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Caledonian Sleeper Mk5 Discussion

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TimboM

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Loss of the droplights is the main thing for me. If it weren't for that I'd be welcoming the new stock more, and would be more likely to use the sleeper in the future.

Maybe that's just an enthusiast thing. I do see other passengers enjoying a bit of fresh air though, and they are good for people who want to take photos. I think CS should have included a couple of small openable windows somewhere. Anyway that argument has been lost; we will travel in a sealed can from now on, and so be it.
On the upside, if you should choose to travel on the Sleeper (Mk5s) in due course, you may actually get some sleep ;)
We'll miss your nightime videos though!
 
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Bald Rick

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For Fort Bill its unique selling point is that it's the only way to do a weekend away there from London with a full day in the hills on the Saturday that doesn't involve driving. Those on a budget will go for the seats and I doubt the price of those will go up much as it's not really any different.

It’s not that easy to do many of the hills off the Fort Bill without driving though. However I am hoping to give it a go off the new sleeper, out on the Ft Bill, quick dash round, then back on the last day train.
 

Bletchleyite

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It’s not that easy to do many of the hills off the Fort Bill without driving though. However I am hoping to give it a go off the new sleeper, out on the Ft Bill, quick dash round, then back on the last day train.

Obviously you won't get to all of them, though the Ben is the big selling point. The absolute best way to do the Ben involves staying two nights in the CIC Hut, the only proper alpine hut in the UK (too posh to be considered a bothy and needs booking), though obviously that'll take a day off work.
 

BRX

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If you want to do some serious walking straight off the sleeper, you'd get off somewhere between Tyndrum and corrour, not try and walk from Fort William.
 

InOban

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On Friday, the BBC Scotland site, in their collection of reader's pictures, had a photograph taken of the Ben that morning by someone who had run up it before breakfast.
 

Bald Rick

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Obviously you won't get to all of them, though the Ben is the big selling point. The absolute best way to do the Ben involves staying two nights in the CIC Hut, the only proper alpine hut in the UK (too posh to be considered a bothy and needs booking), though obviously that'll take a day off work.

I walked past that hut one morning en route up Carn Mor Dearg. Saw the sleeper go past the back of our hotel in Dumbarton, got in the car, and was in the vicinity of that hut at around the time the sleeper arrived Ft Bill!

If you want to do some serious walking straight off the sleeper, you'd get off somewhere between Tyndrum and corrour, not try and walk from Fort William.

Agreed. The circuit around Loch Ossian is good, particularly when follows by dinner in the Corrour Station House.

Of course you could get off the Sleeper at Corrour, then walk to Fort William and still be in time for the last day train back to Glasgow.
 

83G/84D

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Posted elsewhere that the Mk5 sleeper inaugural services will be this coming Sunday night. 1S26 2134 Euston to Glasgow Central and 1M11 2140 Glasgow Central to Euston.

Cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information.
 
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GS250

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To be fair they are about due for replacement. I love the Mk2 carriages and mk3 sleepers but the former are showing their age quite badly now. The Mk2 'lounge car' I travelled in last year was fairly cosy but the air con was shot and the ride (with a 90 pulling a late runner) was even worse than I remember at 90mph+ I think the sleepers are a rare case of the new stock definitely having the edge over what it replaces. A rarity in British long distance rail travel.

Does anyone know when the 'Highlander' 2's and 3's are finishing on the beds? Might try get out for a jaunt before they go just for old time's sake.
 

TimboM

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Posted elsewhere that the Mk5 sleeper inaugural services will be this coming Sunday night. 1S26 2134 Euston to Glasgow Central and 1M11 2140 Glasgow Central to Euston.

Cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information.
Very accurate
 

LeylandLen

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Yes MK5s seen to i go in to Euston to form 1S26 the 2134 Sleeper service, the lowlander , now platform 15

Running via Wembley to reverse and use ECML
 

jopsuk

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as tonight's services are single trains via the ECML (with a nasty early call for northbound passengers to Edinburgh), is this a full 16 carriages in each direction or are they shortened formations (with the addtional coaches for tomorrow night's services in position in Wembley and Polmadie)?
 

PaxVobiscum

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Looks great - if you're on it tonight, and not just for the photos, please do share your experiences :D
Unfortunately I was only there for the photos. The Sleeper arrived at platform 10 as usual. I wasn’t expecting a decoy to arrive on platform 2 :lol:

893298FB-1F45-4194-80F4-F12AFA776D7F.jpeg
 

ScottDarg

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First locos from Glasgow:

73970 brought in the emtpies for the Glasgow portion. 92043 led the train out of the station, though the 73 was put back on and was making plenty of noise on departure so was presumably supplying ETS.

The Edinburgh empties were led into Glasgow Central by 92020 but was decoupled there. 92014 led the train to Edinburgh.

Glasgow portion was late in boarding and left around 10 minutes late. Edinburgh empty stock was delayed at Carstairs.
 

bigmoose

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6DF5550F-4602-44CD-9535-8B386BFE4CBF.jpeg E97E1803-62DD-41D3-BBFD-B3EB84DE2CBD.jpeg 3061C886-1355-493F-B8A5-F821A4CB4BC1.jpeg A18370EC-D9FE-4F00-850B-8ED52DCF90D0.jpeg 3DFD9B66-5D21-448E-BFDE-765F43399031.jpeg 813B6845-D4C5-40EF-957B-3327D116C6F0.jpeg 209E4B61-EDC8-4B65-89C0-A9365A5A17A0.jpeg 6F9DA549-E5AF-4F39-9F09-C49169D2702F.jpeg E4D2270B-CB45-4507-A8DF-5123ED88029F.jpeg
Purely by chance, I’m on the GLC - EUS tonight, not expecting the new carriages yet! (Who organised a training course that starts at 9am in London on a Monday anyway??!)

Overall impressions are hugely positive (and I was last on the Mk3s about 2 weeks ago). And not just because they’ve given me a free glass of champagne. Ryan Flaherty and the Soames guy from Serco are floating around taking to plebs like me.

I have the good fortune to be in a club room (work’s paying) and I’m delighted to have my own shower. Will try it tomorrow (obvs).

Club car is rammed tonight - excitement of new journey I think.

Did we have room service on the old one? I don’t recall that (not that I wanted it, other than breakfast).

CAF technicians on board - seems sensible.

Corridors feel even narrower than the Mk3. Not for the larger person!

I’m on it again in about 2 weeks so I hope this is the new stock in service from now on.
 

Peter0124

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Managed to catch a very rare glance of 5C11 1944 Polmadie Car M.D. to Edinburgh as it pulled in and stopped at Newton (Lanark) earlier, waiting for a class 390 to cross the junction!
Meaning we have a class 92 and a class 390 stood side by side at a station that they do not even normally pass directly through!

Also managed to catch 1M11 2140 Glasgow Central to London Euston hauled by 92043 at the same station!
 
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JModulo

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5C11 been stuck at Carstairs for around 80 minutes now, signalling issues. 1M11 now stuck behind it...
 

bigmoose

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Spoke to Ryan Flaherty and congratulated him and his team on a good job with the new kit. He assured me he’d used the showers himself on the test runs and that all will be well.

Room remains a bit too warm. Room host fella said they’d had some issues with this and is off to try to fix it. It was roasting when we got on at Glasgow!
 

BRX

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I watched the northbound lowlander leave euston. Thought it would be busier! There didn't appear to be loads of passengers. Neither of the lounge cars were more than about half full as it pulled out, as far as I could see. I'll put a video up later.
 
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