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

[richw]

I've seen quite a few repainted sleeper coaches with scratched up paintwork presumably from scraping against all the overhanging tree branches the trains seem to scrape against. It seems particularly bad in some places in Kernow.

I created a thread regarding the overhanging trees on another forum. A insider says Apparently can't cut back due to nesting season unless obstructs signals or user operated crossings. I caught a DMU service last week, with the windows open and by the time I got off it had significant amounts of leaves and twigs inside the train. Definitely don't want to be travelling hanging heads out of the window at the moment!
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57605, they changed their mind several times on whether to send sleeper or Hst stock yesterday by all accounts

 

[83G/84D]

I created a thread regarding the overhanging trees on another forum. A insider says Apparently can't cut back due to nesting season unless obstructs signals or user operated crossings. I caught a DMU service last week, with the windows open and by the time I got off it had significant amounts of leaves and twigs inside the train. Definitely don't want to be travelling hanging heads out of the window at the moment!
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57605, they changed their mind several times on whether to send sleeper or Hst stock yesterday by all accounts

Agree, not a good idea to stick your head out of a HST droplight unless stopped at a station.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Alot of damage on the mostly repainted set was from tree vs 57605....... !
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The first internally refurbished day coach was due for release today but now looks set for 4 weeks time. The first sleeper coach is now due late August. Costing £20,000 PER BERTH !

 

[Mordac]

Alot of damage on the mostly repainted set was from tree vs 57605....... !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The first internally refurbished day coach was due for release today but now looks set for 4 weeks time. The first sleeper coach is now due late August. Costing £20,000 PER BERTH !

Is that the ticket price?

 

[richw]

57306 on the down this morning, not a loco I've come across before. I've had 9 days of working later than normal so haven't had my normal 57 fix for a couple of weeks!

 

[Phil.]

Alot of damage on the mostly repainted set was from tree vs 57605....... !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The first internally refurbished day coach was due for release today but now looks set for 4 weeks time. The first sleeper coach is now due late August. Costing £20,000 PER BERTH !

Where do "they" get these figures from? Twelve years ago - inflation is still low - I had an extension put on my house in Redhill that added three rooms and cost £19,500.

 

[PHILIPE]

57306 on the down this morning, not a loco I've come across before. I've had 9 days of working later than normal so haven't had my normal 57 fix for a couple of weeks!

Don't want to doubt you, but are you 100% certain as this is a DRS Loco. What livery was it in ?

 

[sciisfun]

Don't want to doubt you, but are you 100% certain as this is a DRS Loco. What livery was it in ?

quick search on wiki shows:
loco number: 57306
Rebuilt from: 47814
livery: DRS Flash Blue/Green
Operator: Direct Rail Services
Loco name: Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate 175

 

[PHILIPE]

Somebody has also reported 57306 on a Yahoo Group.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Don't want to doubt you, but are you 100% certain as this is a DRS Loco. What livery was it in ?

DRS have the contract to supply standby/extra locos until end of franchise.
306 is indeed new to the list if it is , I'm on rest day so cant confirm.

 

[221129]

DRS have the contract to supply standby/extra locos until end of franchise.
306 is indeed new to the list if it is , I'm on rest day so cant confirm.

306 has been used before, allbeit briefly and it was also the one that failed on OOC on it's arrival. But it has done at least 1 run on it.

 

[richw]

Don't want to doubt you, but are you 100% certain as this is a DRS Loco. What livery was it in ?

100% sure. Photos on Facebook on the South west railways and heritage group. Apparently been on hire for 2 weeks now but it's first trip west was last nights down sleeper

 

[co-tr-paul]

306 has been used before, allbeit briefly and it was also the one that failed on OOC on it's arrival. But it has done at least 1 run on it.

306 not on my home records, daily up since 2013 as per my statistic threads on RMWeb.

Failed when arrived at OC, will warn fitters when back in tomorrow, looks promising -not!!

 

[221129]

306 not on my home records, daily up since 2013 as per my statistic threads on RMWeb.

Failed when arrived at OC, will warn fitters when back in tomorrow, looks promising -not!!

I am sure I have seen it on it during the period of bad reliability as we had 310 303 306 and 312 in a space of a few weeks.

 

[richw]

8/9th Feb 2015 57306 failed on the up sleeper near thatcham- just did a forum search- it's in the specific thread about unreliable 57s on both this forum and the FGW coffee shop . It had a hot box on that occasion

 

[CosherB]

DRS sent various 57/3s to GWR to enable them to break down and cause mayhem on the CNR. 57303 has generally had a better record, but this has now headed back up north for other duties. :roll:

 

[PHILIPE]

DRS sent various 57/3s to GWR to enable them to break down and cause mayhem on the CNR. 57303 has generally had a better record, but this has now headed back up north for other duties. :roll:

Now you mention it, 57303 was quoted on a Yahoo Group as working a Flask train (forget which) earlier this week and, at the time, I was thinking of mistaken identity. Perhaps a one for one swap.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Yep, 306 worked down on the Saturday and I even worked on it....duh !!
In fact, its done 5 up trips before today since my records began when I started dealing with the NR in 2012.

Since DRS has taken the contract, we have seen 303 in DRS,6 in DRS,12 in Northern Belle,5 in both Network Rail and Northern Belle, 10 in DRS and 13 in Arriva blue.

Understand a virgin liveried example has turned up at least twice but that was before my time.

 

[richw]

An observation I've made on my daily commute by the down sleeper, the hired in loco gets a lot more action than the in house 57s.
The down has been a DRS every other night, yet the alternate nights on the down it varies between the rest of the fleet.
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Yep, 306 worked down on the Saturday and I even worked on it....duh !!
In fact, its done 5 up trips before today since my records began when I started dealing with the NR in 2012.

Since DRS has taken the contract, we have seen 303 in DRS,6 in DRS,12 in Northern Belle,5 in both Network Rail and Northern Belle, 10 in DRS and 13 in Arriva blue.

Understand a virgin liveried example has turned up at least twice but that was before my time.

From Flickr searching, here is confirmation of the Virgin liveried on the sleeper in 2011

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fgnra...tEy-ac4dMn-889Q1e-ac7bfm-ac4dMc-fyBkZM-fyRMUh

2009:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/banbu...Ey-ac4dMn-889Q1e-ac7bfm-ac4dMc-fyBkZM-fyRMUh/

And again in 2009 in Penzance.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88858...6Az-anx8Pf-ac7bLd-xDFQ6k-xWbZiv-qSg64U-qd3MMM

 

[co-tr-paul]

Sleeper staying in PZ station till 11 today. Popular Cornish based German soap film crew taking it over.

Work starting this week on depot rebuild.

 

[superalbs]

Looks like the Night Riviera is going with 2+2 seating in airline layout, that's not good. Surprised they didn't use ironing boards!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlTAw0hSZP4

 

[co-tr-paul]

Posted that on RM around 2 years back along with my dismay..... . Its used as a commuter service on the down after Plymouth and an increase in seating was required esp on a sat am.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Airline layout is preferable for an overnight - but 2+2 is a poor choice, making the seating no more desirable than a road coach. Is it at maximum length? If not, why not add another couple of Standard coaches to the formation for day use?

Those seats don't even appear to recline.

Or are they going to go two class? Even so it's poor.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Post refurbishment, plan is to increase SLEP by one everyday but although we gain an extra B coach in fleet, no plan to increase searing coaches. We do add an extra seating coach for wed, thur,Fri during peak times but this summer this has not happens due to maintenance and repainting scedules.
When refurb was planned, did put in reports requesting tables and recliners but not listened to.... .

 

[Bletchleyite]

Post refurbishment, plan is to increase SLEP by one everyday but although we gain an extra B coach in fleet, no plan to increase searing coaches. We do add an extra seating coach for wed, thur,Fri during peak times but this summer this has not happens due to maintenance and repainting scedules.
When refurb was planned, did put in reports requesting tables and recliners but not listened to.... .

As I said I don't mind the lack of tables, but no reclining seats is a *serious* downgrade on a night service, as is 2+2.

At least they seem to be narrower versions of the HST First Class seats with decent "wings" to lean your head on rather than just the standard "tombstones". However much I like those, it would be hard to sleep in them.

 

[Phil.]

An observation I've made on my daily commute by the down sleeper, the hired in loco gets a lot more action than the in house 57s.
The down has been a DRS every other night, yet the alternate nights on the down it varies between the rest of the fleet.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


From Flickr searching, here is confirmation of the Virgin liveried on the sleeper in 2011

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fgnra...tEy-ac4dMn-889Q1e-ac7bfm-ac4dMc-fyBkZM-fyRMUh

2009:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/banbu...Ey-ac4dMn-889Q1e-ac7bfm-ac4dMc-fyBkZM-fyRMUh/

And again in 2009 in Penzance.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88858...6Az-anx8Pf-ac7bLd-xDFQ6k-xWbZiv-qSg64U-qd3MMM

I went up country on the sleeper Friday night just gone. It had a locomotive with the nameplate "Pendennis Castle" on it. Sleeper berths on the offside.

 

[co-tr-paul]

57604. Ours. Came down this am with brakes seizing up......!

 

[doningtonphil]

57604. Ours. Came down this am with brakes seizing up......!

What do you mean by 'brakes seizing up'? Has a fault been identified?

 

[PHILIPE]

What do you mean by 'brakes seizing up'? Has a fault been identified?

Brakes applied and unable to release due problem of some reason.

 

[richw]

57604 a week or so ago was sparking under braking. I mentioned it to staff who said it was normal, but I've never seen it with any of the other 57s. Platform side towards the back of the loco on the down.