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90s and early 2000s train concept images & artists impressions.

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AzureOtsu

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Does anyone remember the old train concept images drawn up by artists in the 90s-2000s for emus like the class 465 and 375.

I can find ones like this for the class 341:
1627514693222.png

But alas not for the other types of emus that are already built.

If anyone has an archive or knows where these artists impressions are i'd be very interested to see them all!
 
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yorkie

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the following paragraph seems particularly relevant:

It is notable that the Virgin Trains visualisations were produced as computer generated images rather than the drawn illustrations which had been commonplace up to then. The change from one to the other led to a massive change in the relationship between artist’s impression and finished train. Increasingly, the use of computers as design tools allowed the production of visualisations of new trains directly from the engineering information. As a result, trains delivered today tend to look very similar to their early visualisations.
 

AzureOtsu

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I remember seeing an artists impression drawing of a class 375 on Wikipedia. it's since been taken off and I have no idea where to find it or similar images anywhere
 

Spartacus

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I remember one early bit of artwork on the 60s showed a sleeker cab than was finally put out, I think with curved windows. One other proposal was for a very Paul Arzens 'Nez Casse' style cab, there was even a wooden mock up produced. http://www.traintesting.com/images/class 60 mock ups.JPG

I can also remember something rather more stylish being done for the 158s too, but details of that allude me.
 

Peter C

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I spent some time last year looking into all of this but forgot most of what I read. Looking online just now has produced the following images, which haven't been mentioned in this thread so far (or in the link from @yorkie):

#AYearOfTOPSDay191: Class 331(i) In March 1990 Chris Green gave a speech called “The Networker Revolution” to the IEE. In it he outlined plans for the Networker 331 for Essex (London, Tilbury & Southend line) with regenerative braking.
1627554217778.png

#AYearOfTOPS Day165: Class 300 Before ordering the Class 325s, Rail express systems gave serious thought to rebuilding Class 307s into 'new' Class 300 parcel EMUs. Various artist's impressions were produced, and RFS Engineering even built a model (I wonder what happened to it?).
1627554456184.png

#AYearOfTOPS Day202: Class 350 (i) The set classification for the Electric HST proposed in the early 1980s, i.e. Class 90 powercars and a rake of carriages. You can visit the National Archives in Kew and read all about it: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11138246
1627554579090.png
(I know this is from the early 1980s and so not strictly within the bounds of this thread, but it looks cool)

At the same time as CSRE was pitching its Polaris train, it was also offering this "Pacemaker" EMU. CSRE pitched it for an order from London Midland: http://railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/csr-to-offer-pacemaker-emu-in-britain.html
1627554683695.png
(Another one stretching the limits of the thread, but the linked article is from 2009 so sort-of (but only if you squint and look the other way) in the early-2000s)

-Peter :)
 

ChiefPlanner

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TheRailwayCentre.com (now defunct) used to have these, and the good old Wayback Machine has them archived:


Check out the single cab Class 58!


Great stuff - I enjoyed my interface with DCA on the class 341 ,and though Crossrail was binned in 1996 , a fair bit of the concepts lived on in other stock. That stock would be mid life now had it been built.
 

Strathclyder

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TheRailwayCentre.com (now defunct) used to have these, and the good old Wayback Machine has them archived:


Check out the single cab Class 58!
Excellent link, cheers for that. :)

The Class 157 Strathclyde Sprinter and this one of a Pacer (numbered 142001, but looks more like a early 143/144 mockup in terms of overall body shape) screened up for Oban are the ones that interest me the most as far as DMUs go:

Class_157.jpg 142_Early.jpg

The mockup of a proposed Class 314 interior refurbishment is also interesting in that it did become a reality, at least in part. The ex-Class 507 DMSO* (64588, originally numbered 64426 when part of 507022; the latter being written off in a collision with 507004 at Kirkdale TMD) that was became part of 314203 (one of the units involved in the Newton accident in July 1991 and whose original 64588 was completely destroyed in the crash).

When 314203 finally emerged from it's protracted rebuild in 1996, the 'new' 64588 had been fitted with a experimental interior of sorts (see middle attached image below, copyright of Matty P) that no doubt drew influence from this concept (the door vestibules primarily), everything else remained consistent with the rest of the 314 fleet interior-wise at the time. Contrast and compare the concept with the real thing, both pre and post-refurbishment in 2011 (last image copyright of the Scottish Trains Website).

It's really a pity that more wasn't done with this concept - there's every chance that there were plans for it's like to be perpetuated across the entire 314 fleet, but was ultimately dropped on cost grounds. This is pure speculation on my part I'll admit, before anyone starts aiming for my jugular lol - as it would've kept the 314s feeling at least relatively fresh throughout the 2000s (or left them feeling even more dated, depending on who you're asking) and would've been given a 'Saltire' refresh in 2011/2012 to see them through to 2018-19. All academic now of course, but even so. A man can but wonder...

314Concept.jpg 7167979_orig.jpg p3118110147-4.jpg

*: short for Driving Motor Standard Open (including this just so I don't get collared for citing obscure railway/rolling stock acronyms lol).
 
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Grumpy Git

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I actually worked with a BREL team at Derby on the "Battersea Bullet" train project. We were tasked with designing/building the interior AV and lighting systems.

In December 1988 (only a few days after the terrible crash at Clapham), we spent a day riding between Selhurst depot and Victoria (l think on a 319), testing the effects the 3rd rail supply had on CRT monitors and how we could mitigate the electro-magnetic interference. It was a really exciting project at the time.
 
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