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

[co-tr-paul]

Revamp? Just finished refurbishing the things ! Still here, just been very busy ! Don't know about berth bookings as I'm wrong side for that ! However....currently, five coaches on sun up, Thurs up and Fri down. All berths presented as doubles but can be changed on night. No mixed sex sharing for years unless booked as such. Plan long term is 5 every night with 6 on Fri down/sun up BUT 2 coaches being sourced to enable this as we can't guarantee fleet availability at the ment with just 11 slep's. Soon, all berths will be presented as singles with bedding to be made up for doubles by hosts on night due to staffing capabilities currently overstretched ? Don't ask !!!

 

[Goldfish62]

And train formed as 2 x 5 car, with a trolley just in one half, on the occasions the train isn't short - formed.

Or no trolley at all.

 

[83G/84D]

More recent issues with the sleeper train. Sunday night the up working failed at Plymouth with an ETS (train supply) fault and was replaced by an IET. Thursday morning last week the down working was delayed in West Cornwall with brake problems.

Last night’s up service encountered brake related problems between Camborne and Truro.

57604 out of action as well after suffering a serious failure in Devon recently.

 

[Chris217]

Used to love doing the cornish sleepera when it were 47s.
The 57s have never tickled my fancy tbh.
And havent had a good track record
(pardon the pun) on these services.
I always wondered why they never utilised the under used 67s on this route.

 

[co-tr-paul]

604 was on the Sunday up. 603 on bogie refurb. Can't emphasis enough; the 57s are here for at least 5 more years. Only 3 total failures this year. A fleet of only 4 with a 6 day a week requirement of 3 on a high image service where every little thing that goes wrong ends up all over the internet...... Been done before. There's a reason this thread has been quiet ; its business as usual.

 

[tomwills98]

Or no trolley at all.

A trolley but there's no hot water. It's the hope that kills you.

 

[83G/84D]

604 was on the Sunday up. 603 on bogie refurb. Can't emphasis enough; the 57s are here for at least 5 more years. Only 3 total failures this year. A fleet of only 4 with a 6 day a week requirement of 3 on a high image service where every little thing that goes wrong ends up all over the internet...... Been done before. There's a reason this thread has been quiet ; its business as usual.

Firstly apologies if any of the information I posted is incorrect- not intentional.

I appreciate what you are saying but being turfed out of bed after midnight and put on an IET isn’t great.

 

[davetheguard]

More recent issues with the sleeper train. Sunday night the up working failed at Plymouth with an ETS (train supply) fault and was replaced by an IET. Thursday morning last week the down working was delayed in West Cornwall with brake problems.

Last night’s up service encountered brake related problems between Camborne and Truro.

57604 out of action as well after suffering a serious failure in Devon recently.

I was surprised to see the the ECS heading up through Dawlish on Monday just before midday; now I know why!

 

[co-tr-paul]

Firstly apologies if any of the information I posted is incorrect- not intentional.

I appreciate what you are saying but being turfed out of bed after midnight and put on an IET isn’t great.

Its obviously never the ideal situation, made worse by the lack of comfort on an IET. Any transport is prone to disruption - I've caught 1 bus this year, Only Porthleven to Helston ( I know you're local !). 1 it was 20 late, 2 no sooner than the family had sat down it did the Trident thing with its coolant. Taxi !!

 

[trebor79]

First time on the Cornish sleeper last night. Bona fide business trip to St Austell.
The refurb done on the Mk3s is astonishing, really nice job.
Bed was quite comfy but I think next time I will sleep on the top bunk as it looks a lot wider than the bottom one.
Had a cabin booked near the middle but ended up on berth 1 right above the bogie due to an issue with the cabin door meaning the key card wouldn't work and could only be opened by the attendant. Despite that (and I never sleep well on a train) I nodded off some time after Reading and awoke when we departed Exeter. Must have slept again at least a little as there's no way I was awake for 2 hours before my wake up call and breakfast was delivered.
Lounge car seemed comfy but no service as no staff available until Reading. Didn't really bother me as I was late boarding and wanted to try to get to sleep before departure (which I failed to do!). Liked the refurb in here too - comfortably and modern. The square window surrounds make it looks like something much more modern than a Mk3. Only the shape of the ceiling, slam doors and BR logo on the bin give it away.
Hot water in the sink for a shave this morning.

Will definitely use it again, top bunk and middle of the coach and I reckon I'll sleep well.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The refurb done on the Mk3s is astonishing, really nice job.

Completely agree - even the seating, despite being of lower comfort than it was[1], looks really classy.

[1] Actually, I found them better, because folding armrests meant I could sort of curl up on two seats and get a bit of horizontal kip, whereas IC70 First Class seats with fixed armrests don't allow for that. It's never anywhere near busy enough to end up sat next to anyone, so that the seats are 2+2 isn't that important - you'll get two if you want anyway.

 

[trebor79]

I don't think I'd do a sleeper service in the seats. I'd get zero sleep, same as on aeroplanes. I did notice a fair few people getting on at St Austell, presumably commuting to Truro or Penzance so possibly the seats are more intended for that market.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't think I'd do a sleeper service in the seats. I'd get zero sleep, same as on aeroplanes. I did notice a fair few people getting on at St Austell, presumably commuting to Truro or Penzance so possibly the seats are more intended for that market.

I used them because I was able to do so "walk-up" for a very last minute trip (unlike the Caledonian, reservations aren't compulsory on the Riviera as there's tons of capacity). I got a few hours curled up across two seats. I wouldn't get any sat up, even in a First Class seat.

The reason the seated coaches were converted to 2+2 was indeed for extra commuter seating in Cornwall.

 

[83G/84D]

57604 expired near Tiverton Parkway last night on up Penzance to Paddington sleeper train. 57306 came down from Reading to assist and train was terminated at Reading.

 

[irish_rail]

I'd be shocked if new locos aren't included in the next DA / franchise. 57s are a liability and getting worse. Shame, as I enjoy driving them but I just can't see them continuing longer term.

 

[43096]

I'd be shocked if new locos aren't included in the next DA / franchise. 57s are a liability and getting worse. Shame, as I enjoy driving them but I just can't see them continuing longer term.

I'd be surprised if the economics of the sleeper operation would support brand new locos - at least not financed by the franchise. Best option would be to contract locomotive supply out to a FOC who have a bigger pool of locos - DB Cargo's 67 fleet is an obvious one. That said, GWR have bought four power cars off Porterbrook.....

 

[jimm]

I used them because I was able to do so "walk-up" for a very last minute trip (unlike the Caledonian, reservations aren't compulsory on the Riviera as there's tons of capacity). I got a few hours curled up across two seats. I wouldn't get any sat up, even in a First Class seat.

The reason the seated coaches were converted to 2+2 was indeed for extra commuter seating in Cornwall.

That's open to question, given that in the new timetable the Night Riviera becomes set-down only through Cornwall, with early XC and GWR departures from Plymouth providing commuter services instead and the sleeper also timed to reach Penzance an hour later on a Monday mornings than the rest of the week.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

That's open to question, given that in the new timetable the Night Riviera becomes set-down only through Cornwall, with early XC and GWR departures from Plymouth providing commuter services instead and the sleeper also timed to reach Penzance an hour later on a Monday mornings than the rest of the week.

The sleeper has always had to have a slightly different path on a Monday morning due to the overnight engineering access time along the sea wall.

The seated coaches were indeed converted to 2+2 seating for the local traffic in Cornwall, however since then there’s been a lot of excitement about slam door drop-lights from the ORR which means things have moved on and the purpose of the reaseating being defeated by the need to have closed calls in Cornwall.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why are sleeper passengers less likely to have a droplight related accident than day passengers? This seems rather silly.

Or will they lock them and have the guard open them for alighting passengers?

 

[trebor79]

Quite like opening the droplight a few minutes before getting off. Some fresh air to perk me up and I quite like listening to the wheels on points and crossings.
I wouldn't be stupid enough to stick my head out of the window. But some people are that stupid (memorably one girlfriend about 20 years ago who leaned right out to wave at me as her train left Bristol, was genuinely concerned she would collide with something trackside).

 

[Energy]

I can imagine the 57s getting replaced on GWR by the Stadler class 93s, a follow on order to the ROG units, and then the 57s getting sold back to Porterbrook.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Deleted.

 

[83G/84D]

5 car IET running vice the down sleepers this morning due to what was described to me as a coaching stock issue.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I'm a little confused here. I thought Class 57's were meant to be more reliable than when they were Class 47's? The 57's have such a lovely musical tone to them as well. What's causing the reliability issues?

 

[embers25]

5 car IET running vice the down sleepers this morning due to what was described to me as a coaching stock issue.

Looks like a set switch between the sleepers was done at 0230 at Bristol TM and the empty stock problem set is following the IET from Bristol back to to Penzance

 

[jimm]

I can imagine the 57s getting replaced on GWR by the Stadler class 93s, a follow on order to the ROG units, and then the 57s getting sold back to Porterbrook.

I can't - an 1,800hp engine is not going to be able to provide enough power to haul the train up the hills in Devon and supply electricity to the coaches. And you can't sell something that is leased back to the leasing company that already owns it.

 

[Energy]

I can't - an 1,800hp engine is not going to be able to provide enough power to haul the train up the hills in Devon and supply electricity to the coaches. And you can't sell something that is leased back to the leasing company that already owns it.

Somebody said they were owned by GWR, seems unlikely though

 

[Bletchleyite]

Looks like a set switch between the sleepers was done at 0230 at Bristol TM and the empty stock problem set is following the IET from Bristol back to to Penzance

I bet that was popular.

 

[trebor79]

5 car IET running vice the down sleepers this morning due to what was described to me as a coaching stock issue.

Looks like a set switch between the sleepers was done at 0230 at Bristol TM and the empty stock problem set is following the IET from Bristol back to to Penzance

Gruesome. I used this service exactly a week ago and should have been good for nothing in my meetings last Tuesday if I'd been turfed out of bed into an IET in the middle of the night.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Gruesome. I used this service exactly a week ago and should have been good for nothing in my meetings last Tuesday if I'd been turfed out of bed into an IET in the middle of the night.

They would actually have been better running both as IETs than that (and then there would have been no IETs out of place, too).