Strathclyde Passenger Transport livery
156 » Livery »	Provincial • Strathclyde • SPT • ScotRail • First • Saltire

SPT sponsored 156506 with the revised 'SPT rail' branding Photographed at Glasgow Central on July 31, 2004.

List of all 156s to carry Strathclyde Passenger Transport livery

Description of Strathclyde Passenger Transport livery

When Strathclyde Region was abolished in April 1996, a new Passenger Transport Authority was formed to oversee the existing Passenger Transport Executive. With this change, the identity 'SPT' was adopted for both PTA and PTE.

A new livery to replace the previous orange and black was sought, with a more traditional colour scheme prefered.

The first livery experiment, for the launch of a Motherwell - Cumbernauld service in May 1996, saw a class 101 unit painted in a colourful livery consisting of a shade of Caledonian Railway blue, lined with red, yellow and black.

The next experiment was in September 1996 when a class 156 was repainted by Hunslet-Barclay and named 'The Kilmarnock Edition' for the launch of services between Girvan, Ayr and Kilmarnock.

At the suggestion of a local councillor, 156.433 was turned out in the carmine and cream livery with black and gold lining that was used on coaching stock by British Railways from 1949 to 1956.

These colours also featured on the original livery of the Glasgow District Subway, which celebrated it's centenary in 1996.

Carmine and Cream was the colour scheme adopted by SPT, and was officially launched at the naming of electric multiple-unit 320.306 'Model Rail Scotland' on February 18, 1997.

A continuous programme of repaints for the class 156 units was started in spring 1999, with 28 units painted in the livery by summer 2000.

156.433 remains distinctive, but there have been several variations to the standard scheme, as illustrated below.

	156.433 departs Glasgow Central as the 1642 to East Kilbride, June 14, 2001 This unit features a light grey roof and cream bands wrapped onto the cab front. On the left side cab front is a ScotRail emblem with red, blue and yellow on a white background.
	Gill sans vehicle numbers in gold, 1949 style. All other repaints feature white rail alphabet numbers slightly further up the bodyside.
	The second 156 in carmine and cream was 156.494 in May 1998. This featured the standard dark grey roof and cream bands stopping short of the cab front. No ScotRail emblems were carried on this set. 156.494, with its distinctive unpainted cab window frames, is pictured at Glasgow Queen St on Jan 6, 2003.
	Close up of SPT branding on a class 156. 156.433 started with a small size logo, but this was soon changed to a larger version as applied to trains in the orange and black livery. However the later repaints reverted to the original small size.
	Later repaints, from spring 1999, featured a more yellow shade of cream. ScotRail emblems were carried on the cab front, on 156.501 they were blue, red and yellow; On other sets the colours changed to purple, terracotta and aquamarine. On Sets 510 and 511 the emblems had a white background. When First took over ScotRail in October 2004 these emblems were removed. 156.510 and 156.432 at Glasgow Central December 29, 2003
	Trains being overhauled by Alstom at Glasgow Works are now having new 'SPT rail' branding applied. First treated was 156.501 in February 2004 The second receipient, 156.507 is seen at Glasgow Central March 27, 2004. From 2000 onwards, units have had the transparent gangway door covers replaced with yellow covers.
	Close up of latest the SPT rail branding.
	Four SPT 156s (156.511,433,505,502) at Glasgow Central, March 27, 2004.