Night Riviera - merged posts, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Western Pathfinder]

We did it with a single Western back in the dim dark past twtd.

[bobm]

Give me Restormel Castle any day. 

[TaplowGreen]

Give me Restormel Castle any day. 

The one that was forever breaking down? 😉

[bobm]

Had more luck with that loco than Pride of Cumbria - which has been a jinx for me.

[Witham Bobby]

We did it with a single Western back in the dim dark past twtd.

During my time signalling at Witham, the only problem that I can recall with The Sleepers (which used to travel our way, back then, in both directions) was when an unfortunate person jumped off a bridge in front of the D1000 hauled Up service one night, near Clink Road Jcn.  The front brake pipe was knocked off the loco and a full emergency brake application ensued.  The train was rescued by a loco from Westbury fairly swiftly and went on its way.

Of course, the biggest problem with The Sleepers was the Taunton fire.  That occurred after I'd left the big railway in favour of the then very little, but re-opening, West Somerset Railway.

[JayMac]

One for the enthusiasts and spotters last night. Well, those who were either up with the lark or who had a friend aboard. The latter for me. The pictures, taken at Plymouth this morning around 0530, come courtesy of bobm.

Last night, Friday 22nd June 2018, 1C99 2345 Paddington - Penzance, the down Night Riviera Sleeper service, was double headed from Reading.

The set started from Paddington with ten carriages (usually eight on a Friday), having an additional two newly refurbished ones locked out of use on the rear. These carriages were sandwiched between 57604 Pendennis Castle upfront, and 57605 Totnes Castle on the blocks. At Reading, 57605 ran round the consist to double head and lead the service onward to the west.

[TaplowGreen]

Perhaps one of those extra carriages could be detached at Plymouth in future (as used to be the case), allowing those on board to slumber till a decent hour rather than being slung out, bleary eyed at 0530 and making the sleeper more attractive and a more viable proposition for those travelling to the largest and most important city in the South West?

[LiskeardRich]

  most important city in the South West?

Taunton?

[TaplowGreen]

  most important city in the South West?

Taunton?

Taunton is a town, not a city, with a little over 20% of Plymouth's population, and not a shred of its strategic significance or importance. What's your point?

[LiskeardRich]

  most important city in the South West?

Taunton?

Taunton is a town, not a city, with a little over 20% of Plymouth's population, and not a shred of its strategic significance or importance. What's your point?

As a regular on this forum I'd expect you to fully understand the nature of the post!!!!!!!

[TaplowGreen]

  most important city in the South West?

Taunton?

Taunton is a town, not a city, with a little over 20% of Plymouth's population, and not a shred of its strategic significance or importance. What's your point?

As a regular on this forum I'd expect you to fully understand the nature of the post!!!!!!!

......sorry.....must be the ciiiddeerrrrrr! 😂

[bobm]

One of the out of use coaches was the first of the refreshed buffet cars - 10217.  Not sure how long before it is put into service.  Staff will need a bit of training on it although I don't know how much the equipment differs from the existing ones.  "Front of house" the seating layout is being changed with a less formal set-up akin to that found on the Caledonian Sleeper.

Along with the investment in on board facilities work has also been continuing at Penzance and, seen below, Truro for dedicated sleeper lounges.

[eightonedee]

perhaps the engine that moved to the front remembered that in a former life it was a Brush Type 4 that ran around its train at Reading to take the York to Bournemouth down to the south coast.....

[IndustryInsider]

Perhaps one of those extra carriages could be detached at Plymouth in future (as used to be the case), allowing those on board to slumber till a decent hour rather than being slung out, bleary eyed at 0530 and making the sleeper more attractive and a more viable proposition for those travelling to the largest and most important city in the South West?

That would indeed be a positive thing to do to help Plymouth, which, from a recent visit, looked like it could do with all the help it can get.

There was a reason it stopped though and that was because it wasn’t financially viable.  It was 2006 and the First Great Western franchise was being let and the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) specified a large number of cutbacks across the network.  I seem to remember it was a case of either stopping the detachment of the carriage at Plymouth, or axe the sleeper entirely.  

According to a Wikipedia reference the average number alighting at Plymouth was just four people!  The additional operational cost simply cannot be justified unless demand has shot up by about ten times that amount since.

[TaplowGreen]

Perhaps one of those extra carriages could be detached at Plymouth in future (as used to be the case), allowing those on board to slumber till a decent hour rather than being slung out, bleary eyed at 0530 and making the sleeper more attractive and a more viable proposition for those travelling to the largest and most important city in the South West?

That would indeed be a positive thing to do to help Plymouth, which, from a recent visit, looked like it could do with all the help it can get.

There was a reason it stopped though and that was because it wasn’t financially viable.  It was 2006 and the First Great Western franchise was being let and the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) specified a large number of cutbacks across the network.  I seem to remember it was a case of either stopping the detachment of the carriage at Plymouth, or axe the sleeper entirely.  

According to a Wikipedia reference the average number alighting at Plymouth was just four people!  The additional operational cost simply cannot be justified unless demand has shot up by about ten times that amount since.

Things change. In 2006 Plymouth had a (relatively) thriving airport which provided growing options for early arrivals in the City, that closed several years ago and a forward thinking rail company would see an opportunity to step in and take its place, perhaps with the imaginative type of solution suggested, properly promoted and marketed, attracting Business travellers to arrive in Plymouth refreshed at a realistic time to do business.

I am sure your comment about Plymouth needing "all the help it could get" wasn't meant in the slightly sneering way it came across (as a Janner I am sensitive to this sort of thing!  ), but this is the sort of initiative by which GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) could do its bit to help the City from which it draws much of its workforce and its income, as well as making the Sleeper a more practical option for its largest Westbound destination.