BBC1 Drama Nightsleeper

[D6130]

In the trailer that I saw on a hotel room TV last night, someone was lying face- down on the roof of the train while it was travelling at full speed. There wasn't much clearance between his head and the 25 kV overheads.

 

[65477]

The whole series of Nightsleepder is on BBC iPlayer now. Despite me quoting the Radio times as say no trains were involved, the initial external shots involve real trains. Although the night sleeper seems to be an HST.

 

[popeter45]

The whole series of Nightsleepder is on BBC iPlayer now. Despite me quoting the Radio times as say no trains were involved, the initial external shots involve real trains. Although the night sleeper seems to be an HST.

looks like a 397 front but as a engine rather than EMU
makes sence if they used a 397 standing in for on location shots at Glasgow

 

[65477]

looks like a 397 front but as a engine rather than EMU
makes sence if they used a 397 standing in for on location shots at Glasgow

Agreed I am not too up with modern units. Would make sense if a TPE unit has spare platform time in Glasgow.

 

[popeter45]

Agreed I am not too up with modern units. Would make sense if a TPE unit has spare platform time in Glasgow.

at least they did there research on naming scheme calling it a class 94 so could in theory be a class 92 replacement direct from CAF

edit: yea its a Bi-Mode loco so works well for the sleeper

 

[GatwickDepress]

Impressed that they actually used a GatEx 387 in an exterior shot as one of the characters heads back to London from Gatwick Airport. The interior shots appear to use an unrefurbished 455 instead, but the red moquette is close enough substitute for not being able to film on a 387.

EDIT: Looks like I was wrong and it was a former GA 321.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I wish I was in the UK for this. It looks fun.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I wish I was in the UK for this. It looks fun.

Suspect this thread will go into meltdown after the programme airs live on BBC1 a little later this evening.

 

[popeter45]

ok spolier obviously but think ive routed the way the trains takes thru ther series
Railway Routing

 

[StephenHunter]

Amazed GTR allowed the Gatwick Express branding to be used.

The Heart of Britain train even has a semi-realistic headline - 9A272.

Did an enthusiast work on this?

 

[65477]

ok spolier obviously but think ive routed the way the trains takes thru ther series
Railway Routing

Are you sure about that, the BBC said the programme is in real time so the whole of that route would have to be covered in under 5 1/2 hours. Please don't reply if it involves spoilers.

 

[Romsey]

I remember that maybe 40 years ago a "thriller" based on the railways was being promoted and needed some unsafe practices for railway elements of the filming.
At least two regions were approached and told the production company to get lost, we're not going to be associated with that. Word was passed around the other regions and I think other European railways and heritage lines, so I guess end of the project.

Nowadays with cgi anything is possible, but as a poster up thread said the railways will be portrayed badly.
Ignore a TPWS vigilance alarm and the train stops. A power surge and all signals drop back to red. A datalink between a control centre and signals drop and the signals return to red. Pass a red signal and/or PSR and AWS and / or TPWS will do the rest. "Fail safe" doesn't make for good drama!

But it does show a risk. Reading Rail Engineer and a few other trade magazines, there is a considerable geekery movement trying to make railway communications and signalling work over the internet. Even if encoded it's a lot less safe than data over private networks. ( This excludes sabotage with inside knowledge like the cable fire near Zurich Flughaven a few years ago.)

 

[Sun Chariot]

"Fail safe" doesn't make for good drama!

If only the film company had asked me... I'd have happily let them do a realtime drama, of somebody hacking my internet connected fridge-freezer - and deviously defrosting it.
"Night Dripper"

 

[MP33]

There is a blooper. An uncrowded concourse at Euston.

 

[Davester50]

I'll give them a bit of credit for making the lounge car lounge-car-ish. Unlike the real deal the lighting looks as it should be and not over bright as it is!

 

[MP33]

When the train left Euston, the clock had shown it was almost Midnight. Why did it leave in twilight.

 

[Mojo]

Given the countless tenuous reasons for TV programmes being rescheduled, I’m surprised they’re still going ahead with this series given the TfL cyber incident which has been widely reported in the national media in the past fortnight.

 

[800001]

When the train left Euston, the clock had shown it was almost Midnight. Why did it leave in twilight.

It left Glasgow

 

[MP33]

I did not really care whether they left Euston or Glasgow. Already, I could not care less whether or they crash in flames at Euston.

So far, it appears that they could edit this down to one hour.

 

[Stathern Jc]

Wasn't that Steward "Methadone Mike" from Still Game?

 

[Darandio]

I did not really care whether they left Euston or Glasgow. Already, I could not care less whether or they crash in flames at Euston.

Yet here you are leading the comment count since the programme aired. Clearly you care more than you think!

 

[Class15]

321 on the Gatwick Express at Victoria!

 

[MP33]

Well, the TV off switch has been pressed.

 

[GatwickDepress]

ok spolier obviously but think ive routed the way the trains takes thru ther series
Railway Routing

The crayonistas in Speculative Discussion have finally been vindicated! A sleeper route worthy of them!

Amazed GTR allowed the Gatwick Express branding to be used.

The Heart of Britain train even has a semi-realistic headline - 9A272.

Did an enthusiast work on this?

Other trains mentioned have semi-realistic headcodes too. I imagine five alphanumeric characters were used instead of four to avoid confusion with any real life services.

When the train left Euston, the clock had shown it was almost Midnight. Why did it leave in twilight.

Because it's a more visually interesting shot than darkness or light-polluted skies.

Plus, if you were a first year film student you could say some guff about it symbolising the start of their journey and the darkness that will fall.

But really, it's because it just looks nice.

 

[37114]

Nice cameo appearance from 37714 in episode 2

 

[800001]

Actually quite impressed by it!

 

[dedomenici]

The reviews are in.
theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/15/nightsleeper-review-fantastically-dreadful

 

[peteb]

Having just watched the first episode I was wondering which station was used to film the last sequence of the first episode, it was supposed to be "Motherwell"....was it?
Also I was intrigued by the train which looked like a sort of hybrid of Mk5 sleeper interiors and lumo style emu?
Were real trains used for the sleeper sequences or is it all very clever CGI?
Although it's a silly story it's strangely compelling.....

 

[Peter0124]

The Motherwell station was actually modelled on Dalmuir I think

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Ignore a TPWS vigilance alarm and the train stops. A power surge and all signals drop back to red. A datalink between a control centre and signals drop and the signals return to red. Pass a red signal and/or PSR and AWS and / or TPWS will do the rest. "Fail safe" doesn't make for good drama!

Amd if all else fails cut the power supply to the OHLE.