Nightstar, The train that never was
The original plans for English Channel Tunnel service included sleeper trains, for direct service to northern England and southern Europe. These trains were to use equipment based on the British MK-4 coaches, modified for long distance service, and for use in the 26 mile channel tunnel.
Unfortunately, skyrocketing costs and indecisive management caused the cancelation of all plans to run sleepers from Britain to Europe (for more information see this page) The British taxpayers were left with over one hundred passenger cars for which there was no use. There were no European buyers, and the only alternative was to scrap the never-used cars.
Fortunately, these cars will likely see revenue service, not in the old world, but the new. Via, Canada's long distance passenger rail company, has expressed an interest in buying the entire production run of Nightstar equipment, and tested a set of cars in the summer of 2000.
Still I wanted to see a Nightstar train in it's intended configuration, and the above animation shows what they would have looked like.
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Coach | 2 * 2 per train |
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Lounge/Service | 2 * 1 per train |
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Sleeper | 2 * 5 per train |
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Locomotive | (none actually painted this scheme) |
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