jonesy3001
Established Member
390137 is out in service today currently on this route to manchester;
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P58482/2019/09/11/advanced
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P58482/2019/09/11/advanced
How many left to be painted?
Just the 6 now to be re-painted including 152.
thanks any chance they’ll finish it by end of franchise date?
Approx. 2 weeks per set, so could be close.
6 sets = 12weeks. I reckon finished by the week ending 21 December 2019, or that last set could be released in the new First Trenitalia livery!!
Maybe.
I hope First reintroduce cast name plates once again. Vinyls seem a bit cheap and nasty to me.Still in pride as far as I know. It will probably eventually come off as it says Virgin on it. The only ones that definitely lose their names are the specific virgin branded ones. The cities and such will either stay on or removed at the end of the franchise. Though the Bangor/Chester ones have gone due to 390s no longer going on the coast.
I hope First reintroduce cast name plates once again. Vinyls seem a bit cheap and nasty to me.
Didn't the Bangor name transfer to a Voyager?Still in pride as far as I know. It will probably eventually come off as it says Virgin on it. The only ones that definitely lose their names are the specific virgin branded ones. The cities and such will either stay on or removed at the end of the franchise. Though the Bangor/Chester ones have gone due to 390s no longer going on the coast.
Didn't the Bangor name transfer to a Voyager?
I saw 390 122 today - with plain white at just one end!
I hope that this tweet can be seen... it has photos from both ends in 390 122 - one view is slightly blurred as the train was moving
https://twitter.com/citytransportin/status/1180238896577335296?s=20
Agree, cast nameplates are best. What have GWR done with the IETs? Vinyls. Although they might be tied by Hitachi.
Indeed, I think that's really the way to go when you have such long sets though. A 9 car sporting the same name 4 times feels a bit much. And being GWR the whole heritage of being like the classic stuff they replaced is quite nice.The very curious thing GWR have done with the IETs is that each set carries two names, almost as if it was the driving coaches rather than the set that was named, in a very HST esque way.
That said, the simple VTWC style of just naming it 'City of Glasgow' ir probably best on such ubiquitous and as yet, relatively modern stock, as long as they don't copy Virgin but with First and call them something like "First Challenger''.
Except 028 & 030, nicked from certain bastions of the WCML...I'd keep the city names, add a few more to complete the set, and call them "City Class Pendolinos".
First does understand the power of classic names - the names of the TPE 68s are all very Warship-esque.
Few years of a mess of liveries before things settle down for a long while ?Informed that 390122 was a tester at the one end to see how easy and what time was required to remove all Virgin vinyls. Apparently they are all going to be removed on Class 390s by the 07th December 2019.
Don't know what's going to happen to Class 221s yet. They will probably take some time to do as are in a mess anyway and will eventually be moved on but they might get the neutral treatment with minimalist "LMS" branding, if the WC does become LMS!!
Except 028 & 030, nicked from certain bastions of the WCML...
which ones are they?390152 now repainted white. Only four red and silver Virgin Pendolinos remaining now!