South Western Railway livery launch

[RfDforever]

Just an observation but I'm puzzled. In the new livery, there is an area including a passenger door that is light grey with darker diagonal stripes.

This is very similar to the colour scheme originally applied to passenger doors on Pendolini; but which was over painted with a single colour (dark grey) because, as I understand it, of complaints from groups representing visually impaired people. I'm not sure what the problem was (though I have been told it involved the fact that the interior of the door on the opposite side was similarly painted, making it difficult to work out whether the nearer door was closed or open) but wouldn't the same objection apply to the SWR livery?

[Zomboid]

If the objection was based on the pattern on the inside of the opposite door then surely that would depend on the internal colour of the opposite door. Since the interior is still in SWT colours it shouldn't be a problem.

[Fenman]

Had the grey been green, in traditional Southern style , that livery may have worked. But I'm afraid with Grey it's just too drab.

It's just different tastes. I've found SWT's liveries to be garish and crude. I find the new SWR livery to be restrained and almost elegant.

 

I'm not a fan of liveries which look like the inside of a teenage girl's bedroom (dynamic lines? Barbie??). Many found it dull, but to me the original GNER was rather fine.

 

Then again, I'm a fan of the new GWR livery.

 

Paul

[RfDforever]

If the objection was based on the pattern on the inside of the opposite door then surely that would depend on the internal colour of the opposite door. Since the interior is still in SWT colours it shouldn't be a problem.

Point taken; but I'm far from sure this really was the reason. Curiously, intriguing details of the current scene like this (and there are others) are often not explained. Probably be a "Questions - Prototype" thread in 2057...

[stewartingram]

It's just different tastes. I've found SWT's liveries to be garish and crude. I find the new SWR livery to be restrained and almost elegant.

 

I'm not a fan of liveries which look like the inside of a teenage girl's bedroom (dynamic lines? Barbie??). Many found it dull, but to me the original GNER was rather fine.

 

Then again, I'm a fan of the new GWR livery.

 

Paul

 

Personally my favourite is the Grand Central (immaculate gloss) black with orange stripe. Refined, elegant, well presented.

 

Stewart

[Gwiwer]

Personally my favourite is the Grand Central (immaculate gloss) black with orange stripe. Refined, elegant, well presented.

 

Stewart

Yes GC is surprisingly elegant and stands out in the crowd at Kings Cross amid VTEC, Hull Trains (First dynamic lines) and TSGN in two different schemes.

 

For all their operational shortcomings my currently-favourite livery remains Southern who respect history and tradition in the use of green but apply it in restrained modern styling and usually keep it clean.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I have yet to see this SWT livery for real. The rollout must be the slowest ever.

 

But I like the look of it.  Is the darker colour really charcoal grey/black. It looks dark blue on my screen.

[Gwiwer]

It is grey but certainly appears to have a hint of dark blue about it under certain lighting conditions.

 

I understand the rollout is more of a creep out because units are only being dealt with as they go through overhaul. The suburban fleet will not be reliveried as it is to be replaced.

[Fenman]

Personally my favourite is the Grand Central (immaculate gloss) black with orange stripe. Refined, elegant, well presented.

...

 

 

...

For all their operational shortcomings my currently-favourite livery remains Southern who respect history and tradition in the use of green but apply it in restrained modern styling and usually keep it clean.

 

I do like the GC colour scheme, but I find the faux-American 1950s "streamliner" styling of the logo to be jarring. 

 

And I don't mind Southern, except the font they've chosen for the company name: why did they want to make it look like Ye Olde Wilde West stagecoach? Mystifying.

 

Then again, I quite like the simple non-livery specified by DfT for Thameslink.

 

Paul

[Zomboid]

Hopefully GC will get some new trains which will be finished in stainless steel. And maybe an F unit or PA to pull them around

[D854_Tiger]

Yes GC is surprisingly elegant and stands out in the crowd at Kings Cross amid VTEC, Hull Trains (First dynamic lines) and TSGN in two different schemes.

 

For all their operational shortcomings my currently-favourite livery remains Southern who respect history and tradition in the use of green but apply it in restrained modern styling and usually keep it clean.

 

 

First Hull Trains, great service, but a particularly uninspiring bus livery, ship spoiled for a ha'porth of tar.

[Fenman]

Hopefully GC will get some new trains which will be finished in stainless steel. And maybe an F unit or PA to pull them around

 

Actually, that I could go with. What would a modern PA look like?

 

In their place, American trains could look amazing: there was nothing in Britain that could hold a candle to the Burlington Zerphyrs, and the Milwaukee Road made the Woodhead, Britain's attempt at electrified modernism, look very, er, parochial (don't get me wrong - I love EM1s and EM2s. But they are really clunky-looking. Though I very much wish Olivia's had made a better job of the models).

 

It's just that I don't want American-style historical railroad graphics applied to modern British trains. It looks weird, and visually illiterate.

 

Paul

[caradoc]

Actually, that I could go with. What would a modern PA look like?

 

In their place, American trains could look amazing: there was nothing in Britain that could hold a candle to the Burlington Zerphyrs, and the Milwaukee Road made the Woodhead, Britain's attempt at electrified modernism, look very, er, parochial (don't get me wrong - I love EM1s and EM2s. But they are really clunky-looking. Though I very much wish Olivia's had made a better job of the models).

 

It's just that I don't want American-style historical railroad graphics applied to modern British trains. It looks weird, and visually illiterate.

 

Paul

 

Although I consider the best-looking Milwaukee Road electric locos to be the Little Joes, which weren't of course built for the USA !

[Zomboid]

Great Northern's W1s were better looking than the little Joes IMO. Mostly because they don't have the pilot projected in front of the body.

 

The LNERs electrics were a bit more function over form. They probably looked modern and exciting on Britain's steam era railway just because of how different they were, but they were decidedly boxcab-like compared to what the Americans were doing at the time.

[PaulRhB]

158888 back today in SWR livery. Probably 2-3 days before it's about in service.

[Gwiwer]

158888 back today in SWR livery. Probably 2-3 days before it's about in service.

There seem to be several units numbered 444040. Either that or the stripey grey thing is haunting me. It has come past me three or four times in a day recently. As have many other 444s but they don't stand out in the crowd.

[Dunsignalling]

There seem to be several units numbered 444040. Either that or the stripey grey thing is haunting me. It has come past me three or four times in a day recently. As have many other 444s but they don't stand out in the crowd.

Back in the day, we lads were equally convinced there was more than one 'Brocklebank Line' as its appearances were improbably frequent.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[SRman]

There seem to be several units numbered 444040. Either that or the stripey grey thing is haunting me. It has come past me three or four times in a day recently. As have many other 444s but they don't stand out in the crowd.

 

Have you been partaking of the imbibing of too much of the strong stuff again, Rick?? 

[Gwiwer]

Back in the day, we lads were equally convinced there was more than one 'Brocklebank Line' as its appearances were improbably frequent.

In the diesel era the same has been claimed for 47555

 

Have you been partaking of the imbibing of too much of the strong stuff again, Rick??

That is for me to know and for you to - hic! - find out

 

It seems I am destined to see a lot more of 444040 in the near future as SWR now wish to employ me.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Gwiwer

[SRman]

Congratulations, Rick. You'll be able to combine your hobby and work and get paid for it. I hope all goes well and you enjoy the new posting.

[asmay2002]

And I don't mind Southern, except the font they've chosen for the company name: why did they want to make it look like Ye Olde Wilde West stagecoach? Mystifying.

What is mystifying about using pretty much the same font as the Southern used in the 1920s/30s?  Seems like the obvious thing to use.

[lmsforever]

Saw it properly in a news item about strikes this morning not sure about it at least its strilking as the unit arrives in platform but that's about it.

[Ron Ron Ron]

.....I don't mind Southern, except the font they've chosen for the company name: why did they want to make it look like Ye Olde Wilde West stagecoach? Mystifying.....

 

 

What is mystifying about using pretty much the same font as the Southern used in the 1920s/30s?  Seems like the obvious thing to use.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by Ron Ron Ron

[lapford34102]

Oh dear !

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41883153

 

Stu

[Gwiwer]

Oh dear !

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41883153

 

Stu

A minor incident in the scheme of things though the knock-on effects have been significant. Is this train one of those booked via East Putney? I ask because TfL have suspended the District Line service “owing to a South West Railway train derailed near East Putney”.

 

I note two things. One is that the TOC is South Western Railway though the similarity to South West Trains which most units still display makes confusion and errors understandable. And two is that the RMT are wasting no time making mileage out of the case for on-board guards. Had the train been DOO it would still have stopped. SWR has guaranteed there will be a second safety-qualified person aboard their trains. Beyond that I make no further comment.