Trivia: Most out of date livery

[thenorthern]

Back in 2008 I remember reading that a Class 153 operated by East Midlands Trains was repainted into East Midlands Trains Livery and was the last unit to have regional railways liverty. This was 11 years after the end of British Rail and meant for the entire Central Trains franchise it was in obsolete livery.

It made me wonder though which unit has been in the wrong livery the longest? Some other examples include some of the Class 158s with EMR which still retain their EMT livery nearly 5 years after the franchise ended. 150217 Oliver Cromwell of Anglia Railways which retained it's livery until 2004 which was 7 years after the start of Anglia Railways. The Class 323s which retained their First North Western Livery for around 5 years after the start of Northern Rail. The Class 142s at FGW which I think still retained the North Western Trains star livery until around 2010 (I think). And finally some Northern Spirit livery trains which retained their livery into the 2000s (I think).

What other examples can you think of? Obviously this excludes "retro" livery trains such as the 43185 and unit 455868 which are meant to have out of date livery.

 

[D365]

Do locomotives count?

 

[Mag_seven]

Do locomotives count?

If they do I can think of all those Class 66s with "EWS" still adorned on them!

 

[D365]

If they do I can think of all those Class 66s with "EWS" still adorned on them!

I had steamers and early diesels in mind!

 

[SuspectUsual]

I think I'm right in saying that 20141 was the last mainline diesel to get its first coat of BR blue, and that was in the summer of 1980, so that's about 14/15 years after the official start of using BR blue

 

[RetroCrowe]

LNWR's 350/2s are still in London Midland livery despite LNWR taking over the fleet 7 years ago

 

[Flange Squeal]

465193 kept Network South East livery going until mid-September 2007.

I believe there are still a few Class 92s knocking around hauling freight through the Channel Tunnel wearing their British Rail two-tone grey livery?

 

[43096]

If they do I can think of all those Class 66s with "EWS" still adorned on them!

GBRf and DB still have Class 92s running in their original Railfreight paint scheme.

 

[thenorthern]

From memory the Waterloo and City line trains kept their NSE livery until 2006 which was 14 years after the line became part of the London Underground.

 

[joncombe]

OK possibly a controversial one, but aren't the Class 376 still in the Connex livery of the time, albeit without the logos (even though, by the time they were introduced, Connex was no more).

 

[Class15]

I believe there are still a few Class 92s knocking around hauling freight through the Channel Tunnel wearing their British Rail two-tone grey livery?

These are probably our winner here, other long ones I can think of being Connex 376s (as mentined by @joncombe ) and the Freightliner Green Class 90. 1996 for that one?

 

[Milo's Trains]

These are probably our winner here, other long ones I can think of being Connex 376s (as mentined by @joncombe ) and the Freightliner Green Class 90. 1996 for that one?

My first thoughts on this might be one of the 1938 stock in LT livery

 

[43096]

These are probably our winner here, other long ones I can think of being Connex 376s (as mentined by @joncombe ) and the Freightliner Green Class 90. 1996 for that one?

2005ish for the last original Freightliner green Class 90 (046). You're more looking at the earliest Freightliner 66s which were built 1999/2000 and some are still in original livery.

 

[sd0733]

67012 works for TfW in its unbranded Wrexham and Shropshire livery.
A quick online search says they finished operating in 2011 so 14 years out of date.

 

[Mag_seven]

the Freightliner Green Class 90

Their were a couple of Railfreight Grey 90s knocking about for a while around 2017/18 ish

 

[Class15]

Their were a couple of Railfreight Grey 90s knocking about for a while around 2017/18 ish

Sadly I think the last of those has been repainted (except for 050 of course) and I think the last one was 90048 in 2021 but someone will be able to confirm/deny that.

 

[brad465]

OK possibly a controversial one, but aren't the Class 376 still in the Connex livery of the time, albeit without the logos (even though, by the time they were introduced, Connex was no more).

Yes this is one of the few classes still wearing the livery it came in, 20 years on. Granted they are now finally getting attention, even if not sufficient.

How old is the Southern Green livery? I seem to recall it goes back to the early 00s as 171s and Southern 377s haven't had any other livery since introduction, and technically the franchise has changed in that time.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

How old is the Southern Green livery? I seem to recall it goes back to the early 00s as 171s and Southern 377s haven't had any other livery since introduction, and technically the franchise has changed in that time.

It may be old, but it still looks fresh. It’s a fantastic livery.

 

[thenorthern]

For passenger stock 142001 still had the North Western Trains livery until at least 2011 which I think was 13 years after North Western Trains became First North Western in 1998.

 

[DelW]

Not the oldest but maybe a candidate for most numerous, the whole surviving 455 fleet is still in SWT red, seven and a half years after SWR took over, and they'll be around for a while yet. They do have SWR stickers on though.

My first thoughts on this might be one of the 1938 stock in LT livery

If you mean on Island Line, that was a "retro" livery, IIRC all the 1938 stock trains that went to the Isle of Wight were repainted into NSE livery at the time.

 

[BN 91119]

170272 kept its original Anglia livery from 2002 all the way to 2018. Lasted for 14 years after Anglia Railways vanished!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Not the oldest but maybe a candidate for most numerous, the whole surviving 455 fleet is still in SWT red, seven and a half years after SWR took over, and they'll be around for a while yet. They do have SWR stickers on though.

455 868 isn't in red, but a much older livery...

...but as it's a deliberate repaint, I don't think it counts for this thread?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It may be old, but it still looks fresh. It’s a fantastic livery.

Just a shame they changed the matching shade of green in the logo to a paler, clashing shade over COVID. I have no idea why they did that but it ruins the harmony of the train’s livery and branding.

Image - top, original Southern logo, below, newer Southern logo introduced in the last few years and now on all 377s.

 

[BurtonM]

How old is the Southern Green livery?

2004/5? I remember freshly painted 455s and NSE liveried 456s replacing the CIGs.

 

[Rescars]

Just a shame they changed the matching shade of green in the logo to a paler, clashing shade over COVID. I have no idea why they did that but it ruins the harmony of the train’s livery and branding.

Image - top, original Southern logo, below, newer Southern logo introduced in the last few years and now on all 377s.

View attachment 174113

A homage to the change in earlier times from Maunsell's olive to Bulleid's malachite perhaps?!

 

[Dstock7080]

455 868 isn't in red, but a much older livery...

...but as it's a deliberate repaint, I don't think it counts for this thread?

The OP explains that it isn’t

 

[The exile]

GBRf and DB still have Class 92s running in their original Railfreight paint scheme.

As do whoever operates them in Romania.

 

[DelW]

455 868 isn't in red, but a much older livery...

...but as it's a deliberate repaint, I don't think it counts for this thread?

Yes, I was forgetting about that one, despite having seen and photographed it (and its mention in post 1)

 

[The exile]

I think I'm right in saying that 20141 was the last mainline diesel to get its first coat of BR blue, and that was in the summer of 1980, so that's about 14/15 years after the official start of using BR blue

When did the green 40 (can’t remember its number but I don’t mean 40122) get its green repaint? Up till then it was a survivor - after that it was probably the first “heritage livery”!

 

[norbitonflyer]

When did the green 40 (can’t remember its number but I don’t mean 40122) get its green repaint? Up till then it was a survivor - after that it was probably the first “heritage livery”!

40106

Some shunters were still sporting BR black in the early 1970s. I recall 08060, one of my local shunters, was in such a filthy state for some years that it was impossible to tell what livery it had.
The two class 01s at Holyhead breakwater kept their black livery until withdrawal in 1979 and 1981 respectively, still with the older lion and unicycle logo - albeit with the addition of wasp stripes. .