GWR Cornish Night Riviera Sleeper and GWR Class 57 updates from Long Rock

[bnm]

1C99 as seen at Plymouth this morning. Photos from a friend who was aboard last night.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Will post some interior shots of 601/217 when back in on Monday.

 

[co-tr-paul]

 

[co-tr-paul]

 

[83G/84D]

Last nights up sleeper suffered loss of power after departure from Penzance. It stopped on the single line near the depot and got moving again after around 25 minutes with assistance from depot staff.

 

[Goldfish62]

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Not bad! Thanks for posting.

Are those mushroom things supposed to be stools? They could do some damage!!

 

[co-tr-paul]

Not stools as such but for perch sit leaning against.

 

[fgwrich]

As disappointing as expected. Just as well those seats are in a "Lounge" vehicle as I wouldn't want to be travelling much on them. I also find the layout rather confusing with the odd - 2+1+1+2+2+1. I'm not a fan of those "stools" either combined with all that brass, but I really dislike the almost "Them and us / Peasants door" between the day coaches and lounge. What someone has managed to do, is take this "GWR/Spirit of rail travel" corporate dross, combined it with a day at Didcot and try to make a Modern day Mk3 feel like a Hawksworth Coach.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Just not retro enough........ ?!
Some reason for being are unfortunately modern regs.
Oh and the single swivel chairs don't swivel - its the first thing everybody tries, including myself !!

 

[AnthonyRail]

Is ic99 always double headed?

 

[FGW_DID]

Is ic99 always double headed?

No, predominantly just a single Class 57. Can sometimes run down as Top’n’Tail if they need to get a 57 down to Long Rock for servicing.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Today's veg ex (603) cancelled. No staff.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Happy Birthday Night Riviera, 35 today !i
Ths date in 1983 saw the reintroduction of the Night Riviera name and the introduction of the Mk3 sleeper stock.

Believe 47588 was one of the locos involved.

 

[fgwrich]

Out of interest, can anyone tell me what happened with Last nights Up Night Riviera? Looking at RTT, it would appear to have left Penzance on time, then steadily and heavily losing time until around St Austell. I saw a HST run past work this morning around the time the NR should have come through, so unless the NR ran even later, I presume it ended up substituted by a HST set instead?

 

[jellybaby]

Passengers woken at 1am and put on something else at 1:30 - https://twitter.com/emily_barr/status/1017204932842283008

Hope it is fixed as I'm on the down service tonight.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

If I've got this right (according to the GWR Twitter page), the Penzance - London Night Rivera failed at Plymouth. Passengers were woken up around 1am and had to wait around 1 hour 40 minutes for the replacement train. They weren't happy at all at having no choice but to get up at 1am! Then again I suppose they at least weren't hanging around til the first train out of Plymouth.

So that might have been the HST you saw in the early hours.

 

[co-tr-paul]

ETH fault on 605. 97/8 were power cars from Ply.
Nice way to spend service's birthday !!

 

[PHILIPE]

57605 and stock en route from Laira to Reading for 1C99 tonight

 

[FGW_DID]

1C99 Down Beds tonight is 57604 (with 57605 as ECS pilot.)
1A40 Up Beds is TnT (so no need for 605 which will go straight to the TCD when it comes off the back of 1C99 at Reading.)

 

[jellybaby]

Somehow the down service seems to have lost an hour and a half between Twyford and Reading. Caught up later though.

The refurbished births are very nice although whoever wired the light switches in mine doesn't have my OCD as you can't have them facing the same way when everything is off!

 

[vlad]

The refurbished births are very nice although whoever wired the light switches in mine doesn't have my OCD as you can't have them facing the same way when everything is off!

Don't worry - that would annoy me too.

 

[fgwrich]

Somehow the down service seems to have lost an hour and a half between Twyford and Reading. Caught up later though.

Various Points Failures between Kennet Bridge Junction and Reading station caused that delay. Also meant you had one of the few active Freightliner 70s sat in the station for a while with a fairly lengthly 'liner blocking access to platform 3.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Today's veggie cancelled. No driver. (603).

 

[Rob F]

Today's veggie cancelled. No driver. (603).

That is two Saturday’s in a row. Should we take it from this that this train is a low priority for GWR and they are really not bothered if it runs or not?

I was planning to use it in two weeks time but the odds do not seem good at the moment. I also tried to use it last year but the St Ives branch train was cancelled and I missed it at St Erth. Hey ho...

 

[co-tr-paul]

Part of the ongoing staff shortage issues as mentioned elsewhere on this forum ( and others ! ) .
Custom P.I.S. showing amended timetables for Sunday too.

 

[Warwick]

I keep seeing the words "veg ex" being bandied about. Do explain.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Nickname given to the 57 hauled summer Saturday local service using the seated coaches from the Night Riviera. St Erth/Plymouth/Exeter/Penzance.
Fifth and final year of operation. Originally a unit diagram but short of stock so utilised said stock. Why its called that was discussed earlier in thread and on other forums but nobody really has a single answer.
Perhaps searching google may give clues !

 

[Harbornite]

Nickname given to the 57 hauled summer Saturday local service using the seated coaches from the Night Riviera. St Erth/Plymouth/Exeter/Penzance.
Fifth and final year of operation. Originally a unit diagram but short of stock so utilised said stock. Why its called that was discussed earlier in thread and on other forums but nobody really has a single answer.
Perhaps searching google may give clues !

Basically it's because 'ex' is a suffix for trains depending on who they are catering for (footex, adex etc) and veg is vegetables, so it's a slight dig at the enthusiasts who are attracted to travelling on it.

 

[berneyarms]

Hi Paul, has the refurbished buffet entered service yet?

Any chance you could give us an updated “state of the nation” report on the sleeper fleet when you get a chance?

 

[co-tr-paul]

Buffet will still be a while before entry into service what with exam work and on-train staff training. Will update as and when.
List is well overdue and is forthcoming !!
Possible veg ex reasons not only include 57 fans but could be from the sidings at Slopers/ Ponsadane on the approach to PZ which were famous for despatching vegetables back in the day. Or that the Cornish flora/fauna scrapes the side of the train ! Or the standard of passenger on its return trip.... . It gained the nickname during season 1 .