These sound like their original (1970s) numbers. What are the numbers they've been running under recently?
007 was 207 and 008 was 208.
That makes sense, thanks for the info.
Looks to me like vinyled sides and painted cabs. One or two of the stripes look decidedly freehand!
My thoughts exactly.
Should have been done earlier. They aren't even in service yet and are due out of traffic next month so most people won't even see them I shouldn't think. Still it guarantees the managers on the tour next month something interesting to photograph ffs......
Indeed. If it's anything like other tours the cost of reliverying was far exceeded by the money made.
Destined for the scrapyard? I read that Angel Trains were confident that they would see further use.
Do you know how much difference that money being spent elsewhere would make on the service? Almost none. It’s statistically insignificant.
Statistically insignificant compared to buying a new fleet of trains maybe, but not other stuff. I completely understand that it may have come out of a PR budget that was always going to be used on PR and so money hasn’t been switched from buying a new fleet to just repaint these. I also understand that good PR and marketing are necessary and sometimes there’s a bigger picture that this contributes to.
The money used to relivery three vehicles would not, in any universe, save a cleaner from being made redundant. This is a nod to a very significant part of railway history, and there is absolutely nothing wrong in celebrating that. Anyone who thinks that any TOC are in a position to be chucking money away pleasing trainspotters in the current climate, is woefully out of touch.
).
The money used to relivery three vehicles would not, in any universe, save a cleaner from being made redundant. This is a nod to a very significant part of railway history, and there is absolutely nothing wrong in celebrating that. Anyone who thinks that any TOC are in a position to be chucking money away pleasing trainspotters in the current climate, is woefully out of touch.
The marking of the demise of the HST fleets has been unprecidented in modern times and has happened across multiple TOCs, owing to the train having been iconic for generations. Not just amongst spotters but also among the wider population. It is entirely reasonable to celebrate the train that is largely credited with saving the railway system (although there is a large dose of sad irony to be doing so at a time when the government is doing its level best to damage it again
this comment suggests £30k could have been spent. I know many positions in a TOC where someone is paid less than that a year.
It’s only two done now. 43184 was repainted some time ago (and it was due repaint).
A deep clean at the very least would have gone a long way.
I may have missed but what's the anticipated withdrawal date for normal timetabled services?
