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The Night Riviera Sleeper

Images taken of the Night Riviera 'Sleeper' service in the Taunton Area

6th July 2021
The GWR Night Riviera service calls at Taunton each weeknight in the early hours of the morning. On the 6th July 2021 GWR Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' stands at Platform 2 taking its booked stop while operating 1C50 23:45 London Paddington - Penzance service.
(Photo: Alex Barraclough)

19th June 2020
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' and No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' 'top and tail' the GWR Night Riviera sleeper stock through Norton Fitzwarren in daylight hours on Friday 19th June 2020. The stock moved operated as 5Z71 (08:30) Penzance to Reading Traincare Depot. The empty coaching stock move is pictured passing Norton Fitzwarren on the approach to Taunton just before 12:00.
(Photo: S A Ginn)

19th June 2020
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' passes Oath in top and tail formation with No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' while operating 5Z71 08:30 Penzance - Reading Depot on the 19th June 2020. The pair were moving Night Riviera 'Sleeper' coaches 10594 10601 10225 12161 17173 between depots as part of their routine maintenance.
(Photo: Paul Wilkins)

5th June 2020
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' passes Nynehead on the 5th June 2020 operating 5Z79 09:03 Reading Depot - Penzance stock move. The locomotive was used to move GWR 'Night Riviera' sleeper coaching stock to the South West with coaches 17175 12142 10219 10596 10534 10616 10612 10532 in tow. The train later failed at Lostwithiel and was rescued by classmate 57602, arriving some 330 minutes late at Penzance.
(Photo: Simon Harling)

5th June 2020
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' passes over the Somerset Levels at Oath on the 6th June 2020. The loco was hauling a rare daylight outing of empty stock from the GWR Night Rivera 'Sleeper'. The late running 5Z79 09:20 Reading - Penzance is pictured at Oath.
(Photo: Paul Wilkins)

4th November 2019
Following the failure of Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' on the previous nights 1A40 21:15 Penzance to London Paddington 'Night Riviera' sleeper service the empty sleeper stock makes an unscheduled daytime appearance on Monday 4th November 2019. GWR liveried Class 57 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' & No. 57602 'Restormel Castle' top and tail the empty stock pictured passing the former site of Creech St Michael station running as the 5Z70 10:11 Laira to Reading Traincare Depot. The stricken Sunday evening sleeper service was terminated at Plymouth with a train supply failure, where upon passengers were asked to leave their beds and were transferred on to a waiting IET No.802107 for the remainder of the journey to Paddington. | This again left Plymouth shot of a set for the first service to London Paddington in the morning resulting in both 1A72 05:53 Plymouth - London Paddington and 1A12 07:45 Paignton - London Paddington (which starts at Laira depot) being short formed of just five coaches each.
(Photo: S A Ginn)

26th October 2019
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' stands at Platfrom 2 Taunton in the early hours of the 26th October 2019. Passengers on board enjoy their cosy beds unaware of the appauling conditions outside. The 1C99 23:45 London Paddington - Penzance waits to depart to Penzance.
(Photo: Jamie Dyke)

26th October 2019
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57602 'Restormel Castle' stands at Platform 5 Taunton in the early hours of the 26th of October 2019. The locomotive was hauling the 1A40 21:48 Penzance - London Paddington 'Night Riviera' sleeper service.
(Photo: Jamie Dyke)

18th October 2019
Owing to the failure of No.57/6 No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' on the Night Riviera service from Penzance to London Paddington the previous night, GWR supplied a pair of HST powercars to tow stricken train for attention on the 18th October 2019. The 5Z70 10:35 Laira - Reading Depot passes 40 Steps, with No.43040 No. 43198 'Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947 - 5 October 1999 / Driver Stan Martin 5 June 1960 - 6 November 2004' leading No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' with Night Riviera stock 17173 12161 10225 10612 10584 10589 10590 10563 in tow.
(Photo: Jeff Treece)

22nd June 2019
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' calls at Taunton in the early hours of Saturday 22nd June 2019. The locomotive was operating the 1C99 23:50 London Paddington - Penzance 'Night Riviera' service.
(Photo: Jamie Dyke)

22nd June 2019
GWR Class 57/6 No. 57602 'Restormel Castle' calls at Taunton in the early hours of the 22nd June 2019 hauling the 1A40 21:45 Penzance - London Paddington 'Night Riviera' service.
(Photo: Jamie Dyke)

8th September 2017
The Great Western Railway 'Night Riviera' Sleeper was in trouble again on the night of the 7th/ 8th September 2017. Class 57/6 No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' departed Penzance at 21:45 with the north bound 1A40 21:45 departure to London Paddington. The locomotive started to experience problems upon departing Truro and finally made it to Exeter St Davids running 90 minutes behind schedule. An extra locomotive ( 57604 'Pendennis Castle') was attached to the rear of the south bound 1C99 23:45 London Paddington - Penzance sleeper (hauled by 57602). At Exeter 57604 'Pendennis Castle' switched trains and to haul the 1A40 to London Paddington. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' made it less than one mile before failing at Cowley Bridge Junction, where subsequently it took 2.5 hours to travel from Exeter to Taunton, where upon it's arrival at 06:30 (when the passengers should of been nearing London) the train was terminated and passengers removed from their berths. The Night Riviera remained in Taunton Station (Platform 4) until 08:05 when fitters had managed to get at least one of the locomotives well enough to travel forward to Old Oak Common. The 1A40 21:45 (Thur) Penzance - Paddington is pictured at Taunton on Friday 8th September being overtaken by the 05:09 (Fri) Plymouth - London Paddington service.
(Photo: Martin Duff)

6th February 2017
GWR were unable to operate yet another of their overnight sleeper services on the 5th/6th February 2017. As a result passengers were transferred onto a HST set from Penzance. The locomotive and sleeper stock finally decided to make an appearance during the daylight hours with Class 57/6 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' hauling the empty stock from Long Rock Depot to Old Oak Common depot ready for the next nights service. The 5Z70 09:00 Laira - Old Oak Common is seen passing Taunton at 10:55 with the empty stock Night Riviera stock in tow.
(Photo: Paul Clarke)

18th December 2016
Following the failure of the Friday night up 'Nigh Riviera' service to London GWR operated an empty stock movement. Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' operated the 5C99 08:50 Laira to Paddington with dead classmate No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' on the rear. Following the Friday night failure, No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' had been attached to the rear of the down sleeper to Penzance to provide rescue and on Saturday as far as Laira, and continuing the move to London on the 18th December 2016. No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' is seen emerging from the morning mist at Cogload.
(Photo: Brian Garrett)

4th September 2016
GWR liveried Class 57/6 No. 57605 'Totnes Castle' made an unusual daytime crossing of the Somerset levels on Sunday 4th September 2016 whilst working the 5Z70 11:20 Penzance to Royal Oak Sidings, empty coaching stock from the Night Riveria. Following the failure of the train at Penzance on the evening of Friday 3rd, both sleeper sets spent the weekend at the western end of the operation hence the required ECS move to the Capital in readiness to form the late Sunday evening opposite direction 1C99 to Penzance.
(Photo: S A Ginn)

29th August 2015
During the latest First Great Western strike the overnight sleeper from London Paddington to Penzance on the 28th/29th only operated as far as Exeter. During the early morning on the 29th August 2015, Class 57/6 No. 57602 'Restormel Castle' (The only remaining FGW Blue Class 57) returns through Cogload Junction hauling 5A40 07:33 Exeter St Davids - Old Oak Common with the empty Night Riviera stock. The 'GWR' branding and colour scheme is now progressing ready for the main launch during September. Get your last images of First Great Western colours while you still can!
(Photo: Adam Snow)

22nd July 2015
The First Great Western 'Night Riviera' Sleeper service was back up to its old tricks on the night of the 21st/22nd July when the service failed between Bodmin and Largin after departure from Penzance. The set had to be rescued by a pair of First Great Western own powercars from Laira, where the train was eventually towed to Plymouth and passengers removed from their beds and onto an HST set. Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' was the failed locomotive. In the meantime Class 57 No. 57603 'Tintagel Castle' was dispatched light engine from Old Oak Common (London) to Plymouth in order to tow the disgraced loco and stock to London. No. 57602 'Restormel Castle' passes Taunton on the 22nd July 2015 during daylight hours hauling 5Z70 11:30 Laira - Old Oak Common with No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' on the rear of the train.
(Photo: Paul Clarke)

22nd July 2015
The First Great Western 'Night Riviera' Sleeper service was back up to its old tricks on the night of the 21st/22nd July when the service failed between Bodmin and Largin after departure from Penzance. Riding on the rear of 5Z70 11:30 Laira - Old Oak Common set was the failed locomotive Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' which was also being returned to Old Oak Common for repair, and is seen here passing through Platform 4 on the 22nd July 2015 enroute to London with No. 57602 'Restormel Castle' out of sight at the front of the train.
(Photo: Paul Clarke)

3rd April 2015
First Great Western Night Riviera Sleeper services have been operating under an air of normality recently after their latest set of failures and daylight operations. On the 3rd April 2015 celebrity Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle' 'Pendennis Castle' was captured at Taunton in the early hours of the morning while working the retimed 1C99 22:33 London Paddington - Penzance 'Night Riviera' in top and tail formation with No.57303 (located on the rear of the train).
(Photo: Matthew Bar)

23rd March 2015
Sunday 22nd/ Monday 23rd March saw the First Great Western 'Sleeper Shambles' continue unabated. Barely a month goes by without this service being reported having had operational issues. Sunday 22nd March 2015 saw hire in Class 57/3 No. 57306 'Branchline Society' failed at Penzance before departure with brake defects. Passengers (expecting to sleep) were put onto a standard HST set formed of No.43174 and No. 43040 'Berry Pomeroy Castle' for their overnight journey to London Paddington. Meanwhile, the popular 'daylight empty sleepers' were finally transferred to London by means of FGW's own Class 57/6 No. 57604 'Pendennis Castle'. The normally nocturnal ensemble passing Taunton at 14:35 having had a lie-in at Penzance operating as 5Z70 10:25 Penzance to Old Oak Common.
(Photo: Paul Clarke)

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