Derby Sleepers
All of our sleepers are green tanalised treated, which is a treatment that ensures a deep penetration of the wood preservative into the timber cells. This provides long-lasting protection against fungal decay, insect attack and rotting caused by water for up to 15 years. The Honorable George Lambton, fifth son of the Earl of Durham and trainer of the Earl of Derby's horses, was 'frightfully annoyed' last week. He summoned the Press to explain his.
Our furthest and highest travelled railway sleepers
Furthest travelled railway sleepers... ANTARCTIC, AUSTRALIA, AMERICA, NORWAY, DUBAI, THE FALKLANDS, JOHN O'GROATS,Highest travelled railway sleepers... MOUNT SNOWDON, HIMALAYA'S (well, tenuous connection!)
Unusual destinations for our railway sleepers
SEWAGE WORKS, ARMY EXPLOSIVES CENTRE, BROADMOOR, BARBICAN, BLACKPOOL TOWER, HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY, EDEN PROJECT, GLASTONBURY, LEEDS, LATITUDE & READING FESTIVALS, LONDON O2 ARENA, SCOTTISH OIL RIG, BELVOIR CASTLE, LONDON, CHESTER & WHIPSNADE ZOOS, LONDON, DERBY & NOTTINGHAM THEATRES, 10 DOWNING ST., RAF BASES, WIND TURBINE, SOLAR PANEL FARMS, ARMY ASSAULT COURSES, MILITARY RIFLE RANGE, INSTALLATION ARTISTS,
Normal destinations for our railway sleepers
SCHOOLS, PLAY AREAS, UNIVERSITIES, COUNCILS, GOLF COURSES, FURNITURE MAKERS, LANDSCAPERS, GARDEN CENTRES, NEW HOUSE DEVELOPMENTS, GARDENERS, PUBS, COUNTRY PARKS,
Curious usages for our railway sleepers
Curious usages... SUBMARINE SUPPORT, ELEPHANT, RHINO & GIRAFFE ENCLOSURES, SEATS FOR FOOTBALL STADIUM, TOTEM POLE, GOAT HOUSE, CRICKET STUMPS, SHIPPING DECK, APPLE I-PHONE CAMPAIGN, SKATE BOARD PARK, BEACH VOLLEY BALL, BOULES COURT, BOWLS CLUB, GREYHOUND STADIUM, RESTAURANT TOILETS, RIFLE RANGE, GLASTONBURY CIRCUS ACT,
Celebrity railway sleeper addicts
Celebrity railway sleeper addicts... BRAD PITT, BIG BROTHER, BLUE PETER, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTABURY, WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, TROY, SHERLOCK HOLMES, SNOW WHITE & THE HUNSTSMAN, GILLIVERS TRAVELS, TULIP FEVER, TIME TEAM, GROUNDFORCE, GARDEN RESCUE, GRAND DESIGNS, DEMOLITION DAY, GARDEN INVADERS, 60 MINUTE MAKEOVER, LES MISERABLES, 10 DOWNING ST, CONSERVATIVE PARTY, KEW GARDENS, WINDSOR CASTLE, BBC PEBBLE MILL, ITV, CHANNEL 4, PINEWOOD STUDIOS, WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN, DIARMUID GAVIN, ALAN TITCHMARSH, CHARLIE DIMMOCK, SARAH BEENY, CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW, NATIONAL TRUST, LONDON OLYMPICS (BEACH VOLLEY BALL), LONDON & NOTTINGHAM EYE, ARSENAL & FULHAM FOOTBALL CLUBS, SUPERDRY, JCB, ALTON TOWERS, NATIONAL WATERSPORTS CENTRE, RED BULL EUROPEAN BIKE CHALLENGE,
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE!
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| British Rail Sleeper Either Class | |
|---|---|
| In service | 1982– |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Built at | Derby Litchurch Lane Works |
| Family name | British Rail Mark 3 |
| Constructed | 1981–1984 |
| Number built | 208 (120 SLEP, 88 SLE) |
| Fleet numbers | SLEP: 10500–10619, SLE: 10646–10733 |
| Capacity | SLEP: 12–24 beds (12 compartments), SLE: 13–26 beds (13 compartments) |
| Operator(s) | Great Western Railway |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 75 ft 0 in (22.86 m) |
| Maximum speed | 125 mph (200 km/h) |
| Weight | 43 t (42 long tons; 47 short tons) |
| Train heating | Electric heating (ETH index SLEP: 7, SLE: 6), air conditioned, electric cooking |
| Bogies | BT10 |
| Braking system(s) | Air |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
A Sleeper Either class (SLE) and Sleeper Either class with Pantry (SLEP) are a type of railway sleeping car used in Great Britain. Some units were later modified for better wheelchair access as Sleeper Either class Disabled (SLED). A smaller number reused in Denmark were classified as WLABr.[1]
A total of 208 vehicles were built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works by British Rail Engineering Limited between 1982–1984 to the British Rail Mark 3A profile for British Rail. They were introduced to replace an ageing fleet of Mark 1 sleeper cars built to various designs and which dated from the late 1950s to early 1960s. The order consisted of 88 SLE variants, numbered 10646–10733, were constructed with thirteen bedrooms each, and 120 SLEP variants, numbered 10500–10619 constructed with twelve bedrooms with the last compartment used for an attendant. The Mark 3 air-conditioned sleeping cars were introduced including many additional safety features that had been lacking in the Mark 1 carriages that had caught fire at Taunton.[2] The Night Riviera stock was the first on the route fitted with controlled emission toilets.[3]
As of October 2019, the only mainline operator of this type of carriages are Great Western Railway on the Night Riviera, whose fleet was refurbished in 2017.[4]
With the decline of overnight sleeper services in the United Kingdom shortly after their introduction at the end of the 1980s,[5] many of the carriages later were moved to heritage railways to provide sleeping accommodation for heritage staff and volunteers.
Service[edit]
Mk3 sleeper vehicles remain in use on the Great Western Railway's Night Riviera from London Paddington to Penzance in Cornwall. All Night Riviera sleeper carriages have been refurbished, and feature keycard locks, new lighting, a wardrobe and under-bed storage. SLED vehicles, with disabled-accessible berth and toilet, were also added.[6]
The various Scottish services continue to depart from London Euston for final destinations at Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William, but the Caledonian Sleeper Mark 3 sleeper sets were withdrawn in October 2019.
Between 1988–1998, ten SLE carriages were leased to Danish State Railways (DSB) for use in Denmark.[7] This lease came to an end following the opening of the Great Belt Fixed Link combined bridge and tunnel. During this time, the vehicles were classified as WLABr and each carried a UIC number.[8]
Five former Caledonian Sleeper vehicles, now owned by Eastern Rail Services, are on lease to Network Rail for use on their Ultrasonic Test Unit, having been fitted with blue-star 27-way through wiring to enable push-pull working.[9]
Preservation[edit]
Following the withdrawal of many overnight sleeper services in the late-1980s, many Mark 3 SLEP sleeper carriages were obtained by heritage railways in order to provide sleeping accommodation for heritage staff and volunteers.[10] In 2019, some of the former Caledonian Sleeper carriages were preserved.[11][12][13]
As of 2020 there were 1 SLED, 15 SLEs and 33 SLEPs in preservation at heritage railways. Since 2016, a sleeper repatriated from Denmark has been operated as a static hostel for members of the public by the Telford Steam Railway.[14]
Kentucky Derby Sleepers
References[edit]
- ^'DSB litra WLABr. Oversigt over samtlige vogne'. www.jernbanen.dk. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^'Night Riviera cuts sleeper travel costs'. Modern Railways. Ian Allan Publishing (420): 454. 1983. ISSN0026-8356.
- ^Abbott, James (1983). 'Controlled emission toilets'. Modern Railways. Ian Allan Publishing (421): 554. ISSN0026-8356.
- ^Our new Night Rivera sleeper
- ^Hidden Europe: Cross-Channel rail services
- ^'New Night Riviera Sleeper Trains Great Western Railway'. www.gwr.com.
- ^Esbjerg DSB sleeping cars including ex BR Mk3 sleeper 13th Aug 92 C17899e
- ^'Exiled Mk 3 'sleepers' return home after ten years in Denmark'. RAIL. No. 346. EMAP Apex Publications. 16–29 December 1998. p. 13. ISSN0953-4563. OCLC49953699.
- ^Network Rail hires former Caledonian Sleeper coaches, January 2020
- ^Mk 3a Convertible Sleeper
- ^Retired Caledonian Sleeper carriage joins historic predecessors at rail heritage exhibit
- ^Ribbon cut on new railway workshop in Wirksworth
- ^New home for old carriages
- ^https://telfordsteamrailway.co.uk/coming-soon-sleeper-coach-available-for-overnight-stays/