Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[TheEscapist_]

Not always - it can also be too hot from time to time. However I have done about 20 trips in the seated coach in the last year or so and generally it is perfectly acceptable.

On my first trip in the seated coach sit was too hot and too cold. When getting on at Euston it was a really nice cosy temp then too hot and when I woke up at Carlisle it was freezing.


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[30907]

Oh yes - of course!

Interesting how it appears the only suitable test track in mainland Europe seems to be in the Czech Republic (which isn't exactly close to Spain or the U.K.).

There's one at Wildenrath just into Germany, but IIRC it's owned by Siemens, which may be why it isn't being used.

 

[TimboM]

There's one at Wildenrath just into Germany, but IIRC it's owned by Siemens, which may be why it isn't being used.

And of course there's Old Dalby in the U.K. too...

I suspect a combination of cost, logistics, facilities available and competition between rival companies will have resulted in Velim being the test track of choice.

 

[6Z09]

73971

Still running solo and reliability seems good over past couple of weeks.

 

[Railops]

The seated coach is like a fridge even when the ETH has not packed up - the curious air-blown system (the reason for which I've still not been able to establish, it is not fitted to any other UK vehicles) is not fit for purpose.

I've been in it and it wasn't cold, too hot if anything.

 

[TimboM]

Still running solo and reliability seems good over past couple of weeks.

Due to what seemed to be a last-minute change of traction plan, 73968 ended up working the Carstairs-Edinburgh Lowlander portion (and return ECS to Polmadie) on Tue night/Wed morning. Working solo with an 8-coach rake and seemed to manage OK and run to time give or take a couple of minutes.

 

[Clansman]

Due to what seemed to be a last-minute change of traction plan, 73968 ended up working the Carstairs-Edinburgh Lowlander portion (and return ECS to Polmadie) on Tue night/Wed morning. Working solo with an 8-coach rake and seemed to manage OK and run to time give or take a couple of minutes.

Put the same situation with the Inverness portion and you've got an entirely different kettle of fish

Was on the Sleeper from Crewe to Perth last Sunday, no matter the temperature I set in the berth, I was freezing - same with the water!
Hopefully it will be a different state of affairs when I travel this Sunday.

 

[Muzer]

So, what's the current "usual" state of affairs? 67 on the Inverness portion, lone 73 on the Aberdeen? What about the Fort William portion — 66 with 73 providing ETH, or has that stopped now? And how long is this expected to last for?

 

[Maxfly]

So, what's the current "usual" state of affairs? 67 on the Inverness portion, lone 73 on the Aberdeen? What about the Fort William portion — 66 with 73 providing ETH, or has that stopped now? And how long is this expected to last for?

Fort is also a solo 73 now, providing they remain happy with them that's how they will stay. Certainly no issues with grunt, pull the shorter portions fine. Obviously the Ness would be a different story, there has been mention somewhere they could do it solo but wouldn't manage to keep to the timings so never say never to it happening when there is a failure for example.

 

[Clansman]

So, what's the current "usual" state of affairs? 67 on the Inverness portion, lone 73 on the Aberdeen? What about the Fort William portion — 66 with 73 providing ETH, or has that stopped now? And how long is this expected to last for?

67013 has been working most (if not all?) the Inverness portions n/b and s/b since the start of the year.

Cold water in the taps and bust heaters in the berths must be the fault of the coaches, since they've performed differently despite 67013 being on the front on all occasions.

 

[TimboM]

67013 has been working most (if not all?) the Inverness portions n/b and s/b since the start of the year.

Cold water in the taps and bust heaters in the berths must be the fault of the coaches, since they've performed differently despite 67013 being on the front on all occasions.

67013 replaced 67010 on the Inverness portion when it had a complete failure at the start of Feb. (The 67 is I understand a 'courtesy loco' after 73969 had it's front-end rearranged at Craigentinny whilst in the care of VTEC.) I can't think of too many (if any) times since then that 67013 has not done both Inverness portions.

Your evidence would suggest issues with the coaches - people on here have also reported issues with (water) temperature on other sections with other traction, so backs this up.

 

[David57]

I did INV-EUS on Tuesday night, 67013 on the front from INV, and 92014 on the front from Edinburgh.
No hot water whilst the 92 in charge, suspect its a coaching problem...

 

[daveonhols]

I was on the CS from Euston last night (Fri), and we were three hours late to Kingussie. When I got off I noticed we had a 66 pulling a 73, I assumed the 73 broke down and had to be towed but reading the thread I am not so sure.

Does anyone know what happened to this train last night?

 

[47271]

I was on the CS from Euston last night (Fri), and we were three hours late to Kingussie. When I got off I noticed we had a 66 pulling a 73, I assumed the 73 broke down and had to be towed but reading the thread I am not so sure.

Does anyone know what happened to this train last night?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C74104/2017/03/31

I'm not sure what happened exactly, but you lost all your time at Waverley, and the Aberdeen section was cancelled.

The Inverness normally runs with a 67 at the moment, so through a series of assumptions, I'd say that the 67 had failed at Edinburgh and, after some delay, they may have decided to sacrifice the Aberdeen portion to shift its 73 on to the Inverness.

That's just my reading of the info mind.

 

[92002]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C74104/2017/03/31

I'm not sure what happened exactly, but you lost all your time at Waverley, and the Aberdeen section was cancelled.

The Inverness normally runs with a 67 at the moment, so through a series of assumptions, I'd say that the 67 had failed at Edinburgh and, after some delay, they may have decided to sacrifice the Aberdeen portion to shift its 73 on to the Inverness.

That's just my reading of the info mind.

Think the 67 was having an off day and there was not another handy. So they sent out two 73s for the Inverness portion and one of those decided on a day off. A 66 was found to keep the other 73 company and was not handy either. The other usual 47 replacement was already at Carstairs for the Edinburgh portion of the lowland sleeper which it has been a regular on this week.

Don't think it was related to the Aberdeen portion which went ECS tending to suggest a staffing problem.

 

[Drumtochty]

Who wants to be an rail operatons manager at 500 am on the sleeper?

 

[Carntyne]

Who wants to be an rail operatons manager at 500 am on the sleeper?

Someone who likes a challenge!

 

[38Cto15E]

The Inverness was only a couple of minutes away from arriving PM.

What happened to the passengers in their beds on the Aberdeen?

 

[najaB]

What happened to the passengers in their beds on the Aberdeen?

I would like to think they were allowed to sleep until at least 0500 and then put on the 0530 Scotrail service. But knowing how these things pan out they may well have been turfed out of bed at 4am and told to wait in the First Class lounge.

 

[TimboM]

Think the 67 was having an off day and there was not another handy. So they sent out two 73s for the Inverness portion and one of those decided on a day off. A 66 was found to keep the other 73 company and was not handy either. The other usual 47 replacement was already at Carstairs for the Edinburgh portion of the lowland sleeper which it has been a regular on this week.

The 67 and 73s obviously caught wind of talk on this thread of them being nice and reliable recently!

 

[Scotrail84]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C74104/2017/03/31

I'm not sure what happened exactly, but you lost all your time at Waverley, and the Aberdeen section was cancelled.

The Inverness normally runs with a 67 at the moment, so through a series of assumptions, I'd say that the 67 had failed at Edinburgh and, after some delay, they may have decided to sacrifice the Aberdeen portion to shift its 73 on to the Inverness.

That's just my reading of the info mind.

The leading 73 failed at Edinburgh in W tunnel, no power and couldnt get a brake release. After many attempts to rectify the fault it was decided that the loco was a failure and they used the Aberdeen loco to go either Craigy or Millerhill to collect a 66 to tie on to the good 73.

The reason 2x 73's were supposed to be on the Inverness is because the Ft William portion was also attached to it as the WHL is shut for engineering works making it a load 11 all the way to Inverness.

 

[Lee_Again]

I'm booked for Sunday 28th to FW. An East Coast divert I think.

Getting increasingly concerned that we're doomed. Seems like most mornings something goes wrong. Connecting on to the Jacobite too. Fingers crossed.

Anybody else on this service?

 

[Scotrail84]

I'm booked for Sunday 28th to FW. An East Coast divert I think.

Getting increasingly concerned that we're doomed. Seems like most mornings something goes wrong. Connecting on to the Jacobite too. Fingers crossed.

Anybody else on this service?

Sorry but thats utter rubbish.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Im one of Sercos biggest chritics but I agree here, its a mark of how well things are going just now (yes I would appear to generally be wrong about the 73s for now) that this thread has untill today not been on the first page of my subscribed threads for a few weeks.

 

[66Yorks]

Does anyone know if the East Coast diversion is just for one night or for the whole week?

I'm booked for Sunday 28th to FW. An East Coast divert I think.

Getting increasingly concerned that we're doomed. Seems like most mornings something goes wrong. Connecting on to the Jacobite too. Fingers crossed.

Anybody else on this service?

 

[33056]

I'm booked for Sunday 28th to FW. An East Coast divert I think.

Assuming you mean 28th May, the sleepers are booked via the ECML. From what I can ascertain they are only running that way on Sun / Mon (28th & 29th) and Mon / Tues (29th & 30th).

 

[66Yorks]

The Sleepers are running on the ECML this evening (02/04) according to Realtome Trains.

Assuming you mean 28th May, the sleepers are booked via the ECML. From what I can ascertain they are only running that way on Sun / Mon (28th & 29th) and Mon / Tues (29th & 30th).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A number of posts on Yahoogroups tonight are suggesting the Highlander stalled upon departure at Euston, having moved about three carriage lengths?

 

[33056]

The Sleepers are running on the ECML this evening (02/04) according to Realtome Trains.

Yes, and they will be every Sunday night / Monday morning until 18th June.

 

[33056]

A number of posts on Yahoogroups tonight are suggesting the Highlander stalled upon departure at Euston, having moved about three carriage lengths?

It did, ended up about 40 late though it is now making good progress in making up the lost time. Also held up 1S26 for a short time in the Wembley area.