Sleeper train on old Chalk Farm -> Camden Road link

I used to live on Chalk Farm Road in Camden right by the lock. At the
back of my flat was the freight link from the North London Link line
to the WCML where the old Chalk Farm station was.
Sometimes there would be engineering work on the now Overground line
and the odd train would run between Camden Road and South Hampsted via
this line. Otherwise it was reserved for freight.

Apart from oddly around 8am on Monday mornings when a sleeper train
would go past - from WCML to NLL.

What was that about!?!?!

> going? Did any ever terminate at Kings x?


Seems unlikely - I don't think either Sleeper would fit into the
platforms at King's Cross - they're 16-coach formations. I understand
this is one of the reasons they go from Euston, even if it means
spending an hour crossing from ECML to WCML and reversing in Willesden
yard or vice versa. As others have said, this would make the other
direction seem more likely in the morning so I'm afraid I can't
explain what you saw any further!

"Keith Raeburn" <keithraeburn@aol.com> wrote in message
news:56343d5d-1c84-4a8e-844b-20e0bb1e97da@b2g2000prf.************.com...
>
> > going? Did any ever terminate at Kings x?
>
>
> Seems unlikely - I don't think either Sleeper would fit into the
> platforms at King's Cross - they're 16-coach formations. I understand
> this is one of the reasons they go from Euston, even if it means
> spending an hour crossing from ECML to WCML and reversing in Willesden
> yard or vice versa. As others have said, this would make the other
> direction seem more likely in the morning so I'm afraid I can't
> explain what you saw any further!

For the next 8 weeks the Sunday night sleepers are booked via the ECML, and
the southbound ones will be due into Euston at 0720 (Lowlander) and 0928
(Highlander) on Monday mornings. They run up the ECML to Holloway, then via
Camden Road and Primrose Hill to somewhere near Willesden where they reverse
and run into Euston.

Peter

> They run up the ECML to Holloway, then via
> Camden Road and Primrose Hill to somewhere near Willesden where they
> reverse and run into Euston.
>

Sounds like a job for a DVT.

"allan tracy" <thunderbird57303@************> wrote in message
news:38a5e227-e3f5-4145-b561-4606639bd3d9@s21g2000prm.************.com...
>
> > They run up the ECML to Holloway, then via
> > Camden Road and Primrose Hill to somewhere near Willesden where they
> > reverse and run into Euston.
> >
>
> Sounds like a job for a DVT.

Although it sounds like it, actually it is not. The Scotrail sleepers are at
their maximum length for the platforms at Euston - to the extent that the
four seated and lounge coaches in each train have to be Mk2s - Mk3s would be
too long, so a DVT could only be added at the expense of capacity. Normal
working involves a loco to take the ECS out to Willesden/ Wembley. When the
sleepers run via the ECML this loco is attached when the train reverses, and
what was the train loco takes the ecs out of Euston.

On one famous occasion there was a possession on the ECML. It was given up
for the sleepers, but the OHLE could not be re-energised. So the sleepers
left Euston formed with an electric loco (to Willesden), 16 coaches, a
second electric loco (to Edinburgh/Glasgow), and two 67s (to Peterborough).
What I don't know is how they squared the Euston platform length issue on
that occasion.

Peter

In message <HpSdnaXSZ_O3Wx3VnZ2dnUVZ8tHinZ2d@bt.com>, at 17:35:15 on
Fri, 18 Jul 2008, Peter Masson <peter.masson1@privacy.net> remarked:
>On one famous occasion there was a possession on the ECML. It was given up
>for the sleepers, but the OHLE could not be re-energised. So the sleepers
>left Euston formed with an electric loco (to Willesden), 16 coaches, a
>second electric loco (to Edinburgh/Glasgow), and two 67s (to Peterborough).
>What I don't know is how they squared the Euston platform length issue on
>that occasion.

Why can't they run two shorter trains as a "flight", the way they used
to run a flight of two Eurostars from Waterloo?
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote
>
> Why can't they run two shorter trains as a "flight", the way they used
> to run a flight of two Eurostars from Waterloo?

The economics of the sleepers are pretty fragile. The additional locos,
drivers and guards are presumably unaffordable.

Peter

On Jul 19, 2:13 pm, Roland Perry <rol...@perry.co.uk> wrote:

> >and not a GNER livery Eurostar en route North Pole to KX ?

> Does that still exist? The "White Rose" trains were scrapped years ago.

Not *that* long ago .. true they don't runnow ... but the OP is
clearly writing in past tense without defining when, I'm trying to fit
a big train to the time of day stated..


--
Nick

"D7666" <d7666@************> wrote in message
news:5de660ac-e3e5-4ebe-bf53-6dcd6cd54f2f@8g2000hse.************.com...
> On Jul 19, 2:13 pm, Roland Perry <rol...@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> >and not a GNER livery Eurostar en route North Pole to KX ?
>
>> Does that still exist? The "White Rose" trains were scrapped years ago.
>
> Not *that* long ago .. true they don't runnow ... but the OP is
> clearly writing in past tense without defining when, I'm trying to fit
> a big train to the time of day stated..

September last year, (in his second post)...

Paul

In message
<5de660ac-e3e5-4ebe-bf53-6dcd6cd54f2f@8g2000hse.************.com>, at
13:49:37 on Sat, 19 Jul 2008, D7666 <d7666@************> remarked:
>> >and not a GNER livery Eurostar en route North Pole to KX ?
>
>> Does that still exist? The "White Rose" trains were scrapped years ago.
>
>Not *that* long ago

December 2005, I think.
--
Roland Perry