Re-equipped and Refurbished
Apart from the servery and rear-view car, the train was fully re-equipped, with two former Picton - Greymouth later TranzAlpine and TranzCoastal panorama cars, the first Southerner power-luggage van with its viewing module restored as a luggage module and the third of three modular vans assigned to the Endeavour. The two panorama cars were completely refurbished, each with 50 seats to a design introduced on the Overlander, and air conditioned. At one end in each car, eight seats were arranged in bays of four, alcove-style, the rest forward-facing. The two "new" power-luggage vans featured 50-kW generators, also housed in the handbrake ends. All were painted in the new Cato blue scheme. The servery and rear-view car was merely inspected for damage and cleared to run with the newer stock, but later incorporated the horizontal full-length 350-mm Tranz Scenic band on the sides in place of the white stripe and yellow band. The dark blue livery remained til 1997.
In 1997, while the refurbished buffet car resumed temporary duties on the run as it had in 1991 and 1993, the servery and rear-view car was refurbished. All seats were reupholstered and the interior decor altered to match the other cars, and the new "Cato blue" paint scheme applied on the exterior.
Read more about this topic: Bay Express