Times of Transition
On the subject of British trains, and the modelling potential thereof, Electric Nose talks of times of transition.
Contrary to popular opinion, I firmly believe we've just lived through one of the most interesting and modellable transition eras in the history of diesel and electric traction. The influx of new GM motive power has sat alongside an ample selection of old favourites. New super-wagons have rubbed shoulders with the staple fare of previous generations, such as 4 wheel tanks and MGR hoppers. A bewildering array of modern multiple units are only just ousting the vestiges of their first generation ancestors. Liveries in particular are at their peak, from the point of view of variety - I've always been enamoured of the juxtaposition of Virgin and Intercity Swallow colours on the WCML, and the celebrity repaint trend has enhanced things further.
Sometimes you don't recognise a golden age until you're nearing the end of it. I wonder if we're ever going to see anything approaching the bewildering variety of liveries again. On my recent trip to Dawlish I saw class 158 DMUs in no fewer than eight different colour schemes (and that's just two train operating companies!). 158s were once the most boring units on the network. And then there was the sight of an EWS class 67 hauling a long train of elderly Mk2 coaches in the old BR Intercity colours on a summer Saturday extra; surely the present-day equivalent of a shiny new diesel hauling elderly 'big four' coaches in the sixties. Not to mention the 40+ year old class 31 diesel I saw at Bristol on the way home painted in Wessex Trains pink.
Oh, and best wishes to Electric Nose in taking up the hotseat again as moderator for Demodellers.
Posted by TimHall at July 13, 2004 09:24 PM | TrackBackOnly eight liveries? Which ones didn't you get...
Arriva silver/blue (Ex W&B Alphaline),
Arriva blue/cream,
Arriva green (Ex CT),
Arriva Ginsters,
Arriva Western Mail,
Regional Railways (Arriva or Wessex)
Wessex Alphaline early (yellow side flashes),
Wessex Alphaline early with new logo's (yellow side flashes),
Wessex Alphaline,
Wessex Alphaline with new logo's,
Wessex 'Exmoor Explorer',
Central Trains leaser.
Didn't see a Western Mail advertising one, or the one borrowed from Central trains.
I thought there was only a single unit in the older yellow flash style, which I saw with the new logos.
There are also two different versions of the SWT livery on 159s now; some have medium grey roofs rather than the original style with the red/orange band carried over the roof. Presumably because of problems keeping them clean.
Posted by: Tim Hall on July 15, 2004 11:18 PM745 and 746 were the old W&W Alphaline and both retain the yellow flashes from that livery. 746 has received the new style Wessex logo's but I haven't seen 745 in a few months, so that might have given in to the pink and lilac version of the logo's too...
I'm told only the first 3 SWT 159's had multicoloured roofs, and only 008 retains this now, the others all having grey patches. 004 is also easy to spot at a distance as it's got new aircon modules above all the doors.
Posted by: Martyn Read on July 16, 2004 10:53 AMSorry, that should read the first 3 SWT 159's repainted got multicoloured roofs, not the first 3 numerically.
Posted by: Martyn Read on July 16, 2004 10:56 AMDid some more research last night, 158745 and 746 both have the new logo's, so one of those schemes I quoted is now historic.
Things move so fast...
Posted by: Martyn Read on July 17, 2004 10:37 PMModelling this era will be a nightmare for anyone in ten or twenty years time, with many liveries so short-lived.
Posted by: Tim Hall on July 17, 2004 10:45 PM