Caledonian Sleeper

[Scotrail84]

92 032 on 1S26

 

[Scotrail84]

1S26 due to run as normal however it will more than likely be heavily delayed heading north.

 

[Scotrail84]

1S26 about 200 late.

 

[InOban]

Surely they could have hauled them via Shotts? The wires are energised.

 

[TimboM]

1S26 about 200 late.

Whole train still going to Edinburgh?

EDIT: Yes it is!

 

[Mag_seven]

Surely they could have hauled them via Shotts? The wires are energised.

They might be energised, but they may not be approved for passenger use yet.

 

[InOban]

It would have been an ECS movement. Alternatively it could have been hauled by a diesel loco by various routes.

 

[TimboM]

It would have been an ECS movement. Alternatively it could have been hauled by a diesel loco by various routes.

Is the traction cleared? Does the particular driver have the route knowledge? Was there a path available (noting everything had gone to pot)?

Risk of further damage/disruption with the storm about?

What diesel loco? (None at Polmadie AFAIK last night apart from the 08s)

If there was a feasible alternative to get the stock across to EDB in enough time to work back as 1C11 it would’ve happened.

 

[31160]

What are the multi system fitted to the 73/9's ? Can they work with 66's or just the old blue star as built

 

[InOban]

Is the traction cleared? Does the particular driver have the route knowledge? Was there a path available (noting everything had gone to pot)?

Risk of further damage/disruption with the storm about?

What diesel loco? (None at Polmadie AFAIK last night apart from the 08s)

If there was a feasible alternative to get the stock across to EDB in enough time to work back as 1C11 it would’ve happened.

The problems of a fragmented railway


Are the Dellner-fitted 73s no longer capable of attaching to the old stock?

And, incidentally, how did the Glasgow portion bypass the downed OHLE?

 

[TimboM]

What are the multi system fitted to the 73/9's ? Can they work with 66's or just the old blue star as built

AAR, so can multi with 66s

The problems of a fragmented railway


Are the Dellner-fitted 73s no longer capable of attaching to the old stock?

And, incidentally, how did the Glasgow portion bypass the downed OHLE?

The dellner-fitted 73/9s have worked the old stock for a couple of years now. There wasn’t one at Polmadie yesterday - the one normally there for Mk5 testing was at Mossend for attention.

It’s not the problem of a fragmented railway - it’s the problem of a large storm damaging key infrastructure and causing widespread disruption.

The fragmented railway served up a DRS 66 last night to attach to the GBRf 92 to get the Serco Highlander through the section with OHLE issues, which Network Rail were spending all night in the midst of the storm trying to fix.

Single Line Working was put into operation which enabled 1M11 to get through. However wasn’t in place at the time 5C11 ECS needed to get across to Edinburgh.

 

[InOban]

Thanks for the explanation. Hats off to those working outside last night.

 

[Highlandspring]

Single Line Working was put into operation which enabled 1M11 to get through. However wasn’t in place at the time 5C11 ECS needed to get across to Edinburgh.

There was electrical switching needed (using switches manually operated by staff on the ground) to liven up the Down line before SLW could be implemented, hence the delay.

 

[47271]

I'm not complaining, but detailed discussion of last night's problems on this thread gives an exaggerated impression of unreliability of the sleeper.

I was held up by over two hours by similar weather related overhead line problems that began around 1130am yesterday. I started a thread on the subject but it attracted very little interest, and certainly noone came on saying 'Transpennine should've done that' or 'Virgin should've done this'.

I'm not criticising anyone who's posted on the subject, but I just wanted to remind more infrequent readers that CS is no more unreliable than any other operator.

 

[Suraggu]

AAR, so can multi with 66s


The dellner-fitted 73/9s have worked the old stock for a couple of years now. There wasn’t one at Polmadie yesterday - the one normally there for Mk5 testing was at Mossend for attention.

It’s not the problem of a fragmented railway - it’s the problem of a large storm damaging key infrastructure and causing widespread disruption.

The fragmented railway served up a DRS 66 last night to attach to the GBRf 92 to get the Serco Highlander through the section with OHLE issues, which Network Rail were spending all night in the midst of the storm trying to fix.

Single Line Working was put into operation which enabled 1M11 to get through. However wasn’t in place at the time 5C11 ECS needed to get across to Edinburgh.

It's a shame that 1M16 departed Waverley and then had to sit at Haymarket due to the isolation taking out all of the Carstairs area. NR Scotland communication with FOC's was extremely poor last night. They need to up there game.

 

[31160]

I'm not complaining, but detailed discussion of last night's problems on this thread gives an exaggerated impression of unreliability of the sleeper.

I was held up by over two hours by similar weather related overhead line problems that began around 1130am yesterday. I started a thread on the subject but it attracted very little interest, and certainly noone came on saying 'Transpennine should've done that' or 'Virgin should've done this'.

I'm not criticising anyone who's posted on the subject, but I just wanted to remind more infrequent readers that CS is no more unreliable than any other operator.

It's just that the caley sleeper being loco hauled in a sea of dross naturally gets more crank attention than more or less anything else on the network, also with the attraction of 92's if they still had EWS 67's and 90's then I suspect we would care a whole lot less

 

[MrEd]

It's just that the caley sleeper being loco hauled in a sea of dross naturally gets more crank attention than more or less anything else on the network, also with the attraction of 92's if they still had EWS 67's and 90's then I suspect we would care a whole lot less

They still do have some impressively weathered EWS-liveried 67s for your enjoyment on the Inverness portion Sorry, couldn't resist. By the way, which 67 is working the Inverness portion at the moment (and likely to take me up to Inverness on Tuesday morning?)

 

[31160]

They still do have some impressively weathered EWS-liveried 67s for your enjoyment on the Inverness portion Sorry, couldn't resist. By the way, which 67 is working the Inverness portion at the moment (and likely to take me up to Inverness on Tuesday morning?)

It was 013 in stunning DB red complete with Holyhead depot stickers when I did it on Monday last

 

[MrEd]

It was 013 in stunning DB red complete with Holyhead depot stickers when I did it on Monday last

Will look and see if it still is on Tuesday You won't miss that red livery that's for sure I think 67013 has been quite a regular performer on the sleeper over the last couple of years; it seems to be one of the more reliable members of the fleet.

 

[6Z09]

The fragmented railway does affect things in these difficult times!
Very few spare locos or drivers in the right place.

 

[Norther Monkey]

Looking ahead there are diversions via the ECML later this year, resulting in no service from Watford, Crewe, Preston or Carlisle.
Would intermediate stops on the ECML not be an idea? Folk who would use Crewe or Preston, for example, could connect at York or Doncaster.
The timings may not be ideal but, on ocassion, it's an option I would have used and the lack of this option has cost me leave days in the past.

 

[VT 390]

Looking ahead there are diversions via the ECML later this year, resulting in no service from Watford, Crewe, Preston or Carlisle.

When are these diversions later in the year happening?

 

[Norther Monkey]

When are these diversions later in the year happening?

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

 

[VT 390]

Are the new sleeper trains cleared for use on the ECML and to London Kings Cross?

 

[Scotrail84]

Are the new sleeper trains cleared for use on the ECML and to London Kings Cross?

Yes, they have to be. Theres KGX diversions later this year.

 

[Deafdoggie]

The fragmented railway does affect things in these difficult times!
Very few spare locos or drivers in the right place.

I don’t think BR would have kept spare locos & drivers just for the Sleeper. It’s nothing to do with “fragmented railway”

 

[TimboM]

The fragmented railway does affect things in these difficult times!
Very few spare locos or drivers in the right place.

I don’t think BR would have kept spare locos & drivers just for the Sleeper. It’s nothing to do with “fragmented railway”

As noted above, 66s (from GB and DRS) were rustled up last minute and moved (presumably with someone driving them!) into position at Edinburgh and Carlisle to haul 1M16/1S25 with the wires down.

There's nothing to say on Friday night that the 'fragmented railway' exacerbated the problems of mother nature blowing wires down all over the place. On the contrary 1S25 arrived Inverness only 47L which in some very trying circumstances was a testament to how everyone did work together.

 

[Highlandspring]

The OLE problem at Law Jn on Friday night was nothing to do with the weather, it was due to a damaged High Speed Section Insulator.

 

[TimboM]

The OLE problem at Law Jn on Friday night was nothing to do with the weather, it was due to a damaged High Speed Section Insulator.

What was the reason for S26 being held at Beattock Summit for 2+ hours? That was after the decision was made that whole train was going to Edinburgh (and thus avoiding Law Junction). Was the insulator impacting a longer stretch?

 

[Highlandspring]

The isolation necessary to effect repairs took out electrical subsections as far as south as Abington.