Caledonian Sleeper

[XAM2175]

The thing I'm most surprised about is that there are still people here who seriously believe that a TOC promising something exciting to the general public will actually deliver something exciting to jaded spotters.

 

[BRX]

The thing I'm most surprised about is that there are still people here who seriously believe that a TOC promising something exciting to the general public will actually deliver something exciting to jaded spotters.

They haven't delivered anything exciting to the general public either, as far as I can see.

 

[XAM2175]

They haven't delivered anything exciting to the general public either, as far as I can see.

That was hardly a surprise either

 

[AlbertBeale]

I had to look that up!

Er - whose Rule 34? This forum?

 

[XAM2175]

Er - whose Rule 34? This forum?

It's linked in the post that Tormod was quoting.

 

[Techniquest]

Well that's kind of on-form for the sleeper...

Ooh behave! That tickled me more than it should So far, my favourite post of the week!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Asking for a friend (genuinely)

It looks to me like booking seats to Fort William is broken again - none seem to be available on any day. They are wanting 2nd August. Can anyone who has access to relevant stuff check if it's full, not released yet (if so what's the general booking horizon?) or the website is just broken again? Cheers.

 

[alistairlees]

Asking for a friend (genuinely)

It looks to me like booking seats to Fort William is broken again - none seem to be available on any day. They are wanting 2nd August. Can anyone who has access to relevant stuff check if it's full, not released yet (if so what's the general booking horizon?) or the website is just broken again? Cheers.

They should be working. They were last week. But they appear not to be. We will have to investigate what the cause is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They should be working. They were last week. But they appear not to be. We will have to investigate what the cause is.

Cheers.

Inverness is working, if that's any help.

 

[paul1609]

Asking for a friend (genuinely)

It looks to me like booking seats to Fort William is broken again - none seem to be available on any day. They are wanting 2nd August. Can anyone who has access to relevant stuff check if it's full, not released yet (if so what's the general booking horizon?) or the website is just broken again? Cheers.

I'd say they'd be better off going to Glasgow, having breakfast and then getting a day time train to Fort William anyway. People in the Fort William seats always look shagged by Garelochhead.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd say they'd be better off going to Glasgow, having breakfast and then getting a day time train to Fort William anyway. People in the Fort William seats always look shagged by Garelochhead.

TBH when I do it I generally do Avanti to Glasgow, stop the night and continue on the early 156 the next morning. But the CS in the seats is a bit of an experience...once!

 

[BRX]

Yes, you just have to try and enjoy the delirium induced by sleep deprivation.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, you just have to try and enjoy the delirium induced by sleep deprivation.

To be fair, even though the seats aren't great, they are better than e.g. economy on a flight in terms of space. Probably vaguely equivalent to most premium economy. Definitely better than a road coach unless you are skinny and short (most road coach seats are better designed, but just too small).

 

[BRX]

To be fair, even though the seats aren't great, they are better than e.g. economy on a flight in terms of space. Probably vaguely equivalent to most premium economy. Definitely better than a road coach unless you are skinny and short (most road coach seats are better designed, but just too small).

I've not tried the mk5 seats yet.

I've never travelled on the seats to Fort William and had anything approaching a decent night's sleep. But have enjoyed it nonetheless. It does provide an "experience" and a few things that catching a morning day train doesn't, like seeing the sunrise over the southern highlands for example.

 

[Iskra]

I'd say they'd be better off going to Glasgow, having breakfast and then getting a day time train to Fort William anyway. People in the Fort William seats always look shagged by Garelochhead.

It's not much fun on a 156 either. At least you have access to a bar on the sleeper, in fact perhaps that explains the shagged look...

(I've vowed never again to do a 156 all the way to Fort William)

 

[Cheshire Scot]

(I've vowed never again to do a 156 all the way to Fort William)

I've never been north of Crianlarich on one - well ok slightly north as the Oban line heads north west before heading to the west!

That said I would find it interesting to be on a train which was legally hitting 70 across Rannoch Moor - brings back memories of a well known ex Eastfield driver on 27s and 37s!

 

[Roast Veg]

Despite having a ticket to Fort William, the lady is shown holding a Lowlander menu. Obviously the Highlander was cancelled again that night and she was sent to Glasgow instead. (It was daylight so likely not a 0415 wake-up call at Waverley).

The menu has both lowlander and highlander offerings on it, she just has it open on the wrong page.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's not much fun on a 156 either. At least you have access to a bar on the sleeper, in fact perhaps that explains the shagged look...

(I've vowed never again to do a 156 all the way to Fort William)

They spend a lot of time coasting once they reach the summit, at which point they have a similar ambiance that a hypothetical fresh-air Mk3 would.

Personally I'd rather a 156 than a 158, 156s are noisy but they don't have the horrid whine 158s do which hurts my ears.

 

[greyman42]

To be fair, even though the seats aren't great, they are better than e.g. economy on a flight in terms of space. Probably vaguely equivalent to most premium economy. Definitely better than a road coach unless you are skinny and short (most road coach seats are better designed, but just too small).

The draught blowing out of the bottom of the window does not provide a pleasant experience.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The draught blowing out of the bottom of the window does not provide a pleasant experience.

I've been on a TPE Mk5a which also has these and I didn't find it a problem. If anything I prefer moving air that you don't get from ceiling level outlets.

 

[Iskra]

Is there such a thing as a comfortable seated sleeper coach? Should people really expect to get a good nights sleep in a seat? To me it’s just a cheap way of getting from A-B while saving the cost of a hotel.

That said, I’ve only been on one seated sleeper coach in Sweden and only for an hour. It was okay but quite cramped as it was bays of fours around a table so you had someone opposite you.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is there such a thing as a comfortable seated sleeper coach?

Depends if you can sleep in a seat. Plenty of people can.

 

[paul1609]

It's not much fun on a 156 either. At least you have access to a bar on the sleeper, in fact perhaps that explains the shagged look...

(I've vowed never again to do a 156 all the way to Fort William)

I don't really tend to use the bar at 8 am. I actually think that if your going for the scenary the Citylink bus via Glencoe is actually better than the West Highland Line I think if your just doing a round trip I'd recomend bus north, train south. Where the train really comes up trumps is if you have time to stop off. Fort William to Courour walk is pretty stunning if not for the inexperienced, ditto the circuit of Loch Ossan from courrour and the footpath from Cour our to Rannoch.

 

[greyman42]

I've been on a TPE Mk5a which also has these and I didn't find it a problem. If anything I prefer moving air that you don't get from ceiling level outlets.

The problem for me is that every time i have used these coaches it has always been cold air which is unpleasant.

 

[Bald Rick]

People in the Fort William seats always look shagged by Garelochhead.

And we’re back to Rule 34…

 

[al78]

I don't really tend to use the bar at 8 am. I actually think that if your going for the scenary the Citylink bus via Glencoe is actually better than the West Highland Line I think if your just doing a round trip I'd recomend bus north, train south. Where the train really comes up trumps is if you have time to stop off. Fort William to Courour walk is pretty stunning if not for the inexperienced, ditto the circuit of Loch Ossan from courrour and the footpath from Cour our to Rannoch.

I've fancied doing that walk, or Dalwhinnie to Fort Wiliam, it would be ideal to do over a long weekend using sleepers at both ends if it weren't for the cost (I will never sleep properly in a seat, and don't want to pay well over £200 each way for the cheapest berth).

The bus gives you the stunning Glen Coe scenery, the train gives you the remote Rannoch moor scenery.

 

[Techniquest]

Yes, you just have to try and enjoy the delirium induced by sleep deprivation.

Oh yes, the 'Cally Insomnie' experience is how I used to describe it. Comfortable seats on the MK2s, to be fair, but the brake noise was never fun and the lack of acceptable temperature control never helped matters. You were guaranteed a rubbish night if there were no eye masks in the seat pocket, happened to me more than once!

Thankfully, the days of doing sleeper journeys on the seats are long behind me. Same with doing so by coach, I'd rather not make the journey than book onto the seats or onto a coach! It's no doubt better now, but I still wouldn't do it again through choice. Too old for that nonsense!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've fancied doing that walk, or Dalwhinnie to Fort Wiliam, it would be ideal to do over a long weekend using sleepers at both ends if it weren't for the cost (I will never sleep properly in a seat, and don't want to pay well over £200 each way for the cheapest berth).

The bus gives you the stunning Glen Coe scenery, the train gives you the remote Rannoch moor scenery.

Like the Conwy Valley, it's worth doing train one way and bus the other, both have their own charm.

 

[Berliner]

Is there such a thing as a comfortable seated sleeper coach? Should people really expect to get a good nights sleep in a seat? To me it’s just a cheap way of getting from A-B while saving the cost of a hotel.

That said, I’ve only been on one seated sleeper coach in Sweden and only for an hour. It was okay but quite cramped as it was bays of fours around a table so you had someone opposite you.

I don't think anyone booking a seat on any sleeper train anywhere is expecting to have a great nights sleep. I remember doing long distance trains in Europe and North America on seats and barely slept a wink, but didn't expect otherwise. Even when I got a double seat I'd have to curl up or stretch out awkwardly to get anything close to lie flat sleep and you can't set your own temperature or light levels or minimise noise and disturbance from others...but then no one could reasonably expect to do so in an open seated coach.

But is the same on a long haul flight. No one books a cheap economy seat to the far East expecting to get 8 hours sleep and arrive fully refreshed. If you want a better chance of that you buy the product that is specifically designed to be and is marketed as a bed.

 

[Roast Veg]

I don't really tend to use the bar at 8 am. I actually think that if your going for the scenary the Citylink bus via Glencoe is actually better

On Saturday just gone there was a missing day train due to staff illness between Fort William and the Oban portion at Crianlarich. We were bussed via Glencoe, which proved to be incredibly scenic and 20 minutes quicker!