Your favourite livery?

[Vulcan]

You said passengers arn't bothered about the exterior appearance of a train, I say it is, otherwise the designers wouldn't make the effort, which in many cases they so obviously have.
The Pendolino is a perfect example of what I'm saying. They can (in theory) do 140mph, so can a class 91, even with its exposed buffers, coupling and more 'blunt' profile. Surely this proves that most of the pendolino's shape is cosmetic? As are the fins along the edge of the roof, the cover over the couplings, the pointy headlights and the curved shape to the top and bottom of the windscreen. And while on the subject of the Pendolino, it is no coincidence that they and the Voyagers have a 'family' resemblance, even though they were built by different companies. They were designed to match each other and promote the Virgin Trains brand (by looking good).
Of course this is not all that matters in transport design, and its not all we do at uni, which you seem to think it is for some reason.

Also, you make the arguement of the series 700 bullet train. This is functional but who says it doesn't look good, in a sinister, menacing sort of way? At least in the eyes of it'd design team.

 

[Royston Vasey]

We're going well off topic so I'll make this my last post on it.

You said passengers arn't bothered about the exterior appearance of a train, I say it is, otherwise the designers wouldn't make the effort

That isn't a logical conclusion. OEMs and possibly buyers care, passengers don't. Of course designers care what they look like, they want to design something they think looks beautiful, it is good for their ego.

The Pendolino is a perfect example of what I'm saying.

If anything the Pendolino is the perfect example of what I'm saying!! You're ignoring my point about passenger satisfaction again. I never denied that the front of a Pendo is curvy both for streamlining and styling. The Pendo looks pretty, but passengers hate it. You claim that it matters what the train looks like. How come there is no mention of looks in these articles:

Pendolino is worst train say intercity passengers

Train passengers unhappy with cramped lavatories and poor luggage space

By contrast nearly two out of three of passengers who used Virgin's Pendolino trains on the line between London and Scotland were unhappy.
...
When it came to the overall carriage environment – taking into account noise, air conditioning, temperature and odour, Virgin's Pendolino trains fared worse with a 46 per cent approval rating.
...
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said... "It is passengers who will be buying tickets to travel on these trains for the next 30 or 40 years, so it is only right that they're given a say on how trains for the 21st century should be designed."

Well, I'm that passenger and I don't care what a train looks like!! If you're going to be the next great train designer embarking on a glittering career, please don't design us another pretty train that is unpleasant to travel on! Listen to the evidence I am putting before you.

Also, you make the arguement of the series 700 bullet train. This is functional but who says it doesn't look good, in a sinister, menacing sort of way? At least in the eyes of it'd design team.

Q.E.D.

 

[Vulcan]

Ok, your right.




Improved engine green anyone?

 

[Burkitt]

Of course if you ask passengers what is important about trains to them they won't mention a nice looking front, or indeed the appearance of the interior, but these things are still vital because they promote the railway.
It's the same as if you ask customers what is important to them about any consumer product, they won't say it needs to have lots of really snazzy adverts, but the most successful products almost certainly do.
The consequences of really excellent transport design can be seen on London Transport, which has been at the forefront of it since Leslie Green started designing the classic red tiled stations in 1903. The London Underground roundel, Beck's tube map, the Routemaster bus and others are all internationally recognised icons of both the city of London and urban transport.
If people were shown a bus from any other capital city would they know where it came from? Or if they saw any other major metro's logo above stairs in the pavement would they immediately know what it meant?
Those things will never be listed by any passengers when asked what they need from TfL, but they are still hugely important to its success.

Paul

 

[Vulcan]

You've said what I was trying to get across in a whole better way. Another point to add is why do Hornby choose the things like the HST, Eurostar, Javelin and Pendolino for their train sets? Its because visually exciting trains are more appealing to the customer, and it is the same in full size.

Anyway please lets not get that arguement started again. Mr Royston vasey is obviously correct. After all, I'm only studying the subject, what do I know?

 

[350desiro]

London midland desiro livery

 

[starrymarkb]

No sorry, I'm not buying it. Rolling stock manufacturers spend money (not that it always shows) on the appearance of a train, not TOC's. Is it even millions on each design? The appearance is part of an overall design package which of course the OEM will spend some money on, it's part of their offering to potential buyers and may set it out again the competition to those procuring the trains. But it makes no odds to the users of the train.

Rail companies do care, why do SBB use Pininfarina (famous for designing Ferraris) for their intercity stock? DSB's design panel also styled the infamous IC4 with Pininfarina for a Nordic/Italian hybrid

 

[Vulcan]

Pininfarina are also designing the new interior and livery for Eurostars.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

East Midlands Trains on a HST

Wrexham & Shropshire silver

And of coures, The Caledonian Sleeper!

But there are many many more I love.

 

[90019]

Pininfarina are also designing the new interior and livery for Eurostars.

They also designed SBB's RABDe 500.

 

[krus_aragon]

I rather like BR Blue as applied to the Vale of Rheidol locomotives:

See?

 

[Drsatan]

The 442s, 455s, the 483s and the 165/166s have always looked good in NSE livery. Wait a minute, all 3rd rail/AC units that have ever operated on NSE metals have looked good in NSE livery!

RfD livery has always suited the 47s, much more so than the 37s in my humble opinion (which have in turn looked best in BR Green).

Finally, the 158s look better in FGW neon livery (although I prefer Regional Railways Express livery), than they did in WT silver/pink.

 

[Vulcan]

IMO, the 37s looked good in Large logo livery.

 

[Lampshade]

465 in NSE livery, superb

APT-P looked smart though, as did Intercity Swallow. The ATW 158s look pretty good as well.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

IMO, the 37s looked good in Large logo livery.

Agreed

 

[4SRKT]

IMO, the 37s looked good in Large logo livery.

I have a photo from 1984 taken at Kyle of Lochalsh of 37025 in LL livery with 3 mk Is on. Fantastic memories of the pre-37/4 era!

 

[CallySleeperKid]

I have a photo from 1984 taken at Kyle of Lochalsh of 37025 in LL livery with 3 mk Is on. Fantastic memories of the pre-37/4 era!

Not so much a fan of this one then?

Quite nice in my view.

 

[4SRKT]

No, I love all 37s. There was something special about being hauled across the wilds of Scotland on a cold day by a 37 with a healthy boiler, and with steam leaking from every join tho.........

 

[craig87034]

a 26 in BR green with full yellow warning pannel eg 010 http://craig87034.fotopic.net/p61277194.html

 

[thehstman]

Fgw hst fag packet green and gold hst

 

[starrymarkb]

I think this has to be one of mine, its one of the new BLS Lötschberger EMUs for working locals over the Lötschberg mountain route (now everything else uses the base tunnel) - to contrast with the modern mountain vinyls there are traditional cast "Lötschberger" logos

From Rail Images

 

[Vulcan]

That looks like a large Croydon tram thats got a bit dirty on its lower half.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3718289604_7b50a41b99.jpg?v=0

 

[I like Class 153]

Mine is are the:

Regional Railways

North Western Trains blue

Central Trains Green

Devon and Cormwall on the Class 153

 

[LMS6202]

I can't remember which one, but a pre-grouping railway in the south had a really nice brown/sand colour on their steam engines.,Also I do remember some "Western" clas DH's were decked out in Desert colours and looked superb. One thing I do hate is the red/white/blue getup of TfL tube stock. Each line should have a two tone livery of it's line colour. What was the firm who had a gorgeous Metallic livery not so long ago? Personally I quite liked that "rainbow" effect livery too.

 

[Daimler]

I can't remember which one, but a pre-grouping railway in the south had a really nice brown/sand colour on their steam engines.

That would be the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, and the livery is what its designer, William Stroudley, called 'improved engine green'.

 

[hstdave]

mine is grand central

 

[LMS6202]

That would be the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, and the livery is what its designer, William Stroudley, called 'improved engine green'.

Thank you Sir. I did like that colour even though I'd never describe is as "green". Reminds me of the designation given to the green of underground rolling stock interiors pre 1970 which was described as "Cerulanean Blue"

 

[Daimler]

Thank you Sir. I did like that colour even though I'd never describe is as "green". Reminds me of the designation given to the green of underground rolling stock interiors pre 1970 which was described as "Cerulanean Blue"

Oh, that was intentional humour on his part - he was fed up of everything being green!

 

[Vulcan]

I heard it was imporved engine green because Stroudley was colour blind, and to his eyes it looked green but nobody dared to correct him.

Just what I heard, not sure which, if any, story is correct.

 

[Daimler]

I heard it was imporved engine green because Stroudley was colour blind, and to his eyes it looked green but nobody dared to correct him.

Just what I heard, not sure which, if any, story is correct.

Oh? My story is also 'something I heard', I'm afraid.