Big Jumby 74
Member
Despite my agreement with a-another earlier about the 313 being a more accurate representation of the original livery, you are indeed quite right, and all credit to the paint shop at Bomo.What has been done is a very good compromise
Regarding spares, the industry no longer has the 'off the shelf' resources it did in BR days, be it major Works locations or running sheds (depots). The unit(s) concerned may well be a priority for Wimbledon, but that does not mean their supplier(s) can drop everything and send the necessary components tomorrow. They will likely have other equally important customers elsewhere. There is also finite physical space at many places for same, Wimbledon being a prime example. New(ish) facilities, such as the bogie drop, required to meet the ever increasing demand for units in service every day, now occupy the siding space that once held a temporary spares facility (a 94xxx CCT), and I could go on. I heard on the GV just after SWR took over that at a certain depot, renowned for topping the golden spanners over the years, was the victim of a 'clear out' of it's spares resources, which (it was alleged by my source) did not meet with the incoming franchisee's way of depot working? I can't comment on that first hand, but if true, I have the utmost sympathy for the engineering staff there, who were very rightly proud of their achievements over a number of years.There should be enough to keep 2x458 diagrams on the Reading line and avoid the faffing with 450s on Weymouths
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