Current best and worst livery

[GrimShady]

Here we go again...

Best new one would have to include the new TPE livery - best use of non-yellow ends I've seen - looks really modern, dynamic - and seems to work on loco hauled/ 802s/ 185s

Whilst I'm not a big fan of Open Access or of "Adelantes", Grand Central livery does look good on a 180 (i.e. I'm not just picking my favourite trains and favourite TOC here!)

Worst would probably be the new wales AND BORDERS livery applied to the 175 - looks like a really bland "metro" - makes a 100mph train look like a tram - will probably be fine on the Valley Lines - the front of the 175 almost looks like a Class 92 - the old FNW livery really suited 175s because the willow leaf was the right angle to suit the front of the train - now it looks more like it's going to struggle to get to 60mph - not a style suited for long distance stock

Dishonourable mentions to ScotRail and GWR - both very dull

I'm a bit underwhelmed by the "new" Stagecoach EMT livery on the ex-GC HSTs (but then the Stagecoach livery has never been perfect on an HST - it's more suited to DMUs)

Northern livery looks okay on some units, poor on others, but I can appreciate that they have a huge fleet to try to paint and it's hard to find one look that suits everything (since some trains have flat ends, some have curved ends etc - hard to suit both a boxy 153 and a curvy 170

The Inter7City livery looks good if you can ignore the big dark grilles on the side (which I can't!) - one reason I liked the BR HST liveries was that they accommodated the contours of the trains and had the dark "Z" where the big ugly grilles were so that you didn't notice them - the ScotRail livery seems to want to turn it into a feature-piece!

All wholly subjective though - one man's "dull and uninspired" is another man's "crisp and clean" (though I'd echo @sprinterguy 's point about the blandness of a lot of modern liveries - seems if people can't afford to licence the Virgin brand they just paint their trains sufficiently similar to hope that some of the Branson magic rubs off on them!)

I totally forgot about the Inter7city livery. It is good but there's something not quite right about the blue they've used, it seems much darker than the 3d renderings ScotRail released.

Another good one is the prototype HST livery.

 

[Doomotron]

Another good one is the prototype HST livery.

Actually, I agree on that. Although maybe the strikingly similar early 350 livery was slightly better.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Actually, I agree on that. Although maybe the strikingly similar early 350 livery was slightly better.

I liked that (basically reverse BR blue and grey) until the LM colours which suited the units like nothing else and made the units a significant part of the company's brand.

Indeed, LM were so good at publicity that LNR/WMT look utterly amateurish in comparison, even if the actual operations are near enough the same.

 

[GospelOak117]

Actually a huge fan of the new South Western Railway colours. Such a break from the ott stagecoach liveries, which now look very 2000s and dated. Similarly GWR green is another favourite, it really suits the electrostars.

Least favourite current (not outgoing) livery would have to be the revised LO livery on the 378s. Doesn't work for me that, too overstyled.

Also I love the LNWR scheme on the 350s, particularly the green front with just a yellow door. Seems to be a theme running here for darker liveries!

 

[RichJF]

I like the dark blue livery on the SE 375 & 377s. Think the blue suits the Electrostar much better than the green ones on my line!

 

[mmh]

I liked that (basically reverse BR blue and grey) until the LM colours which suited the units like nothing else and made the units a significant part of the company's brand.

Indeed, LM were so good at publicity that LNR/WMT look utterly amateurish in comparison, even if the actual operations are near enough the same.

Have to agree with that, the LM livery managed to be simultaneously classic and modern looking. I normally dislike overly-branded station signs and think plain rail alphabet signs should still be standard everywhere, but the black LM ones looked great. They obviously had or used very good designers.

 

[WYSH]

Best: TPE, Cross Country & GWR. I think their livery’s look smart and of high quality on the move.

Worst: Northern both present and the old franchise livery, makes their units look run down. It’s a shame Northern really missed an opportunity to improve their image in my opinion.

 

[43096]

Have to agree with that, the LM livery managed to be simultaneously classic and modern looking. I normally dislike overly-branded station signs and think plain rail alphabet signs should still be standard everywhere, but the black LM ones looked great. They obviously had or used very good designers.

Best Impressions were the designers: http://www.best-impressions.co.uk/

And I agree, the LM branding and livery was very, very good.

 

[TRAX]

Worst: Northern (both latest versions), VTEC, Virgin West Coast.

Best: South Western Railway, ScotRail, London Midland, West Midlands (both purple and green), GWR.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Have to agree with that, the LM livery managed to be simultaneously classic and modern looking. I normally dislike overly-branded station signs and think plain rail alphabet signs should still be standard everywhere, but the black LM ones looked great. They obviously had or used very good designers.

I *believe* it was Ray Stenning (Best Impressions).

 

[Parallel]

Best: FGW local/dynamic lines, ATW turquoise (most recent version), London Midland, South West Trains

Worst: South Western Railway, West Midlands Railway, Transpennine Express

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Dark liveries don't work for me, blue especially (as in GNER, FGW, Scotrail, Northern). Current GWR green not much better.
Nor blunt front ends - talk about silk purses and sows ears! (We have the only big railway in Europe with corridor connections on front-rank trains).
I'm glad TPE got rid of the awful toothpaste livery on their 350s, the new Nova livery is pretty good.
I liked the old LM livery but am getting used to the WMT styles.
VT quite good. TfW seems to be very similar and might work (see my avatar) - certainly better than Arriva green/teal.
EMT/SWR too gaudy for me. I don't much like TfL's branding (LO, XR) either.
Northern's livery is a mess, but might look better on its new trains.
XC is neither one thing or another (and not going to change anytime soon).
Virgin's repainted 221s are going to look good (very similar to 390s).
Merseyrail's yellow could do with being less overpowering. The Stadler mock-ups look quite good for a very angular unit.
No yellow ends gives us a bit more scope for improved liveries.
But in the end it's only paint. It's what's underneath/inside that matters.

 

[TRAX]

Not necessarily. It’s two different things which both have their importance. Corporate design is important.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I *believe* it was Ray Stenning (Best Impressions).

AIUI he was also behind the abominations that were VTEC and (away from the railway) Yorkshire Tiger. So the LM livery may be a case of "stopped clocks"!

 

[GrimShady]

Best: TPE, Cross Country & GWR. I think their livery’s look smart and of high quality on the move.

Worst: Northern both present and the old franchise livery, makes their units look run down. It’s a shame Northern really missed an opportunity to improve their image in my opinion.

I actually thought the mid 90s Northern purple livery was superior to anything that came after.

I would also like to mention Regional Railways Express as one the best multiple unit liverys.

 

[mde]

Not necessarily. It’s two different things which both have their importance. Corporate design is important.

British Rail were very good at this.

 

[Master29]

Best...ATW looks cool and would look great on an IET. Worst. X Country. Looks horrid on an HST even though they`re nice inside.

 

[50039]

The new white VTWC has really grown on me - it looks very modern, makes the original silver ones look very dated. Remains to be seen what it looks like in the depths of winter though!!

 

[E_Reeves]

Not really a livery but the BREL logo with the BR logo incorporated is stunning

 

[hexagon789]

Best: ScotRail Inter7City, New TransPennine Express livery, East Midlands Trains

Worst: "Flowing silk", South Western Railways, Merseyrail

 

[Bletchleyite]

Merseyrail

Remember there are two of these - each vehicle is different on both sides.

I like the yellow but not the grey.

 

[hexagon789]

Remember there are two of these - each vehicle is different on both sides.

I like the yellow but not the grey.

Good point, I rather forgot. To be honest not keen on their livery/liveries in general. The exception would be the special Hope University vinyl, which is actually pretty nice in my opinion.

 

[J@ke]

Best: Transpennine Express, Greater Anglia FLIRTS

Worst: SWR, LNWR

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I actually thought the mid 90s Northern purple livery was superior to anything that came after.

I would also like to mention Regional Railways Express as one the best multiple unit liverys.

I'm confused by your reference to a mid 90s Northern purple livery, as Northern (Serco/Abellio) only came into existence in 2004, and took several years to remove most traces of previous operators (which were Northern Spirit, later Arriva Trains Northern on the East side, and North Western Trains, later First North Western on the West side).

 

[GrimShady]

I'm confused by your reference to a mid 90s Northern purple livery, as Northern (Serco/Abellio) only came into existence in 2004, and took several years to remove most traces of previous operators (which were Northern Spirit, later Arriva Trains Northern on the East side, and North Western Trains, later First North Western on the West side).

My error, Northern Spirit.

 

[mde]

Not really a livery but the BREL logo with the BR logo incorporated is stunning

Can you cite an example?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

My error, Northern Spirit.

So when you say purple, I assume you mean the Transpennine variant from the (non-WYPTE) 158s? The standard NS livery was green, and was pretty good itself at the time. Even made the 142s look alright!

 

[GrimShady]

So when you say purple, I assume you mean the Transpennine variant from the (non-WYPTE) 158s? The standard NS livery was green, and was pretty good itself at the time. Even made the 142s look alright!

Correct

 

[E_Reeves]

Can you cite an example?

Taken from Google

 

[bramling]

I liked that (basically reverse BR blue and grey) until the LM colours which suited the units like nothing else and made the units a significant part of the company's brand.

Indeed, LM were so good at publicity that LNR/WMT look utterly amateurish in comparison, even if the actual operations are near enough the same.

LM were one TOC who really knew what they were doing on branding and publicity. It’s a shame they never provided the capacity to match, instead choosing to simply pack out their 4-car trains with people abstracted from Virgin.