Livery Changes

A second DRS Class 68 has received full body vinyls to promote green credentials, with 68014 being released from Crewe Gresty Bridge on April 6. The ‘Greener Future’ livery extols the locomotive’s use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as fuel on a green and blue background, while the other half of the locomotive is white with Chiltern Railways logos.

The paintshop at Eastleigh Works has been busy in recent weeks, outshopping GB Railfreight’s recently imported 66306 in standard GBRF blue and orange, with 66307 and 66308 next in line for attention, both of which should have emerged by the time this issue goes on sale in early May.

Also completed by Arlington Fleet Services and pictured in the last issue is 57311, which has been painted into Locomotive Services lined black, while 73133 has been repainted into early BR blue with half yellow ends, with the locomotive destined for preservation at the Bluebell Railway (see page 24).

Yet more DB Cargo Class 66s continue to emerge in DB red and grey, with 66012 and 66156 the latest recipients of the colours, while Freightliner’s 08585 is the latest locomotive to be painted in the freight operator’s distinctive orange and black livery.

With the application of South Western Railway colours to the Class 450s nearing completion, work has also restarted on the repaint of Class 444s at Bournemouth, with 444036 the first to be re-liveried in over a year.

The pride vinyls applied to 444019 have also been revised and significantly enlarged to be intersex inclusive.

Meanwhile, 357016 is the latest c2c unit to be given a full body vinyl wrap, with the predominately blue vinyls promoting the ‘Railway Guardian’ app from the British Transport Police. As reported in Coaching Stock News, the repainting programme to LNER’S Class 91 and Mk.4 coaching stock fleet has now been completed, with the final coaches to be treated emerging from Wabtec during the period under review.