New 465 interior lights?

[gmaguire]

I saw (I think) 465012 this morning and the interior lights looked brighter and more white. Have they given it LEDs?

 

[Christmas]

Don't any fleet engineers ever ask the passengers what they prefer? LEDs are ghastly.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Don't any fleet engineers ever ask the passengers what they prefer? LEDs are ghastly.

Cheap LEDs are ghastly. The expensive LEDs in my house you'd only know were LEDs if I told you.

Unfortunately cheap LEDs are what the railway is almost universally using for retrofits.

 

[richa2002]

I don't think it's even to do with cost. Warm colour temperatures don't cost anymore these days. Just some bean counter belief that creating a surgery like atmosphere promotes "safety" (the god of the modern world).

 

[gmaguire]

My first thought was that they were doing it to reduce electricity usage, and thus carbon footprint. It’s a small amount compared to the traction gear, but every little helps and all that.

The fluorescent lights would surely have yellowed and dimmed over time too, so those weren’t necessarily always the warm temp they are now.

I think the 465s and 466s had new lights when they were refurbed in the 2000s, but I have seen some 466s with quite yellow looking lights, so maybe those are the originals, or have aged worse than the others.

 

[Christmas]

I think it's more wasteful to refit an entire fleet using LEDs than to replace as and when, finding the best colour match to the old tubes.

Incidentally, a noticed a few LED tubes fitted 'upside down' on a ScotRail 156 and that seemed to create a more agreeable tone.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Incidentally, a noticed a few LED tubes fitted 'upside down' on a ScotRail 156 and that seemed to create a more agreeable tone.

Provided the ceiling isn't mucky, indirect lighting always provides a better, more diffused quality of light than direct.

 

[gmaguire]

Refitting the whole fleet with LEDs would be an interesting move. 465012 is obviously a BREL. Let’s see if they do any Met Cams.

 

[Robski_]

New LED lighting seems to be part of an electrical refurbishment being/to be carried out by SE on their Networker fleet - "the LED upgrade" isn't defined anywhere so it is open to interpretation. It's in their BPC document.

Networker Mechanical, Electrical and Structural Refurbishment Works
30. Networker Mechanical, Electrical and Structural Refurbishment Works
30.1 The Operator shall use all reasonable endeavours to complete the following by [REDACTED]:
(a) the relay replacement;
(b) the PIS Works and Brake Decoder Works; and
(c) the LED upgrade
30.2 The Operator shall, by no later than [REDACTED] (subject to the inclusion of the relevant costs in the applicable Cost Budget), complete the Traction Control Targeted Works.
30.3 "Traction Control Targeted Works" means, in respect of the Class 465/0 and Class 465/1 rolling stock, the targeted replacement of the traction control system.
30.4 The Operator shall (subject to the inclusion of the relevant costs in the applicable Cost Budget) incur a maximum expenditure of [REDACTED] in carrying out its obligations under paragraph 30.1 in the [REDACTED].

 

[D365]

Cheap LEDs are ghastly. The expensive LEDs in my house you'd only know were LEDs if I told you.

Unfortunately cheap LEDs are what the railway is almost universally using for retrofits.

They might be using low cost LED chips, however the railway certified light fittings are anything but cheap. Because of course it’s not as straightforward as popping to the local Toolstation

 

[gmaguire]

465001 now has new lights

New LED lighting seems to be part of an electrical refurbishment being/to be carried out by SE on their Networker fleet - "the LED upgrade" isn't defined anywhere so it is open to interpretation. It's in their BPC document.

Interesting. Thanks for posting that. I wonder what exactly they’re doing to the traction control system.

A picture of the lights on 465001. It is a noticeable improvement.


New lights on 465001 by George Maguire, on Flickr

 

[gmaguire]

02/05/2024 Update: 465006 has new lights. All the ones I’ve noticed so far have been low-numbered 465/0s.

465026 has also been done.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

At least the 465s' new LED lighting seem to be inside diffusers which is not too bad. Also other fittings are more exposed, like the Desiro UKs, visible through "caging" however the LED tubes have opaque coating resembling fluorescent tubes.

But those in Northern & GWR's like 150s etc are even worse - in clear tubes with the bright cold white LED clusters in full sight, horrible & glarey!