK EXPRESS being different fonts is quite possibly the worst.

Yep, its another bizarre error... looks like it was designed by an apprentice in 5 mins

Also why can't an aeroplane be integrated into the logo somehow....

 

[swt_passenger]

Also why can't an aeroplane be integrated into the logo somehow....

People might expect airline levels of customer service, and airline quality seating if they did that...

 

[asylumxl]

Yep, its another bizarre error... looks like it was designed by an apprentice in 5 mins

Also why can't an aeroplane be integrated into the logo somehow....

Bombardier employ a lot of apprentices so that's probably about right.

 

[Harbon 1]

Bombardier employ a lot of apprentices so that's probably about right.

The only things they let us loose on is the coffee machines

 

[asylumxl]

The only things they let us loose on is the coffee machines

Perhaps they should let you guys do the actual work, might result in better quality control.

 

[Class377/5]

Bombardier employ a lot of apprentices so that's probably about right.

The logo is GTR's under DfT oversight. Bombardier simply put it on newly completed units.

 

[TH172341]

I've noticed on the Electrostars there's a 'gap' in the carpets between the door vestibles and passenger compartments - it's some sort of lino instead. Any reason why considering the Turbostars can have carpets fitted the whole way through with a very small metal fitting instead?

I quite like the 387s - the interiors still look like they offer far more comfort than the incoming 700s.

 

[47802]

The logo is GTR's under DfT oversight. Bombardier simply put it on newly completed units.

indeed, unfortunately there seems to have been some rather pathetic nit picking by some about the colour scheme. The green bands on the doors between the carriages so what, ok maybe grey like the 379's might have looked a bit better but they would still have needed a green sign on the door anyway, as I have said before these are an add-on order and you can hardly be surprised if GTR want to keep changes to a minimum.

 

[Class377/5]

indeed, unfortunately there seems to have been some rather pathetic nit picking by some about the colour scheme. The green bands on the doors between the carriages so what, ok maybe grey like the 379's might have looked a bit better but they would still have needed a green sign on the door anyway, as I have said before these are an add-on order and you can hardly be surprised if GTR want to keep changes to a minimum.

The lower the costs the lower the money needed to rent them etc etc. Standard signage brings savings and GTR is supposed to reduce every cost it can.

 

[Bald Rick]

I've noticed on the Electrostars there's a 'gap' in the carpets between the door vestibles and passenger compartments - it's some sort of lino instead. Any reason why considering the Turbostars can have carpets fitted the whole way through with a very small metal fitting instead?

I quite like the 387s - the interiors still look like they offer far more comfort than the incoming 700s.

It's been standard practice since the 379s.

 

[Skimble19]

The lower the costs the lower the money needed to rent them etc etc. Standard signage brings savings and GTR is supposed to reduce every cost it can.

Then why waste money on this incredibly pointless and rather tacky rebrand..?

You'd have thought they'd have realised they're no good at it after the pathetic attempt to rebrand GTR after just a year, where the new logo took months to even make it on to the corporate site and is still missing from 99% of internal things (or the old one is used!).

 

[TH172341]

It's been standard practice since the 379s.

Yeah it's weird - notice the older Southern 377s also have it (the 375s and 172s don't). Looks messier with with the gap of lino.

 

[Marklund]

The lower the costs the lower the money needed to rent them etc etc. Standard signage brings savings and GTR is supposed to reduce every cost it can.

Rubbish. It's a graphic on the side of a train to advertise operator.
Whether they use Times New Roman and Arial or just Arial has few cost implications.
In fact, mixing two fonts could cost more.

See here for saving money using cheaper fonts.
Ergo, if using the two fonts according to you was all about saving money, the above says otherwise.

 

[Class377/5]

Rubbish. It's a graphic on the side of a train to advertise operator.
Whether they use Times New Roman and Arial or just Arial has few cost implications.
In fact, mixing two fonts could cost more.

See here for saving money using cheaper fonts.
Ergo, if using the two fonts according to you was all about saving money, the above says otherwise.

Then why waste money on this incredibly pointless and rather tacky rebrand..?

You'd have thought they'd have realised they're no good at it after the pathetic attempt to rebrand GTR after just a year, where the new logo took months to even make it on to the corporate site and is still missing from 99% of internal things (or the old one is used!).

Because the DfT stated they wanted the brand enhanced so the design was ticked off by them. Everything GTR does has to be ok'd by DfT so attacking GTR for the end result is misplaced at best.

 

[Marklund]

Because the DfT stated they wanted the brand enhanced so the design was ticked off by them. Everything GTR does has to be ok'd by DfT so attacking GTR for the end result is misplaced at best.

Sticking to the corporate hymn sheet I see.
So if they said there could be a cheaper font applied, DfT would say no?
OK then...

Good design costs nothing. In fact, good design saves money.