Caledonian Sleepers engines

[Mark G]

I've been thinking for a while to get up to Scotland to get the 92's and 73's for Haulage, can anyone advise whats the cheapest way of doing it and minimum number of nights required to get them all in.

 

[JonathanH]

I've been thinking for a while to get up to Scotland to get the 92's and 73's for Haulage, can anyone advise whats the cheapest way of doing it and minimum number of nights required to get them all in.

It doesn't really work like that. There are ten 92s that could theoretically work the sleeper - 92006/10/14/18/20/23/28/33/38/43 - and six 73s - 73966-971.

Clearly the cheapest way to get any of the engines in for haulage is to book seated accommodation in the low season, for example on a weekday in the winter.

Other ways of getting 73s are to book a journey on the Fort William sleeper wholly within Scotland as it allows 'day' passengers. The 73s may however, not be hauling if a 66 is on front, instead only providing 'hotel power'. The Aberdeen portion gives the chance to get 73s on their own for haulage. The summer months have typically seen less 66 involvement.

It could take a while to get all the engines for haulage as some of the 92s end up on restricted duties, and from time to time more substantial maintenance is underway. 92032 and 92044 aren't equipped to work the sleeper since the Mk5s started.

If you can afford the time, travelling at short notice based on what can be seen working on RTT is the way to pick up the ones which done come easy.

Finally, for 66s, you basically need to keep an eye on swaps between Doncaster, Millerhill and Craigentinny on RTT, and even then you can get caught out.

 

[Mark G]

Thanks Jonathan, yes i should have made it clear, i'm aware that i wouldnt get all the 92's and 73's, just the ones that would be working a couple of nights.

 

[JonathanH]

Possible efficient moves could include

* travelling from London to Newtonmore on the Inverness sleeper, getting a taxi [*] to Tulloch, then a bus across from Fort William to Inverness and then Aberdeen to do the southbound Aberdeen sleeper.

* Doing the Highland sleeper in one direction and the Edinburgh sleeper in the other.

* Travelling from London to Scotland, back by day train, then heading north again a second time.

However, the level of exhaustion involved in any of these options on the seats is probably not worth it.

[*] not sure how practical this actually would be or whether a taxi could be ordered - timings work for it with two hours to travel 28 miles but Newtonmore or Kingussie aren't the sort of places with readily available hire cars. Stirling to Helensburgh (38 miles) or Perth to Crianlarich (52 miles) may be possible.

There is a bus that goes about a third of the way from Newtonmore to Tulloch at just the right time - https://bustimes.org/services/140-kingussie-strathmashie-2 - but unfortunately not all the way.

 

[xotGD]

You really need to do a week's All Line Rover and do at least 5 overnights. That way, you should get everything that is working. (Unless there are swaps in the week, but this could also work in your favour.)

So 5 92s, plus whatever diesels are working the three legs.

One potential problem - sometimes if there is a 66+73 combo the 73 is only providing ETH, not traction power, so can't be counted for haulage,

 

[JonathanH]

You really need to do a week's All Line Rover and do at least 5 overnights. That way, you should get everything that is working. (Unless there are swaps in the week, but this could also work in your favour.)

I suppose that is one of the few use cases for the All Line Rover, travelling between London and Scotland all week.

Five overnights in succession would be somewhat wearing. Probably ideal to do it on a week when there are East Coast diversions on to see if one of the less healthy 92s gets a run out as the drag locomotive.

 

[CW2]

If you do the Glasgow - Euston portion on a day when ECML diversions are in place, you can get three 92s on the same train, i.e. one Glasgow to Edinburgh, one Edinburgh to Wembley via ECML, and one Wembley to Euston.

 

[Thornaby 37]

One way to get as many 92s for haulage as possible is to do the Lowland sleeper to Edinburgh, then do the corresponding southbound Lowland from Edinburgh two nights later

 

[xotGD]

Five overnights in succession would be somewhat wearing.

I would do the Fort William portion on the first night, as that is the only time you need to bale in the middle of the night. The rest of the week you can just try and doss on the same train all night.

Contrast with doing a Freedom of Scotland back in the day, leaping at Carlisle or half way up the Highland Mainline when all sensible folks are tucked up in their beds.

 

[Scotrail84]

A few of the 73's are running about with traction motors and brakes isolated due to leaf fall season, this is due to end on I think the 3rd of December. The 73s are basically ETHELS on the Inverness and FTW runs until then.

 

[JonathanH]

The 73s are basically ETHELS on the Inverness and FTW runs until then.

The Fort William portion has been a pair of 73s for the last two days so would imagine both are providing traction.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The Fort William portion has been a pair of 73s for the last two days so would imagine both are providing traction.

Yesterday morning 29th when I got off the northbound Fort Bill at Dalmuir, both 73 968 and 73 971 were definitely giving power - the noise and exhaust was identical from each.

 

[Scotrail84]

Aberdeen set running empty to be in place for tonight.

Realtime Trains | 5A23 1357 Polmadie Signal 818 to Aberdeen | 01/12/2024

Real-time train running information for 5A23 1357 departure from Polmadie Signal 818 to Aberdeen on 01/12/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Mark G]

Thanks for the replies, appreciated. I'm going to concentrate on the 92's I think, going up on the 10th Jan so as I write in thinking 1x92 Euston to Wembley, 2nd 92 wembley to Edinburgh then another engine to Glasgow or just 2 92's to be had? Coming back on the Sunday night, possibly 3 to be had again?

 

[xotGD]

Thanks for the replies, appreciated. I'm going to concentrate on the 92's I think, going up on the 10th Jan so as I write in thinking 1x92 Euston to Wembley, 2nd 92 wembley to Edinburgh then another engine to Glasgow or just 2 92's to be had? Coming back on the Sunday night, possibly 3 to be had again?

Might be the same 92s. You need to skip a night, so that the 92 that takes you to Scotland is back in London when you want to head back south.

 

[Mark G]

Might be the same 92s. You need to skip a night, so that the 92 that takes you to Scotland is back in London when you want to head back south.

I though that however I can't really book another night out..well, if it's 3 then it's 3 that I need anyway.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I though that however I can't really book another night out..well, if it's 3 then it's 3 that I need anyway.

Can you do what I did last week and use the Highlander in one direction ( albeit you'll have to backtrack back to Edinburgh or Glasgow from Dalmuir ) and the Lowlander the following night?

The locomotive which hauls the Lowlander north one night will also haul the Lowlander south the next night, ditto the Highlander locomotive, so that would straight away double your tally without involving a hotel and a 3rd night.