Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[Blindtraveler]

Dont recall ever hearing announcements for it at EUS, I do know WFJ announces it.

 

[GM228]

It would appear that another 2 90s from Freightliner are on hire to GBRf (90042 and 90048) with 92033 joining 90014 in stored status at Willeden.

 

[38Cto15E]

Is the cooked Highland Breakfast any better these days, I seem to recall that it wasn't very good a few months back.
TIA

 

[reb0118]

I believe you now get a full sausage as opposed to half a sausage!

Why no black eye (or hag-eye) sausage & tattie scones though?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Maybe because they dont come in the Tesco Value Breakfast readymeal supplif to trains and flogged to pax as something it isnt.

 

[38Cto15E]

I have just booked First class on the Euston-Fort William sleeper in October so I will be in a position to give you an update, I may try the Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs though.

 

[reb0118]

...Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs....

I have been told this is very nice. The tip is to get it served in the lounge car if possible as seemingly the presentation is much better.

 

[najaB]

I have been told this is very nice. The tip is to get it served in the lounge car if possible as seemingly the presentation is much better.

I can confirm it was tasty, though somehow my online order didn't get passed through to the train so it was a bit rushed as they had to see if they had a 'spare' portion of smoked salmon.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just regarding APs from Mallaig to Glasgow Transport Scotland have replied (after I chased them at the end of last week) to thank me for bringing it to their attention and they are now in communication with ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper and hope to give me a fuller response in the next month.

So we shall wait and see!

I can confirm it was tasty, though somehow my online order didn't get passed through to the train so it was a bit rushed as they had to see if they had a 'spare' portion of smoked salmon.

I think with that they tried to run before they could walk as it appears to be ridden with problems.

 

[Hadders]

Just regarding APs from Mallaig to Glasgow Transport Scotland have replied (after I chased them at the end of last week) to thank me for bringing it to their attention and they are now in communication with ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper and hope to give me a fuller response in the next month.

This has also been raised with CS's Pricing Manager along with a number of other sleeper ticketing issues.

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh good they're being hit for all sides

 

[Highland37]

My apologies if this has been cleared up already or if I don't understand the jargon, but does anyone know if it is possible to book or purchase tickets from Tulloch to Corrour on the Sleeper? The Scotrail site doesn't list it.

 

[reb0118]

Is it possible to book or purchase tickets from Tulloch to Corrour on the Sleeper? The ScotRail site doesn't list it.

I've just tried on NRE. Times come up OK. Price at £3.80 - so far so good. It then takes me to a link for the ScotRail site to purchase which gives me the following message:-

Unfortunately there are no journeys available on your selected date and time. Tickets for the next available journey are displayed below.

The first train the following morning is then shown. I have tried for a few random days this & next week with the same result. The SCS web****e will only allow you to book to/from an English station (SCS STATION I458). Viz. Preston, Crewe, Watford Jn., & London Euston AFAIAA.

 

[Hadders]

My apologies if this has been cleared up already or if I don't understand the jargon, but does anyone know if it is possible to book or purchase tickets from Tulloch to Corrour on the Sleeper? The Scotrail site doesn't list it.

This is an example of one of the issues I've raised with Caledonian Sleeper.

I believe you can book tickets through Trainsplit or Trainline (who are not recommended due to their booking fees). A station booking office will be able to sort it for you too.

To be honest whilst you technically should have a seat reservation you won't have an issue purchasing on-board the train. I've travelled on the seated portion of the sleeper (most recently last week) and never have there been more than 6 passengers in the carriage. The guards are friendly too!

 

[reb0118]

...[Y]ou won't have an issue purchasing on-board the train...... The guards are friendly too!

Sorry, should have mentioned something similar at the end of my post - AFAIAA the Fort Willie operates as a day train from FTW to EDB so although officially discouraged (NB not banned) you can stand in the seated coach.

In any case I would think it highly unlikely that you would be left "stranded" on a highland platform esp. if only going a few stops. We could always put you in the luggage van.....

 

[Highland37]

It sounds like, if the lack of posting is evidence, that since the 92s have been dropped for a bit and 90s back on the trains, that the service has improved a lot.

 

[Whistler40145]

The problem is with the OHLE in the Warrington area, the voltage drops at the time of the sleeper services passing through the area, causing problems with the 92s onboard computer and therefore causes the 92s to shutdown. It has been found that a rather large industrial site is the cause of this.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

The problem is with the OHLE in the Warrington area, the voltage drops at the time of the sleeper services passing through the area, causing problems with the 92s onboard computer and therefore causes the 92s to shutdown. It has been found that a rather large industrial site is the cause of this.

Where did this gem come from ?

 

[Whistler40145]

Railways Illustrated.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Railways Illustrated.

Figures.

The concern is that there is interference which is upsetting the Interference Current Monitoring Unit on the Class 92, but there's no suggestion that the voltage is falling out of our specification.

There was also change in relevant British and EU standard which roughly coincided with the roll-out of ATF on the WCML and there's a bit more voltage range available for electric stock to play with before failing, but it's not something that needs to cause a Class 92 to fail, though it may be doing so as they're far too sensitive.

Voltage differences on 'our' side of the electric supply system should only be occurring when there's significant load and/or significant regeneration feeding into the same electrical section, i.e voltage drops down to 20.5kV when a number of Class 92s are accelerating heavy loads at the same time, and voltage increases to 29.5kV when lots of Pendolino sets are regeneratively braking at the same time.

In practice, the amount of electrical demand on each electrical section, auto transformer and feeder is limited by the number of signalling sections and the amount of rolling stock you can safely fit into each section.

The incoming voltage from the National Grid has to be within tolerances, the National Grid control centre does extensive modelling and communicates with large electricity users (including Network Rail, as the largest electricity consumer in the UK) to work out what capacity is needed and when, so our incoming voltage and frequency will be well within what we need it to be (either 400kV, 275kV or less likely, 132kV) at 50Hz. There's no reason why it won't be within tolerances, they monitor for large voltage (as frequency) drops and model what they need to do to alleviate these peaks and troughs, such as a short period of pumped storage running.

 

[sprinterguy]

It sounds like, if the lack of posting is evidence, that since the 92s have been dropped for a bit and 90s back on the trains, that the service has improved a lot.

That does rather seem to be the case, it must be said.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I did Fortbil>Edinburgh on it last week and managed a chat with all 3 guards during the journey, the 1st 1 had just taken me to Mallaig and back and by the sounds of it staff moralle is quite low both amongst the Scotrail crew working sleapers and the main boddy of sleaper staff. There were about 3 pax for London, 1 (me) for Edinburgh and several local users x Fortbill.

 

[87015]

That does rather seem to be the case, it must be said.

86101 northbound Glasgow last night after some skoda gave up at Wembley.

86401 seems quite partial to struggling on Camden Bank with 5M11, been an incident at least this and last week with it...

 

[43094]

90049 jacked. 86101 confirmed 1M11 last night into this morning.

5M11 92018 after 87002 reported to have had an oil leak.

 

[WestCountry]

The problem is with the OHLE in the Warrington area, the voltage drops at the time of the sleeper services passing through the area, causing problems with the 92s onboard computer and therefore causes the 92s to shutdown. It has been found that a rather large industrial site is the cause of this.

Where did this gem come from ?

Railways Illustrated.

Figures.

The concern is that there is interference which is upsetting the Interference Current Monitoring Unit on the Class 92, but there's no suggestion that the voltage is falling out of our specification.

The same suggestion appears in this month's Modern Railways, which is IMO the most reliable magazine out there.

 

[fgwrich]

The same suggestion appears in this month's Modern Railways, which is IMO the most reliable magazine out there.

It's not just any old Industrial facility at Warrington either - Next to the station is the rather large Unilever factory.

Have other 92s had issues passing through Warrington in the past or is it because their on Passenger duties and having to supply ETS at the same time that's causing the electronics not to cope?

(Edit - it didn't quote the original post)

 

[najaB]

Didn't realise they were still using two 67's on the Inverness portion but just saw that they are

 

[scotsman]

Didn't realise they were still using two 67's on the Inverness portion but just saw that they are

Yep, GBRf using 2x67 at the behest of Serco

 

[najaB]

Yep, GBRf using 2x67 at the behest of Serco

'Behest' or 'bepayment' I wonder?

 

[captainbigun]

86101 northbound Glasgow last night after some skoda gave up at Wembley.

86401 seems quite partial to struggling on Camden Bank with 5M11, been an incident at least this and last week with it...

401 is actually the best of the lot up Camden Bank. The other episode was 101. Other factors in play, locos are fine.