Well I had the chance to try it out for myself last week, on the Palermo to Milano sleeper.
It was much more interesting than I'd expected.
The Palermo portion was top and tailed with E464s (as were two out of the other three sleepers I saw on that section) and based on what I'd read of the day trains I assumed that one locomotive would go with us on the ferry.
But both engines came off, giving great views of the proceedings from both ends of the train. And - with the two portions combined at Messina, pushed the short distance to the ferry, then split again to fit on, there was plenty to watch.
Even better, as the train was propelled towards the ferry the crew in the leading vestibule jumped off before the linkspan to guide it the rest of the way from the ground, leaving me to stand there and look out without anyone in the way. And with the corridor doors locked partly open, so with a gap not glass to look through.
Having the doors open like this also gave much better views of the coupling and uncoupling than I've ever seen from inside a train before.
I've never seen anything quite like it and I've done a fair bit of train travel round the world.
It was also quite impressive just how many staff it took on the deck of the ferry.
On the way off the ferry of course the train doesn't have to be split once it's joined up, but there is the interest of having to reverse back into the station.
At both ends we had an orange centre-cab shunter, two flat reach wagons and a coach to push and pull us around.
There's quite a curve coming on/off the ferry on the mainland side so even in a train without views from the ends you can get a good view alongside the train to the ferry and of the shunter.
The only downside was that as I was standing in an open doorway taking photographs of the Siracusa portion being shunted on I was asked to stop taking photographs and go up on deck. I don't know if it was the photos they objected to or me still being on the train (up to that point nobody had objected at all as I took photos of everything). Once up on deck there was an announcement to say that people shoudn't go down to the train during the voyage, though I'm pretty sure lots of people stayed on the train. Maybe you have to be a bit discreet about it so they can pretend they haven't seen you.
The ferry was the Scilla which has clearly seen better days (and ones in which it also presumably saw the car deck in use). I wasn't aware of seeing any other train ferries though I believe there's a nice new one. (There ought to be a Charybdis surely?)
I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in unusual railway operations.
And just being able to do an overnight journey with a long section during the day is quite a novelty in Europe these days (never mind the impressive scenery between Palermo and Messina) - and (at least mid-week at this time of year) it is amazingly good value, even for sole use of a couchette for two people.
The compartments have been impressively refurbished - from inside I would have thought that it was a brand new coach.
They are....but will one or two electric locos also fit on the ferries?
The ferries have four tracks - each of which can accommodate four coaches. The daytime trains have eight coaches - four to/from Palermo and four to/from Siracusa - which are presently coupled/uncoupled at Villa San Giovanni. AFAIK, the night trains also have a similar consist. However another ferry - and possibly a second - is now under construction and will probably have a higher capacity.
It looks as if at least the Scilla has space for 4 coaches plus one locomotive.
The ships are single-ended, loading/offloading at the bow. There are very neat buffers at the stern, then a ramp for road traffic.
The Scilla certainly does have buffers at the stern, but the tracks seem to continue beyond them to what looks like another access. It's interesting seeing points on board the ferry itself.
The train did have catering and I presume it's official because the stock was loaded onto the train from cages lifted up to the train in Palermo.
We were given a menu that included hot meals, but with a disclaimer of selected trains only so I don't know what was actually available. We had our own supplies so I didn't ask. But catering of some sort is back, at least for now. Even dog and cat food!
I wouldn't rely on the "light breakfast" keeping you going for long though.
Finally, when we got off I discovered that at some point in the night we'd gained another three carriages at the front, labelled "charter". They didn't look occupied, but I must have slept through them being shunted on (perhaps not surprising as I was in the rear coach).
I hope that me travelling on the ferry isn't the kiss of death - the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry and Berlin Night Express ferry operation didn't last that long after I went on them and I hope that this can continue in some form for a while yet.