• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Night Riviera - configuration

Status
Not open for further replies.

samshltn

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2014
Messages
24
Hi everyone and thanks for reading.

I am booked to travel on the Night Riviera in August, and I had what can only be described as a completely pointless query:

"Are the compartments on the same side of the train for it's whole length, or do they alternate by coach? If they are the same for the whole length, is it consistently on the same side - for example on this route the 'North' side or the 'South' side?"

The reason I ask is because I'm wondering what i'll see from my compartment window. I apologise if 'configuration' is the wrong word - it's what we use in airline terminology, my field of expertise!

Thanks everyone.

Sam.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Sleepy

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2009
Messages
1,537
Location
East Anglia
Berth Windows are normally platform side from London unless running in reverse formation - seated coaches normally behind loco leaving Paddington.
 

greaterwest

Established Member
Joined
23 Nov 2014
Messages
1,423
They should consistently face the same side, and I believe the view from the window is "South" (the windows look onto platform 1 at Paddington)
 

Phil.

Established Member
Joined
10 Oct 2015
Messages
1,323
Location
Penzance
They should consistently face the same side, and I believe the view from the window is "South" (the windows look onto platform 1 at Paddington)

Last time I took the train (in April) my sleeper windows faced the nearside in the up direction. It must have come down like that as there's no turning facility in Penzance/Long Rock.
 

samshltn

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2014
Messages
24
So.. thanks for everyone's responses. My understanding, then, is that under normal operations:

  • All the compartments are on the same side, for the whole length of the train.
  • The compartments are normally on the 'South' side of the train.
  • At Paddington, the compartments are on the platform side.

Many thanks for everyone's help with this. I'm very grateful.

Sam.
 
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
411
The Highland Sleeper frequently has the compartments on both sides - when the Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen sections have been coupled at Edinburgh. It can be disorientating making your way to the lounge carriage in the morning when you're south of Edinburgh as the configuration changes at Edinburgh (i.e. the lounge carriage from Fort William is left at Edinburgh and you end up walking through the Aberdeen or Inverness sleeper carriages to get to the next lounge carriage).
 

samshltn

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2014
Messages
24
The Highland Sleeper frequently has the compartments on both sides.

I'm glad you said this, because I thought I remembered weaving side to side on the Caledonian every time I've been on it. Glad to hear it confirmed.

Two follow-up questions, if anyone can be bothered to answer them (and I'd quite understand if no-one could!):

Do the compartment numbers start with '1 and 2' at the London end of the coaches, or is compartment '1 and 2' at the Penzance end of the coach?

Also, how many coaches are there? And of what do they consist please?
 
Joined
4 Sep 2015
Messages
129
Location
Lubec ME USA
Is there a list anywhere of current carriage codes used today, or are they essentially the same as the BR codes (which in turn were LNER codes for the most part)?

Also if RFM is a Restaurant First Modular, does that mean only 1st class passengers can use it, or can sleeper and standard class also?
 

Phil.

Established Member
Joined
10 Oct 2015
Messages
1,323
Location
Penzance
Is there a list anywhere of current carriage codes used today, or are they essentially the same as the BR codes (which in turn were LNER codes for the most part)?

Also if RFM is a Restaurant First Modular, does that mean only 1st class passengers can use it, or can sleeper and standard class also?


Yes and yes.
 

paul1609

Established Member
Joined
28 Jan 2006
Messages
7,186
Location
Wittersham Kent
Its sometime since I've used the Riveira but it used to be the case on Sunday nights that it was often routed via Yeovil Pen Mill so the stock would be reversed at Exeter St Davids. The shunting was legendary.
In the unlikely event that you remained asleep or in some cases even in bed after that, every station had a full volume announcement of the trains status.
 

samshltn

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2014
Messages
24
In the unlikely event that you remained asleep...

Oh, good. That sounds like a real joy. :roll:

Yes and yes.

So it's only for First Class... What constitutes First Class on this service? I have paid for a compartment to myself. Does that make me First Class?

Thank you to everyone for being so helpful and interesting. I'm very interested in trains, but I know very little, so it's very kind of you all to share your knowledge with me. So... that list....

Class 57
BFO
TSO
RFM
5xSLEP

Would the BFO be coach 'A', next to the locomotive... and then they are lettered through to the last SLEP being 'H'?

And does anyone know which end of the coach the berth numbers start? The 'front' or 'back'?

It's incredibly unimportant, but that doesn't stop me wondering!
 

co-tr-paul

Member
Joined
8 Mar 2016
Messages
1,070
Location
Helston, Cornwall
Berth numbers start with 1/2 being non pantry, single berth end. Your berth allocation will be F5/6 or E5/6 for example. A is brake first open, b is tourist second open disabled, c is restaurant first modular buffet and d,e,f,g and weekend, h are all sleeper pantry.These codes may change once interior refurb is carried out. one set is currently all correct in that all slep are facing same way, pantry London end, berths facing sea along Dawlish etc,
It will be dark anyway ! There is no difference in class sleeping berth accomadation, only meal service. Only sleeping passengers can SIT in the RFMB but the counter is used by all. A full list of stock can be found at the start of my Cornish Night Riviera Updates thread in the Rolling Stock/Traction section of this forum. currently on second page.
 
Last edited:

Phil.

Established Member
Joined
10 Oct 2015
Messages
1,323
Location
Penzance
Oh, good. That sounds like a real joy. :roll:



So it's only for First Class... What constitutes First Class on this service? I have paid for a compartment to myself. Does that make me First Class?

The answer "yes" applies to the final paragraph of your questioning sentence referring to whether or not the buffet can be used by Standard class ticket holders.

Thank you to everyone for being so helpful and interesting. I'm very interested in trains, but I know very little, so it's very kind of you all to share your knowledge with me. So... that list....



Would the BFO be coach 'A', next to the locomotive... and then they are lettered through to the last SLEP being 'H'?

And does anyone know which end of the coach the berth numbers start? The 'front' or 'back'?

It's incredibly unimportant, but that doesn't stop me wondering!
.....
 

Kentish Paul

Member
Joined
25 Apr 2012
Messages
454
Location
Ashford Kent
Its sometime since I've used the Riveira but it used to be the case on Sunday nights that it was often routed via Yeovil Pen Mill so the stock would be reversed at Exeter St Davids. The shunting was legendary.
In the unlikely event that you remained asleep or in some cases even in bed after that, every station had a full volume announcement of the trains status.

What shunting goes on? I assumed it would just be the loco changing ends. How would the stock be reversed?
 

co-tr-paul

Member
Joined
8 Mar 2016
Messages
1,070
Location
Helston, Cornwall
The set that leaves Pad on sun, Tues, thurs currently has sleps d,e,f wrong way round, berth windows face north. Other set all correct. B coach os also reversed on this set
 
Last edited:

samshltn

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2014
Messages
24
I've just read about the refurbishment these SLEPs are getting... and seen the lovely pictures on co-tr-paul's Tumblr. It asked some more questions in my mind...

  • When would we know whether a 'refurbished' or 'unrefurbished' SLEP is operating on a particular date/route? Not until the day of travel?
  • W
ould a whole train all be either refurbed or not?
 

richw

Veteran Member
Joined
10 Jun 2010
Messages
11,213
Location
Liskeard
The set that leaves Pad on sun, Tues, thurs currently has sleps d,e,f wrong way round, berth windows face north. Other set all correct. B coach os also reversed on this set

I was going to comment this, I noticed it on Monday morning that the sleeper berths were a mix of directions.

The 2nd seated carriage (is that B?) is the opposite way round in the two sets.

I may be one of the most regular users using it around 21 days this month, although redundancy looms so wont need it from mid July :(
 

co-tr-paul

Member
Joined
8 Mar 2016
Messages
1,070
Location
Helston, Cornwall
The refurbished sleps will be all convertable on the day ie, any berth can be double or single as required unlike mow when each coach has 4 doubles and 8 singles. Certainly initially, the first coach will have a following on here ! Due to lack of vehicles, we cant do a whole set at a time, its nearly a year to get this far repainting them ! I guess when they start coming out you could ask at time of booking.
 

bnm

Established Member
Joined
12 Oct 2009
Messages
4,996
Used the up Sleeper from Penzance to Paddington on Sunday night, 19th June 2016. I can confirm that the Sleeper coaches were mixed. Two with berths platform side on arrival at Paddington, three with corridor platform side.

Speaking with the Train Manager, I was told the SLEPs and seated coaches were regularly turned to even out wear. As each individual carriage may be on a different maintenance cycle, or for operational reasons, the sets are rarely turned as a whole.
 

samshltn

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2014
Messages
24
The refurbished sleps will be all convertable on the day ie, any berth can be double or single as required unlike mow when each coach has 4 doubles and 8 singles. Certainly initially, the first coach will have a following on here ! Due to lack of vehicles, we cant do a whole set at a time, its nearly a year to get this far repainting them ! I guess when they start coming out you could ask at time of booking.

I chatted via Twiter with GWR this morning. They say that they are 'still waiting for the refurb to start'. The tweet I was replying to was from July 2014. Does anybody know when they're likely to actually do this refurb?
 

co-tr-paul

Member
Joined
8 Mar 2016
Messages
1,070
Location
Helston, Cornwall
Staff from our depot are visiting works Wednesday to see first slep and tsod. As posted eleswhere, currently expect first day coach end July and first sleeper end August. Will obviously post in my Night Riviera updates thread in the Traction section.
 
Last edited:

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,533
Location
Redcar
Where does it go to 'park' during the day?

Long Rock depot in Penzance and Old Oak Common depot in London. Long Rock is taking over responsibility for the maintenance of the Night Riviera from Old Oak as that depot is being closed due to HS2 works. After that I've heard that the Sleeper in London will be hosted at Reading depot during the day.
 

sparks2000

Member
Joined
7 Jul 2012
Messages
72
I was on the Night Riviera on Sunday 18th/Mon19th. We left Paddington in Coach G at the rear of the train. There may have been a coach H. I can't be sure due to memory fault caused by wine.

The locomotive Tintagel Castle was at the rear of the train as we boarded (I assume it brought the train into Paddington and was not coming with us). We were at platform 8, unusually.

The journey went fine until I was woken at Exeter by what seemed like every clank and revving from the locomotive transmitted and sounding in my head through the bunk. As I was awake and had consumed quite some amount of wine I had to go to the lav at the carriage end. I was surprised to see that the loco was coupled to our carriage. The rest of the journey was really unpleasant due to noise.

Is it possible that the wine causes my confusion or is it really possible that we reversed during the journey? The sleeper carriage was definitely connected to the loco as we arrived at Penzance. The loco at Penzance was Pendennis Castle.
 
Last edited:

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,533
Location
Redcar
Is it possible that the wine causes my confusion or is it really possible that we reversed during the journey?

Yup! You went via Westbury and Yeovil with a reversal at Exeter St Davids. Real Time Trains has the detail of the route taken and you can see it here.
 

berneyarms

Established Member
Joined
26 Nov 2013
Messages
2,811
Location
Dublin
I was on the Night Riviera on Sunday 18th/Mon19th. We left Paddington in Coach G at the rear of the train. There may have been a coach H. I can't be sure due to memory fault caused by wine.

The locomotive Tintagel Castle was at the rear of the train as we boarded (I assume it brought the train into Paddington and was not coming with us). We were at platform 8, unusually.

The journey went fine until I was woken at Exeter by what seemed like every clank and revving from the locomotive transmitted and sounding in my head through the bunk. As I was awake and had consumed quite some amount of wine I had to go to the lav at the carriage end. I was surprised to see that the loco was coupled to our carriage. The rest of the journey was really unpleasant due to noise.

Is it possible that the wine causes my confusion or is it really possible that we reversed during the journey? The sleeper carriage was definitely connected to the loco as we arrived at Penzance. The loco at Penzance was Pendennis Castle.

No you're not confused - your train reversed at Exeter St Davids as the train was diverted via Yeovil Junction and Axminster between Castle Cary and Exeter.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C49365/2016/09/18/advanced
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top