Mk1 Sleeper

[Strathyre]

The Eastfield crew were probably job and finish - they'd have been wheel spinning that 40 all the way up - whilst the class 27 driver at the front enjoyed the view!  - the banking engine usually dropped back just before the top of the incline to stop and await the road for the shed.

 

 

The Eastfield crew were probably job and finish - they'd have been wheel spinning that 40 all the way up - whilst the class 27 driver at the front enjoyed the view!  - the banking engine usually dropped back just before the top of the incline to stop and await the road for the shed.

That's an interesting combination.

 

The 2330 Inverness sleeper was normally banked by a class 27 and hauled by a 40, sometimes a 47 and also sometimes a pair of 26s. The banker was actually one of the Cowlairs pilot engines and brought the stock down from Cowlairs earlier in the evening having shuttled up and down the hill all day. Never seen a single type 2 on that one as it was a heavy train (for Queen St anyway) and it combined at Perth with the Edinburgh portion and continued to Inverness with the Glasgow engine taking the whole lot forward.

 

Would it be possible that the journey you made was on a Sunday? If that were the case then it would not be unusual for the 40 to be at the Queen St end and for the 'pilot' to be at the Cowlairs end as very often the main line was closed and services bound for the east and north went up the hill into Eastfield loop, with the train engine still coupled on at the back, which then became the front, and then set off through Sighthill for the Cumbernauld line. This was a regular occurrence and would explain why the engines were the other way around, so to speak.

 

Incidentally, pushing that train up the hill was the last job of the night for that engine and it would go into the depot for fuelling and bed - laden with Eastfield men going on duty for nightshift. Happy, happy memories.....

 

Paul

[Gwiwer]

Depends on the date also.  My numerous trips on the Highland sleepers (Inverness - Glasgow / Edinburgh and vice versa) were mostly in the days of Mk1 stock and almost invariably behind a 47.  Once or twice we had a 27 south from Inverness and once a 27 brought the Glasgow portion into Perth but the 47 from Edinburgh took the train forward.

 

I've been banked out of Queen Street on that working by a 26, a 27 and a 47 but never a 40.  

 

Once Mk3 sleepers arrived (and they worked that train for just a few years until it was withdrawn) everything was a 47 due to the head-end power requirement though the Queen Street banker was occasionally a 37.

[Bob Reid]

That's an interesting combination.

 

The 2330 Inverness sleeper was normally banked by a class 27 and hauled by a 40, sometimes a 47 and also sometimes a pair of 26s. The banker was actually one of the Cowlairs pilot engines and brought the stock down from Cowlairs earlier in the evening having shuttled up and down the hill all day. Never seen a single type 2 on that one as it was a heavy train (for Queen St anyway) and it combined at Perth with the Edinburgh portion and continued to Inverness with the Glasgow engine taking the whole lot forward.

 

Would it be possible that the journey you made was on a Sunday? If that were the case then it would not be unusual for the 40 to be at the Queen St end and for the 'pilot' to be at the Cowlairs end as very often the main line was closed and services bound for the east and north went up the hill into Eastfield loop, with the train engine still coupled on at the back, which then became the front, and then set off through Sighthill for the Cumbernauld line. This was a regular occurrence and would explain why the engines were the other way around, so to speak.

 

Incidentally, pushing that train up the hill was the last job of the night for that engine and it would go into the depot for fuelling and bed - laden with Eastfield men going on duty for nightshift. Happy, happy memories.....

 

Paul

 

Job & finish - you'll mind a lot of them Paul.  I certainly mind the trips up to the shed.....

[Brian Kirby]

Those cabin droplights were great for nocturnal train-spotting, or re-enacting a scene from a James Bond film. ;-)) BK

[DIRTY DIESEL]

I seem to remember an old Mk1 Sleeper dumped in Bangor yard by the old Bethesda bay for a few years in the early 80's, I even tried to model it with by old Triang/Hornby coach, I don't know which look worse the really thing or my early weathering attempt, I think I still have it somewhere.

 

Stu

[Bob Reid]

we've had mention of modelling interiors/blinds etc, but who's going to be first to model this?

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/6038187862/sizes/l/in/set-72157603653607671/

 

i must admit i never knew the main windowpane was a droplight!

 

another interesting early pic shows blinds in the vestibule doors as well

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/4447828451/in/set-72157603653607671/

 

Apologies for doubting the binds on the bodyside doors Keefer... A quick rake around finds another example - here's a clear example at Craigentinny;

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5837166904/

 

Still don't remember them or what the point would be of having them there (except for the benefit of someone dossing in the vestibule ends) - I guess they never got used that much! 

 

[Edit] Actually thinking about it - they might be handy for getting up during the night when your needs exceed the 'Pot de Chambre'!

[Strathyre]

Job & finish - you'll mind a lot of them Paul.  I certainly mind the trips up to the shed.....

 

 

Job & finish - you'll mind a lot of them Paul.  I certainly mind the trips up to the shed.....

Oh I certainly do Bob!

 

In my last days at Eastfield I'd been working that job all week and letting the driver (a very old hand and confined to the incline pilots, very few of whom would let you drive) away at Queen St so that he could catch the last blue train to Carntyne while I banked the sleepers up the hill and took the engine to the shed - it was about the 4th night we'd been doing that when he found out I wasn't a passed fireman! Didn't stop him from carrying it on to the end of the week though, oh to be trusted! Old Alan sadly passed away shortly after that although I don't believe I was anything to do with that!

 

Hence the reason I remember the sleepers particularly well!

 

Oh, and very often the light engine would make a special request stop at the top of the hill to let some staff off so they could catch an after-hours pint in the Heilan' Fling!

 

Paul

[keefer]

 

[Edit] Actually thinking about it - they might be handy for getting up during the night when your needs exceed the 'Pot de Chambre'!

 

and to preserve the modesty of those staggering about in their jammies from the outside world

 

the parkin mk1 book supplement covers carriage standards ctte. minutes, many of which refer to problems with the chanty and its 'drainage'. he comments that the minutes often refer to a sign and its wording, but never reveal what this is - presumably a polite notice along the lines of 'do NOT sh*t in the pot!'

the underframes of the sleepers must've been positively manky! not only the effluent from the end lavs, but from each compartment too.

[Bob Reid]

I'd be interested to know when they were finally withdrawn, any info' anyone? I've already asked for info' on the ECML formations elsewhere on the forum which has filled in the blanks on that front.

 

The MK3 was introduced from Feb 1982 on certain ECML services, I came back from Aberdeen on the late service one night in April 1982 and we paid a premium to the privilege of MK3s. I believe these services were the first to get them, even so, the bulk of sleepers were still MK1 into the winter of 1982-3, which was my last contact with them before the ECML services ceased. I've a pic somewhere of an unknown Motorail set passing Rugby early one morning in the summer of 1984 which had MK 1s at the head of it, but it's not possible to see what the rest of the consist was. One of the ex LMS 68' cars on six wheel bogies in Blue & grey would be a nice accompaniment to the MK1s. 

 

The Edinburgh-London Kx & Returns were the first closely followed by the Night Aberdonian (all ECML services were MkIII by the end of 82' - before they started turning the WCML services over in 1983.  The Glasgow/Edinburgh - Inverness Sleepers (with MkIII's) were introduced on the 14th of May 1984 which I suspect was the last use of the Mk1 sleepers on the ScR.

[Brian Kirby]

 Actually thinking about it - they might be handy for getting up during the night when your needs exceed the 'Pot de Chambre'!

 

Well, there was always the droplight, either forwards or backwards, although i wouldn't recommemnd the former in third rail areas.

 

                                                                                                    BK

[taybridge]

Great models thank you thank you Bachmann!

 

Purchased some in blue/grey and looking forward to a first class version to accompany them.

 

Travelled from Dundee to London by sleeper a few times in the early seventies as a very wee lad. Very memorable...

[davidw]

Mk1 maroon 1st's in stock @ rails-

['CHARD]

Mk1 maroon 1st's in stock @ rails-

 

Good shout, that's my second example sorted then.  First of my core two portions will be done - and starting out as mixed rake too - delightful! 

 

Can't wait to pose the consist behind a suitable Class 45.

[Gwiwer]

Bachmann themselves confirm SLF in both liveries is now "In Stock" which usually seems to mean the container has arrived in the UK.  Distribution to retailers takes a few days.  Hattons and others who tend to get early stocks aren't yet advertising these but that may change at any time.

 

With the first to arrive having been the b/g SLSTP it seems a little surprising that the maroon versions of those are not now expected until September; both batches of SLF have overtaken them.  

 

Plenty of nocturnal accommodation will be available very soon for those passengers waiting on platform 2

[robertcwp]

I now have a maroon SLF and a blue/grey SLF and can confirm that the blue/grey one has the wrong roof - it has the roof off of an SLSTP with the long duct.  Firsts and composites had short ducts.

 

The maroon SLF has a short duct (correct).  This rather suggests that in error Bachmann have put short ducts on both maroon ones and long ducts on both blue/grey ones, so 50% of their models have the wrong roofs.  Rather unfortunate given that they have gone to the trouble of doing two roofs.

[Brian Kirby]

Ian Allan's at Waterloo had both blue-grey and maroon SLFs on saturday afternoon. Having tipped off Robertcwp (above), this is presumably where he obtained his this lunchtime! Shame about the roof error, haven't seen the maroon SLSTP yet. Looks like we may have to buy equal quantities of both liveries, and start swapping roofs around, assuming the roofs are in a similar colour? There could be a lot of overtime pay for Bachmann staff doing the same in their warehouse. ;-))   

 

                                                                 Cheers, Brian.

[37114]

Right so as I have a blue grey SLF on order, who has a Maroon SLSTP that they want to swap the roof with?

[robertcwp]

Ian Allan's at Waterloo had both blue-grey and maroon SLFs on saturday afternoon. Having tipped off Robertcwp (above), this is presumably where he obtained his this lunchtime! Shame about the roof error, haven't seen the maroon SLSTP yet. Looks like we may have to buy equal quantities of both liveries, and start swapping roofs around, assuming the roofs are in a similar colour? There could be a lot of overtime pay for Bachmann staff doing the same in their warehouse. ;-))   

 

                                                                 Cheers, Brian.

Correct, IA at Waterloo had them today and I purchased one of each, thanks to Brian's tip-off.  The roofs are different colours, with the maroon SLF having a much lighter colour.  Not a huge problem as this could easily be repainted darker and darker roofs on maroon stock are fine too.  Swapping would depend on the maroon SLSTP coming out with the wrong roof (ie the SLF one) so they could be swapped with blue/grey SLF roofs.  However this assumes people will buy both liveries, which many will not.  Perhaps the solution would be for Bachmann to offer replacement roofs, much as they did with 2 EPB bodies when they got the numbers the wrong way round, arguably a much smaller point than having the wrong roof.

[Brian Kirby]

So in a perverse way, we must hope that the maroon SLSTP also arrives with an incorrect roof, then we can effect a swap with a blue-grey SLF. On the other hand, if the maroon SLSTP arrives with a correct roof, then we're stuck with an incorrect blue-grey SLF. As Robert hinted at, people can only do a swap if they purchase both liveries, these will be in the minority. Ooh eck, over to you Bachmann . . . . . . . . ;-))           BK 

['CHARD]

Oh cobblers.  Yes, sounds like a case of over to you, Bachmann. 

[Phil Bullock]

So what do I need for the Stirling = Newton Abbott motorail please?

 

Wont be able to load more than 6 coaches plus GUVs for the cars so what proportions of first and second sleepers - and any catering vehicles/ day coaches?

 

Phil

 

[Flood]

I finish work at 23.00 Phil so if no one has replied by the time at get home I'll dig out the info. Any particular year/s?

[Phil Bullock]

That would be most kind - many thanks

 

1971 if you have it but anything slightly before and thereafter would be a great help

 

Phil

[mark54]

So in a perverse way, we must hope that the maroon SLSTP also arrives with an incorrect roof, then we can effect a swap with a blue-grey SLF. On the other hand, if the maroon SLSTP arrives with a correct roof, then we're stuck with an incorrect blue-grey SLF. As Robert hinted at, people can only do a swap if they purchase both liveries, these will be in the minority. Ooh eck, over to you Bachmann . . . . . . . . ;-))           BK

In the ModelRail review the maroon SLSTP does indeed have the incorrect short duct roof.

 

Mark

[MrB]

So in a perverse way, we must hope that the maroon SLSTP also arrives with an incorrect roof, then we can effect a swap with a blue-grey SLF. On the other hand, if the maroon SLSTP arrives with a correct roof, then we're stuck with an incorrect blue-grey SLF. As Robert hinted at, people can only do a swap if they purchase both liveries, these will be in the minority. Ooh eck, over to you Bachmann . . . . . . . . ;-))           BK

 

I'm one of the lucky minority then, just need the time to carryout the fix.....