Problems with the Night Riviera sleeper - December 2014 onwards

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

..........a few problems on the sleepers over the last few days I understand?

[bobm]

Unusual one last night on the up.  Service was topped and tailed with two locos but the wrong one was at the front apparently.  Multiple shunt moves at Truro to put it right which took 80 minutes and delayed the following Cross Country Service by over an hour.

Sleeper recovered most of its lost time by the time it reached London.

[TaplowGreen]

Unusual one last night on the up.  Service was topped and tailed with two locos but the wrong one was at the front apparently.  Multiple shunt moves at Truro to put it right which took 80 minutes and delayed the following Cross Country Service by over an hour.

Sleeper recovered most of its lost time by the time it reached London.

Excuse my loco ignorance, but aren't they both the same?

[LiskeardRich]

Unusual one last night on the up.  Service was topped and tailed with two locos but the wrong one was at the front apparently.  Multiple shunt moves at Truro to put it right which took 80 minutes and delayed the following Cross Country Service by over an hour.

Sleeper recovered most of its lost time by the time it reached London.

Excuse my loco ignorance, but aren't they both the same?

Yes they are the same when they work, except the one that failed the night before was at the front instead of the back where it should of been as a poorly loco.
I am on the down every morning this week from Liskeard to Truro. Tuesday morning down had 57603 on the front and 57303 on the back - 57303 had a reportedly poorly compressor. The down lost 30 mins between Plymouth and Penzance against timetable despite a lot of padding on Tuesday morning. I suspect both 57303 and 57603 were poorly.
57604 this mornings down was 5 early arriving in Truro.

[broadgage]

Unusual one last night on the up.  Service was topped and tailed with two locos but the wrong one was at the front apparently.  Multiple shunt moves at Truro to put it right which took 80 minutes and delayed the following Cross Country Service by over an hour.

Sleeper recovered most of its lost time by the time it reached London.

Excuse my loco ignorance, but aren't they both the same?

If both are in full working order and are of a suitable type, then yes they are the same and it matters not which one is which end.
In practice though a variety of faults and failures can render a loco available to assist in moving the train, but unfit to be at the front.
Examples include defective headlight, damaged windscreen, TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) not working, radio not working, and in cold weather cab heater not working.
In other cases a sick but not yet dead loco might be attached at the rear in order to provide ETS^▸ (Electric Train Supply) (electric train supply for heating, cooling, lighting etc) The train can then be hauled by loco at the front, perhaps a freight engine not equipped to supply ETS.

Various other permutations exist. In many cases, both locos may be at the front, but due to a defect on one they have to be in the right order.

[TonyK]

Fascinating, broadgage. You wouldn't fly a plane with a lot wrong, but a loco can be barely alive, yet A1 fit for service!

Actually, I have flown an aircraft with duff lights - acceptable except for the fin beacon if the flight is in daylight - and with a faulty nav radio - I found my way by looking out of the window. In both cases, it was straight into the hangar after landing. Is there no-one to mend locos?

[LiskeardRich]

On the Tuesday morning down 57603/303 there was what looked like a (mechanic???). A man with overalls and a high vis GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) jacket kept walking through the train.

[bobm]

Officially known as a "fitter" 

[TaplowGreen]

.......carrying a ball of string, a roll of gaffer tape and Trigger's broom!

[broadgage]

.......carrying a ball of string, a roll of gaffer tape and Trigger's broom!

Not forgetting the quick setting epoxy adhesive, the cable ties and some galvanised iron wire !

[IndustryInsider]

And, more commonly these days, a laptop computer for diagnostic checks.  Though that probably wouldn't be the case for a Class 57!

[patch38]

From what I have read on these pages over the years it would seem that the Jeremy Clarkson fix-all - a large hammer - would be most appropriate for 57s.

[LiskeardRich]

57303 was on the rear of the down this morning, 57605 leading.
57605s first outing since spewing most of its fluids over the line near Westbury
I guess on the balance of probability between the two of them they'd make it!

[TaplowGreen]

Well the down sleeper has fallen over again......didn't leave Paddington until 0311 and is terminating at Plymouth.

[LiskeardRich]

Well the down sleeper has fallen over again......didn't leave Paddington until 0311 and is terminating at Plymouth.

It's now showing as running to Penzance only stopping at Truro after Plymouth. Currently 195 late. Expected into Penzance at 1118!
No good for me getting to work though.