What Do You Think To The New Liveries?
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:36 pm
So, it's been a good number of months now that companies have changed hands and we're seeing a lot more standard liveries, rather than the awful mess that Virgin started with half sets of virgin coaches running around. Central trains always had odd stoock 
LONDON MIDLAND
I personally, quite like London Midland's livery. Everywhere I have seen it, it looks pretty smart:
Class 323's look a lot more modern than the old Centro livery. The Class 350 looks like it has a home now instead of the hideous grey and purple scheme! Class 153 looks okay, Class 321 again looks stylish, the Class 156 looks nice and to top it all off, the Class 86 with a rake of coaches, doesn't look too bad with it on either - although I guess this isn't real? :S
Arriva Cross Country
Again, a pretty stylish livery, when you take away the big X - I never understood that. Silver always screams executive to me, like I will travel in style and comfort. The Class 170's have seen better liveries but it isn't bad. It fit's pretty well with the 220's and 221's too, which unfortunately make's Virgin's red stand out a little too much now for me. The soothing deep colours are pleasing to look at.
First
Yet another livery change for First. I know this incarnation has been around for a good while, and on the HST's, it does look good. Keeping the engine a solid plain colour has done it wonders, although I am certain Virgin started that trend, rather than trying to make the 43's fit in with the rst of the coach stock.
Class 158 - doesn't look good, not on the Class 156 either. The old Transpennine Express livery was the best I think. Just something about the livery doesn't suit the train and I don't think ever will. The Class 185's wear the livery well, much better than what the old livery would have done to them. It'd be good to see what it would have looked like on the 180's.
It doesn't suit the Class 166's at all. There is something that when I look at it, it looks like someone has just done it on a computer in the mid 1990's.
Finally, First Capital Connect is another variation of their colour scheme. Looks nice, but not on the trains.
East Midlands Trains
Not a new livery as such, but new livery to the stock and the more I look at it on the HST, the more I like it. The Class 222's had a good look with the Midland Mainline livery, but the EMT colours all over it make it look a bit more like a toy. It's that strong blue that does it. The Class 156 doesn't look too good with it on, sort of out of place, but Regional Railway's livery has always been the best one for 156's. It does kind of get worse with the Class 153.
Northern
Again, I know they have been around for ages, but I just though I would say I don't like any of their liveries and wish never to see it. The colours are boring and look like a bunch of nice plants. The Metro livery was pretty good, shame now it's gone! Whether it was this livery, or this livery, they all look bad.
National Express East Coast
Not sure on the whole slanted lines thing on the HST sets. The livery itself though isn't bad. Now what I said about the silver before, this is not a good example of it, although the white and silver together make a good contrast. As the franchise was short lived, I will be glad to see a new livery (hopefully) at some point in the future.
I can't think of any more "new" liveries on old trains, but what do you think?
LONDON MIDLAND
I personally, quite like London Midland's livery. Everywhere I have seen it, it looks pretty smart:
Class 323's look a lot more modern than the old Centro livery. The Class 350 looks like it has a home now instead of the hideous grey and purple scheme! Class 153 looks okay, Class 321 again looks stylish, the Class 156 looks nice and to top it all off, the Class 86 with a rake of coaches, doesn't look too bad with it on either - although I guess this isn't real? :S
Arriva Cross Country
Again, a pretty stylish livery, when you take away the big X - I never understood that. Silver always screams executive to me, like I will travel in style and comfort. The Class 170's have seen better liveries but it isn't bad. It fit's pretty well with the 220's and 221's too, which unfortunately make's Virgin's red stand out a little too much now for me. The soothing deep colours are pleasing to look at.
First
Yet another livery change for First. I know this incarnation has been around for a good while, and on the HST's, it does look good. Keeping the engine a solid plain colour has done it wonders, although I am certain Virgin started that trend, rather than trying to make the 43's fit in with the rst of the coach stock.
Class 158 - doesn't look good, not on the Class 156 either. The old Transpennine Express livery was the best I think. Just something about the livery doesn't suit the train and I don't think ever will. The Class 185's wear the livery well, much better than what the old livery would have done to them. It'd be good to see what it would have looked like on the 180's.
It doesn't suit the Class 166's at all. There is something that when I look at it, it looks like someone has just done it on a computer in the mid 1990's.
Finally, First Capital Connect is another variation of their colour scheme. Looks nice, but not on the trains.
East Midlands Trains
Not a new livery as such, but new livery to the stock and the more I look at it on the HST, the more I like it. The Class 222's had a good look with the Midland Mainline livery, but the EMT colours all over it make it look a bit more like a toy. It's that strong blue that does it. The Class 156 doesn't look too good with it on, sort of out of place, but Regional Railway's livery has always been the best one for 156's. It does kind of get worse with the Class 153.
Northern
Again, I know they have been around for ages, but I just though I would say I don't like any of their liveries and wish never to see it. The colours are boring and look like a bunch of nice plants. The Metro livery was pretty good, shame now it's gone! Whether it was this livery, or this livery, they all look bad.
National Express East Coast
Not sure on the whole slanted lines thing on the HST sets. The livery itself though isn't bad. Now what I said about the silver before, this is not a good example of it, although the white and silver together make a good contrast. As the franchise was short lived, I will be glad to see a new livery (hopefully) at some point in the future.
I can't think of any more "new" liveries on old trains, but what do you think?
