Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[trainophile]

Southbound Inverness has had its seated coach closed off due to an issue with the toilets which caused an unpleasant smell which plagued the entire coach before departure - as well as issues with the hot water in both the seated coach and lounge car (unsure about the sleepers). All seated passengers were given the option to share the remaining standard berths in Coach G.

Sounds like they could do with some new coaches...!

Sounds like they got a bargain!

 

[CosherB]

I take it that the franchise requirement to vinyl a certain percentage of the Mk2s and Mk3s into the CS teal livery has been quietly forgotten?

 

[Marklund]

Has anyone actually experienced this horror?

I've had the platform band, and I presumed they went to the lounge car, but perhaps they didn't for the journey.

Well, if they've had a re-think then that's a relief.

 

[BRX]

I take it that the franchise requirement to vinyl a certain percentage of the Mk2s and Mk3s into the CS teal livery has been quietly forgotten?

I expect they are at the stage where they kind of want everything to look a bit worn out and dated, so as to make the new stock look as good as possible in comparison when it arrives.

Thameslink have been doing a thorough job on their 319s on this account, over the past 6-12 months or so.

 

[TimboM]

I take it that the franchise requirement to vinyl a certain percentage of the Mk2s and Mk3s into the CS teal livery has been quietly forgotten?

Do you know what the percentage requirement is/was? ... a certain percentage (albeit a low one!) do have the CS vinyls of course.

I suspect it went the same way as the requirement to have 80% of trains hauled by locos in the livery too. Don't think Freightliner green/yellow (or shabby grey) quite meets that requirement...

 

[87015]

87002 worked down Glasgow from Willesden last night after 92038 collapsed prior to departure. 66xxx summoned to work out of Euston to release the seven off the blocks.

 

[TimboM]

87002 worked down Glasgow from Willesden last night after 92038 collapsed prior to departure. 66xxx summoned to work out of Euston to release the seven off the blocks.

I believe it was DB 66185 "DP World London Gateway".

Any info on what 92038's failure was? Had been up and down ok to/from Euston and Wembley during the afternoon/evening with loco positioning and ECS moves.

Also looks like there were further issues in the Oxenholme area as the 87 had recovered from 108 Late to c.30 Late, but then delayed another c.30 mins in that area?

 

[CosherB]

Do you know what the percentage requirement is/was? ... a certain percentage (albeit a low one!) do have the CS vinyls of course.

I suspect it went the same way as the requirement to have 80% of trains hauled by locos in the livery too. Don't think Freightliner green/yellow (or shabby grey) quite meets that requirement...

I know that a few carriages have been vinyled into teal for the CS launch by Serco. I had it in mind that 80% of the carriages had to be reliveried over a certain timeframe, but I could be getting mixed up with the same percentage of the locos ..... it's probably an age thing on my part!

 

[37038]

87002 worked down Glasgow from Willesden last night after 92038 collapsed prior to departure. 66xxx summoned to work out of Euston to release the seven off the blocks.

66185 to Wembley

 

[Scotrail84]

I believe it was DB 66185 "DP World London Gateway".

Any info on what 92038's failure was? Had been up and down ok to/from Euston and Wembley during the afternoon/evening with loco positioning and ECS moves.

Also looks like there were further issues in the Oxenholme area as the 87 had recovered from 108 Late to c.30 Late, but then delayed another c.30 mins in that area?

Fire safety system failed on the 92.

Oxenholme delay caused by an air leak from one of the coaches.

 

[marks87]

Oxenholme Leak District?

 

[TimboM]

Fire safety system failed on the 92.

Oxenholme delay caused by an air leak from one of the coaches.

Cheers for the info.

Sounds like a challenging night - decent effort to end up "only" 47 Late at Glasgow after all that.

 

[47271]

I take it that the franchise requirement to vinyl a certain percentage of the Mk2s and Mk3s into the CS teal livery has been quietly forgotten?

I think that a few were done on launch in 2015 - if memory serves enough to fill Fort William station and no more, possibly only one seated, one lounge and two sleepers - and nothing since.

The rest of the mk2s still look kind of okay in a clapped out ex-First Group sort of a way, the sleepers have an odd effect on them as if someone had sandpapered them ready for repainting, wandered off, and never came back again.

 

[TimboM]

I know that a few carriages have been vinyled into teal for the CS launch by Serco. I had it in mind that 80% of the carriages had to be reliveried over a certain timeframe, but I could be getting mixed up with the same percentage of the locos ..... it's probably an age thing on my part!

The only requirement I'd heard of is the loco one (and even then that was on here, so not necessarily 100% accurate...). That's not to say there wasn't/isn't one with the rolling stock too.

I think that a few were done on launch in 2015 - if memory serves enough to fill Fort William station and no more, possibly only one seated, one lounge and two sleepers - and nothing since.

The rest of the mk2s still look kind of okay in a clapped out ex-First Group sort of a way, the sleepers have an odd effect on them as if someone had sandpapered them ready for repainting, wandered off, and never came back again.

I noticed the "sandpaper" (or "heavy weathering by over-enthusiastic model railway person") effect when I saw a rake in Euston recently - although it only seemed to be one sleeper car and the rest were OK.

It's interesting that VTEC vinyled all their stock pretty quickly even though some of it hasn't got a dissimilar life span, but there's no doubt good reason why CS haven't done any more of theirs (e.g. cost, makes the new stock look even better [as suggested before], limited time to take coaches out of circulation, runs at night so no-one sees it ...?)

 

[Scotrail84]

The only requirement I'd heard of is the loco one (and even then that was on here, so not necessarily 100% accurate...). That's not to say there wasn't/isn't one with the rolling stock too.



I noticed the "sandpaper" (or "heavy weathering by over-enthusiastic model railway person") effect when I saw a rake in Euston recently - although it only seemed to be one sleeper car and the rest were OK.

It's interesting that VTEC vinyled all their stock pretty quickly even though some of it hasn't got a dissimilar life span, but there's no doubt good reason why CS haven't done any more of theirs (e.g. cost, makes the new stock look even better [as suggested before], limited time to take coaches out of circulation, runs at night so no-one sees it ...?)

They wanted glow in the dark vinyl on the new trains, no idea its still happening though.

 

[TimboM]

They wanted glow in the dark vinyl on the new trains, no idea its still happening though.

...and I was only joking when I said about not seeing them in the dark

 

[Scotrail84]

...and I was only joking when I said about not seeing them in the dark

I'm not at the wind up, that was talked about.

 

[GW43125]

Gen from a friend is that 87002 worked 1M11 last night.

 

[Scotrail84]

Gen from a friend is that 87002 worked 1M11 last night.

Yes it did because it worked 1S26 up on Sunday nigh due to a 92 failure.

 

[GW43125]

Yes it did because it worked 1S26 up on Sunday nigh due to a 92 failure.

Just seen that. Got my ups and downs mixed up!

 

[TimboM]

Gen from a friend is that 87002 worked 1M11 last night.

Yes it did because it worked 1S26 up on Sunday nigh due to a 92 failure.

And due to 87002 being pressed into action last minute on Monday night, GBRf-liveried 92032 worked the Lowlander ECS moves yesterday morning, last night and this morning.

I suspect 92032 was pressed into action a little earlier than would've been ideal as it did a test run to Northampton and back this afternoon (had been in Willesden presumably for 'attention' since failing a couple of times on the China Clays).

92010 and 023 appear to be 'stopped' currently as both have been in Willesden for several days now and 86101 went off to Doncaster on Monday night (en route to Barrow Hill today). So with 92038 failing the other night too, I suspect it's been a little bit "squeaky-bum time" for GBRf over the last day or two in terms of electric traction for the sleepers.

 

[GW43125]

And due to 87002 being pressed into action last minute on Monday night, GBRf-liveried 92032 worked the Lowlander ECS moves yesterday morning, last night and this morning.

I suspect 92032 was pressed into action a little earlier than would've been ideal as it did a test run to Northampton and back this afternoon (had been in Willesden presumably for 'attention' since failing a couple of times on the China Clays).

92010 and 023 appear to be 'stopped' currently as both have been in Willesden for several days now and 86101 went off to Doncaster on Monday night (en route to Barrow Hill today). So with 92038 failing the other night too, I suspect it's been a little bit "squeaky-bum time" for GBRf over the last day or two in terms of electric traction for the sleepers.

What's 86101 doing in Donny?

 

[TimboM]

What's 86101 doing in Donny?

Stop off on way to Barrow Hill today.

I'm assuming for some attention from AC Loco Group...?

 

[GrimShady]

Quite right, it wasn't you .... it was our old friend GrimShady, who has been conspicuous by his/her absence of late!

Busy with work atm.

 

[GrimShady]

Here's the full boxset to enjoy....

[Link 1]

[Link 2]

[Link 3]

Glad you all liked the suggestion. I don't remember saying anything about stops at Rannoch or Corour?

Almost as funny as 47/7 + DBSOs, 73 + GLVs, 91s + 43 DVTs, Mk2 through wired blue star + 37s, 47 + PCV, Mk2 through wired + 27s.......:roll:

Ill will say that tractive effort of a single 43 is appalling and poorly suited even in a very short formation.

 

[Wookiee]

CS must cough up a fair proportion of their revenue in Delay Repay, judging by the number of times they seem to have significant issues!

 

[TimboM]

CS must cough up a fair proportion of their revenue in Delay Repay, judging by the number of times they seem to have significant issues!

I don't think they really have that many more significant issues than any other operator - they just get a lot of attention. Here's some useful info BRX shared a month ago...

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2955060&postcount=2865

Also, for quite a few of their recent "challenging" nights have been things the cost of the Delay Repay would have been passed on to other parties (e.g. Network Rail/other TOCs) - for example the issue with the overhead wires coming down at Preston and I would think the 73/9 hitting some lineside object and disabling its radio/safety equipment would have been attributed elsewhere.

 

[TimboM]

92038 back in action tonight on 1S25 after its blip on Tues night. 87002 back on Wembley/Euston ECS duties I believe.

 

[47271]

I don't think they really have that many more significant issues than any other operator - they just get a lot of attention. Here's some useful info BRX shared a month ago...

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2955060&postcount=2865

Also, for quite a few of their recent "challenging" nights have been things the cost of the Delay Repay would have been passed on to other parties (e.g. Network Rail/other TOCs) - for example the issue with the overhead wires coming down at Preston and I would think the 73/9 hitting some lineside object and disabling its radio/safety equipment would have been attributed elsewhere.

Totally, although to be fair an 11 hour or so journey can magnify delays in a way that no other operator other than Cross Country could hope to compete with. The sensational can become routine, or the routine sensational, just look at the incident that started this thread near on two years ago.

The feedback I have from my contacts who are very regular sleeper users is that only a tiny proportion of repays will end up being CS's rap. As much as 90% will go back to Network Rail, and guess who's paying for that...

 

[TimboM]

The feedback I have from my contacts who are very regular sleeper users is that only a tiny proportion of repays will end up being CS's rap. As much as 90% will go back to Network Rail, and guess who's paying for that...

...the good old taxpayer. Suspect it's a small additional percentage on top of the £millions the taxpayer already contributes to the Sleeper though...!