D1537
Member
- Joined
- 11 Jul 2019
- Messages
- 540
1M16 has failed and has been caped at Perth. Looks like the Aberdeen portion may be going forward on its own, there's a 1Z16 in the system.
I don't think it's to give them scope for service alterations, rather it's so they don't end up in a position of being unable to sell any London seated tickets because someone has booked all the seats from FW to Corrour or something.
I guess in theory there could be a scenario where the entire aberdeen coach is full of fort William passengers.There will always be seats available between Edinburgh and Fort William. Assuming that at least some people are going from London to Aberdeen in the seats, then that number of seats will be free between Edinburgh and Fort William.
It's not a guarantee. If, for example, the coach seats 30 & it is 15 each booked for Aberdeen & Fort William on departure from Euston, then a walking group has booked 15 seats from Edinburgh to Fort William, there are no seats. Very unlikely I grant you, but possible.There will always be seats available between Edinburgh and Fort William. Assuming that at least some people are going from London to Aberdeen in the seats, then that number of seats will be free between Edinburgh and Fort William.
1M16 then ran empty to Edinburgh, arriving at 2.50 this morning before joining with the Aberdeen Portion to form 1Z16, which left at 4.05 (163 late) , now passing Warrington BQ 138 late.1M16 has failed and has been caped at Perth. Looks like the Aberdeen portion may be going forward on its own, there's a 1Z16 in the system.
To be honest the sleeper seats really are the budget end of the service that I suspect they don't care much about and would get rid of should an opportunity arise, I use them with a certain amount of dread these days and zero expectation of getting any sleep, it's a juggling act for me between wanting to support the sleeper, enjoying the convenience that the overall concept office me, but being unable to afford anything better than seated accommodation
Hotel power rather than traction problem? Meaning that the train was not fit for passenger use until the stock was formed up with the Aberdeen and Fort William sections at Waverley. But it could proceed to Waverley under its own power. Passengers taxied there?I assume the failure was something in the department of passengers can't stay on board because this is failed rather than something up with the running of the stock more generally, pretty poor service though
When I was based at Faslane I used to often use the sleeper to go hillwalking for the day from Garelochead. Although the service was reservation only there was no practical way to make a reservation. I always used to turn up on Spec and was never turned away even if I ended up sitting in the lounge. I think it was probably the last service to still issue handwritten paper tickets the last one I bought was about 7 years ago but they still might be doing it for all I know.I don't think it's to give them scope for service alterations, rather it's so they don't end up in a position of being unable to sell any London seated tickets because someone has booked all the seats from FW to Corrour or something.
Those pesky 73s playing up again. Electrical fault with the loco.Hotel power rather than traction problem? Meaning that the train was not fit for passenger use until the stock was formed up with the Aberdeen and Fort William sections at Waverley. But it could proceed to Waverley under its own power. Passengers taxied there?
Speculation, no more.
GZ
Loss of train supply means that (eventually) you lose the train management system once the batteries drain. So, no problem with running empty, but you can’t run in passenger service in that condition. So better to get the passengers off at a suitable location and put them on a bus to Edinburgh while the stock goes empty to Edinburgh. Passengers can then re-join as the stock is then plugged into the Class 92.Hotel power rather than traction problem? Meaning that the train was not fit for passenger use until the stock was formed up with the Aberdeen and Fort William sections at Waverley. But it could proceed to Waverley under its own power. Passengers taxied there?
Speculation, no more.
GZ
I've seen CS tickets issued out of the catering till.When I was based at Faslane I used to often use the sleeper to go hillwalking for the day from Garelochead. Although the service was reservation only there was no practical way to make a reservation. I always used to turn up on Spec and was never turned away even if I ended up sitting in the lounge. I think it was probably the last service to still issue handwritten paper tickets the last one I bought was about 7 years ago but they still might be doing it for all I know.
Is the seated coach (unlike every other UK train) not allowed standing passengers? If it is then why all the hoo-ha over reservations - any day passengers can stand if there aren't any seats left!When I was based at Faslane I used to often use the sleeper to go hillwalking for the day from Garelochead. Although the service was reservation only there was no practical way to make a reservation. I always used to turn up on Spec and was never turned away even if I ended up sitting in the lounge. I think it was probably the last service to still issue handwritten paper tickets the last one I bought was about 7 years ago but they still might be doing it for all I know.
Pretty sure they don't allow standing.Is the seated coach (unlike every other UK train) not allowed standing passengers? If it is then why all the hoo-ha over reservations - any day passengers can stand if there aren't any seats left!
Can I ask why people write "caped" instead of the much more accessible annd understandable "cancelled"? We're long past the days of telex machines charging per character! (And the forum rules discourage jargon as well.)1M16 has failed and has been caped at Perth. Looks like the Aberdeen portion may be going forward on its own, there's a 1Z16 in the system.
Is the seated coach (unlike every other UK train) not allowed standing passengers? If it is then why all the hoo-ha over reservations - any day passengers can stand if there aren't any seats left!
The ticket office at Ft. William have always been a good bunch in my experience.Pretty sure they don't allow standing.
Certainly when I asked for a seat reservation a few weeks ago for a couple of journeys between Fort William and Arrochar and Tarbet I wasfobbed off and lied totold that there were no reservations available and I'd have to use an alternative train.
That's not something I consider acceptable really given the very sparse service on that line beyond Helensburgh. Especially when I spoke to the ticket office at Fort William for the second journey, they gave me a reservation no problem and I travelled with (I think) 10 other passengers. So plenty of space. I posted about it in here at the time IIRC.[/S]
I think it's clear that Serco find running the seated coach as a day-service nothing more than an annoyance.
Ah but remember - its a hotel on wheels isn't it . So any seated accommodation beyond the lounge might have been rather reluctantly ordered.Standing doesn't work very well for overnighters. They could I suppose allow it for the "domestic" stretch only, but as it's only half a coach it could be a problem if 50 turn up.
It is a shame they didn't order an extra Standard Open with 2+2 seating to use in the "domestic" service. Suspect they were hoping to get away with not doing it. Though perhaps if the TPE Mk5as end up in the scrapper they could grab and convert a couple.
Begs the question, given how busy Caledonian Sleeper might be, would the seated coach be at risk of being replaced by another sleeper coach ?.
That doesn't provide any additional seated accommodation.What wouldn't have surprised me before would be the end of the Aberdeen portion with a whole half set doing Fort William, but now ScotGov run it themselves that's probably too political.
That doesn't provide any additional seated accommodation.
So it is! Maybe they could melt down one of the ferries rusting away on the Clyde to build more coaches?You're a bit behind there, it's ScotGov now, not Serco.
Whip it down to Ravenscraig? I think not.So it is! Maybe they could melt down one of the ferries rusting away on the Clyde to build more coaches?
A few months ago Scott on the 'Planes, Trains, Everything' YouTube channel described how he travelled from Fort William to Glasgow Queen St LL by CS after having had something of a struggle to make an online reservation:I phoned up CS to get a reservation from Fort William to Glasgow Queen St low level a few years back.
How to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper within Scotland. I set myself a challenge between Fort William and Glasgow Queen Street. I could have caught an earlier Scotrail service, but I had to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper for a reason.
It's not anymore. The mk5s are set up differently in that every coach has a parking brake. It is however needed as it has the "main" computer to control a rake.It's also the brake coach which is required in a formation, so you would only get maybe 3-4 compartments. Thus my bet would be "no".
I wonder if the Scottish government, since they are now running it as pointed out by @Bletchleyite , might find accepting day passengers within Scotland on the seated coach to be less of an annoyance than Servo did? Particularly if someone prompted one of the Green party MSPs to raise the issue since they are propping up the SNP government? It's not exactly environmentally friendly to discourage the use of empty seats!I think it's clear that Serco find running the seated coach as a day-service nothing more than an annoyance.
I seem to remember that 6 is the maximum length for regular passenger (ones that call at the intermediate Staions) services Crianlarich to Fort William because of the length of the loops, platforms and their interaction with the RETB. In fact thinking of the layout at Garelochead it may well be the whole WHL.Standing doesn't work very well for overnighters. They could I suppose allow it for the "domestic" stretch only, but as it's only half a coach it could be a problem if 50 turn up.
It is a shame they didn't order an extra Standard Open with 2+2 seating to use in the "domestic" service. Suspect they were hoping to get away with not doing it. Though perhaps if the TPE Mk5as end up in the scrapper they could grab and convert a couple.