South Western Railway livery launch

[Zomboid]

The pictures show that it came off on a 4 rail section. Which should mean that the main lines ought to be reasonably unaffected, but the district line might be messed up for a while.

[Chris116]

This is one of the SWR services that run via Southfields and East Putney on the District Line which is still suspended between Parsons Green and Wimbledon. 

[Gwiwer]

Thank you gents. Just been past and she’s still in the dirt. Rear bogie looks to have taken the wrong road crossing from the up slow to up Putney. Rear coach of 450 (025?) is astride both TfL roads and there are some rails being disconnected. Overnight job at least.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Gwiwer

[Gwiwer]

Whispers - not confirmed reporfs nor official statements - reaching these ears from within NR are suggesting significant damage may have been done to pointwork essential to TfL trains working to Wimbledon. It might be prudent to activate Plan B for the next few days if you commute this way.

 

SWR have stated recovery will not be straightforward. Indeed it will not. The coach is upright but with who knows what damage to wheels and track beneath it.

 

By the by slow running caused by this incident enabled me to confirm 707004 as a new recipient of the SWR side branding on its shiny new SWT red livery.

[Red Fox]

450111 is the first 450 to receive the new livery and internal refresh. Seems to have dark grey fabric with grey plastic headrest in standard and faux leather seats in first, also in grey. Carpet is grey too.  Only bit of colour is the orange grab handles in standard.

[Gwiwer]

The full refresh is uninspiring and dull. That is all.

[PaulRhB]

I caught this on Thursday sizing up for patch vinyls I assume.

 

And later a Desiro with the flat white SWR branding

[royaloak]

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

Congratulations, if you are employed at the field of Strawberry depot  (incidentally where I started my railway career) you wont be touching many 444s, lots of 455s though and many many trips around the World. 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

And 707s are becoming much more common too.....

[Gwiwer]

My place of employment isn’t as handy as just over the road!

 

Class 707 use is now widespread with only units 021/2 (currently used for training at Clapham Yard), 024/30 (not yet delivered) and 017 (not yet sighted but delivered) not in traffic. 455s on the Windsor lines are becoming quite thin on the ground. 707s work many Windsor and Weybridge via Hounslow services, plus some turns on the Hounslow loop, Kingston Roundabout and the peak Shepperton via Richmond trains. Their only work on the main line is the small number of Kingston Roundabout duties. They work fixed rosters since some diagrams require two units to split or combine therefore other types may not substitute.

 

In recent weeks the rate of application of SWR stickers over SWT branding has increased and has included the first off-white ones on class 444 units. Many (probably most) 458s are done as are the 456s. 455s are being done quickly. 450s are taking a little longer while the diesel units are first to get the full livery on more than one unit with several 158s and at least 159003 in grey.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Caught a pair of 707s last week from Waterloo to Teddington.

[Gwiwer]

Caught a pair of 707s last week from Waterloo to Teddington.

I hope your sitting equipment has recovered. Or did you bring your own cushion?

[jim.snowdon]

It could be worse - https://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-153168092/stock-photo-hong-kong-circa-january%2C-2016%3A-inside-a-mtr-train-the-mass-transit-railway-is-the-rapid-transit-railway-system-in-hong-kong-it-is-one-of-the-most-profitable-systems-in-the-world.

 

Jim

[Southernman46]

Comparing 707024 and 707029 at Waterloo the other morning.

 

Interestingly 024 has a classic signal yellow end and 029 has the new lemony yellow ....................

 

and 455 5702 still has SWT branding - about the only one left as such now

[Gwiwer]

The rate of stickering over the former SWT branding has increased of late after a very very slow start indeed.  Most units of all classes other than 158/9 are now done.  The diesel units seem to be going through a full relivery with numerous 158s and 159003 already having been in traffic for some time in SWR colours.  The yellow band along the skirt of these units is almost invisible compared with that on 450111.  I haven't been able to get a ruler to them but I suspect the diesel units have a narrower band and the tumblehome of the design also means that it is almost out of sight when standing at platform height.  The flatter sides of the 450 show off the yellow band to better effect.

 

Each successive release in SWR colours seems to be subtly different with the amount of blue in the stripes increasing and reducing the grey-on-grey effect.  Or is this an early effect of exposure to daylight and carriage washing? The stickers on the diesel units are also showing very visible vertical brown stain lines at the overlaps which looks bad.  It isn't showing on 450111 as yet so might be connected to diesel exhaust though I suspect it has more to do with the way the units were re-liveried.

 

Still no sign of 444040 which is away for a full refurbishment.  No other unit has been sent yet.  This whole re-branding process is incredibly slow even allowing for the fact of the 455/456/458 and 707 units not being fully re-liveried owing to their planned short lives with SWR.  

 

Station signs and most staff uniform are still SWT and with no sign of much more than new SWR ties having been issued to anyone.  

 

It has been normal practice for an outgoing franchisee to be required to remove its branding (though not its livery) by the date of termination in order for the new TOC to not be involved in that expense.  How has SWT avoided this?  

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Still mostly SWT livered units down here in Dorset......

[jim.snowdon]

From what I hear on the grapevive, it is more than faintly possible that SWR have discovered that having taken on the franchise, they have taken on more than they expected.

 

Jim

[Gwiwer]

From what I hear on the grapevive, it is more than faintly possible that SWR have discovered that having taken on the franchise, they have taken on more than they expected.

 

Jim

 

There will always be rumour-mongers and Chinese-whisperers.  The very slow application of the new TOC's branding might indeed have some bearing on top-level discussions.  As would their proposed new timetable in some respects since the Portsmouth - Weymouth "flagship" plan seems to be out of the window on the back of strongly negative public reaction.  The new suburban timetable due to take effect later this year isn't so drastic but does recast the Windsor lines somewhat and swaps a few destinations around.  The curious Sunday afternoon Waterloo - Hounslow - Kingston trains (reversing at Twickenham) should be - if the somewhat obscure statement of intent is to be believed - replaced with Kingston Roundabouts doubling the service to a much-needed half-hourly and delivering on the promise to offer Sunday timetables at Saturday frequencies.  During the week the "inner" roundabout is exchanged with a Hounslow loop so as to run 15 minutes different to now.  That evens up the service at the likes of Strawberry Hill which currently has four trains an hour (two each way) departing at 07, 08, 37 and 38 past the hour.  That was, as I understand it, an SWR initiative rather than NR playing trains or DfT interfering with the global timetable.  The Shepperton branch would also run half-hourly on Sundays.

[jim.snowdon]

There will, although my grapevine has roots in SWR.....

 

Only time will tell.

 

Jim

[John M Upton]

One of the platform guys down Portsmouth Harbour who I know well finally got a SWR branded wooly hat and tie a couple of days ago, the first bit of new non SWT uniform other than hi-vis vests seen out in the wild so far.  Meanwhile someone on Facebook posted a picture earlier of the interior of (I presume) 444040 in mid refurbishment with new grey upholstered seats but not complete yet as the Train Managers Office is still present and these are being ripped out, the guard's stuff being confined to the back/middle cab in future.