It all started with this comparison ...
... in a previous blog. Two sprinters, both produced by Bachmann but offered at widely differing prices. The upper model was "pre owned"; the lower was a reduced price offer from Rails of Sheffield but still farcically expensive.
Both were in West Yorkshire PTE Metro livery.
Which started the old blogger thinking - always a risky and unreliable process.
So the challenge was to work out how many different liveries have been used in the classic 158/159 stock?
A lot!
We can start with the "as delivered" paint job - rather uninspiring ...
... as branded for the Regional Railways "business unit". Units were delivered between 1989 and 1992 built at BR's Litchurch Lane works in Derby.
But the paint job was refreshingly different from the good old diesel units that formed BR's standard DMU fleets. All over rail blue was dull in the extreme.
The decision to adopt the blue and grey "inter city" version was wise ...
... but, somehow, the colours always looked dull. Many train watchers preferred the lined green of yore.
As a teenage schoolboy, fbb felt he was travelling in luxury on such a train compared with steam hauled 12 seat compartment suburban stock.
And you could see where you were going - unless the driver unsportingly pulled the blinds down!
Back to the "super sprinters"
Sone trains actually operated InterCity services between Liverpool and Glasgow but only received the livery ...
... in train simulation programs. Likewise when they were transferred to Virgin trains.
In the early days of privatisation, sticky labels attempted to provide identity as with Wales and West's Alphaline brand.
The fully fettled Alphaline branding was messy ...
For many travellers, this gave way to Wessex Trains silver grey with puce doors.
Arriva Trains Wales simply stuck an 'Arriva' on the side ...
... before adopting the group standard blue tones.
Of course, now we are nationalised Transport for Wales and it is back to the future for boring grey but now with red doors ...
... and a stripe of red at cantrail level. When fbb was very much younger, a red stripe up there signified buffet or dining facilities - even appearing on this ...
... a venerable ex LNER buffet car! The red line (and the yellow similar for first class) were meant to be a European standard. Here a Belgian Railways double decker offers 1st Class above and 2nd below.
The idea did not really catch on!
By comparison with Wales, fbb's local sprinters have only had three liveries; South West Trains version one ...
... followed by easily the best livery of the privatized era.
This scheme was also adopted by Stagecoach for its East Midlands business.
Or was it?
Sadly, Stagecoach lost its contracts because it dared to object to the bidding system.
So First took over and brought miserable livery mediocrity.
Yawn!
Before fbb explores other 158/159 liveries, he must add a caveat. Your elderly enthusiastic compiler of fascinating factoids (?) may not have covered every change of colour scheme, or logged the changes in the correct order.
His motive has been to share his wonder at the wide variety of liveries that privatisation has brought. But also to consider the expense of brand changes, some of them within the length of the franchisee's tenure.
Does changing the colour if the trains attract more passengers?
Unlikely!
YouTube Useless?
Yet another farcical phtoshop type headline picture.
Apart from the ludicrous concept of a load that is as wide as the carriageway and a on very long trailer that has no articulation, so would never go round any corner. The rig is too big for the drivers; or, the drivers are aged about 5.
=========================
Coming soon:-
The Telly : Tubby's Technological Trauma!
Surely not?
Next Sprinter Tinter blog : Sat 11th July
