Caledonian Sleeper

[John Bishop]

We should be around Lancaster at the moment but haven’t even reached Carstairs yet.

Stopped at Haymarket on the combined 1M16 then onto the next signal and sat for about 50 minutes.

 

[Scotrail84]

We should be around Lancaster at the moment but haven’t even reached Carstairs yet.

Stopped at Haymarket on the combined 1M16 then onto the next signal and sat for about 50 minutes.

Disaster. What happened this time?

 

[John Bishop]

Disaster. What happened this time?

problem with the brakes apparently. Now 103L.

 

[Scotrail84]

problem with the brakes apparently. Now 103L.

Arrived 110 late, you'll get your money back.

 

[PG]

Any idea if last nights braking issue is related to the problems experienced a few months ago or an one-off issue?

 

[JModulo]

Any idea if last nights braking issue is related to the problems experienced a few months ago or an one-off issue?

Not exactly the same, but similiar (the one at Stafford area that is, not the Edinburgh one).

 

[ic31420]

Just to change the theme a little, how are the 73/9s and the 92s coping on the sleepers now?

 

[bobbyrail]

Not exactly the same, but similiar (the one at Stafford area that is, not the Edinburgh one).

If the problem is similar in too many ways to the stafford incident then that could be a very big headache for CS, i am just hoping that it was an issue with the loco. Loco swap is relatively easy, coaching stock and train managment software issues are not so easy to deal with.

 

[TimboM]

Just to change the theme a little, how are the 73/9s and the 92s coping on the sleepers now?

Brilliantly.

 

[TimboM]

If the problem is similar in too many ways to the stafford incident then that could be a very big headache for CS, i am just hoping that it was an issue with the loco. Loco swap is relatively easy, coaching stock and train managment software issues are not so easy to deal with.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the loco.
That said last night’s issues were only similar to the Stafford/Atherstone incident in that they involved brakes. Beyond that, not a lot in common.

There wasn’t a software issue with that incident either. It did what it was designed to do.

 

[Crepello]

Brilliantly.

Agreed. I'd the pleasure of 92 haulage last year, on Mk 3s. Their fans (traction motor blowers, I assume?) are loud as heck - but they haul nicely.

 

[MrEd]

Brilliantly.

I agree, they’re great locos in the main. Yes, they’ve had their moments, but so did the 90s and 67s before them. I’d say that on the whole they seem more reliable than the 90s and 67s they replaced (I remember a number of pretty farcical failures behind these two classes in First Group and early Serco days; particularly common in my experience were ETS faults and failures on the 67s). The two 73s I had coming back from Inverness on Monday night seemed to make much lighter work of Slochd and Druimuachdar than the 67s did in the past.

 

[Far north 37]

I agree, they’re great locos in the main. Yes, they’ve had their moments, but so did the 90s and 67s before them. I’d say that on the whole they seem more reliable than the 90s and 67s they replaced (I remember a number of pretty farcical failures behind these two classes in First Group and early Serco days; particularly common in my experience were ETS faults and failures don the 67s). The two 73s I had coming back from Inverness on Monday night seemed to make much lighter work of Slochd and Druimuachdar than the 67s did in the past.

To be fair i used the highland sleeper countless times since the 67s were introduced not once was there any major failure or issues with them.
They have been pretty solid reliable traction the whole time they were in use i cant remember them having a reputation for failing a lot.
The 73s seem to be performing well on the inverness portion but they haven't been without issues previously on the other portions so i wouldn’t hail them as superior traction after one journey to be fair.

 

[haggishunter]

Well I’m in London for a couple of days at short notice, going south tomorrow on the Ft Wm portion in the seats - got the last one available, nothing else available on the Ft Wm portion and Aberdeen and Inverness showing completely sold out across all categories.

Would have preferred a berth but £60 for getting to London by train at short notice can’t really be argued with. Will though be a different test of the new seats vs using it to Glasgow as a day train.

Certainly seems it is loading well at the moment - novelty ?

 

[PG]

Absolutely nothing wrong with the loco.
That said last night’s issues were only similar to the Stafford/Atherstone incident in that they involved brakes. Beyond that, not a lot in common.

There wasn’t a software issue with that incident either. It did what it was designed to do.

That's good to hear that it wasn't related to the previous incident and performed as expected.

 

[gingerheid]

Certainly seems it is loading well at the moment - novelty ?

I'm using the lowlander a lot more than before because it's just, despite everything you might read on this thread that necessarily dwells on the worst aspects, much better overall than it was before.

I do hope it gets better still, obviously. But it can still be clearly the best while not being perfect

 

[sprinterguy]

According to Richard Clinnick on twitter, it's not the end of the line for many of the ex-Caledonian Sleeper mark 2s and 3s:

https://twitter.com/Clinnick1/status/1187283776105340928
The former @CalSleeper Mk 2s and Mk 3s are off to their new homes. @PB_Leasing says it has 36 Mk 3 SLEP vehicles that all have new homes, while the Mk 2s also appear to have been snapped up. One, Eastern Rail Services' 6703, hired to @IconsOfSteam looks magnificent internally.

I'm surprised that so many mark 3 sleepers have reportedly found homes - I didn't think there'd be that many preserved railways looking for additional volunteer accommodation (The traditional preserve of withdrawn mark 3 sleepers)!

 

[DarloRich]

i wonder where the Mkii's are off to?

 

[sprinterguy]

i wonder where the Mkii's are off to?

Having had a quick hunt about, it seems that at least five are now with rolling stock hire company Eastern Rail Services, who already own a number of air con mark 2s:
http://easternrailservices.co.uk/fleet.htm

Mark 2F Lounge Cars: 6700/6703
Mark 2E Seated Brale Cars: 9800/9807

There's also a Mark 2E BSO in Caledonian Sleeper livery, 9497, which I wasn't previously aware of: What's the deal with this vehicle? Was it used as a stand in on the Fort William seated portion in recent times? They were using an Intercity liveried brake vehicle, 9513 I think, on this working for a while.

 

[ajrm]

Having had a quick hunt about, it seems that at least five are now with rolling stock hire company Eastern Rail Services, who already own a number of air con mark 2s:
http://easternrailservices.co.uk/fleet.htm

Mark 2F Lounge Cars: 6700/6703
Mark 2E Seated Brale Cars: 9800/9807

They've been with Eastern Rail Services for some time now, leased back to CS.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I believe that an empty stock move formed of Sleeper stock came to a stand as it left London Euston within the last hour or two, causing disruption.

 

[VEP3417]

dont chiltern railways have a rake of blue and grey ones, sure ive seen a video of them in service on a normal service

 

[sprinterguy]

I believe that an empty stock move formed of Sleeper stock came to a stand as it left London Euston within the last hour or two, causing disruption.

Yeah, stock off the Lowlander departing platform 1. TRUST has it listed as a loco fault.

They've been with Eastern Rail Services for some time now, leased back to CS.

Ah okay, first time I'd heard about it - Thanks.

dont chiltern railways have a rake of blue and grey ones, sure ive seen a video of them in service on a normal service

Chiltern used to have a blue and grey liveried rake of slam door mark 3s (Rather than mark 2s), used on a peak hour Marylebone - Banbury diagram. However they were repainted into the white variant of the Chiltern Mainline livery four years ago.

 

[John Bishop]

I believe that an empty stock move formed of Sleeper stock came to a stand as it left London Euston within the last hour or two, causing disruption.

Down Lowlander came to a stand just after leaving Preston last night causing 13 minute delay. ETS was switched off and on a few times before finally getting underway.

seems to be quite a few of these niggles in the MK5 stock. Happened twice also on 1M16 Tuesday night after leaving Inverness. Same set?

 

[Far north 37]

Down Lowlander came to a stand just after leaving Preston last night causing 13 minute delay. ETS was switched off and on a few times before finally getting underway.

seems to be quite a few of these niggles in the MK5 stock. Happened twice also on 1M16 Tuesday night after leaving Inverness. Same set?

Be a different set the set from tuesday night in inverness would of worked back north last night.

 

[Norther Monkey]

Northbound Highlander seemed to pick up a bit of a delay during the Edinburgh split last night. Anyone able to shed any light?

Loadings seem high though, starting to think short notice seats, even midweek, may become rarer.

 

[John Bishop]

School holidays last 2 weeks so bookings high.

As a first time user of the new stock this week, I was quite pleased by the interiors, fresh, plenty sockets/ plugs and lights, however, the ride and noise levels are not as good as the Mk3s I would say.

The constant knocking of the bogies made it difficult to sleep and also was quite surprised at how noisy the brakes were at slow speeds which is quite surprising and disappointing for new stock. The ride felt harder than the Mk3s. I noticed also the door opening sound is very audible in the cabins near each end and actually woke me up couple of times.

The interiors seem like a step forward but unfortunately everything else seems like a backward step in my opinion compared to the Mk 3s.

 

[Norther Monkey]

Similarly, I'm starting to think the seats are a step back from the Mk2. Racking up more trips and I can't seem to get on with seats and am getting very little sleep. Lighting is not particularly subtle for resting, and it seems consistently cold.

It also appears that there isn't the staffing to support the at seat service we're now forced to rely on. It's at least an hour plus after leaving before orders are taken so I now take my own supplies.

 

[BRX]

and it seems consistently cold.

This seems very consistently to be a complaint of seats users on the new stock.

I'd assume that it is possible to adjust the heat setting in the coaches. So why isn't it being changed - is the message somehow not getting through to those with the ability to change it?

 

[Bletchleyite]

This seems very consistently to be a complaint of seats users on the new stock.

I'd assume that it is possible to adjust the heat setting in the coaches. So why isn't it being changed - is the message somehow not getting through to those with the ability to change it?

It always surprises me why only VTWC saw fit to allow guards to adjust the temperature on their new post privatisation stock.