Back to the mid-1990s and an Intercity overnight service from Carlisle to Penzance. This summer-only train runs to relieve the Night Westcountryman (Edinburgh/Glasgow-Plymouth sleeper), therefore Upperby CS must mostly resort to their venerable Mark 1 coaching stock to provide the non-sleeper portion of the train. Control have, however, managed to allocate a Class 87 in place of the booked 86. Carlisle at 21:10 hrs, departure time. Hurrying down Shap in the last vestiges of daylight. The following week sees the same service in the early hours of Saturday morning. A different Upperby rake, including a Regional Railways-liveried vehicle; they must have really been scraping the barrel this time! Awaiting 0445 departure time from Bristol Temple Meads. The train has stood in platform 6 for more than 90 minutes. Hurrying through the Bristol suburbs at Parson Street Dawn breaks fully at Cogload Junction. In simulating these night trains I'm inspired mostly by childhood family adventures travelling across Europe on overnight trains from Paris, to such exciting destinations as Milano, Roma, Irun, Vienna and Berlin. The SNCF, DB and Trenitalia-operated network is greatly missed.
