nightstar.train

I think the order is more to do with timescales than anything. The AT300s won't arrive until 2019, and Hitachi's order book is full. A further order for AT300s wouldn't arrive until later, 2020 or after. TPE need new trains by 2018 for their committed services. TPE might prefer a homogeneous fleet, but that just isn't possible. CAF don't offer a bi-mode train so TPE would either have to be stuck with DMUs under the wires in the future, or buy LHCS and swap engines as and when the wires extend. Also I think the LHCS could be built quicker as production is already gearing up for the Mk5 sleeper order for CS, and they are less complex than a D/EMU. As an aside I think that the AT300s/SETs can have their Diesel engines removed if the wires extend far enough to remove the need for them.

Why would this be necessary? The Mk2 with DBSO, and Mk3 and Mk4 with DVT have all managed perfectly well with just one DVT. Having two will increase system complexity and chance of failure, at increased cost. I can't see any upside.

Apparently that propensity has been messing up the Scottish sleepers a lot. There's one patch of line on the WCML that's particularly prone to voltage fluctuations, and the 92s sit down and refuse to go further. Not a problem for 86s, 87s, and 90s, they just ignore it and power on. I'll be interested to see how the new 88s cope. At least if they sit down they can fire up the diesel and limp clear.

Ah. Slight misspelling, I'll give you that. Vossloh it should be as I well know. I'll plead not guilty m'laud by virtue of migraine!

:-(

Me me! I what one! Not for £23.50 though, maybe a fiver. I have many many fond memories of shopping at Beatties in High Holborn. Don't know what's happened to it now as I live at the other end of the country. It was a Modelzone, but I don't know what happened after they went belly up.

How about this 'rare' coach. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152070945545?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT I'd should say it's rare, as Bachmann have NEVER made a Mk3. I wonder if you'd be able to successfully raise a dispute with eBay as its described as coming in its original box?

With modern ETOPS the only routes that can't be run are Australia to South America I think. The real advantage of four engines is that they can lift a much bigger aircraft off the ground. Also in hot and high airports two engine aircraft can be severely weight limited so four engines offer an advantage there. Iberia have quite a few four engine aircraft for South American routes. I think transatlantic a lot of airlines now use smaller aircraft such as the 777 and offer more flights a day. I think BA do something like six a day LHR-JFK. Although the 777 is hardly small now. It's latest iteration offers as many seats as the original 747. If you like four engine aircraft then Emirates is the airline for you. They have 142 A380s on order, with 75 so far delivered!

It's much more than that infact. ETOPS is rated in minutes away from the nearest diversion airport. The norm is ETOPS 240, that is four hours from any airport which will equate to about 2000 miles. The Boeing 777 and 787 are rated ETOPS 330, which is five and a half hours from an airport. And the Airbus A350XWB is rated ETOPS 370! That could be over three THOUSAND miles from an airport. As you say engine failures are incredibly rare now, allowing such long flights over water.

That thing really is a monster. Is that the thingy (technical term) for lifting sleepers off wagons then placing the, down the tunnel?

What was the loading of this Jim? Looks like six tanks in most of your photos. I can see why 'just' six tanks would be prohibitively expensive to haul from Grangemouth to Derby. I'm amazed that it couldn't come from a closer refinery.

Finally got my APT-E today. If anyone still hasn't got theirs it's worth giving Locomotion a ring to ask about it. Mine had been dispatched, and they'd even tried to deliver it. But of course UPS hadn't bothered to leave a card so I had no way of knowing it was languishing at a collection point a couple of miles away. Wonderful looking model, can't wait to try it out.

What they're mainly intended for is things like non electrified sidings off an electric mainline, or short hopes down a small branch line off an electric line. They're not intended for say going from Felixstowe to the ECML on diesel power alone. Still a very useful bit of kit though.

According to Wikipedia the Milton Park is sidings are disused. Also looking on Google Maps you can see they're very over grown and some have been cut off. So it's looks like it's all out of use now.

That is a very smart looking loco. I'm amazed that we haven't made a 25kv and diesel loco before. Given how may trains need to be diesel hauled under the wires due to quite small sections off the wires. Should've happened 20+ years ago. Just hope that the other FOCs follow on and order more 88s.

I realised once I'd written this that this loco is now bound to fall to the curse of dedicated locos in special liveries and spend most of the season OOU with some sort of fault. Sod's law and all that. Both. Whilst the traction reliability has been appaling they have had quite a few problems with stock too. A BUO was out of action for quite a while, which meant the Edinburgh portion got cancelled a few times. (The portions must run with a BUO as they contain the fire alarm controls. You can't just substitute a BSO from Riviera trains or something). It's partly due to the age of the stock, First not keeping up with repairs when they lost the contract, and the transfer of maintenance from Inverness, which had huge experience with the stock, to Wembley and Polamdie, who haven't been looking after Mk3s and 2s for over 10 years. That's part of the problem. They've been sitting in store for years at a time, which has given various problems. Also they are far too complex. They are basically two electric locos in one body, due to the channel tunnel regulations. So double the number of faults and so on. I also understand that their trip system is too sensitive and goes off, killing the loco, in circumstances where a Class 90 just thunders on. I think it's got something to do with the supply voltage getting too high, or the supply frequency. Or too low. The problem is the Class 92s are needed as the new Mk5 stock will need much more ETH, more than a 90 can supply. So GBRf really need to get them fixed, or make an emergency order with Vollosh for new electrics. Anyway, enough off topic, back to the smart livery on the hideous loco ;-)

Blimey, that's quick work! It's a pity that such an elegant train now has something so ugly on the front. But as people have said at the end of the day the customers of the Royal Scotsman don't care, they just want something reliable to get the train where it needs to be.

I have found the Minatur Wunderland channel to be great. Their chief engineer has a sort of diary describing the construction of various bits, and the technical aspects. It's in German of course, but they all have English subtitles.

How are the north of the central belt services routing with Queen St shut? I see you're running into central, but how do you get there? I imagine it's a pretty long diversion. Are you going to be trained up on the HSTs when they come along? I'm really looking forward to be able to ride one up to Inverness from Glasgow. Best trains ever built for Britain, on one of the most scenic routes. Win win!

I thing there was a drought at this time and a hose pipe ban. So engines couldn't be fully washed, but cab windows and windscreens had to be kept clean. Hence the fun weathering.

Love the old pics. I do think the early 90s might be the best period to model Inverness in. Lots of 37s and coaches, interesting train formations. And good liveries, no First purple or BR blue and grey.

Thanks Eddie for the info. So I guess at the X stops you have to wait for the other service to arrive. How do passengers onboard request a stop? Is there a bell like on a bus? Can I put in a cheeky request for lots of photos of the sleepers and Royal Scotsman. I went on the Royal Scotsman several years ago and keep thinking I'll get around to modelling it one day, if I can find a few cheap Bachmann Mk1 Pullmans. And I love sleeper trains, something so romantic about them (assuming they haven't been desecrated by first group purple :-p )

What do the R and X mean on the times there? Are the Scotrail sleepers still maintained at Inverness for the moment? I know the new Mk5 stock will be maintained at Polmadie and Wembley, but I wasn't sure what the arrangement is for the Mk2/3. Inverness will be a fascinating station in a few years when the Glasgow and Edinburgh trains are run by HSTs. Love the photos. One of my favourite parts of the world. Keep them coming!