|
Post by Admin Team on May 20, 2005 9:40:21 GMT
Is this included in the District route knowledge or is the movement under the guidance of a pilot? No, it's not 'outline trained' - it would be done under the direction of a conductor. On the general theme though, the media got their facts rather wrong - the Standard (well, here's a surprise!) and the Metro referred to it all as being on the 'Tube'. This is factually wrong, though of course our services were affected. The incident actually took place in the ticket hall which is operated by (I presume) First Group and therefore has nothing to do with 'us' at all! The strange part about all this is that I've seen no mention of mainline services being affected, which they must have been, other that they did not stop! What about the passengers who would have been using EBDY on their services? What happened to them? Nothing like telling the whole story.....
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 18, 2005 20:34:45 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 16, 2005 19:11:23 GMT
Greetings all,
Could I please make a small plea on behalf of those who visit here who don't have the benefit of a high speed internet connection.....
It's come to my notice that a number of posters who are using their own Avatars are linking to very large images and these can take a significant amount of time to load for those who rely on dial up or other slower connections.
If possible, could you please resize your pictures and load a small version to the web space that you're using so that this can be avoided. If you don't have access to your own webspace and are linking to another site I'd be happy to resize the image you want to use, host it on my Photobucket space and let you know the appropriate URL. If you want to do this please PM me with the current address of your chosen image and I'll resize it, post it and let you know the address for the resized image.
I hope this little service can overcome some problems!
Thanks,
Dave
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 20, 2005 9:45:26 GMT
Dave: Are chemical powder extinguishers really considered hazardous in the UK? Here in Sweden, we are thaught that they contain essentially baking powder, and while people might sneeze and get a bit runny eyes if you let off a blast in their faces, there is absolutely no danger of a more severe health hazard. I think the word I'd use is probably'undesirable' rather than hazardous, though I'll happily stand corrected on this. So far as I can recall I've only ever seen them used in small and confined spaces - hence my reference to racing cars, and I think quite a few other 'engine space' type environments too - I know they're popular amongst the boating community for automatic systems where they (again) discharge into a confined space.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 18, 2005 20:06:35 GMT
As my colleagues here will confirm, LU is replacing (at least on the stations) the water extinguishers with AFFF type.
I know that the dry powder type of extinguishers are not ideal in a confined space and I'm no expert as to the degree of 'risk' involved.
But - and perhaps I'm being simple here - surely a few people affected by inhalation of a powder irritant is preferable to many severly damaged by the effects of fire and smoke inhalation?
(Makes mental note to raise this at next fire training refresher............)
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 17, 2005 13:19:32 GMT
If your cars are fitted with some sort of central chemical extingushing system, I would be very interested in reading more about that. And I think I speak on behalf of my London Underground colleagues that we'd like to know too. I assume this is the same sort of powder system that's used in racing cars; I know it's supposed to be very effective.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 16, 2005 18:57:56 GMT
I'm truly sorry to hear of this dreadful incident and I think on behalf of all 'our' staff can say there but for the Grace of God go I (or we!).
I hope you'll keep us posted as to the investigations into the incident; as the police seem to be speculating this doesn't entirely sound like an accident.
But thankfully those involved have escaped relatively unscathed, and I hope all recover without difficulty.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on Jun 6, 2005 15:03:57 GMT
You would be AMAZED (don't mock, don't mock) at some of the goings on of all sorts that happen with public transport. Like the couple who were caught having some pokey on the ROOF of a train. ;D Not to mention the time a driver was changing ends in Hagsätra and stumbled upon a group of people making a pr0n movie in one of the cars. He was actually speechless for a moment. What - speechless and then joined in maybe? ;D
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 16, 2005 19:27:18 GMT
Come on guys - there must be more stories than this - I think this has got the potential for a fascinating thread and I, for one, want to hear more!
On a more general point, at the time those of you who did enter via this route (under whichever name it may have been at the time) what proportion of staff were recruited in this way? I realise that you won't have accurate figures, but a few 'guesstimates' would be interesting.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 16, 2005 19:24:29 GMT
However i do prefer to be on the trains though... Really? I'd never have known!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 14, 2005 21:00:57 GMT
Is it true there is about 1/2 million mice/rats on the underground? It wouldn't surprise me at all. Most times when you stand near a headwall in a tube tunnel station you'll see a few mice scampering about. You do have to keep your eyes open for them, as they're very much dust coloured - I've been told that it's not that they're dirty, but that their colouring has evolved to fit their environment. I don't know if that's true, but it sounds plausible to me! As for rats, oh yes - there's those too! There's some as big as kittens (I joke not!) and they tend to appear more on open section stations. There's a particular one who is often seen on the tracks at the departure end of Platform 2 at Earls Court. I know it's the same one as he's got half his tail missing. There used to be one at Acton Town too who was often seen wandering along the wall ajacent to Platform 1, but I haven't seen him for a while. Shame the useless git seen perching on my shoulder <<<<<<<<<---------- wouldn't be any good at chasing them - he'd run a mile!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 10, 2005 19:13:11 GMT
Indeed there is - but I have to say that I've rarely seen anything down there, apart from an occasional solitary fox!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 10, 2005 18:51:26 GMT
Ah - the foxes on the Wimbo road - there are several families between East Putney and Wimbo, but I can't remember a family at PG before! It's great seeing them this time of the year, and watching the cubs grow and get braver, though, sadly, sometimes this doesn't have a happy end I put my hands up to actually doing an emergency brake application when I've seen a youngster make a dash across the tracks. As for others..... We recently had a black and white cat turn up at Acton Town, which was promptly pampered by all the 'hard' train crew - including one driver going and buying a tin of food and the cat then bedded down on one of the drivers anoraks, but I haven't seen it for a couple of weeks, so I guess it was an opportunist visit. I did hear a tale that there was a cat on the 'payroll' at Uxbridge for 'vermin control' - I believe it was so fat and lazy that it was not replaced when it retired. IMHO every depot should have, at least, a cat - it's railway tradition.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 11, 2005 9:02:49 GMT
Thanks for that Q8!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 10, 2005 19:19:53 GMT
*Shouts* STOP!!!!
Some interesting stuff chaps, and I'm sure it's all top stuff, but can we try to come up with an answer to the question!
I think my correspondent isn't *quite* as retentive as some of us, so can we refer back to the original question?
After all, if a painting was to be produced with wrong car numbers illustrated I'd bet you'd be the first to criticise?
Refocus please?
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 10, 2005 13:00:23 GMT
I've received an email which I reproduce below.
Knowing what a knowledgeable bunch you all are I thought you might be able to help with this.
The mail reads.........
'I am doing research for a painting of a 1938 tube stock interior, set in the early 1960s. Does anyone know which TRAILER cars numbered in the 0124XX batch worked on the NORTHERN Line during that time? Help would be most appreciated.'
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 7, 2005 18:48:05 GMT
Many thanks for that rather salutory tale, and, by the sound of it, your diagnosis could well be what was behind the incident.
I wonder if any of our other readers may have any knowledge of the incident.
Responses like the one you received do nothing to either respond to the legitimate concerns that you'd raised or to reassure that it was a 'one off'.
As I'm sure you know, LU has a rigorous Drugs and Alcohol policy and it is the DMT's responsibility to assess the drivers fitness for work before booking him on. Incidentally, this policy extends to all grades in LU.
I'd very much hope that the response you'd receive to such an event these days would be much more better conceived, and I'm sure that the event was taken seriously. Probably the point the writer was really making was that it's nigh on impossible to investigate such an incident after the event. Possibly what he was meaning by the reporting of it to the time was that the station staff could have notified the Controller/Local Manager etc. and the driver could have been assessed on the spot.
Of course, it could have been that the driver was ill and was struggling to keep going at all, though if this was the case I'd have expected him to have reported the matter and, if necessary, for the train to have been taken out of service if no 'spare' could be got to him.
As for the question of the protection of the 'black sheep', I think it's fair to say that whilst some of the more 'recalcitrant' seem to get away with too much, they'd not be covered up in a situation such as this - it'd be more than the DMT's job would be worth if it came out that he'd booked the driver on whilst suspecting he was unfit to work.
Glad you still enjoy your trips around the system, and I hope you contribute more here too - it's always good to 'see' new faces.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 11, 2005 9:00:57 GMT
Whilst I take your point Q8, le's be honest - if Queen Margaret had got her way thewhole system would have been privatised, as per BR, and look what a resounding success that's been....... But on the general point I agree, of course. IMHO all public transport systems should be financed publically and there should not be a profit motive. But government (or - more correctly - taxpayers) aren't prepared to stump up the cash for these things these days, so I suppose (as Ken's ideas for bond issues never came to anything) that PPP is the least worst option?
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 7, 2005 18:56:38 GMT
I KNOW!!!
We'll send her a blank piece of paper, tell her how many trains we've got, that the residents of the other branches do too like a train every now and then, explain to her the intricacies of signalling (don't forget to slot in the occasional Circle and H&C BTW), the need for headways etc etc and let her come up with a workable system!
If she manages that, at least she'll have a career to fall back on when her parliamentary comes to an end.
If she doesn't she could still have a career in railways though..............
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 7, 2005 7:26:16 GMT
Oh it gets better! Been doing a bit of research and found this gem ( LINK) "I’ve met up with London Underground District Line Manager, Bob Thorogood and senior London Underground management to make sure they are on the case about getting more tube capacity feeding our stretch of the line to improve the service. An extra carriage on the smaller Edgeware[SIC] Road tubes is now planned. It’s a step forward, but my next aim is making sure it happens in the next few months if at all possible, rather than years. I’ll be seeing Mr Thorogood every month if I can to make sure those plans for more capacity become reality and are not forgotten or “de-prioritised”. How on earth does she expect them to add an extra car to the C stocks in "the next few months"? Even if they did manage to lengthen a C stock by some miracle, it would then have to run non-stop from High Street Ken to Edgware Road because it wouldn't fit in the platforms! Nice election promise which obviously worked, but there's no way it's gonna happen. Good for her - I'm sure Big Bob will enjoy her visits..... I'm sure he'll take great delight in saying 'nothing to do with me lady - we can only operate the trains through the stations that are provided to us under the terms of PPP - we no longer own anything or have any say in the infrastructure'. Perhaps he'll suggest that she directs her attentions towards Metronet - after all, they're the provider and I'm sure they'll be able to whip up a collection of compatible trailer cars and extend all the platforms in a few weeks. I can't wait to hear her reactions to the real world!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 6, 2005 19:02:07 GMT
If she makes the time and effort to understand how the railway works so that her suggestions are practical then indeed good luck to her. However, she does seem to be suffering a significant disadvantage, that of being an MP. ;D But that suggests that she's truly interested in the public transport system and not simply vote grabbing - surely that couldn't be the situation? I'm sure there's a number of people around the line who'd be more than happy to clarify things to her, not forgetting to mention of course that Queen margaret was a little implicated in the lack of investment that's been the problem for *several* years........
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 6, 2005 13:40:24 GMT
So they were disappointed then? Tee Hee. Quite justifiably, like it. Good - serves the little *individuals* right. I was chatting with one of our Station Supervisors yesterday and it seems BTP caught a couple of our current plague red handed ;D ;D ;D But - on the main point of the thread.... I agree with Igelkotten; essentially anything that's a bit out of the ordinary routine and helps the travelling public gain an appreciation of what it's like from 'our' side - it does help break up the repetitive nature of 'the job'.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 6, 2005 13:47:13 GMT
Circle/H&C will have six cars, District will have seven, Met will have eight. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh I see. With or without middle cabs? This is unclear, from what I've seen at least. Obviously the additional cars will be trailers, but as for the 'middle' of the trains - whether there will be such things, whether they'll be 'UNDM's as we think of them or full cabs I don't know. Of course, as soon as there is something on the topic I'll be interested to see it
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on May 6, 2005 7:36:02 GMT
Bleedin potty ain't it. They make nice new trains for various lines and then they are too long to fit the SHORTEST platforms. Where's me headache pills? I *think* there's a misinterpretation here. The intention is that there will be one generic design for the SSL's, but that the trains will be formed differently according to their intended routes. Circle/H&C will have six cars, District will have seven, Met will have eight.
|
|
|
Sites
Apr 28, 2005 20:32:20 GMT
Post by Admin Team on Apr 28, 2005 20:32:20 GMT
I wasn't aware of that resource, so thanks for the link Q8 - now added to my favourites for future use!
Now Alan, it's about time you revived your site - you could do worse than go with Trainweb - I've found them to be absolutlely brilliant.
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on Apr 28, 2005 20:27:11 GMT
Just catching up on the recent postings (not a good week workwise for 'PC' time!) and have just seen this!
Thanks for the Thanks, but I really think the way this forum has taken off is down to the contributors, and not me. OK - I had the idea I suppose, but any forum's only as good as its participants - and you're all top people!
Long may it last, and long may the quality displayed to date continue!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on Apr 23, 2005 19:32:34 GMT
Is that a solenoid or a piston? AFAIK a piston
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on Apr 23, 2005 18:37:35 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on Jun 5, 2005 15:03:06 GMT
TBH - I hate it that it asks for my age... so therefore it now thinks my age is absurd. I'd rather have a simpler board system (maybe something like phpBB), but that is my opinion. So fake your age- nobody will know: we all do at times (I bet even DD does if he has to!) I wish!! On the age thing, it doesn't display it publically (unless you want it to of course) and I've a feeling that under some US legislation it has to be submitted and that those under a certain should not be able to sign up to such boards. Not 100% sure on that - but I've a feeling I've seen it somewhere on another site (nothing to do with either ProBoards or Transport!)
|
|
|
Post by Admin Team on Jun 5, 2005 14:59:55 GMT
Although I sympahise with the points expressed, I suspect it's a matter of familiarity and that we'll get used to it quite shortly.
I don't think font sizes are something that 'we've' got any control over, but I'll have a look at the Admin functions later.
Again, I know that ProBoards isn't perfect, but it does the job, and I'm not going to start all over again elsewhere - that would REALLY p**s people off!
|
|