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This is an idea that I could get behind.

The Sleeper Car Is Back, And This Time It's on a Bus

There a lot of times when I travel for work that I could take advantage of such a mode of travel.

Denver to Omaha, or KC, or Dallas, Minneapolis, Even Chicago, perhaps. Get a good night sleep, pick up a rental car and head to the customer site. Then another good night sleep on the way home.

Why not train Car Transporters like the Channel tunnel shuttle over here ?

I believe there were car transporters running from London to Scotland a few years ago, never understand why they stopped.

It has to be better to drive your own car than have to arrange hire with the expense involved.

In the US, they only use car transporters on trains from NY to Florida at the start of winter and in the opposite direction at the end of winter. At one time there were more routes and options available.

Wandrin;1494937 wrote: In the US, they only use car transporters on trains from NY to Florida at the start of winter and in the opposite direction at the end of winter. At one time there were more routes and options available.


We live on a longer than it is wide island, I reckon a central main route up the spine of the country handling cargo and drive on drive off car transporters would cut congestion and pollution and work a hell of a lot better than the present road network.

Taking much of the distance travel off the main roads onto railway lines, freeing up local traffic routes.

Strategically placed rail freight depots could than distribute locally.

Wandrin;1494937 wrote: In the US, they only use car transporters on trains from NY to Florida at the start of winter and in the opposite direction at the end of winter. At one time there were more routes and options available.


It's actually from Lorton, Virginia, to Sanford, Florida.

Did that one year when we were going up to New York.

Once the novelty wears off, it is not all that interesting.

A bit of a pain to get loaded, and unloaded.

But then, driving I-95 through the Carolinas and southern Virginia is no longer at all a pleasant drive.

LarsMac;1494956 wrote:

But then, driving I-95 through the Carolinas and southern Virginia is no longer at all a pleasant drive.


I don't find many Interstate highways to be a pleasant drive. I much prefer the back roads.

Wandrin;1494961 wrote: I don't find many Interstate highways to be a pleasant drive. I much prefer the back roads.


I agree. There are some great back road drives, and when you have plenty of time on your hands, they are wonderful. When we lived back East, I had a nice route for getting from South Florida to New York. Problem was it took an extra day or so to make the trip. There were times when I had to make the trip quickly, though, and Interstate is the only way to do it.

LarsMac;1494967 wrote: I agree. There are some great back road drives, and when you have plenty of time on your hands, they are wonderful. When we lived back East, I had a nice route for getting from South Florida to New York. Problem was it took an extra day or so to make the trip. There were times when I had to make the trip quickly, though, and Interstate is the only way to do it.


These days, I just prefer to take the extra time and enjoy the trip.

Wandrin;1494985 wrote: These days, I just prefer to take the extra time and enjoy the trip.


I do, as well, whenever that is an option.

Have you ever tried driving across Pennsylvania without using the Turnpike/Interstate?

We drove from Provincetown, Mass to Cleveland, OH on US 6 once. Took 3 days to make the trip. It was great.

LarsMac;1494996 wrote: I do, as well, whenever that is an option.

Have you ever tried driving across Pennsylvania without using the Turnpike/Interstate?

We drove from Provincetown, Mass to Cleveland, OH on US 6 once. Took 3 days to make the trip. It was great.


US 6 is great fun! I got curious one day, when I saw it in the eastern Sierra in California, so I Goggled it. Just for fun, I loaded up the gear and set out from Bishop, California heading eastward (more or less). It took a couple of weeks to get to Provincetown, but I wasn't in a hurry and dawdled along the way in some of the smaller towns and forests. Just for fun, I plan to do the Lincoln Highway sometime.

For the size of the U.K., sleepers aren't really worth it. High Speed Trains can cover point to point in about 6 hours. I've driven from Southampton to Edinburgh, to Dundee & back in a day (although I was pretty knackered at the end of it). Even with flying the booking in, take off & landing takes longer than the train would take. I think Sleepers went out with the Steam Age, when the record holding Flying Scotsman was only capable of a top speed of 100 m.p.h. - and even then it would have to keep stopping for fuel & water, while the planned HS2 is expected to be up to 250 m.p.h. (leaves, or the absence of, permitting).

FourPart;1495009 wrote: Even with flying the booking in, take off & landing takes longer than the train would take. I think Sleepers went out with the Steam Age, when the record holding Flying Scotsman was only capable of a top speed of 100 m.p.h.


I travel to Scotland quite often and would only ever travel by air, road travel is a nightmare, rail travel time consuming, and while air travel has a lot of hanging about it is much faster and relaxing.

I reckon car transporters not sleeper trains and freight haulage on dedicated rail lines are the way forward.