Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm fairly sure these wern't to get a full "coat of paint" until they got refurbished.

So, as i've just seen one in XC livery passing my window, I'm assuming the first of these has since been completed.

Didn't manage to get the unit number, however it formed the 14:45 Cardiff to nottingham service, for those of you "in the know"

The 8:03 from Newton Abbot yesterday had a bit more than just the Cross Country wording down the side - it had the dark front as well.

Still had only 4 carriages though and still stank.

Just making sure, but you know i'm on about turbostars right? ;)

Vinyls are a cheap and cheaful alternative until a repaint is required. Looks good from a distance and will last a few years until they start to get too tatty. Wessex 150's were obviously covered in them with the pictures.

As you may have noticed the vinyls FGW placed over the Wessex Trains logo on the 150's is now slightly see through.

Why do companies re livery?

There are still Wales and West units around, plenty of Anglia, Wessex etc, and until a few months ago, a Network South East livery still existed!

It takes years to do, and companies franchises are up before then!

I would laugh if FGW lost the franchise, just after sticking "dynamic lines" everywhere. The new operator would be quick in getting rid- yuck!

Money could be better spent! Even if it is cheap and nasty "vinyl" which goes see through almost immediately!

Just have a standard design (inside esp) for all TOCs, with the company's name stuck on here and there.

As i said, i'm farely sure they wern't being completely redone until they refurbished them.

So once would assume this unit has been...

It's a two part refurb, new vinyls then at next exam full refurb. (according to RAIL magazine!!)

... as is the vinyl FGW placed over the Silverlink logo on that 'lovely' 150/1 that turned up at BTM last Friday. Rather startled at the sight of a unit I'd not seen before, I merely glanced down the side of the train - and all was revealed!

 ;D

What vinyl over the Silverlink unit?
I don't think they ever applied one.

Probably a 142 "First Great Western F" sticker

Silverlink would have applied that vinyl as when any franchise finishes all the stock, stations and everything has to be handed to the new Franchisee completely unbranded.

Is that why so much central trains branding and VXC branding was around after the change?!

Wessex applied the vinyls over the Wessex Trains logo as by D(a)fT rules the out going franchise has to dissapear from trains and stations before the change over takes place.

I was reffering to the age of them which means they have lost some of there pupleness and gained transparency.

a few voyagers retained VXC livery and branding because they only stayed with Arriva for a month before they transferred to Virgin West coast with the timetable change.