Under normal circumstances, the Sleeper never exceeds 80mph. It used to be permitted to go at 100mph on the WCML when running more than 20 minutes late, but the 92s can only do 87.5mph, so that doesn't happen any more.
The 73/9's max speed is 90mph.
Other than the sections of the ECML and WCML South of Edinburgh and Glasgow, there is nowhere else in Scotland where line speed exceeds 100mph anywhere. To my knowledge anyway.
Thought so, but wasn't 100% sure.
I think you're right. It got discussed extensively in the threads about HSTs.
Fuelling isn't relevant - they all go to Craigentinny each night rather than hanging around at Waverley. Maintenance might be a different matter.
Yes, although it depends how you define it. They've made profits when you factor in the subsidies, but like you say, they've also had a lot of expenses they didn't foresee, so it hasn't made the money they were expecting at all.
Whether it goes back to ScotRail or not isn't their decision.
No, that would be down to the government or TS but it would be the sensible option.
Never happening unfortunately.
The two ex-73/0 were just the bodyshells used, their bogies are taken from 'JB' series locos (presumably 73134 on stands at Brush is one, 73203 may be the other).
No chance at Waverley. Best bet would be on board but I'd be surprised if they did.
Thanks to yourself and @Caleb2010 for your replies. It's for Mrs PG who's afflicted with a condition which is eased by a hot water bottle at night even in this weather!
Ho hum. I'm booked to travel on the 25th. Do we know what the action is going to amount to?
What do you mean? If they're on strike then the trains are not going to run.
They obviously think so.
It can be a convenient way of getting from London to Scotland for some people and is of sufficient interest on the modern railway to fill 308 pages of comment.
The convenience of the service is not in doubt to myself but I do not understand the interest!
Probably because it is a unique service with a lot of unique aspects to it.
Because it is a throw back to a different age when loco hauled services and portion working were a thing and Parliament used to sit late in the evening and MPs used it regulary to get back to their Scottish constituencies. The stories of Charles Kennedy drinking in the bar virtually all the way to Glasgow before retiring for a few hours while the train chugged on to Fort William are legendary. Despite virtually no-one using it and requiring a massive subsidy to maintain it , it still carries a lot of political weight.
I don’t understand the interest in football, yet for some reason it’s a multi-billion pound global phenomenon.
Precisely, millions of people play and watch football - the numbers who use the sleepers are miniscule compared to virtually any other rail service. The interest in rail routes/services tends to be inverse proportion to those that use them. To take your analagy to far its like having a football forum where the interest in Anytown United in the 4th Division northern section of the southern Caithness league gets 10 times more discussion than any Premier league team.
