BBC NightSleeper

[Michael Hodgson]

On 03/09/2024 at 11:38, Darius43 said:

Amazing how they’ve got the catenary wires to curve between the gantries…

 

Prototype for the old flat Triang catenary that you could bend to suit your first radius curves!

 

There used to be several flat crossings in the British Isles.  Others that come to mind are

• Retford (also on ECML)
• Murrow
• Pontop
• Marley Hill (Tanfield Rly)
• Limerick Junction (Rep. of Ireland)
• Bedford
• Highbridge

[Stuart A]

On 03/09/2024 at 12:01, woodenhead said:

It's a drama, not a public safety information film.

 

Do you think fans of Mission Impossible throw themselves out of the back of aircraft and free fall onto skyscrapers.

Strange you should mention Mission Impossible...

 

Helicopter in the Channel Tunnel with TGVs anyone?

 

 

[Darius43]

4 hours ago, adb968008 said:

The Cassandra Crossing comes to mind for some reason.

Now there’s a film with a believable plot…

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[timdunn]

Whilst the drama, plot and scenario may not be to all forum users’ taste, I can assure you that a highly competent and well regarded modern railway engineer (as well as iirc an IT security specialist and someone else… telecoms maybe) employed by the production company to ensure that essentially, it was feasible in both concept and final script. That engineer fed back extensively and AFAIK was very happy with the final script. By bending the rules of everything in reality just a little, a rather good production has been created, so I’m told. And railway enthusiasts/pros were involved throughout… that’s decent .

[John M Upton]

The BBC News article with the write up for it makes it sound like utter codswallop to me...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy3e4wgn2jo

 

I'll give it a try but after the hilariously bodged up train crash story in Call The Midwife a couple of years back (a complete disregard for how safety systems even in 1967 work plus a TOPS numbered BR blue O8 involved) I am not holding up much hope.

[Phil Parker]

Before this kicks off, can I just remind people this is a drama, not an Open University documentary.

 

It's also Sunday evening, so if you want to go mad, moderation will be applied.

 

Basically, if you don't like it, turn the telly off and go and do some railway modelling.

[Wheatley]

On 06/09/2024 at 16:13, Stuart A said:

Helicopter in the Channel Tunnel with TGVs anyone?

 

 

Many years ago I trained up a YTS to be an Operations Clerk, so after I'd sent her out to do some cab riding for a week with a tame Traction Inspector we did some fairly intense in-between-jobs classroom stuff. My colleague and I taught her the basics of block signalling, air brakes and train wire 4, AWS  fault codes, EBS, TIS and all that. 

 

A few weeks later her new boyfriend took her to the pictures for their first date. 

 

"How did it go ?"

"It was crap"

"Why, what on earth happened? Was he not very nice ?"

"Oh he was fine, but we went to see "Mission Impossible. You can't get a helicopter through the Channel Tunnel, the OLE is in the way". 

 

Job done then. 

 

 

[009 micro modeller]

41 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

Basically, if you don't like it, turn the telly off and go and do some railway modelling.

Surely not? (And anyway, my attempts at OLE will probably look much worse than the images from the TV show as shown earlier.)

[MJI]

I saw the first few minutes.

 

Some weird fictional train, no 92, a broken emergency stop is just not feasible.

 

Full the chain!!

 

Looks utter junk.

[Rivercider]

On 03/09/2024 at 12:09, woodenhead said:

Any action film involving a train will have the protaginists on the roof and down the side of the train at some point, there will be tunnels, bridges and any other object the director can think of for them to jump over, duck under or have to avoid - it's standard practice, almost a cliche.

I have only just found this thread.

I am surprised nobody has suggested a cliche involving a bus on a bridge!

 

Mrs Rivercider is keen to watch, but I think I will give it a miss,

 

cheers

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

Before this kicks off, can I just remind people this is a drama, not an Open University documentary.

 

It's also Sunday evening, so if you want to go mad, moderation will be applied.

 

Basically, if you don't like it, turn the telly off and go and do some railway modelling.

 

This time of a Sunday evening is wind down, watch something unchallenging then off to bed.

 

Before Nightsleeper came on, I'd watched The Doghouse, which is nice relaxing feelgood stuff, not an overblown thriller, full of preposterous situations. So I'll have a mugachoccy, and read a couple of chapters of a cozy murder mystery before climbing the wooden hill.

 

Nightnight!

 

Edited Sunday at 20:44 by Hroth

[Legend]

Well it made Motherwell look good . 
 

I think you just have to suspend belief . I couldn’t quite figure out the power car . Thought it was an HST to begin with , then pendolino .  Generally I thought it was well done . Looks like a modernish train to me .  It’s a drama not a documentary 

[Fat Controller]

On 06/09/2024 at 16:06, Michael Hodgson said:

Prototype for the old flat Triang catenary that you could bend to suit your first radius curves!

 

There used to be several flat crossings in the British Isles.  Others that come to mind are

• Retford (also on ECML)
• Murrow
• Pontop
• Marley Hill (Tanfield Rly)
• Limerick Junction (Rep. of Ireland)
• Bedford
• Highbridge

There were six on the main line to Fishguard between Llandilo Jct and Burry Port. Four were still active into   the mid 1960s

[Liam]

I caught the last few minutes as it was being broadcast then decided to watch the whole of the episode on iPlayer. 
 

It seems like they used a Transpennine 397 as the basis for the train, which is ideal as they run into Glasgow Central every day. I was also impressed to see Glasgow Central’s famous clock and the almost equally renowned voiceover lady make it in. 
 

I think the storyline, while in some way frightening to the viewer who will probably be getting on a train the following morning to go to work, is very good, but the script leaves a lot to be desired. Just seems quite bland and not really mirroring the emotions of the drama.

 

We’re only one episode in so a lot more to come. 

[SteveyDee68]

11 hours ago, Liam said:

It seems like they used a Transpennine 397 as the basis for the train, which is ideal as they run into Glasgow Central every day.

Thanks for clearing that up - I asked that question in a thread I started in Wheeltappers because in the first few minutes I saw…

 

 

Which I admit I thought was a Pendolino, rapidly followed by …

 

 

Which looked a lot (to me) like a MK4 sleeper, and likewise the interior shot of a row of sleeper cabin doors …

 

 

But, I thought, aren’t sleeper services still loco hauled rather than a pointy looking thing at the front/rear?

 

Then the credits came on …

 

 

And that clearly says Class 94. So, not being familiar with up to date trains, I Googled Class 94 and, after disregarding the LNER Class 94 0-6-0 steam loco as being highly improbable as the motive power, discovered the new Class 94 bi- (or was it tri-?) -modal locomotive…

 

 

Which, I think we can all agree, looks nothing like the engine shown at the top of this post!

 

UPDATE

Due to the late hour I posted this, I did not notice that the Google search for “Class 94” had actually provided me with a Class 93, which turns out to be tri-modal. In that case, the info screen is showing a “fictional” class 94, although I have also read (after a google search) of a planned class of loco with that number! Curiouser and curiouser!

 

Paint me confused!

 

I’m guessing there’s lots of CGI involved at some point, but even in the first episode I found myself re-watching segments trying to count the length of the train. You see, I think it imitates “The Polar Express” as I am sure that the number of coaches changes between shots!

 

But as our moderators point out, it’s a bit of lightweight fluff for a Sunday night with more twists and turns than the C&HPR.

 

As for OLE, I watched ahead and a character does attempt to get access to the loco via the roof, but only once the train is moving “off grid” where there are not any cables to cause injury*
 

Actually, other than the strangely confusing motive power, I found it all quite enjoyable!

 

Steve S

 

* Spoiler alert - things don’t go well for that particular character, but not because of OLE!!

Edited Monday at 11:23 by SteveyDee68
Class 93 not 94

[Hroth]

....

 

Oh yes, forgot that this is a drama dreamed up by luvvies, similar to that US effort about Americans seizing an Enigma machine off a sinking Uboat, thus shortening the war by years, etc.

 

....

 

(Removed contentious comment that might be taken as criticising the programme for not touching reality in any manner)

 

Edited Monday at 07:14 by Hroth

[jjb1970]

It's TV entertainment. Most movies and TV shows fall down if subjected to a thorough analysis, the key is to entertain and create an illusion that allows viewers to immerse themselves in it all without noticing technical and historic/current affair errors.

 

However,  shows touching hobby interests or professional knowledge of a viewer have a much harder job as it's much harder to not notice something you're very familiar with. If the spell is broken and viewers start noticing the stuff which makes no sense then it falls in a heap very quickly.

[Mallard60022]

12 hours ago, MJI said:

I saw the first few minutes.

 

Some weird fictional train, no 92, a broken emergency stop is just not feasible.

 

Full the chain!!

 

Looks utter junk.

The Loco was a 94!

[Mallard60022]

5 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

Thanks for clearing that up - I asked that question in a thread I started in Wheeltappers because in the first few minutes I saw…

 

 

Which I admit I thought was a Pendolino, rapidly followed by …

 

 

Which looked a lot (to me) like a MK4 sleeper, and likewise the interior shot of a row of sleeper cabin doors …

 

 

But, I thought, aren’t sleeper services still loco hauled rather than a pointy looking thing at the front/rear?

 

Then the credits came on …

 

 

And that clearly says Class 94. So, not being familiar with up to date trains, I Googled Class 94 and, after disregarding the LNER Class 94 0-6-0 steam loco as being highly improbable as the motive power, discovered the new Class 94 bi- (or was it tri-?) -modal locomotive…

 

 

Which, I think we can all agree, looks nothing like the engine shown at the top of this post!

 

Paint me confused!

 

I’m guessing there’s lots of CGI involved at some point, but even in the first episode I found myself re-watching segments trying to count the length of the train. You see, I think it imitates “The Polar Express” as I am sure that the number of coaches changes between shots!

 

But as our moderators point out, it’s a bit of lightweight fluff for a Sunday night with more twists and turns than the C&HPR.

 

As for OLE, I watched ahead and a character does attempt to get access to the loco via the roof, but only once the train is moving “off grid” where there are not any cables to cause injury*
 

Actually, other than the strangely confusing motive power, I found it all quite enjoyable!

 

Steve S

 

* Spoiler alert - things don’t go well for that particular character, but not because of OLE!!

That's a Class 93!

[RichardT]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

Oh yes, forgot that this is a drama dreamed up by luvvies

 

I suspect that you’ll find that most dramas are “dreamed up” by “luvvies”, if by that you mean people involved in the acting professions. It sort of goes with the territory…

 

Critics, of course, are also part of the acting professions, so make of this what you will: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/15/nightsleeper-review-fantastically-dreadful

 

😅

[Mallard60022]

There's more weird and howler mistakes being posted here by non 'Luvvies' then there appear to be on the actual Programme!

Life is too short and anyway, at this broadcast time, ONE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLY NUMB due to various imbibements!

Roll on next week as ICBA to use Streaming.

Phil

[37114]

My wife and I watched it, I got politely told within the first 5 minutes that factual in-accuracies were something she cared not about so please could I keep them to myself...  Having got myself into the headspace that it was fantasy and light hearted entertainment (with the odd joke at how our railways are so fragmented with FOC/TOC/ROSCO etc) I actually welcomed it as light relief after 2 days exhibiting at a show. 37714 makes a cameo appearance so if nothing else it hopefully put some cash in the coffers of the Heavy Tractor Group and the Great Central Railway.

 

[SteveyDee68]

Okay, I admit it - I streamed the whole series straight last night after posting about it (in Wheeltappers)

 

No spoilers, but it is actually full of twists and turns and is an enjoyable romp. I guess if I didn’t know anything at all about trains that I wouldn’t have noticed the anomalies.

 

Having said that, I think it was half way through episode 2 that I reckon I guessed the biggest plot twist of all*

 

Steve S

 

* Thomas - being a really useful engine - comes to the rescue at the 11th hour!

[SteveyDee68]

2 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

That's a Class 93!

 

Thanks for the clarification … now the sleep has fallen from my eyes, I realise my mistake (thanks a bunch, Google!) and have updated my original post as that last loco is, indeed, a class 93 not a class 94.

 

Still looks different from the loco at the front of the train, though!

 

Steve S

 

Edited Monday at 11:25 by SteveyDee68

[MyRule1]

Let's not forget that at the end of the day this is just another of the amateurs stuck on a bus/plane/ boat and relying on remote experts for their survival. Think Apollo 13.

 

The BBC and Euston films will want to sell it abroad so it has to attract a wide audience as such. Although with 3.3m viewers last night it may not have succeeded.

 

Unfortunately it was announced 10 days ago that all the staff of Euston films lost their jobs as the ultimate owning company, Freemantle, is closing that division of their business.