Painting

[whole diary]

[John R]

I've been wondering for a while who was responsible for the shoddy painting job at Nailsea. Half finished, for weeks much of the station has been left in a matt green undercoat. There appears to be more green paint on the platform and stairs than where it should have been, and yellow lines are only painted half way across the step edges.

But today the answer has appeared on a poster put up on the platform. "I'm Neil, and I'm responsible for all the painting done at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations recently" (Or words to similar effect).

Well if FGW are proud enough of their Nailsea job to advertise their achievement then maybe they had better stick to running trains (where they are, it has to be said, making a reasonable fist of it these days)and not branch out into home improvements.     

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, John, in the past, I've defended the people who've done painting at Nailsea & Backwell: see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1732 for example.

However, in this latest 'refresh', I have to say that I agree with you.  Alright, the weather may not have helped - but that doesn't excuse painting over, rather than around, the various signs fixed to the railings.  Fair enough, there's not much point in even having 'no smoking' signs at Nailsea, because nobody enforces them - but some of the safety announcement signs have similarly been obscured by green paint.

I'm sending an e-mail to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) manager responsible for the station at Nailsea & Backwell, inviting her to visit and see for herself this shoddy workmanship.

 

[Westernchallenger]

Pewsey station and the steps leading up to the footbridge were re=painted at least a year ago. But the middle section over the tracks still remains to be done a year later when there has been an all-day Sunday possession of the line throughout the summer months when the work could have been finished. Meanwhile the paint has started to peel off the re-painted areas as it looks like the painters shortcut the sanding down process.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I've had a look at that poster at Nailsea & Backwell: a cheerfully grinning 'Neil' tells us, "We go through thousands of litres of paint every year."

Hmmm.  Putting a bit more of it where it should be put, rather than just splashing it about, would be a better use for it. 

[Ollie]

Neil is just one of the people doing painting, he is not necessarily the same person doing it at Nailsea.

We have the same ads at Paddington and at Reading, which show staff from various roles.

Will upload pics shortly.

Edit at 01:49:

http://www.iworkforfgw.com/railblog/index.php?month=sept08#1209080144

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, Ollie  !

Yes, the full size posters that have appeared at Nailsea & Backwell, and Bristol Temple Meads (and no doubt elsewhere!) do make it clear that 'Neil' is 'Station Painting Supervisor' for FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  However, they also claim that 'Thousands of people admire his handiwork every day at FGW stations ...'   

I'd like to extend a cordial invitation to 'Neil', and the FGW manager responsible for Nailsea & Backwell station, to visit our station and perhaps justify such 'admiration' for the standard of painting.

[Lee]

More on the posters from the I Work For FGW^▸ (First Great Western) blog (link below.)
http://www.iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=130&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[Chris from Nailsea]

Another poster has now appeared on the platform at Nailsea & Backwell - this time on our new 'Community Noticeboard', and from the Severnside Community Rail Partnership.

It announces several improvements that are being / will be made at the station - including the repainting.  After explaining that the painting has been delayed by the weather (which is fair enough!) it goes on to say that, "where necessary, paint spills will be cleaned up and signs replaced."

Hmmm.  My point remains that, if the paint had been applied a bit more carefully in the first place, it wouldn't be necessary for someone else to tidy up after 'Neil' by trying to remove numerous splashes of green paint from all over the platforms - nor to replace perfectly good signs, which should have been protected by a bit of masking tape while he was apparently waving his paint brush about so energetically!

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

However, using contractors, rather than in-house staff, would probably be no better: see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/7621769.stm

 

[John R]

Yes, a very welcome notice, both it's existence, and some of the news within it. Though it confirmed my suspicion that the painting had been done by community service workers rather than trained painters. Hmm, well if you try and do the job on the cheap you get what you pay for.

But the good news is that the car park is to be relined to provide more spaces, and that our new man will be trained to sell tickets. Hooray! Someone is listening.

What with all that and our very own nostalia trip every morning on the 0846, things are looking up for N&B.

[smokey]

There is a Double Standard at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) when it comes to Painting, Neil is one of the FGW IN-HOUSE painters, they have painted Exeter St David's to a very fine standard.
So good that a tatty battered old door looks brand new, a bit of filler, a good undercoat and two top coats and that old door is going to look good for years.

Then there are Contract painters, according to the "EXPERTS" who put together the mess of a Railway we now have, Contractors are better and cheaper.

St Erth has been painted by contractors, who got in, slapped paint over all the place and said "FINISHED"
FGW took one look, ordered the work to be done again so ANOTHER contractor has repainted St Erth again, however like the paint job at Nailsea work has stopped, rumour has it because of D & A offences.

It was planned to repaint St Erth in Great Western Chocolate & Cream, but St Erth is a Listed building and such Colours are only premitted IF IT CAN BE SHOWN that Chocolate & Cream is a Historically Correct colour.

So as NO ONE in FGW had the Wisdom to prove this, St Erth has been repainted in the Historic Colours of "SOUTH WALES AND WEST TRAINS"

WONDERFUL   

[super tm]

So as NO ONE in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) had the Wisdom to prove this, St Erth has been repainted in the Historic Colours of "SOUTH WALES AND WEST TRAINS"

WONDERFUL   

Yes I must admit I had a little chuckle when  Arriva Trains Wales repainted Cardiff Central in the historically correct colours of green and ivory as senn in the original Greater Western franchise !

[TheLastMinute]

What with all that and our very own nostalia trip every morning on the 0846, things are looking up for N&B.

Don't get too used to it John - according to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) journey planner, that service isn't going to call at Nailsea nor Yatton in new timetable. 

[John R]

Well it's a history of being missed out from published timetables since it was introduced. So I live in hope. Though I've always understood that the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was a short term measure whilst the Sheffield work is being carried out and they will go onto their planned services from December.

[devon_metro]

From Decemeber, the first HST^▸ (High Speed Train) north from Bristol will be 1528