Is the empty stock for the Caledonian sleeper sleeper propelled into the platform at Inverness?

[waynemorrell]

Hi,

When I arrived in Inverness tonight the Caledonian sleeper was waiting in the adjacent platform headed by 67007.

When I got to the buffer stops I expected to see another loco, but no, just the flashing red lamp.

OK fair enough but how do they get it in to the platform? Surely they don’t reverse the stock in?

Thanks

 

[Mag_seven]

Surely they don’t reverse the stock in?

I suspect they do just that!

 

[Highlandspring]

View attachment 40508

Hi,

When I arrived in Inverness tonight the Caledonian sleeper was waiting in the adjacent platform headed by 67007.

When I got to the buffer stops I expected to see another loco, but no, just the flashing red lamp.

OK fair enough but how do they get it in to the platform? Surely they don’t reverse the stock in?

Thanks

It's propelled in by the train loco, same as it is at Aberdeen.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Worth noting that it's not reversing like a car, i.e. the driver with his head out of the window looking back. A shunter would be giving instructions from the "front".

 

[waynemorrell]

Worth noting that it's not reversing like a car, i.e. the driver with his head out of the window looking back. A shunter would be giving instructions from the "front".

Oh all done different up here then? When Brighton last had loco hauled services they used to have a class 09 ? shunter in use.

 

[waynemorrell]

Talking of the sleeper, I one rode it as a child from London Euston to Inverness (and back), we had relatives in Brora at the time.

I remember the ‘bump’ as the loco was changed, I guess from Class 86 to 47? But where? This would have been early to mid 80’s. How far north did electrification reach back then compared with today?

 

[Far north 37]

View attachment 40508

Hi,

When I arrived in Inverness tonight the Caledonian sleeper was waiting in the adjacent platform headed by 67007.

When I got to the buffer stops I expected to see another loco, but no, just the flashing red lamp.

OK fair enough but how do they get it in to the platform? Surely they don’t reverse the stock in?

Thanks

Propelled in by the train loco with a shunter in the last coach with a radio totally safe being happening for years although a class 08 draws the northbound portion out the station in the morning and releases the train loco.

 

[Far north 37]

Talking of the sleeper, I one rode it as a child from London Euston to Inverness (and back), we had relatives in Brora at the time.

I remember the ‘bump’ as the loco was changed, I guess from Class 86 to 47? But where? This would have been early to mid 80’s. How far north did electrification reach back then compared with today?

Would of changed from electric to diesel in mossend yard back in those days im pretty sure.

 

[The Lad]

The sleepers have an emergency brake handle in the vestibule end as well.

 

[waynemorrell]

The sleepers have an emergency brake handle in the vestibule end as well.

Is that the passcom or a brake handle used by the crew? I remember on the old 42x the brake lever and guage in the guards compartment.

 

[iain789]

Many, many years ago, back in the 60s, I used to travel regularly by train to Inverness from Glasgow and then on to Kyle. My memory is that the train from the south always ran past the station to the north line, and then reversed back into the platforms. I don't remember a class 08 or similar being used then.

 

[The Lad]

The EBV is in a lockable cupboard.

 

[darloscott]

The same propelling move happens at Penzance too I noticed when down there in the summer

 

[jopsuk]

I guess it's fine at a relatively quiet location/time (in train movement terms) over a short distance

 

[InOban]

Many, many years ago, back in the 60s, I used to travel regularly by train to Inverness from Glasgow and then on to Kyle. My memory is that the train from the south always ran past the station to the north line, and then reversed back into the platforms. I don't remember a class 08 or similar being used then.

I remember that as a child in Inverness. It not only avoided a shunter, it may also date back to the days when in the 'season' there would be through vehicles carrying the gentry to their highland estates.

 

[RUFJAN15]

Oh all done different up here then? When Brighton last had loco hauled services they used to have a class 09 ? shunter in use.

The stock for the Brighton cross country train was not serviced in Brighton (at least not in the last few years of operation). The stock arrived from the North 'in service' and the train engine was trapped at the buffer-end of the terminal platform. By using 09 026 to draw the stock out and release the train engine, there was no need to provide a second main line loco in Brighton to haul the return service. I didn't pay much attention to the shunting moves, but I suspect 09 026 propelled the stock back into the platform before disappearing back to Lovers Walk depot, allowing the train engine to be coupled to the head of the returning train.

Conclusion: Coaching stock was propelled into the platform at Brighton, but the 09 did form part of the shunt moves.

 

[bastien]

I've seen the sleeper being pushed in to Fort William too.

 

[daikilo]

Propelling ECS into a platform from nearby carriage sidings (CS) has been going on for over a century. The only real issues were signal sighting and avoiding hitting the buffers and crews knew/know how to manage this. At stations like Paddington or Kings Cross the CS were further away and propelling too rsky so haulage with either a shunter or a future train engine was used. I can't say for KX but I know the latter was used late afternoon at Paddington.

 

[gazthomas]

Yes, I saw it this morning. Interesting to see it taking a platform until Sunday night

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Back in the days of the class 26 and Mk1 stock passenger services from the Kyle and Far North line would come round the third side of the triangle and reverse in to one of the south facing platforms to provide a cross platform connection to services heading further south.

 

[delticdave]

Propelling ECS into a platform from nearby carriage sidings (CS) has been going on for over a century. The only real issues were signal sighting and avoiding hitting the buffers and crews knew/know how to manage this. At stations like Paddington or Kings Cross the CS were further away and propelling too rsky so haulage with either a shunter or a future train engine was used. I can't say for KX but I know the latter was used late afternoon at Paddington.

I was surprised to VIA Rail Canada propelling empty stock to / from Toronto Union Station & the Toronto Maintenance Centre about 7 1/2 miles to the west. VIA don't seem to own any switchers so they have to use the (single-ended) train engines with
crew member in the vestibule of the leading (?) coach armed with a brake valve & a radio.

The local GO Transit trains take 15 minutes for the journey, but they are proper p/pull trains, the VIA ECS movements might have speed restrictions.

Back in the '80's & before driving trailers Amtrak did the same thing with outbound San Diego passenger trains when leaving Los Angeles, backing around a triangle outside the station before setting off loco first. All done to turn the whole train around rather than reverse all the seats....

 

[30907]

I remember that as a child in Inverness. It not only avoided a shunter, it may also date back to the days when in the 'season' there would be through vehicles carrying the gentry to their highland estates.

Back in the days of the class 26 and Mk1 stock passenger services from the Kyle and Far North line would come round the third side of the triangle and reverse in to one of the south facing platforms to provide a cross platform connection to services heading further south.

I think it was more for the benefit of the considerable mail and parcels traffic than the passengers, who could change trains under their own steam.
I recall the early Far North leaving Inverness with 4BGs in the formation, and I think some if not all were through from the South (aka Glasgow/Edinburgh).
The Postal from and to London connected with the second train each way but the POS didn't work through.

 

[route101]

Happens all the time in Europe !