If I recall correctly, the Carlisle sleepers of the Night Caledonian where attached to the rear of the Up service by a Class 08. By the late 1980s they were the only service scheduled to use Platform 8 at Carlisle, and it wasn't unusual to find them left there all day (although sometimes tripped to Upperby by a Class 08 too). I can't recall the exact method with the Down Night Caledonian, but I think the electric detached the front Sleepers at Carlisle, but may have left them outside the North of the station for a Class 08 to shunt into Platform 8 after the Glasgow service had departed.
Strange that you should mention the Carlisle sleepers, as I've been trying to remember how they were operated since reading this thread. I used to catch the sleeper to/from Euston quite regularly from the mid-1980s, originally from Manchester Piccadilly until it lost its Sleeper service and I had to board at Preston instead - until it too lost its own Sleeper to Euston. After that, a bizarre easement was introduced whereby passengers from the North West had to travel to Carlisle on one of two specific late-evening services in order to board the Sleeper.
You are correct in saying that the Sleeper carriages were kept in platform 8 at Carlisle, the northern-facing bay platform, and were ready to board from about 10pm. They were later shunted out to Carlisle North Junction and brought back into platform 4 and attached to the rear of the main train once it had arrived from Scotland. This was indeed done by an 08 which was generally already attached to the Sleeper coaches by the time I arrived, and from memory the shunting was done non-too-gently either!
I think you are correct about the Down service - what you said has brought back to mind a few long-forgotten details. I seem to recall the Carlisle portion was always right at the front at Euston (furthest from the Concourse) and it was a heck of a schlep! I also remember waking up early one morning to find the train was stationary. Peeping out from behind the blind to see where we were (a thing always to be done with caution from one's Sleeper Cabin, just in case the train was stood in a busy station!) I discovered that the coaches were parked-up somewhere to the north of Carlisle near the river crossings, which seems to suggest you are correct in how the northbound portion was operated.
The fact that I couldn't remember how the northbound portion was handled also seems to suggest that the shunting was done altogether more gently!
