Corridor side of Intercity-Swallow 86 226, ‘Charles Rennie Mackintosh’, unusually stabled at the Motorail Terminal in place of a class 90, probably as a result of the failure of the booked 90 prior to depature from Euston. The Sleeper service used to be worked by 86s; I remember the time when I travelled up in an Mk.II coach (yes, in these days the sleeper offered seating accommodation) and it was worked by some 86 named ‘The East Midland Courier’ which I have not seen since. Perhaps it was de-named soon after? I remembered now bumpy that ride was, which was probably why -other than the fact that EWS doesn’t have any 86/2s- they are now using class 90s instead. Scotrail saved the Sleeper service when it was close to being axed by Intercity West Coast, but at the same time they withdrew the seating accommodation which meant that I have never had another chance to travel on the Sleeper. I guess you can’t have everything.

Come to think of it, isn’t it kinda odd that the 90 doesn’t have corridor-side windows? I do remember something along the lines of a ‘central’ walkway in the 91 because of its modular design. Is this the case for the 90 as well?

Photograph by Alex Lu (lexcie@innocent.com, http://www.lexcie.zetnet.co.uk/) Motorail Terminal, Edinburgh Waverley, 1847 hours on 19 March 1999, with Jessop’s cheap ISO400.