FANTASY: You're in charge of refurbishing a train

[61653 HTAFC]

Gone a bit quiet on those again, has it not?

I'm saying nothing...!

Just for fun, I'd like to see a mini-buffet counter installed in a Pacer. Unfortunately all drinks would have to be uncarbonated ones, otherwise they'd be at risk of exploding!

 

[cactustwirly]

3 carriage 144.

Remove a row of seats from every carriage and move the rest down a bit. Also install seat back and window tables.

MML HST

Refresh seat coverings where necessary. That is all.

I disagree! The MML ones are the worst HSTs, besides the ex GC ones

EMT HST

Strip out the whole interior!
Repaint and replace all of the toilets
New Carpets, new luggage racks.
Replace lights with a warmer colour.
Replace the first class seats, with the GWR ones, with a real leather covering
Refresh standard class seats with leather headrests, like TPE.
Add plug sockets, and replace table top coverings with wood effect.
Basically turning cheap and nasty Stagecoach into a premium Abellio/First interior.

ex GC HST

Same as above, but add a ton of addtional seats, and get rid of the ghastly carpet on the walls!

 

[LeeLivery]

Class 376

Lock the windows & install air con.
Keep it 2+2 but replace them
Light blue grab rails like the 375s
Wifi
USB Sockets
New livery (finally)
Dark blue carpet

 

[theageofthetra]

Class 376

Lock the windows & install air con.
Keep it 2+2 but replace them
Light blue grab rails like the 375s
Wifi
USB Sockets
New livery (finally)
Dark blue carpet

Will probably need to happen in the new franchise- they are due a half life refurb soon.

I have a feeling though they may go due to lack of SDO & in cab monitors. When the Networkers get replaced it would be pointless to retain & maintain the 1000's of platform monitors for one small class.

 

[David M]

Class 158 in particular (but any train really) - replace the current tables with continental style ones where the sides fold into the middle.
I really struggle getting out of a 158 window seat when there's a table there - I assume the cushion and table are not high enough apart or the table's too big(?).

 

[yorksrob]

I disagree! The MML ones are the worst HSTs, besides the ex GC ones

EMT HST

Strip out the whole interior!
Repaint and replace all of the toilets
New Carpets, new luggage racks.
Replace lights with a warmer colour.
Replace the first class seats, with the GWR ones, with a real leather covering
Refresh standard class seats with leather headrests, like TPE.
Add plug sockets, and replace table top coverings with wood effect.
Basically turning cheap and nasty Stagecoach into a premium Abellio/First interior.

ex GC HST

Same as above, but add a ton of addtional seats, and get rid of the ghastly carpet on the walls!

Nedless to say, I disagree with everything in your post !

However, what's particularly wrong with the luggage racks ?

 

[LeeLivery]

Will probably need to happen in the new franchise- they are due a half life refurb soon.

I have a feeling though they may go due to lack of SDO & in cab monitors. When the Networkers get replaced it would be pointless to retain & maintain the 1000's of platform monitors for one small class.

I also have a feeling they'll leave SE. At 13 years old, I'd hope they'd wouldn't be heading to scrap. 455 replacement maybe?

 

[xotGD]

Northern 150s: Adopt the same seating/table arrangement as in their 158s. But use the seats out of some old Mark 1s.

Northern 333s: When the 321/322s get withdrawn, put their seats in some of the 333s - much more comfy.

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

IET/Class 800.

• An actual buffet/bar/restaurant car with tables and stools for people to socialise.
  
• Higher arm rests - at the moment they're of no use to anyone.
  
• Move the seat pillars/supports to the centre of the pair - at the moment the right-hand seat pillaris just where the person behind would want to put their right foot.
  
• Extra seat cushioning & head support (although this horse has been flogged many times in other threads!).
  
• There's a weird absence of bins in some carriages.

In general:

• Japanese-style revolving seat pairs, so you'll always have a seat facing the direction of travel or a group of four if you want it.
• Two traditional compartments per-carriage, available at a slight premium, for individuals who want a quieter journey.
  
• Small urinal toilets in addition to the main toilets - again, this is a thing the Japanese do that just makes sense: it doesn't take up much space and cuts down on waiting times for the main toilets & keeps them cleaner.

 

[Aictos]

Class 390:

Extend all existing 9 car sets to 11 cars to provide a uniform Class 390 fleet.
Introduce a order of 20 Class 390s as 11 cars for London to Scotland via Birmingham as well as the second Liverpool service which will lead to the Class 221s being used elsewhere more likely the North Wales services but also new services.
Free wifi and power sockets at every seat.

Class 220s/221s:

Extend all 4 cars to 5 cars and all 5 cars to 6 cars.
Refurb the interiors to one accessible toilet and one standard toilet.
Free wifi and power sockets at every seat.

Class 350/1 and Class 350/2:

Refurb interior to the same spec as Class 350/3s.
Have 2+2 seating instead of 3+2 seating in the Class 350/2s.

Class 365:

CCTV
Free Wifi
Air Conditioning
Power Sockets at every seat

Alternatively cascade the 20 Virgin Trains Class 221s to XC and replace that with order of 22 Bi Mode 125mph capable 11 car sets from Hitachi, Bombardier or Stadler to be used by VTWC.

Also place a order of 36 Bi Mode 125mph capable 11 car sets from Hitachi, Bombardier or Stadler to be used by East Midlands Trains which will ensure the retirement of the HST fleet plus ensure more 222s can be diagrammed in pairs.

Chiltern to place a order for 100 Mk5 CAF coaches to run as 68 + 8 Mk5s + DVT with 12 sets to retire the Mk3s to be mostly used on the Birmingham services.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Night Riviera stock:
Replace with Mk5s as an add-on to the Scottish order. Include a control cab at the London end to reduce locomotive requirements at Paddington and Penzance. A gangwayed cab also installed about 2/3 of the way along, facing East with the shorter part of the "split" allowing resumption of a good night's sleep for Plymouth passengers.

 

[Taunton]

Start with the new Class 800.

Rip out the seats and replace with the ones out of the GWR 1935 Excursion Stock, open saloon. There's an example at Didcot museum. Even after 80 years of mostly open air storage they are still more comfortable, and stylishly upholstered, than what's in the Class 800. And yet they were intended for low fare excursion work (they did various relief services at other times as well).

Put them in so they align in 2+2 bays with the windows. 9 bays so 72 seats. I think Mr Collett would have fired anyone in the C&W design team who couldn't align them.

Baggage goes under the seat backs, BR Mk 2 style.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If someone could design a seat-back table that doesn't shake the entire seat every time it's folded up or down, that would be great...

Entirely unrelated, anyone over the age of 6 who can't keep themselves from endlessly faffing with said table or otherwise kicking the seat in front for no good reason, should be forced to stand for their entire journey.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Start with the Class 365.

Fit ironing boards at 3+2 width in a 2+2 configuration, creating a wider aisle.
Air conditioning.
WiFi.
Plug sockets in first class - which is now the majority of Coach 1.

Then you've got nothing to complain about because both trains are as bad!

 

[ShwervinMervin]

Okay, now where did I put the ironing boards...

When 700s get decommissioned, hell will I buy that for an ironing board

 

[Rail Blues]

Fantasy train you say?

A carriage full of nymphomaniac Swedish airhostesses who chase me up and down the train with an egg whisk and a stick of rhubarb. I would worry very little about replacing 3+2 seating or moquette design

 

[Taunton]

What a waste of good rhubarb ...

 

[CeeJ]

390 Pendolinos:

Coach K to be refurbished along the lines of Frecciarossa Executive Class and sold at a premium.

I've always liked this idea, though perhaps it would be better to go for a more privacy-oriented approach, rather than large open spaces between seats. So a bit like this?

 

[The Ham]

What a waste of good rhubarb ...

It's OK, due to budget cuts is just celery that's been growing in some red food dye...

 

[The Ham]

On all intercity trains there should be an enthusiast class which is a small lobby space with a openable window (doesn't open to the outside for their own protection) which has a mini wind tunnel in it. Beside the window is a diesel/stream button which adds the relevent sounds, smells and particals to go in their eyes for when they stick their heads through the open window. There would be a HD video of the view from a train which is very photographic (but probably not of the route they are on).

There would be no seating as well as no catering (they'll bring their own thermos anyway) and those wishing to use it would be required to buy a season ticket for its use for £2,000 which entitles then to a 90% reduction in their train travel as long as they stay in their own area.

 

[43096]

On all intercity trains there should be an enthusiast class which is a small lobby space with a openable window (doesn't open to the outside for their own protection) which has a mini wind tunnel in it. Beside the window is a diesel/stream button which adds the relevent sounds, smells and particals to go in their eyes for when they stick their heads through the open window. There would be a HD video of the view from a train which is very photographic (but probably not of the route they are on).

There would be no seating as well as no catering (they'll bring their own thermos anyway) and those wishing to use it would be required to buy a season ticket for its use for £2,000 which entitles then to a 90% reduction in their train travel as long as they stay in their own area.

You might as well add some coat hooks for anoraks and WiFi and mobile phone blockers so they can’t post “My idea for...” threads.

 

[The Ham]

You might as well add some coat hooks for anoraks and WiFi and mobile phone blockers so they can’t post “My idea for...” threads.

Along similar lines I'd removed seats to limit the arguments about them.

 

[Rail Blues]

Along similar lines I'd removed seats to limit the arguments about them.

A buffet facility selling nothing but weak lemon squash and a Corby trouser press so they can keep the creases in their supermarket own brand jeans razor sharp.

 

[broadgage]

IETs, add padded seats and a buffet car. Remove 4 seats per vehicle to give more tables and thus more luggage space between the seat backs.
The extra seats in the buffet car would more than make up for removing 4 seats from most vehicles.

 

[J@ke]

Why not have each coach with different seats so people won’t complain about them?

 

[al78]

endlessly faffing with said table or otherwise kicking the seat in front for no good reason, should be forced to stand for their entire journey.

On the roof.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Deleted

 

[Qwerty133]

Class 153:
Turn into small round containers filled with Vimto (it tastes better than coke) on the shelves of supermarkets.
Class 222:
New Seat covers throughout, complete internal rewire of the PA system, Free WiFi throughout, turn coach D in 5 car units and Coaches G and H in 7 coach units to Standard, new carpets and toilets throughout and rip out the unused buffet area for extra capacity.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Class 153:
Turn into small round containers filled with Vimto (it tastes better than coke) on the shelves of supermarkets.

Filling it with DentaStix's would be better.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why not have each coach with different seats so people won’t complain about them?

You jest, but earlier Chiltern Clubman sets (Turbostars basically) actually did have two types of seating; lower back with wings in the centre section and very high back without wings in the end sections.

The refurbed 165s do too - 2+2 in the end sections and 3+2 in the middle section. And some of the the Southern Electrostars do too.