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West highland sleepers


design8027

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Currently designing a 00 gauge West highland based layout with a timeline of the 1980s. Want to run a sleeper service with a stretched timeframe to include MK1 sets of coaches and trains with MK3 sleeping coaches. From photo's of trains with MK3's the coaches where on the Glagow end, was this the same for the MK1 sets of coaches? Also, anyone with notes on consists during this time wo uld be greatly appriciated.

 

Stephen.

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While the exact formation varied over the years a seated portion was attached at Glasgow Queen Street in the early morning and detached in the evening for as long as the "Deerstalker" was scheduled to call there. 

 

The sleeping cars were normally at the "country" end once on the West Highland line and with the through London seated coaches coupled directly to those added at Glasgow.

 

Once Glasgow was cut the only seated coaches were those through from London and the train still had the sleeping cars at the "country" end.

 

I'm not sure about Mk3 sleepers running with Mk1 coaches though; the Mk1 sleepers did of course and I'll have to defer to expert knowledge to advise whether the "wakers" were converted to Mk2 before or after the sleepers went over to Mk3.

 

My only photos are of Mk1 sleepers in use with an ex-LMS van behind the loco, two sleeping cars, two Mk1 sitters on the London portion then two added at Glasgow which included one of the uncommon BSOT (brake buffet trolley standard) coaches which IIRC was Sc9015.

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In the period 1979-81, when I was at Eastfield, the sleepers came up from Mossend as a separate train, having been detached from the Inverness portion there. They were looped into Eastfield and then towed down into Queen St with the original loco (which had come on at Mossend) still attached. Once in Queen St they were shunted onto the front of the 0600hrs Mallaig by the original engine which then ran light up the hill to Eastfield.

 

The up working was different - the sleepers (and the one or two 'day' coaches) never went into Queen St. The whole train ran into Cowlairs loop where the rear (London) portion was detached and the rest of the train went down to Queen St. A light loco then came across from Eastfield and onto the front of the London portion, propelled them back into the loop at Eastfield and then set off for Mossend again, combining there with the Inverness train.

 

They were all Mk1s at that time, the Mk 3s were after my time.

 

An RMB was on the Glasgow section of the train, both ways, including the 1978 season right up to the winter 1981 timetable.

 

Hope this helps

 

Paul

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I travelled on the Fort Bill sleepers on quite a number of occasions mid to late 80s, and am 99.99% certain that mk 1s were added to the consist at Queen Street alongside mk3 sleepers both in the 'ETHEL' and 37/4 days. 

 

I may well have some photos of the latter at home which I'll try & scan & post tonight.

 

I have a feeling that some of these show the 'day coaches' were added at Queen Street at the North end of the train.....

 

Dave

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A check on a few photos from 1987 & 1988 shows mk1 TSO marshalled next to the loco heading out of Queen Street, i.e. added after the arrival of the sleepers and coffins from Euston. Afraid scanner is playing up so no posts. Didn't find a clear photo showing the whole train composition in those years, sorry.

 

Have an unusual photo of 413 heading north with the sleepers with 407 arriving with the first southbound at Corrour, taken from the photbridge subsequently relocated to Rannoch IIRC. Guess 1S07 must having been running late as they crossed at Tulloch at the time.

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  • 7 months later...

The current train must be one of the most modelable one in the country. A 67 with two sleepers and two Mark 2 coaches. I often take a Club 55 trip to Fort William in March, getting the connecting unit off Queen Street and joining the sleeper at Westerton. Nice to have loco haulage and being able to hang out of the windows to take photos. WHY does not Hornby issue a train pack or at least do the Sleepers in this livery and let us convert the Mark 2 coaches? They do not see to be switched on commercially these days!

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Why not write to Hornby?  Then decide whether or not they are commercially switched on or not.  Aside from the commercial viability of the items concerned there might also be licensing issues with reproducing the livery.  It's not always a straightforward situation.

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Hornby have done mk3 sleepers in both the current (first scotrail) and previous (nex scotrail) liveries. Former were also part of a set and as such they lingered a long time at discounted rates. Problem is that to do a correct formation requires surgery on the mk2s which I have never plucked up courage to do...

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The current train must be one of the most modelable one in the country. A 67 with two sleepers and two Mark 2 coaches. I often take a Club 55 trip to Fort William in March, getting the connecting unit off Queen Street and joining the sleeper at Westerton. Nice to have loco haulage and being able to hang out of the windows to take photos. WHY does not Hornby issue a train pack or at least do the Sleepers in this livery and let us convert the Mark 2 coaches? They do not see to be switched on commercially these days!

In response to Gwiwer I mentioned this to Simon at the Glasgow show last year and the year before. Should be no issues as they did a set with a First 90 and two sleepers a few years back

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