Caledonian Sleeper train formations

[Flying Scott]

I understand that the Caledonian Sleeper is one of the longest passenger trains in Britain and I would like to find out how it is formed, as I am curious about the shunting activities that take place to split and rejoin the service. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone could help me, please. I would also like to apologise in advance if this has already been covered or if I have posted this in the wrong place.

I understand that there are two services, the Lowlander and the Highlander, each of which have one service northbound and another southbound on a nightly basis. Under current operations, the train is formed of 16 Mark 5 coaches and a Class 92 locomotive (with Dellner couplings and 1,500v supply for ETH), with the formation splitting/joining at Carstairs (Lowlander) or Edinburgh (Highlander). The coach formations are made up of Seated (Mk5 FO), Club (Mk5 RLO), Sleeper (Mk5 SLEP) and Accessible Sleeper (Mk5 SLED) vehicles.

The Lowlander is formed of two 8 coach portions, one destined for Glasgow and the other Edinburgh.

The Highlander is formed of 6 coaches destined for Aberdeen, 2 coaches for Fort William and 8 coaches for Inverness. The Fort William portion gains/loses 2 coaches, one seated and one club, at Edinburgh. The Class 92 locomotive is replaced by a Class 73/9 locomotive for all Highlander portions.

I believe I have that right so far, but please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

What I would like to know is how the train and each portion is formed, please. This would ideally include the order of the coaches, the coach types and coach letter designations if possible. I am unsure whether the order is different for northbound and southbound servces. If anyone can help me with this then I would be most grateful.

I would also be grateful for clarification on the Fort William portion regarding which end the additional coaches are coupled/uncoupled, please. I believe the northbound trailing end becomes the leading end at Edinburgh for the journey to Fort William and vice-versa for southbound from Edinburgh, but I am unsure whether I have this right.

Looking to the technical side, am I right in thinking that all coaches are braked, or does the formation require a dedicated brake coach? Also, does the formation always require certain vehicles for technical/operational reasons, such as the TMS and destination blinds?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[hexagon789]

I understand that the Caledonian Sleeper is one of the longest passenger trains in Britain and I would like to find out how it is formed, as I am curious about the shunting activities that take place to split and rejoin the service. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone could help me, please. I would also like to apologise in advance if this has already been covered or if I have posted this in the wrong place.

I understand that there are two services, the Lowlander and the Highlander, each of which have one service northbound and another southbound on a nightly basis. Under current operations, the train is formed of 16 Mark 5 coaches and a Class 92 locomotive (with Dellner couplings and 1,500v supply for ETH), with the formation splitting/joining at Carstairs (Lowlander) or Edinburgh (Highlander). The coach formations are made up of Seated (Mk5 FO), Club (Mk5 RLO), Sleeper (Mk5 SLEP) and Accessible Sleeper (Mk5 SLED) vehicles.

The Lowlander is formed of two 8 coach portions, one destined for Glasgow and the other Edinburgh.

The Highlander is formed of 6 coaches destined for Aberdeen, 2 coaches for Fort William and 8 coaches for Inverness. The Fort William portion gains/loses 2 coaches, one seated and one club, at Edinburgh. The Class 92 locomotive is replaced by a Class 73/9 locomotive for all Highlander portions.

I believe I have that right so far, but please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

What I would like to know is how the train and each portion is formed, please. This would ideally include the order of the coaches, the coach types and coach letter designations if possible. I am unsure whether the order is different for northbound and southbound servces. If anyone can help me with this then I would be most grateful.

I would also be grateful for clarification on the Fort William portion regarding which end the additional coaches are coupled/uncoupled, please. I believe the northbound trailing end becomes the leading end at Edinburgh for the journey to Fort William and vice-versa for southbound from Edinburgh, but I am unsure whether I have this right.

Looking to the technical side, am I right in thinking that all coaches are braked, or does the formation require a dedicated brake coach? Also, does the formation always require certain vehicles for technical/operational reasons, such as the TMS and destination blinds?

Thank you in advance for your help.

This guide might help: ttps://www.revolutiontrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/CS-formations-1.pdf

Its from Revolution Trains, and is intended to illustrate how to marshal the Mk5 sleepers which Revolution Trains sell N gauge models of.

As to Brake coaches - 'Brake' refers to the presence of a handbrake used to hold a parked train. All vehicles are equipped with the standard UIC twin-pipe automatic air brake.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

A few other points which may be relevant to your interest.

Although nominally split as 4 sleepers to Aberdeen and 2 to Fort William (as shown for winter in the linked diagram) there are seasonal variations in demand which can see the split being 3 sleepers to each or sometimes just 2 sleepers to Aberdeen and 4 to Fort William (as shown for summer).

Also, during the winter period - I am not sure of the dates - the trains operate with 14 vehicles each night rather than 16, 5 sleepers each to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness and 3 to Aberdeen and 2 to Fort William although potentially the split of the latter 2 portions may be 'swapped'

Although nominally the Inverness section is booked for 2 x 73/9 and the Aberdeen and Fort William portions each for 1 x 73/9 it is often the case a class 66 and 73/9 pairing works to Inverness, and sometimes also to Fort William.

EDIT: I understand the TMS is in the seated vehicle and therefore this vehicle must always be in the formation. Also each portion should have a PRM sleeper.

 

[Steve Harris]

Somewhere in this thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/caledonian-sleeper.176365/page-449 the answers to your questions can be found. Unfortunately I don't have the time to go trawling back through it, however, I do know that in that thread is an explanation on the cycle the coaches go through (ie from Polmadie depot, what services, then back to Polmadie).

Perhaps try skip reading the posts from the newest to the oldest and go back to the date when the Mk 5's were introduced.

 

[gabrielhj07]

This guide might help: ttps://www.revolutiontrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/CS-formations-1.pdf

Its from Revolution Trains, and is intended to illustrate how to marshal the Mk5 sleepers which Revolution Trains sell N gauge models of.

As to Brake coaches - 'Brake' refers to the presence of a handbrake used to hold a parked train. All vehicles are equipped with the standard UIC twin-pipe automatic air brake.

Looking at this guide, I presume that seated passengers for Fort William section would need to alight and re-join the new carriages at Edinburgh?

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Looking at this guide, I presume that seated passengers for Fort William section would need to alight and re-join the new carriages at Edinburgh?

Yes.

 

[hexagon789]

As Cheshire Scot says, yes - seated passengers for Fort William disembark at Edinburgh and then board the freshly added seating vehicles.

That arrangement was the same in Mk2/3 days.

 

[CW2]

Loco wise, the 73/9s are only partially successful. The Aberdeen is usually a 73/9 or sometimes a pair. The Fort William is usually a 66 + 73/9 pairing. Recently the two Serco 67s that used to work test trains, 67023 and 67027, have been used on the Inverness portion. As the 67s are not fitted with Dellner couplers like the Mk5 coaches, the 67 always works in multiple with a 73/9.

 

[43096]

Loco wise, the 73/9s are only partially successful. The Aberdeen is usually a 73/9 or sometimes a pair. The Fort William is usually a 66 + 73/9 pairing. Recently the two Serco 67s that used to work test trains, 67023 and 67027, have been used on the Inverness portion. As the 67s are not fitted with Dellner couplers like the Mk5 coaches, the 67 always works in multiple with a 73/9.

Those two 67s were never Serco's. They were with Colas for test train workings, but having been part of a sale-and-lease-back arrangement between Colas and Beacon Rail they were off-leased last year. They are now (in the process of being) leased to GBRf.

 

[norbitonflyer]

The the arrangement in Mark 3 days was, I recall, that the Inverness portion was at the London end northbound and the Aberdeen/Fort William on the London end southbound. The Glasgow portion was at the front in both directions, but the portions were swapped during maintenence at Polmadie, (i.e the rake which went north to Glasgow returned south from Edinburgh and vice versa) This allowed all stock to cycle through all destinations on an eight night cycle withpout having to shuffle stock at Wembley (London - Glasgow/Edinburgh - London - AberdeenFtWm + London + Edinburgh/Glasgow + London + Inverness + London : "+" indicating the rake is at the London end and "-" at the country end)
The club car is at the London end of each rake, and thus the Aberdeen coaches are at the London end of the Ft Wm/Aberdeen portion

However, it now seems from my recent trip on the Highlander that the Ft William/Aberdeen portion is at the London end in both directions. This, I understand, is because because some half-trains have only one disabled compartment and cannot therefore be used on the Aberdeen/Fort William portion, and stock therefore has to be rotated in four night cycles -

either
London - Inverness - London - Glasgow/Edinburgh - London
or
London + Aberdeen + London + Edinburgh/Glasgow + London.

 

[CW2]

Another loco novelty:
On 28/12 the Glasgow / Edinburgh - Euston was diverted via ECML due to engineering work.
92023 worked Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Falkirk Grahamston.
92043 worked Edinburgh to Wembley via ECML (York avoider)
92028 worked top-and-tail with 92043 Wembley to Euston.
So three different class 92s on a scheduled passenger working. I doubt that has occurred very frequently.

Realtime Trains Link

RTT has it wrong regarding 92014 working from Wembley. It was 92028: 92014 worked in on 1M16 behind us.

 

[Flying Scott]

Thank you for kindly taking the time to reply with information and links to further sources, as it is very much appreciated.

 

[50002Superb]

Another loco novelty:
On 28/12 the Glasgow / Edinburgh - Euston was diverted via ECML due to engineering work.
92023 worked Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Falkirk Grahamston.
92043 worked Edinburgh to Wembley via ECML (York avoider)
92028 worked top-and-tail with 92043 Wembley to Euston.
So three different class 92s on a scheduled passenger working. I doubt that has occurred very frequently.

Realtime Trains Link

RTT has it wrong regarding 92014 working from Wembley. It was 92028: 92014 worked in on 1M16 behind us.

How many 92s are used in any one night / morning dealing with the CS?

 

[43096]

How many 92s are used in any one night / morning dealing with the CS?

Normally it's seven:
1 x northbound Lowlander
1 x northbound Highlander
1 x southbound Lowlander
1 x southbound Highlander
1 x Edinburgh-Carstairs Lowlander portions
1 x Polmadie ECS loco
1 x Wembley ECS loco

 

[JonathanH]

How many 92s are used in any one night / morning dealing with the CS?

It can depend on availability but in theory 7 are needed.

One for each of the trunk journeys
One for the Edinburgh to Carstairs portion
A drawback engine at both Glasgow and Euston

The engine off the Highland sleeper can be used to do the Glasgow drawback, or the Edinburgh to Carstairs portion.

A second drawback engine could be allocated at the London end, particularly when there are ECML diversions.

 

[50002Superb]

That’s a fair bit, thanks for explaining

 

[Flying Scott]

Thank you once again to those of you who kindly took the time to provide me with information.

I apologise for the lack of updates, but I had to put my research on hold due to other commitments. I am starting to review the notes I have made so far ahead of conducting further research, the outcome of which I will happily share a summary of once complete for others to use as a reference. First of all, I would like to update my initial post:

The coach formations are made up of Seated (Mk5 FO), Club (Mk5 RLO), Sleeper (Mk5 SLEP) and Accessible Sleeper (Mk5 SLED) vehicles.

That should have read SLE (Sleeper Either), not SLEP (Sleeper Either with Pantry). I am unable to find the original source again, but comparing it to information on the Mark 2/3 stock, SLE would seem more logical as I don't believe the Mark 5 stock has pantry provision (I am happy to be corrected, however).

One area which I have seen conflicting information is the type designations assigned to the coaches. The initial information I found had them as:
150xx (Seated) - FO (First Open)
151xx (Lounge) - RLO (Restaurant Lounge Open
152xx (Sleeper Accessible) - SLED (Sleeper Either Disabled)
153xx (Sleeper) - SLE (Sleeper Either)

However, another source appears to list them as:
150xx (Seated) - SSB (Sleeper Seated Brake)
151xx (Lounge) - SL (Sleeper Lounge)
152xx (Sleeper Accessible) - SFA (Sleeper Fully Accessible)
153xx (Sleeper) - SLE (Sleeper)

Could anyone tell me which is the correct set of designations, please?

 

[Deepgreen]

Thank you for kindly taking the time to reply with information and links to further sources, as it is very much appreciated.

Just a slight aside going back to your OP - I don't imagine any UK passenger coaches have been unbraked since about 1880, but I'd be fascinated if it was significantly later than then.