Caledonian Sleeper

[Bill57p9]

Delays at Edinburgh on southbound due staff shortages which had knock on to northbound service.

I had noticed that the southbound Highlander has been leaving Edinburgh with quite a delay, when the inbound portions arrive on or close to time most if not all this week. Even when it was the Lowlander running in the Highlander in the emergency timetable. This might explain the pattern.

 

[6Z09]

I had noticed that the southbound Highlander has been leaving Edinburgh with quite a delay, when the inbound portions arrive on or close to time most if not all this week. Even when it was the Lowlander running in the Highlander in the emergency timetable. This might explain the pattern.

Sunday and Monday nights were strike nights. Tuesday onwards must just be short of Shunters.

 

[nlogax]

The sound of the horn blaring all night still gives me proper US sleeper nostalgia. Fun times.

One of the absolute joys of US sleepers. Overnight blaring of a K5LA horn up front while being cosy in a roomette a couple of shots of decent bourbon in.. ultimate bliss.

Back on topic, I've booked myself a club room in a couple of weeks to see if they've improved on things since I last used one. Is the lounge back in action?

 

[alangla]

Passed 73966 heading very slowly southbound up the first part of the climb to Beattock around 2:45 today. It was on a lorry on the M74 rather than the WCML

 

[Merseysider]

Is the lounge back in action?

Yes, it is now available again.

 

[nlogax]

Yes, it is now available again.

Thank you, something to look forward to.

 

[adrock1976]

If you’re wanting a later arrival at the end of the journey- there’s plenty of places the sleeper can stop for an hour, and frequently does (albeit unplanned!)

The problem comes when attempting to run it with everything else using the same lines!

Once the sleeper is late - it impacts on other services, either passing other services on single lines or threading it between augmented peak hour services on already well used lines!

Timetabling it to run later would throw up the same problems, it may not be as easy as people think!

I am presently having a go with the timings to see if what I suggested in my previous post would work out if the sleeper was to run via Birmingham post HS2, with portions for Inverness and Fort William uncoupling/coupling at Mossend Yard instead of Edinburgh Waverley.

So far, I have kept the existing departure time from Euston, with additional calls at Milton Keynes Central (11 minute layover, so as to allow the 21:40 Euston-Manchester to overtake). Also calling at Coventry, Birmingham International, New Street (14 minute layover), and Stafford (I have given this a 48 minute run time so as to allow for diversion via Soho South, Tame Bridge Parkway, Bescot Junction, and Bushbury Junction). Timings north of Stafford would therefore be 1 hour later.

One thing I have noticed while looking at the RTT website is that when departing Mossend Yard heading northbound, in most instances it is 10 minutes running time that is given from the yard to Mossend North Exit, even though it is 2 minutes or so in the opposite direction. I am unsure if manual hand signals are used or not.

Also, I have found that for the Inverness northbound, timings from Larbert Junction onwards can only really be moved a maximum of 14 minutes later, as the 02:48 Oxwellmains - Inverness freight reaches Larbert Junction at 05:08 (see https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H14047/2021-11-04/detailed), and as it is timed for 60mph max, this suggests a Class 60 loco if I have interpreted it right as that is the maximum speed they are capable of.

Of note, I have got the northbound Inverness train arriving Mossend Yard at 03:48 and departing 04:04 (or 04:08 arrival, 04:28 departure if running 14 minutes later north of Larbert Junction, with a 9 minute layover at Kingussie, 10 at Aviemore, and 11 at Carrbridge so as to allow the first three southbound departures from Inverness to pass) reaching Larbert Junction at the existing time of 04:51 after calling Cumbernauld (05:05 if running 14 minutes later).

With the Inverness retimed 14 minutes later, I still need to reduce timings by 16 minutes or so between Birmingham and Mossend. I'll take a break for a bit and return to it at some point.

 

[6Z09]

I am presently having a go with the timings to see if what I suggested in my previous post would work out if the sleeper was to run via Birmingham post HS2, with portions for Inverness and Fort William uncoupling/coupling at Mossend Yard instead of Edinburgh Waverley.

So far, I have kept the existing departure time from Euston, with additional calls at Milton Keynes Central (11 minute layover, so as to allow the 21:40 Euston-Manchester to overtake). Also calling at Coventry, Birmingham International, New Street (14 minute layover), and Stafford (I have given this a 48 minute run time so as to allow for diversion via Soho South, Tame Bridge Parkway, Bescot Junction, and Bushbury Junction). Timings north of Stafford would therefore be 1 hour later.

One thing I have noticed while looking at the RTT website is that when departing Mossend Yard heading northbound, in most instances it is 10 minutes running time that is given from the yard to Mossend North Exit, even though it is 2 minutes or so in the opposite direction. I am unsure if manual hand signals are used or not.

Also, I have found that for the Inverness northbound, timings from Larbert Junction onwards can only really be moved a maximum of 14 minutes later, as the 02:48 Oxwellmains - Inverness freight reaches Larbert Junction at 05:08 (see https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H14047/2021-11-04/detailed), and as it is timed for 60mph max, this suggests a Class 60 loco if I have interpreted it right as that is the maximum speed they are capable of.

Of note, I have got the northbound Inverness train arriving Mossend Yard at 03:48 and departing 04:04 (or 04:08 arrival, 04:28 departure if running 14 minutes later north of Larbert Junction, with a 9 minute layover at Kingussie, 10 at Aviemore, and 11 at Carrbridge so as to allow the first three southbound departures from Inverness to pass) reaching Larbert Junction at the existing time of 04:51 after calling Cumbernauld (05:05 if running 14 minutes later).

With the Inverness retimed 14 minutes later, I still need to reduce timings by 16 minutes or so between Birmingham and Mossend. I'll take a break for a bit and return to it at some point.

Normally a class 70 on the Oxwellmains cement train.

 

[Bald Rick]

So far, I have kept the existing departure time from Euston, with additional calls at Milton Keynes Central (11 minute layover, so as to allow the 21:40 Euston-Manchester to overtake).

Can’t do that, as there is a Northampton 12 minutes behind, and the a Wolverhampton directly behind that.

 

[185143]

Seems to be an issue with 1S25 at Milton Keynes. There's a door (the local door, for sure) open midway down the train and the public areas of the train towards the front are in darkness. The external displays are blank but have flashed a couple of times. I'm on the Pendo opposite.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2021 ==

Seems to be an issue with 1S25 at Milton Keynes. There's a door (the local door, for sure) open midway down the train and the public areas of the train towards the front are in darkness. The external displays are blank but have flashed a couple of times. I'm on the Pendo opposite.

 

[92002]

Driving like a madman, felt like a rollercoaster are both stupid comments from people that are totally uniformed on the capabilities of Class 92 locomotives!
90s could catch up a fair bit of time within their speed range, 92s can't.

Back in the BR Days the sleeper was timed at 80mph.it only exceeded that to recover lost time it even went via the Birmingham avoider line and sometimes waited time at Birmingham International

It's safe to say that running of Mk5 coaches is poor at best. Whether they be day or night ones.

 

[Falcon1200]

Back in the BR Days the sleeper was timed at 80mph.it only exceeded that to recover lost time it even went via the Birmingham avoider line and sometimes waited time at Birmingham International

I believe the sleepers are still timed at 80mph max, but authorised to run faster to make up time. And there is still time in the schedules for diversion or Single Line Working, my last two sleeper journeys, in 2019 from Glasgow to London, both arrived in Euston 40 minutes early !

 

[thelongestroad]

Apologies if it's been asked but why is the 66 needed on the Inverness portion?

 

[JonathanH]

Apologies if it's been asked but why is the 66 needed on the Inverness portion?

There are only four serviceable 73s and the Inverness service can't routinely run with one 73. The use of a 66 protects the 73 fleet.

 

[williamn]

Back in the BR Days the sleeper was timed at 80mph.it only exceeded that to recover lost time it even went via the Birmingham avoider line and sometimes waited time at Birmingham International

It's safe to say that running of Mk5 coaches is poor at best. Whether they be day or night ones.

Is it safe to say that? I’ve slept over the bogies several times with no problems.

 

[92002]

Is it safe to say that? I’ve slept over the bogies several times with no problems.

Guess that all depends how deeply you sleep. The general consensus here seems to say different.

 

[John Bishop]

Is it safe to say that? I’ve slept over the bogies several times with no problems.

Consider yourself lucky I would say. From previous experience, it’s a horrible experience!

 

[williamn]

Dunno, its seems to me that there are a lot of people on here desperate to prove the Mk5's awful, and I was prepared for a horrible experience when I first took them, but its just not been the case!

 

[Iskra]

Quick question; why didn’t CS order ‘control cars/DBSO’s’ for the seated carriage on their Mk5’s? This would have saved a lot of movements, locomotives and crew at some of the termini and therefore cost too.

 

[6Z09]

Quick question; why didn’t CS order ‘control cars/DBSO’s’ for the seated carriage on their Mk5’s? This would have saved a lot of movements, locomotives and crew at some of the termini and therefore cost too.

There are many questions about the procurement of the new stock, some may even question if anyone with the slightest railway knowledge even looked at them during production!

 

[kermit]

Sorry if this has been answered above, but I can't find it, and this is a long thread! Is there a seated coach now available between Inverness and Preston?

 

[JonathanH]

Sorry if this has been answered above, but I can't find it, and this is a long thread! Is there a seated coach now available between Inverness and Preston?

Yes, the seated coach is available for a journey between Inverness and Preston.

 

[kermit]

Yes, the seated coach is available for a journey between Inverness and Preston.

Thanks!

 

[6Z09]

What's happened to the northbound to Fort William this morning?

 

[92002]

What's happened to the northbound to Fort William this morning?

Loco failed at Edinburgh last night.

No others available.

Coaches went to Aberdeen this morning.

 

[Sm5]

Thank you, something to look forward to.

Assuming its got anything to sell.

My experience two weeks ago, found they had no food, as side of crisps, snacks ( and pot-breakfast).

but its a nice lounge to be in, and a whisky goes down well.

 

[nlogax]

but its a nice lounge to be in, and a whisky goes down well.

Tbh that's the only thing I tend to buy onboard.

 

[6Z09]

Industrial Action goes ahead Thursday and Friday nights.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Quick question; why didn’t CS order ‘control cars/DBSO’s’ for the seated carriage on their Mk5’s? This would have saved a lot of movements, locomotives and crew at some of the termini and therefore cost too.

There are many questions about the procurement of the new stock, some may even question if anyone with the slightest railway knowledge even looked at them during production!

I dare say that this has been covered before. Genuine question, given the long history of portion working in Europe, has such a concept for sleepers been used elsewhere?

I must admit that I couldn't really see very significant savings myself, given the particular complexities of the GB operation.

 

[Caleb2010]

Industrial Action goes ahead Thursday and Friday nights.

I asked CS if this would impact on my journey next Thursday and they said that it was just this week. Next weeks journeys would be going ahead as normal!