SWR Repaints and Refurbishments

[raetiamann]

Forgive my ignorance here, but is there any difference in the new livery between the 444 and 450s?

 

[swt_passenger]

Forgive my ignorance here, but is there any difference in the new livery between the 444 and 450s?

Just comparing the various videos and still photos I’d say they’ve tried to make them as similar as possible, but the different door positions (and double vs single) makes quite a difference.

 

[raetiamann]

Thanks

 

[TEW]

450051 out in traffic, judging by the smell it hasn't been for long.

 

[envirommc]

450047 has now been done.

 

[Deepgreen]

I imagine it's been realised that the minimal signage otherwise was completely inadequate.

I don't know why they don't just apply yellow stripes instead of new blue dots, even as an interim job. It would be far clearer from any distance.

 

[K.o.R]

I don't know why they don't just apply yellow stripes instead of new blue dots, even as an interim job. It would be far clearer from any distance.

Perhaps they have surplus blue dot but no yellow stripe vinyls available?

 

[Deepgreen]

Perhaps they have surplus blue dot but no yellow stripe vinyls available?

Possibly, but the large number of units that have been in service without even the blue dots makes me doubt that. How hard can it be to obtain some plain yellow vinyls, especially as they decided to use them from the outset on the re-liveried units anyway? Too much emphasis on fancy livery designs and not nearly enough on genuine information provision, again!

 

[Goldfish62]

450047 has now been done.

As in repainted or refurbished?

 

[swt_passenger]

As in repainted or refurbished?

I suspect it’s just refurbished so far, it was listed as 450547, and yet to be refurbed, only a week or two back...

 

[Goldfish62]

I suspect it’s just refurbished so far, it was listed as 450547, and yet to be refurbed, only a week or two back...

Makes sense.

Where are all the repaints? They should be being churned out at the rate of knots given the amount of units to get through. We've had two in about two months. At that rate it'll take 14 years to complete them all!

 

[swt_passenger]

Makes sense.

Where are all the repaints? They should be being churned out at the rate of knots given the amount of units to get through. We've had two in about two months. At that rate it'll take 14 years to complete them all!

Seems as though they must have about two blokes doing it, and one of them’s probably on strike...

 

[Goldfish62]

Seems as though they must have about two blokes doing it, and one of them’s probably on strike...

Hahaha!

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

Makes sense.

Where are all the repaints? They should be being churned out at the rate of knots given the amount of units to get through. We've had two in about two months. At that rate it'll take 14 years to complete them all!

450021 is being repainted

 

[fgwrich]

Something slightly less welcome about the 444 refurbishment, is that rather oddly, the double plug arrangement under the tables of the DMSO has been reduced down to a single plug per side. Not sure what was really wrong with the original set up to be honest - neither was working when I used this one!

 

[envirommc]

As in repainted or refurbished?

Refurbished

 

[pompeyfan]

As predicted, the jump seats in the cycle area on 444s are causing conflict and bikes to be strewn across gangways... all so that the TOC can say ‘hey, look, wE added those extra 4 seats per unit!’

 

[py_megapixel]

Does the new livery for the Desiros have the light blue-grey stripe pattern like the 159s, or plain white like the 442s?

 

[Goldfish62]

Does the new livery for the Desiros have the light blue-grey stripe pattern like the 159s, or plain white like the 442s?

No stripes, like the 442s and the more recent repaints of the 158/159s. This was adopted as the formal livery around a year ago.

 

[py_megapixel]

No stripes, like the 442s and the more recent repaints of the 158/159s. This was adopted as the formal livery around a year ago.

That's disappointing;I rather liked the stripes. The plain white looks rather nasty and cheap.

But I guess that means less vinyl, which decreases costs.

 

[Goldfish62]

That's disappointing;I rather liked the stripes. The plain white looks rather nasty and cheap.

But I guess that means less vinyl, which decreases costs.

Cost is not in it because without vinyl you have to apply more coats of paint and a higher quality finish. If you look at the few units that have been vinyled you can get an idea of how difficult it's been to match up the stripes on the vinyl panels, plus the vertical joins between panels are very visible.

 

[37254]

I believe I saw 444007 repainted today at Southampton Airport Parkway, I don't know if it was my eyes playing with me at the number, though.

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

I believe I saw 444007 repainted today at Southampton Airport Parkway, I don't know if it was my eyes playing with me at the number, though.

You're probably right, it was being repainted recently.

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

SWR Desiros in new livery

444s

006, 007, 015 and 040 (4 units)(9% complete)

450s

021* ,036 and 111 (2 unit)(2% complete)

Feel free to let me know of any more repainted Desiros

 

[Goldfish62]

SWR Desiro Repaints

444s

006, 007 and 015 (3 units)(7% complete)

450s

021* and 036 (1 unit)(0.8% complete)

Feel free to let me know of any more repainted Desiros

Only another 167 units to go..

 

[Murray J]

So how many are in SWR stripes livery then?
Find it absolutely ridiculous that SWR have had the franchise for 1 and a half years and have repainted very few units, in the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile in only 1 year WMR have repainted and refurbished pretty much their entire fleet, although I believe they use vinyls which must speeden up the process.

 

[theironroad]

So how many are in SWR stripes livery then?
Find it absolutely ridiculous that SWR have had the franchise for 1 and a half years and have repainted very few units, in the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile in only 1 year WMR have repainted and refurbished pretty much their entire fleet, although I believe they use vinyls which must speeden up the process.

Swr has been going since 20 August 2017.....well over 2 years

 

[Thumper1127]

To be fair to SWR their focus has been on refurbishment to increase capacity. I judge my journey from inside the train, not the outside. Too many early franchises focussed on corporate brand for vanity reasons. As John Prescott said to Richard Branson in the early days of the WCML franchise “you’ve done wonders for the paint industry, when are you going to do something about the trains?”

 

[Wychwood93]

To be fair to SWR their focus has been on refurbishment to increase capacity. I judge my journey from inside the train, not the outside. Too many early franchises focussed on corporate brand for vanity reasons. As John Prescott said to Richard Branson in the early days of the WCML franchise “you’ve done wonders for the paint industry, when are you going to do something about the trains?”

Indeed! The interior is what the customer pays for. When I overhear people down my way talking about trains it is still, in many cases, SWT not SWR who operate the trains - assuming they use them at all, then all they want is a train if they do use them. You could stuff a British Railways logo on the side and no eyelids would be batted in general.

 

[43096]

To be fair to SWR their focus has been on refurbishment to increase capacity. I judge my journey from inside the train, not the outside. Too many early franchises focussed on corporate brand for vanity reasons. As John Prescott said to Richard Branson in the early days of the WCML franchise “you’ve done wonders for the paint industry, when are you going to do something about the trains?”

Which just goes to show how little people know. With the exception of a small handful of vehicles, Virgin repainted its vehicles during planned maintenance attention when they were due to be painted regardless,