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Post by jamesb on Jul 19, 2022 20:04:16 GMT
I apologise in advance if this is a question with an obvious answer, but what is the main purpose of the heat related speed restrictions? Is it to mitigate the impact of a train running over a track defect? Or is it to allow the driver to monitor the track ahead and brake the train in advance of a track defect? (EDIT i.e. is a buckled rail something that is quite dramatic and obvious to see in advance, so a temporary speed restriction would allow the train to be stopped before running over it)? Or is it to prevent the train from damaging the rails by hammering over them at full line speed when they are more prone to damage because they are hot?
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Post by jamesb on Jul 18, 2022 19:43:25 GMT
I noticed today that some doors on the central line seem to speed up in the heat when they close - the single leaf door I was next to almost slammed shut (conversely they shut much more slowly in cold weather). I wondered if it is something to do with the temperature affecting the pressure of air in the pneumatic closing mechanism?
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Post by jamesb on Jul 16, 2022 23:02:21 GMT
At Tottenham Court Road earlier, I was struck by the cool air as I exited the Northern line platform heading towards the Elizabeth Line. The Northern line platform was hot and stuffy, yet as I passed from the platform into the passageway it felt like somebody had opened the door of a fridge. Never mind the signs - I think I would be able to find my way to the Elizabeth Line platforms just by following the cool air!
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Post by jamesb on Jul 16, 2022 22:49:30 GMT
I wondered if the shuttle service from Epping - Leytonstone was because of a lack of trains, so at least being able to provide a relatively consistent (but limited) service on that section? The service frequency on the Epping branch east of Leytonstone would otherwise be too diluated if the few trains on that branch had to travel all the way to West Ruislip and back?
At Stratford this evening going eastbound (around 8.45pm ish) there was: 1. Hainault via Newbury Park 1 min 2. Hainault via Newbury Park 20 min
So the Hainault - Ealing Broadway service appeared to be struggling a bit as well!
EDIT - my logic is flawed, since I forgot that there were also 4 trains running West Ruislip - North Action, so potentially 8 trains would be running between Epping - West Ruislip (not 4) if it was a through service. But I assume that splitting it into 4 train shuttles still gives a better consistency/frequency vs a through service with 8 trains?
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Post by jamesb on Jul 8, 2022 21:25:18 GMT
I was working as an admin temp at Whipps Cross Hospital during my summer break from uni. I remember getting texts from my father, and then hearing a voiceover on my supervisors pager declaring a major incident. It is hard to believe that was 17 years ago. I got a lift home from my supervisor and remember seeing police officers standing outside Roding Valley station (which is quite unusual) as well as a train in the platform (presumably it had remained there since the network wide code amber alert had been issued).
The strangest part for me was getting an underground train for the first time a few days later, thinking about what it must have been like for the people who were on those trains, mixed with feeling anxious and hypervigilant.
What I also think about is how it was LU staff who were first on scene, helping people. That terrible event showed the very worst of human nature, but the very best of human nature in the aftermath.
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Post by jamesb on Jun 30, 2022 9:12:39 GMT
Do gateline staff routinely report eg a gate vaulter to Rev? I see gate vaulters exiting not infrequently whenever I visit certain stations (e.g. entrance near bus station at Stratford). According to Wikipedia, pre-pandemic, 60 million+ people entered/exited Stratford station every year. Even a tiny minority of that volume of people could be quite a lot - if they reported every perpetrator that could be a time consuming process, especially when they are long gone within seconds. I wonder if these people might occasionally get stopped in other parts of the network, e.g. during ticket inspections on the DLR?
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ATO
Jun 14, 2022 9:20:07 GMT
via mobile
Post by jamesb on Jun 14, 2022 9:20:07 GMT
I wondered if it triggers automatically if the minutes don't decrease as expected for whatever reason, e.g. the train is stationary when the signal says it can proceed? Eventually the next train indicator board will display 'the service is delayed at present'. I find it reassuring, ironically, because it at least means the signalling system is working consistently, and the delay is normally in the order of minutes! My experience of travelling on the central line as a passenger over the years is that the ATO doesn't perform very well in wet weather, with the trains stopping short or stopping between stations in the open sections (I recall somebody telling me once that it was related to the number of wheel turns not matching what the train would expect for a given distance travelled, causing the train to stop). It doesn't make a huge difference to the time it takes to complete my journey, but given rain is not uncommon, it seems a bit of design limitation (and coming to a sudden halt in wet, low adhesion conditions can't be good for the wheels!). One particular highlight is that it seems to be 'sensible' in its design, allowing trains to get quite close to one another (for example, the closest I have ever seen two moving trains allowed to get is at Woodford, when a Hainault train is crossing over onto the eastbound platform from the siding [? the siding is called 21 road] and at the same time a westbound train is entering the westbound platform - at a cautious speed. I suspect on a more modern ATO system the westbound train would be held outside the platform until the Hainault train had crossed over onto the eastbound. Another highlight from my perspective is that the LED next train indicator boards always seem accurate, and often give more accurate information then platform staff especially at times of disruption when there are last minutes changes. I also like the ability of the boards to display 'held' next to the destination although I'm not sure what triggers this. 'Held' is probably one of those things that someone at LU though was a good idea, and people who work for LU probably understand, but is b*gger all use to passengers. I've been using LU for decades, and reading these forums for many years, but I've absolutely no idea what 'Held' means in the context of a train describer. Obviously it means that the train is not moving, but what else? The only thing that I can think of that makes any sense is that a train is stopped at some point where other trains can and are passing it. But is that of any help or interest to passengers?
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Post by jamesb on Jun 14, 2022 8:25:19 GMT
My experience of travelling on the central line as a passenger over the years is that the ATO doesn't perform very well in wet weather, with the trains stopping short or stopping between stations in the open sections (I recall somebody telling me once that it was related to the number of wheel turns not matching what the train would expect for a given distance travelled, causing the train to stop). It doesn't make a huge difference to the time it takes to complete my journey, but given rain is not uncommon, it seems a bit of design limitation (and coming to a sudden halt in wet, low adhesion conditions can't be good for the wheels!).
One particular highlight is that it seems to be 'sensible' in its design, allowing trains to get quite close to one another (for example, the closest I have ever seen two moving trains allowed to get is at Woodford, when a Hainault train is crossing over onto the eastbound platform from the siding [? the siding is called 21 road] and at the same time a westbound train is entering the westbound platform - at a cautious speed. I suspect on a more modern ATO system the westbound train would be held outside the platform until the Hainault train had crossed over onto the eastbound.
Another highlight from my perspective is that the LED next train indicator boards always seem accurate, and often give more accurate information then platform staff especially at times of disruption when there are last minutes changes. I also like the ability of the boards to display 'held' next to the destination although I'm not sure what triggers this.
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Post by jamesb on Apr 14, 2022 16:44:51 GMT
So if there are ?59 S8 trains, and 31 'good' trains, that would suggest that almost half the S8 fleet passed through the wheel lathe in question in a short space of time, assuming the problem was spotted quickly.
How often do trains get their wheels adjusted? I guess with the intensity of use, and current track infrastructure, it is quite often!
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Post by jamesb on Apr 11, 2022 16:48:09 GMT
What is the purpose of the wheel lathe? Is it a case of keeping the wheels 'round' if they have become flat, or is the process a bit more complex? I am guessing that if the wheels have ended up becoming too small, they would have to be scrapped? Presumably the service will gradually improve over the 6 weeks once trains start being repaired and come back in service? Not necessarily. The issue is reported (see upthread) as due to wheelsets recently on the Neasden depot wheel lathe. If - and I see no evidence either way nor do I imply any - the issue lies with the lathe itself, that may take longer to resolve. For example, if it is simply incorrect lathe settings have been used during turning, this might be resolvable by another turning. But, if the lathe itself is somehow faulty, and out of action, that will take a while to sort. They are very special purpose machines. Or, another possibilty is the turning that has been done so far may not allow another turning to fix it and the wheelset is scrap, and on hand stock levels of new wheesets probably do not match the quantity of out of service units. Sure, there are other wheel lathes at Upminster and Ealing Common, but then it is down to getting wheelsets or complete S8 to those depots. I've visited all three lathes, AFAIK there is no restriction on S7 or S8 at any location's lathe, although, obviously, there are operational issues with getting S8 to\from EalingCommon and Upminster. OTH one possibility is that a "stop" or whatever the right term is has been placed on all units that visited neasden within a certain time frame, and these need to be assessed; some might be able to run after inspection. Which brings them back quickly. Without more detailed info, hard to predict right now, we are just guessing.
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Post by jamesb on Mar 26, 2022 21:19:42 GMT
The photo looks great and I'm sure that lots of thought has gone into the best way to design the modifications. I guess a limiting factor is the diameter of the train, and that can't be changed. The objective of adding wheelchair bays has been achieved.
As a secondary issue, there don't appear to be any folding perch seats (? is that a cost reduction), so are the flat 'mini table' like ledges each side of the PEA tower designed to be perched on? The overhead apparatus (red railing and the panels to support the LED) looks a bit tight / close to where your head might be if you were leaning or perching.
Will the fluorescent tubes above the advertising posters/windows remain?
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Post by jamesb on Feb 2, 2022 20:20:23 GMT
I was wondering about a malfunctioning Saloon Vent system flap. The one that swaps between fresh air and recirc, assuming the 92TS system has them of course which I vaguely recall it may do. I also wondered that, I think that a fan draws air from outside to blow out of the vents behind the seats. It just didn't seem like a noisy fan, unless it was a fan trying to start continuously.
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Post by jamesb on Feb 1, 2022 21:55:23 GMT
Did you tell the driver? Unusual noises under trains are treated very seriously. No I didn't because the train left the station before I got to the front. Also, the train appeared to be running normally, I couldn't perceive any vibrations from where I was sitting, and there were no unusual smells. I also couldn't be certain that the sound was coming from under the train because it seemed to be at the other end of the carriage. In that situation, as a passenger, I didn't really know what to do, to be honest. I did report the train and carriage number after the event though.
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Post by jamesb on Feb 1, 2022 19:10:18 GMT
(Please forgive me - I posted this earlier and in my attempt to embed the video accidently deleted my post, so am re-posting)
Yesterday, each time the train slowed down there was an intermittent strange noise as shown in the video below. It seemed to increase in intensity as the train slowed to a complete stop, and did not restart until the train start to brake again. At all other times the train sounded completely normal and there were no unusual smells etc.
What could the noise have been?
(EDIT: The strange sound was reported officially to TfL)
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Post by jamesb on Nov 11, 2021 15:49:18 GMT
Does leaning forward to reach the door close buttons also result in the eyes moving closer to the OPO CCTV, or draw attention to them? If so, could using a stick make it more likely to miss something on the cameras?
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Post by jamesb on Sept 25, 2021 22:26:35 GMT
"Central Line: NO SERVICE between Queensway and Marble Arch and SEVERE DELAYS on the rest of the line while we fix a signal failure at Queensway. Tickets are being accepted on local buses and Greater Anglia services. No service between Queensway and Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip due to planned engineering work."
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Post by jamesb on Sept 20, 2021 21:30:29 GMT
I went along this afternoon - the stations are very impressive and it was so uplifting to see something so positive, especially local people looking excited. There was a real buzz.
On my way there, I was slightly confused at Kennington - to work out what platform and train to catch, but that might just be me!
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Post by jamesb on Apr 5, 2021 22:48:08 GMT
The letters seem much brighter. They also display up to 4 trains. However, I haven't seen them display ** train approaching ** or ** mind the doors ** automatically like the old ones did?
They seem a bit sluggish compared to the old ones - even after the train has left it takes a bit longer for it to clear.
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Post by jamesb on Jul 13, 2020 22:15:37 GMT
It felt like a unfortunate culmination of circumstances, rather than anyone not doing what they should have. Two people dispatching a train without communicating with each other (one says stop, the other says go) seemed like a factor- as you said, one may have obstructed the other, which makes sense since one was considerably taller than the other.
It is frustrating to watch something happening in front of you, knowing that the train is about to move when (for whatever reason) it shouldn't, and feeling powerless to do anything about it!
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Post by jamesb on Jul 13, 2020 21:06:30 GMT
I observed a terminating train getting taken out of service today.
There were two members of staff using the porter buttons to close the doors, one working from the back towards the front, and one working from the middle towards the front.
The staff member closing the rear carriage doors reached the middle, and was called back to one of the rear carriages by a customer on the platform. In response, the member of staff stood facing the driver continuously waving her arms above her head.
In the meantime, the member of staff closing up the front half reached the first carriage and held one arm up briefly and turned to walk to towards the rear of the platform. As soon as he turned, he saw the member of staff waving her arms, and said "no no no no", briefly waved his arm, and the train pulled away.
When the train was about 1/3 out of the platform, the member of staff at the back gave up and stopped waving her arms.
(I think) that someone had left a personal belonging in the train. There was no harm done. And I'm not criticising anyone. But it did make me think of the role of station assistants and how important a seemingly mundane and repetitive task can be - especially when 99% of the time nothing happens.
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Post by jamesb on Mar 6, 2020 17:18:58 GMT
"Minor delays between Leytonstone and Epping / Woodford via Hainault and between White City and Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip due to operational restrictions"
I was wondering what operational restrictions means - is that another way of saying there is a shortage of available train operators?
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Post by jamesb on Jan 27, 2020 22:14:00 GMT
I didn't notice any difference today. I got the normal through train from Roding Valley just after 8am this morning, and got an 8 car Hainault train from Woodford at 8.30pm this evening.
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Post by jamesb on Jan 25, 2020 20:23:48 GMT
There were some signs at Hainault today, I couldn't quite read them but they looked like 'please move along the platform for Woodford train'.
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Post by jamesb on Nov 18, 2019 2:26:42 GMT
It could be a matter of semantics but I wonder why "good service" was chosen as the term to display on indicator boards when there are no delays.
I often think that the service is good, but that is my decision to make, I shouldn't be told that it is good. I can decide if it's good myself... If a train is cancelled, or there is a temporary hold-up, there might be a delay, which I wouldn't describe as a good thing.
Normal service would be a bit more neutral.
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Post by jamesb on Oct 30, 2019 20:51:57 GMT
With my crystal commuter ball, I don't see this going down very well, but I could be wrong. The plan seems to assume that everything will run like clockwork, and no trains will be cancelled etc. In reality, that isn't the case.
It is a step backwards, rather than a step forwards even it is is a temporary one.
More people use Woodford - Hainault than ever, albeit clustered around a few specific times. We were encouraged to do so, when Roding Valley et Co. was re-zoned into zone 4. It resulted in my street and many surrounding streets having parking restrictions, because commuters were parking there to benefit from a lower season ticket price for starting their journey's in zone 4. Probably more than touch in and out (travelcards, season tickets etc.)
Nobody who actually uses the service seems to know anything about the impending change, at least from my casual conversations at RV. The trains will stop generally the other end from the entrance to the platform, the trains from Woodford westbound are very busy anyway, it is inevitable that one of the 4 car trains will become defective at some point, and at very specific times Woodford in the morning peak will become even busier.
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Post by jamesb on Oct 28, 2019 23:04:32 GMT
At the present people travelling in the peaks from Chigwell and GH to London get an inner rail train if they're in a hurry and/or don't mind standing on an already overloaded train at Woodford. If they're not pressed for time and/or like a seat, they take an outer rail through train. The latter option will disappear. Won't that just mean the "main line" trains will get even more overloaded at Woodford? A few questions: - At Roding Valley, the entrance to the inner rail (Woodford-bound) platform is near the back of the train, in the covered part of the station. Would the four car trains draw up to the signal at the front end of the platform? If it is raining, snowing etc. that isn't ideal. - How many four car trains would be required to run the shuttle service? - If one of the four car trains becomes defective, unlike the present situation (where different trains run to Woodford via Hainault, or London via Hainault on the outer rail), would the Hainault - Woodford service be disrupted for a longer period - since it wouldn't just be an isolated gap)?
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Post by jamesb on Oct 27, 2019 22:17:32 GMT
Will there still be 3tph between Woodford and Hainault?
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Post by jamesb on Aug 22, 2019 21:39:56 GMT
At Stratford the train seems to have a bit of a 'kick' when it pulls out... its hard to explain it!
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Post by jamesb on Aug 22, 2019 20:43:16 GMT
I have noticed that sometimes when a train starts to pull out of a station, it sometimes starts with a bit of a jerk, rather then a smooth start... Also, if a train is trying to attain a low speed, when the motors cut out, it tends to jerk a bit.
Is this something to do with the gear boxes on these trains?
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Post by jamesb on Jul 9, 2019 6:15:47 GMT
There have been a lot of signal failures at Kennington recently - with prolonged suspensions several times over the last few days. Again this morning...
Is it the same fault that keeps re-occurring?
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