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Post by Christopher J on Aug 9, 2005 3:26:39 GMT
A campaign has been launched to save the First Great Western 'Night Riviera' Sleeper Service which is under threat of withdrawal by the Dft. Please take a look at www.saveoursleeper.com/ and help save the Sleeper! I am supporting the Sleeper by taking a trip on it to Penzance within the next few weeks.  Last night around 21:00 I felt like going out for a while and I ended up going to Paddington and seeing the Sleeper. chrisjolly.sphosting.com/47840_Paddington.JPG - British Rail Blue Class 47840 'North Star' at the London end of the Sleeper having bought it ECS from Old Oak Common Depot. (a bit blurry, as it was dark and there was nothing stable to act as a tripod around me to rest the camera on for a better Photo!) chrisjolly.sphosting.com/57604_Paddington.JPG - First Great Western Class 57604 'Pendennis Castle' on the head of the Sleeper. |
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Post by rayb on Aug 9, 2005 7:39:43 GMT
I have used this service regularly in the past (twice a week). It was always busy and often sleeper compartments were sold out. How can this be losing money?
Maybe if they stuck to a more direct route than going through Bristol and Weston s-Mare (happened to me on more than one occasion when going UP) they would save in fuel?
Withdrawl of this service would be a huge mistake.
RayB
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Post by greatplum on Aug 9, 2005 10:20:46 GMT
I thought the Sleeper services in the UK had finished anyway. Although I did notice this particular sleeper one groggy morning when I was at Exeter St Davids far to early. (Don't ask!)
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Post by Dmitri on Aug 9, 2005 10:56:00 GMT
Interesting indeed. As anyone from Russian Railways can confirm, luxury sleepers are the most paying kind of passenger trains. And the unability to book tickets online was the biggest surprise for me - type 'booking railway tickets Moscow' (in Russian, of course) into the search engine, and you'll get quite a few links where you can book a ticket for any train online. Mind that we have more sleepers that you can imagine, let alone seen  . BTW how many cars the said sleeper has? Here, 17-18-car trains are a norm, and in summer you can get 19-20-car one (although it is longer than most platforms  . Just my 2 pennies  . |
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Post by Christopher J on Aug 9, 2005 14:27:00 GMT
BTW how many cars the said sleeper has? Here, 17-18-car trains are a norm, and in summer you can get 19-20-car one (although it is longer than most platforms . The FGW Sleeper is made up of 8-9 cars (IIRC) plus a Class 57 Loco on the front. The Scotrail Caledonian Sleepers (London Euston - Fort William/Aberdeen/Inverness/Edinburgh/Glasgow) are made up of 16 cars and a Class 90 on the front as far as Edinburgh where the Aberdeen/Inverness/Fort William service is spilt into 3 services with a Diesel Loco on the front of each service to take them over the non-electrified routes around Scotland. (The Diesel Loco's used to be Class 37s that hauled the Sleepers, now it's Class 67s), one part goes to Fort William, another to Aberdeen and the other to Inverness. |
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Post by Admin Team on Aug 9, 2005 19:56:15 GMT
Pendennis Castle?? THAT's not Pendennis Castle. The proper one can be seen here www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/great_western_society/4079_pendennis_castle.shtmlSlightly more seriously... I think the issue here is in many ways the distances involved. In truth the Run to penzance is probably marginal for a sleeper service (hence it's circuitous route perhaps?) whereas or colleague in Russia's geography far more justifies such a service, and hence the demand. I have to admit to never having used one myself...... |
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Post by piccadillypilot on Aug 9, 2005 21:14:54 GMT
Maybe if they stuck to a more direct route than going through Bristol and Weston s-Mare ... they would save in fuel? Don't know about now, but it used to carry traffic for those places and more. |
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Post by piccadillypilot on Aug 9, 2005 21:20:51 GMT
I have to admit to never having used one myself...... It really is the only civilised way to travel. |
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Post by rayb on Aug 10, 2005 23:18:24 GMT
Don't know about now, but it used to carry traffic for those places and more.[/quote]
On the occasions I recall we didn't stop, just passed through.
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Post by q8 on Aug 11, 2005 6:25:43 GMT
It really is the only civilised way to travel. ********************************************* You sure about that ?? I would have thought it was in a Roller with a georgeous thing beside you seeing to your every whim and the Butler peeling your grapes for you? Still, it takes all sorts...........  |
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Post by greatplum on Aug 11, 2005 14:58:22 GMT
Afaik, the first stop on the sleeper is Exeter St Davids and then pretty much all stations to Penzance...
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Post by yorkie on Aug 13, 2005 11:48:36 GMT
Afaik, the first stop on the sleeper is Exeter St Davids and then pretty much all stations to Penzance... London Paddington 23:50 Reading --:-- 00u35 Taunton 03:29 03:30 Exeter St Davids 04:00 04:04 Newton Abbot 04:24 04:25 Plymouth 05:08 06:05 Liskeard 06:29 06:31 Bodmin Parkway 06:44 06:45 Lostwithiel 06:51 06:51 Par 06:59 06:59 St Austell 07:07 07:08 Truro 07:26 07:27 Redruth 07:40 07:41 Camborne 07:47 07:48 Hayle 07:57 07:57 St Erth 08:01 08:02 Penzance 08:28 (Note that it is possible to arrive earlier into all stations to Penzance by changing onto a Virgin service at Plymouth) |
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Phil
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2018
Posts: 9,473
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Post by Phil on Aug 13, 2005 13:02:15 GMT
It really is the only civilised way to travel. but when you are sitting at Glasgow (different journey I know) at 4am with the loco hooked off and no aircon for over half an hour in a small cabin...not civilised, just unpleasant. I know exactly how those poor souls felt on ECML that day Nevertheless the rest of the journey to Fort William nearly made up for it (just a pity the breakfast was both expensive and plastic) |
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Post by piccadillypilot on Aug 13, 2005 13:11:09 GMT
but when you are sitting at Glasgow (different journey I know) at 4am with the loco hooked off and no aircon for over half an hour in a small cabin...not civilised, just unpleasant. Ever tried sitting in a car stuck on the motorway going nowhere on a scorching hot day for an hour or so? We can share occasional unpleasant experiences in all sorts of activities, but I was referring to the usual level of service in comparison with alternative modes of travel. |
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Post by Christopher J on Aug 13, 2005 13:18:06 GMT
When I was coming back from Fort William about 2 months ago I went seated (Mark 2 Coaches) back to Euston... Or for a part of it at least! At Edinburgh one of the Mark 2s which was going to London (which I was in) heating failed, because it was cold, there was no choice other than to isolate the coach and put the passengers elsewhere, the Aberdeen section of the Sleeper had lots of berths available, because we got chucked out the Mark 2, we got put into a Berth for FREE! Some people went in with others, some (like myself) got a whole Berth with two Beds in it all to ourselves! ;D Just a shame there were no fit Females of my age on board... I would of invited one of them back to my berth. ;D |
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Post by yorkie on Aug 13, 2005 17:34:37 GMT
but when you are sitting at Glasgow (different journey I know) at 4am with the loco hooked off and no aircon for over half an hour in a small cabin...not civilised, just unpleasant. I know exactly how those poor souls felt on ECML that day I'm not sure it would have been that hot at 4am?! I assume you mean Edinburgh not Glasgow, and I never experienced anything like this. Each cabin has individual controls for temperature. |
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Post by q8 on Aug 13, 2005 19:30:39 GMT
I would of invited one of them back to my berth. ;D ======================================== Followed by another birth nine months later no doubt?? |
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Phil
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2018
Posts: 9,473
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Post by Phil on Aug 13, 2005 21:01:16 GMT
I'm not sure it would have been that hot at 4am?! I assume you mean Edinburgh not Glasgow, and I never experienced anything like this. Each cabin has individual controls for temperature. 1. Believe me it was (summer for once!) 2. Yes. As an ex-londoner all cities north of Birmingham are the same ;D ;D 3. NOT when the power is off! |
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Phil
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2018
Posts: 9,473
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Post by Phil on Aug 13, 2005 21:07:12 GMT
We can share occasional unpleasant experiences in all sorts of activities, but I was referring to the usual level of service in comparison with alternative modes of travel. Totally true: if I still lived in london I'm sure I would make use of the Scottish sleepers more often: apart from the sheer luxury it's lovely to have the odd pint or three before going to bed whilst on the move. |
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Post by Christopher J on Aug 13, 2005 21:10:14 GMT
It feels quite weird waking up at speed. ;D The Slow-Fast Line points at Bletchley are a good wake up call when traversing over them at 80mph on the fast lines... Followed by another birth nine months later no doubt?? Sir!  |
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Phil
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2018
Posts: 9,473
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Post by Phil on Aug 13, 2005 21:14:33 GMT
The Slow-Fast Line points at Bletchley are a good wake up call when traversing over them at 80mph on the fast lines... Oh- I was in the bar till after Crewe-  - was it- - I think- - I don't remember but it was north of Birmingham (see my last post!!!) |
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Post by Dmitri on Aug 16, 2005 13:45:59 GMT
I think the issue here is in many ways the distances involved. In truth the Run to penzance is probably marginal for a sleeper service (hence it's circuitous route perhaps?) whereas or colleague in Russia's geography far more justifies such a service, and hence the demand. Don't really know how far is Penzance from London, but for me, an overnight sleeper is a best method to travel farther than the neighbouring region. At Edinburgh one of the Mark 2s which was going to London (which I was in) heating failed, because it was cold, there was no choice other than to isolate the coach and put the passengers elsewhere Have you ever been in a coal-heated compartment coach ? Oh- I was in the bar till after Crewe- - was it- - I think- - I don't remember but it was north of Birmingham (see my last post!!!) Joys of train travel - you don't really care where you are . |
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Post by yorkie on Aug 18, 2005 18:35:42 GMT
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Post by Christopher J on Aug 19, 2005 0:23:56 GMT
Great Photo's! It was an abouslity excellent meet! I must of done a whole 4 hours of heads out between Fort William and Edinburgh, well worth it for the scenery and Loco. Just a shame about those annoying biting Midges around Rannoch and Fort-Of-Orchy though... What I would of done for a fly squatter at that particular time! I'll upload my Photo's once I sort them out.  |
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Post by bb on Aug 20, 2005 19:25:15 GMT
Bridge of Orchy  |
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