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Poor External Condition of FCC Thameslink Stock

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Furrball

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In addition to the graffiti there seems to be an issue that the carriage wash does not get into the door recesses so the windows on the doors are filthy, some to the point of being opaque!
 
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jon0844

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Most London based TOCs have done very well presentation wise aside from FCC, Connex and NXEA

Let's split the TL and GN sides because on the Great Northern routes, I rarely see vandalised trains and they're all in the same livery (321s excepted) and kept clean.
 

D365

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Yep, GN stock is quite alright, in terms of external condition (don't let this start a debate on how much the livery is hated/improved with grafitti!).
 

Class377/5

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Let's split the TL and GN sides because on the Great Northern routes, I rarely see vandalised trains and they're all in the same livery (321s excepted) and kept clean.

You might want to spilt it further as the stock gets shared with Southeastern where most if the TL is hit.
 

D365

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And 377/2s loaned from Southern? It depends where each fleet is cleaned.
 

jon0844

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Yep, GN stock is quite alright, in terms of external condition (don't let this start a debate on how much the livery is hated/improved with grafitti!).

Just realised the thread is titled FCC Thameslink stock - so my apologies!
 

ChiefPlanner

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In addition to the graffiti there seems to be an issue that the carriage wash does not get into the door recesses so the windows on the doors are filthy, some to the point of being opaque!

Agreed ! - apart from the graffiti vandalism , the overall presentation is way below say that of Southern and SWT , many units have built on "road dirt" and such that the washers can't shift it from the door recesses and the car ends in particular (hence previous comment on "hand bashing")

Of course the provision of the service comes first (especially 8 / 12 cars in the peaks) , and the months of blockades at weekends preventing access and causing outstabling. Quite a big job -
 

Bald Rick

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It's definitely got worse in the last couple of weeks. I assume that because of Sports Day, everything with wheels on it is out, so there is no scope to stop units for anything except essential maintenance.

I always thought it would be faintly amusing for a graffiti artist to paint a whole coach in another TOCs livery. It couldn't look any worse than the 319/2s.
 

Blindtraveler

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great idea! Lets have an entire 395 in the old SPT orrange :) mega confuse the punters!

If its down to staffing then why not ask the jobcentre to provif some benifit claimants for the removal of unsitely liveries?
 

lewisf

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I always thought it would be faintly amusing for a graffiti artist to paint a whole coach in another TOCs livery. It couldn't look any worse than the 319/2s.

Reminds me of that German S Bahn train where someone very convincingly painted on an extra set of doors!
 

D365

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^ That's something I haven't seen yet. Most times it's vandals spraying the touch door-open buttons so that people don't want to use it!

This isn't the stock we're talking about but it's an example of how graffiti can build up.
 

Class377/5

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It's definitely got worse in the last couple of weeks. I assume that because of Sports Day, everything with wheels on it is out, so there is no scope to stop units for anything except essential maintenance.

I always thought it would be faintly amusing for a graffiti artist to paint a whole coach in another TOCs livery. It couldn't look any worse than the 319/2s.

It's not Olympic related as the only strengthing is at weekends on TL (tho haven't been provided proper diagrams for week day services just weekends).

Bare in mind normal TL timetable requires pretty much every out expect maintance units in the week any way.

And 377/2s loaned from Southern? It depends where each fleet is cleaned.

Forgot about those as they are Southern's responsibility still.
 

thelem

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Surely they should be concentrating on preventing them being done in the first place. Even if you can't stable everything in doors, surely it wouldn't be too hard to install higher fences and CCTV - ideally monitored so the police can be called and catch people red handed.
 

Class377/5

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Surely they should be concentrating on preventing them being done in the first place. Even if you can't stable everything in doors, surely it wouldn't be too hard to install higher fences and CCTV - ideally monitored so the police can be called and catch people red handed.

Problem is when you berth large numbers of your fleet at other companies locations means your powerless to stop it as noticed before.
 

michael769

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I would imagine that when you have lots of sets berthed up they provide a lot of cover for vandals to hide among as they go about their "business"

It is probably insurmountably difficult to provide sufficient CCTV coverage to effectivly deter the vandals.
 

jon0844

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Given the huge cost to clean, employing security on site might be cheaper.

Not G4S of course, as they would probably spray them themselves!
 

jon0844

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What I meant is that G4S would probably hire the graffiti artists to work as security, given their incredibly thorough screening process. But, 12CSVT, you're probably right - they might not work out how to use them!
 

ChiefPlanner

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An observation of a significant improvement in the external condition of the FCC fleet , and some of the 319/2 units have been properly cleaned ! Well done.

On a down side , graffiti still around , and no less than 2 EMT HST power cars have large murals on them - indicating perhaps Cricklewood may be a "tagging" spot ? (any one comment whether HST sets sit there overnight ?)
 

BestWestern

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An observation of a significant improvement in the external condition of the FCC fleet , and some of the 319/2 units have been properly cleaned ! Well done.

On a down side , graffiti still around , and no less than 2 EMT HST power cars have large murals on them - indicating perhaps Cricklewood may be a "tagging" spot ? (any one comment whether HST sets sit there overnight ?)

Several images on Flikr of EMT stock having been sprayed, including two HST trailers and a 156. No 43's, but clearly they have issues somewhere. A shame considering they have a very smart livery and have clearly made some effort to get everything painted in house colours.
 

asylumxl

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Several images on Flikr of EMT stock having been sprayed, including two HST trailers and a 156. No 43's, but clearly they have issues somewhere. A shame considering they have a very smart livery and have clearly made some effort to get everything painted in house colours.

EMT stock isn't stabled at Cricklewood in the evenings or over night as far as I'm aware, unless things have changed.

Like I've said previous times, a lot of the grafitti occurs further south, particularly Bellingham sidings and Ashford sidings.

I've only known FCC stock to be hit at Cricklewood a few times.
 

ChiefPlanner

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2x hast and 2x222 stable overnight at cricklewood, but are moved about for fueling.

That may be the case then - especially as the EMT stock tends to be nearer the up slow lines sidings ... one that somebody is hopefully watching.

Today - many more 319's running in good external condition -some apparently showing signs of partial "re-vinalying" - Monday am up peak was recently a bit of a NYC subway 1970's flashback with freshly muraled stock sliding into stations.:-x
 

Class377/5

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That may be the case then - especially as the EMT stock tends to be nearer the up slow lines sidings ... one that somebody is hopefully watching.

Today - many more 319's running in good external condition -some apparently showing signs of partial "re-vinalying" - Monday am up peak was recently a bit of a NYC subway 1970's flashback with freshly muraled stock sliding into stations.:-x

The lists getting smaller now and one of the 377's has been partly reliveried as well. However there is still some large bits to go especially on the 377 fleet. And another unit was hit over the weekend at Preston Park.
 

12CSVT

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Today - many more 319's running in good external condition -some apparently showing signs of partial "re-vinalying"

Looks like 319013 / 214 / 216 / 217 all look as though they have had coaches re-vinyled in Southern green & white in the past few days.
 

BestWestern

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I noted one of the Southern-liveried contingent has received an all-over advertising vinyl, and had it's doors painted into standard Barbie pink to boot. That'll look interesting when they vinyls come off! :D
 
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