Caledonian Sleeper

[47271]

Strike's definitely going ahead this coming Sunday to Tuesday.

https://www.sleeper.scot/service-alterations/

 

[BRX]

I went on the old one to FW and I have to say, the actual sleep was fantastic. I slept like a log, really comfy and the noise didn't bother me.

Much as I'm a fan of night trains, I've never slept like a log on any night train anywhere, seats or bunk, and expect to spend the next day in a state of mild delirium.

 

[Jocques]

Much as I'm a fan of night trains, I've never slept like a log on any night train anywhere, seats or bunk, and expect to spend the next day in a state of mild delirium.

I think I was just dead on my feet when I climbed aboard. Woke up in Dundee feeling fine, although I was annoyed I missed sunrise!

 

[Bald Rick]

I'll admit I've not travelled on either Mk3 or Mk5 sleepers, and unless the pricing reverts to something akin to the old bargain berths it's unlikely I ever will.

However I'm definitely curious, given your opinion that the ride is better or at least no worse than the Mk3's, if any others are of the same opinion?? Perhaps the suspension settings have been 'tweaked' recently since they were first introduced?

Accelerating and braking is much smoother; in the former case I only knew we’d had started rolling when we had stepped forward on the Open Train Times map of Euston!

Both trips I have been directly above the wheels, I can’t say I noticed vertical movement much but definitely felt braking (of which there is a lot due to the timetable constraints), and going round curves at 80mph. However I still think it’s better than the Mk3.

 

[TimboM]

Strike's definitely going ahead this coming Sunday to Tuesday.

https://www.sleeper.scot/service-alterations/

“Whilst we remain in discussions with them to try and avoid a strike, if it does go ahead...”

That doesn’t say “the strike’s definitely going ahead”?!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Much as I'm a fan of night trains, I've never slept like a log on any night train anywhere, seats or bunk, and expect to spend the next day in a state of mild delirium.

Same here. A great experience, but only any good if you're doing a physical activity or have the day off the next day - if I tried to work I'd fall asleep at my desk.

Then again some people like my Dad can sleep well anywhere even in a seat.

 

[BRX]

Then again some people like my Dad can sleep well anywhere even in a seat.

Mine too!

 

[Struner]

Age? So there’s some hope then?

 

[47271]

“Whilst we remain in discussions with them to try and avoid a strike, if it does go ahead...”

That doesn’t say “the strike’s definitely going ahead”?!

Okay, but if CS can solve this one in time then I'll take my hat off to them.

 

[FQTV]

Much as I'm a fan of night trains, I've never slept like a log on any night train anywhere, seats or bunk, and expect to spend the next day in a state of mild delirium.

Same here. A great experience, but only any good if you're doing a physical activity or have the day off the next day - if I tried to work I'd fall asleep at my desk.

Then again some people like my Dad can sleep well anywhere even in a seat.

There’s a truism that says that you only sleep well on a train from the second consecutive night. This may be because you get used to the motion by the second night, or because by then you’re so crushingly exhausted from the trauma of the first night that coma is inevitable.

Whichever, I’ve slept extremely well from night two on The Indian Pacific and also on The California Zephyr. In fact, I’ve also slept well on the one night The Lakeshore Limited, though how much of this was to do with smooth riding Amtrak stock with longitudinal beds, and how much was to do with jet lag, I couldn’t honestly say.

 

[Hipster Dashie]

It definitely took me a few goes on the sleeper before I worked out the knack to getting a decent night's sleep. The problem I find is that I fixate on the slight movement of the train - this keeps my brain concentrating and therefore never lets me fall past that point of no return when trying to go to sleep.

The eye mask and the ear plugs help a lot, but a 50mg dose of Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride (antihistamine that can be used as a sleeping aid) is just enough to tip me over the edge. Great night's sleep on my last trip up to Fort William, woke up at 8am feeling pretty refreshed, and with a shower in the lovely CS lounge in Fort William station I felt just as good as I would on any other day!

 

[cb a1]

Instead of Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride, I prefer a few mls of diluted Ethanol.
13 years of a long commute by train also helps in that I regularly sleep on normal trains anyway and the motion actually helps me drift off.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Instead of Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride, I prefer a few mls of diluted Ethanol.

Much as the lounge car (if they can be bothered providing it) does offer a wide and excellent range of this, it actually doesn't help me sleep. Unless I have so much I pass out, I suppose, but in that case I don't sleep well and have a stinking headache.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There’s a truism that says that you only sleep well on a train from the second consecutive night. This may be because you get used to the motion by the second night, or because by then you’re so crushingly exhausted from the trauma of the first night that coma is inevitable.

Whichever, I’ve slept extremely well from night two on The Indian Pacific and also on The California Zephyr. In fact, I’ve also slept well on the one night The Lakeshore Limited, though how much of this was to do with smooth riding Amtrak stock with longitudinal beds, and how much was to do with jet lag, I couldn’t honestly say.

This is a good point, I did sleep reasonably OK on the Canadian, but not I think on the first night.

 

[chefchenko]

I’ve only been in the beds once and slept like a log !! Got on at crewe, asleep probably by Warrington and woke up
Pulling out of Perth , 4 or 5 foaming ales may of helped !! The return was also a sleep fest . The seats however are a different kettle of fish ... misery the day after

 

[Crepello]

In my days as a corporate "road warrior" (whether by land/sea/sky), I found the same in hotels - even on same timezone, would have grim first night, but fine thereafter. I was fortunate to travel a number of good airlines in business and first class - lie flat seats, pyjamas in one case... but always arrived exhausted, with a tough week's work ahead for a client.

Only rode overnight trains own my own dime, and didn't sleep CS until after using couchettes in Europe and multiple Amtrak stock in the US - by which time I'd learned to enjoy the movements and sounds of the train. Light sleeper - I need a white noise machine even when I'm at home. But must say, the nights I've latterly spent on those Mark 3s? Best travelling sleep I've had - ever! The Mk 5's have a tough act to follow!!

 

[BRX]

Age? So there’s some hope then?

I think it's just that they made them tougher in the old days.

In which case, not so much hope for us softer generations.

 

[BRX]

Much as the lounge car (if they can be bothered providing it) does offer a wide and excellent range of this, it actually doesn't help me sleep. Unless I have so much I pass out, I suppose, but in that case I don't sleep well and have a stinking headache.

Same for me, drinking just makes me sleep worse. In my youth I was once foolish enough to (a)take the overnight bus from Inverness to London and (b) think that drinking a bottle of wine would knock me out and let me sleep. The result was not a happy one.

That said, having largely stopped drinking in general these days, I do quite often have a drink on the sleeper, the logic being that if I'm going to feel knackered out the next day anyway, might as well enjoy a beer or two.

I think the comment about sleeping better on subsequent nights might be true to some extent - although having done multinight trips across Russia and across Canada, I think it might partly be that in the intervening days you don't have to do much other than sit and look out the window, so you don't notice it so much.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Same for me, drinking just makes me sleep worse. In my youth I was once foolish enough to (a)take the overnight bus from Inverness to London and (b) think that drinking a bottle of wine would knock me out and let me sleep. The result was not a happy one.

I did something similar prior to an overnight ferry from Felixstowe to Oostende on a stormy night; I’d hoped alcohol would help me sleep through, but the horrible reality was it made everything ten times worse and I was repeatedly and violently ill

 

[nlogax]

A combination of the Amtrak Superliner Roomette bed with accompanying southwestern US scenery and 2000 miles to go, Robert Fripp at low volume, the dull thud from jointed track and a few glasses of decent bourbon is, in my experience, the most soporific thing I've ever experienced. Even beyond the obvious differences from the above it'd be very hard to reach a similar state on the Lowlander.

 

[Hipster Dashie]

No good if you're not a drinker!

 

[FQTV]

A combination of the Amtrak Superliner Roomette bed with accompanying southwestern US scenery and 2000 miles to go, Robert Fripp at low volume, the dull thud from jointed track and a few glasses of decent bourbon is, in my experience, the most soporific thing I've ever experienced. Even beyond the obvious differences from the above it'd be very hard to reach a similar state on the Lowlander.

I am sure that just reading this has slowed my heart rate slightly.....

 

[packermac]

There’s a truism that says that you only sleep well on a train from the second consecutive night. This may be because you get used to the motion by the second night, or because by then you’re so crushingly exhausted from the trauma of the first night that coma is inevitable.

Whichever, I’ve slept extremely well from night two on The Indian Pacific and also on The California Zephyr. In fact, I’ve also slept well on the one night The Lakeshore Limited, though how much of this was to do with smooth riding Amtrak stock with longitudinal beds, and how much was to do with jet lag, I couldn’t honestly say.

You are probably right but my wife and I went from Winnipeg to Churchill (to see the Polar Bears) and the further into the Tundra area you get the rougher the track is, so in that instance the first night was the best, some of the second spent hanging on in the top bunk to avoid a meeting with the floor.

 

[Steve Harris]

I did something similar prior to an overnight ferry from Felixstowe to Oostende on a stormy night; I’d hoped alcohol would help me sleep through, but the horrible reality was it made everything ten times worse and I was repeatedly and violently ill

Felixstowe ??

Never known anything other than container ships to leave from there.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Felixstowe ??

Never known anything other than container ships to leave from there.

Maybe it was Harwich. Somewhere a long way down the old A45 in a rickety minibus anyway

 

[Steamysandy]

There was a Felixstowe - Zeebrugge ferry carrying passengers. In February 1990 I sailed on it on a ferry for a pound offer.
I seem to recall there was also a service to Rotterdam

 

[Steve Harris]

Maybe it was Harwich. Somewhere a long way down the old A45 in a rickety minibus anyway

You might of been right first time.

There was a Felixstowe - Zeebrugge ferry carrying passengers. In February 1990 I sailed on it on a ferry for a pound offer.
I seem to recall there was also a service to Rotterdam

After some digging around on 'tinternet I have found both those routes and they ran until 2002 !! Something I never knew. Anyway I think best left there as it has nothing to do with trains !!

 

[Struner]

You might of been right first time.


After some digging around on 'tinternet I have found both those routes and they ran until 2002 !! Something I never knew. Anyway I think best left there as it has nothing to do with trains !!

You mean you couldn’t get there by train?

 

[SuspectUsual]

You might of been right first time.


After some digging around on 'tinternet I have found both those routes and they ran until 2002 !! Something I never knew. Anyway I think best left there as it has nothing to do with trains !!

It would’ve been about 1985/86 when we took our ill-fated illness-inducing trip. I was pretty sure it was Felixstowe but then started to doubt myself

 

[theironroad]

...and of course there was a passenger ferry from Felixstowe, those of us of a certain age can't forget the 'Triangle' soap on tv. ☺