hexagon789
Veteran Member
Snowploughs.
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Caledonian Sleeper
- Thread starter Essexman
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Wuggie Norple
Member
You couldn’t make it up!
GLC
Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2018
- Messages
- 394
Last edited:
tram21
Established Member
Where's that? Near Fort William?
pitdiver
Established Member
Yes that's Fort William. I believe it's the siding where the sleeper stock is kept during the day
D6130
Established Member
The old oil delivery Sidings immediately to the South of Fort William Junction - formerly Mallaig Junction - whose semaphore signals can be seen in the background. The CS locos stable there during the daytime. The stock is normally stabled in the siding alongside the station platforms.
tram21
Established Member
Lucky it's not affecting the running line, as I'm going there later 
I'm just curious why they were moving the snow plough
I'm just curious why they were moving the snow plough
D6130
Established Member
Probably arriving back from Summer maintenance....or storage at Eastriggs?Lucky its not affecting the running line as I'm going there later
I'm just curious why they were moving the snow plough
pitdiver
Established Member
Oops my mistake. Yes of course hence the grey pipes?
Imagine paying a premium for the sleeper and expecting an amazing journey over Rannoch moor on one of the best summer nights of the year only to have it ruined because someone decided to move snowploughs in August. That is just unacceptable in my eyes what a joke the railway can be.
SuspectUsual
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 6,671
But what were they doing there though? Aren’t they kept round the corner at the depot?
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Is there any other way they could reverse to get in or out from the depot area?
I'm assuming they'd want to try to avoid reversing in the platforms as far as possible.
Cheshire Scot
Established Member
Normally to access the depot they would reverse on the main line (signalled move). A snow plough facing Fort William however would block a loco in at the depot so perhaps that one is normally stabled in the oil sidings.
Highlander1
Member
Would moving them in a different month make a difference? Would people be less annoyed in September or November? They've paid the same for the same experience
In November they might be needed!
It’s not going to make sense to the average person booked on the sleeper as to snowploughs being out and about in August is it.
TheWierdOne
Member
I don’t imagine it would be hard for someone to understand “we move them to a maintenance depot in spring and bring them back at the end of summer to make sure they are in position ahead of snowfalls”
Falcon1200
Established Member
The Sleeper was not cancelled because someone decided to move snowploughs in August but because the snowploughs derailed; Which was probably not the plan.
Sputnik89
Member
Is that what actually happens though? The one at Fairwater Yard in Taunton has not moved in many, many months.
Surely you wouldn't actually tell passengers the broken down units were slowploughs, and they would fall into one of two categories.
The first is the average traveller who will hear an announcement about a broken down train. They won't know it's a snowplough because they weren't told it was a snowplough.
The second is someone with a keener interest in trains, such as us on here, who would seek information out on what train had broken down, and find out it's a snowplough. I would hope that most in this category would be able to work out that units like this often need moving for operational reasons outwith actually being used for ploughing, such as maintenance.
I therefore see no real value in actually telling passengers it was a snowplough. If you tell passengers it was a snowplough you'd probably have to tell them why the snowplough was moving in August, and suddenly it's an unnecessarily long announcement and things to tell passengers when they ask.
The first is the average traveller who will hear an announcement about a broken down train. They won't know it's a snowplough because they weren't told it was a snowplough.
The second is someone with a keener interest in trains, such as us on here, who would seek information out on what train had broken down, and find out it's a snowplough. I would hope that most in this category would be able to work out that units like this often need moving for operational reasons outwith actually being used for ploughing, such as maintenance.
I therefore see no real value in actually telling passengers it was a snowplough. If you tell passengers it was a snowplough you'd probably have to tell them why the snowplough was moving in August, and suddenly it's an unnecessarily long announcement and things to tell passengers when they ask.