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Post by trainopd78 on Dec 18, 2023 13:11:57 GMT
Are both the 3car out working at any one time though ? In which case you keep 3 3car - two to run as a 6, the other spare ? Re 62s - you refering to Central RATs (62s) or the TRC (1960 stock) - or even both ? 73 stock is the last chance to obtain such vehicles for some time. 2 x 3 car units are used on the Picc, one out of Cockfosters, and one out of Northfields. Yes, I was referring to the 2 Central line Sandite trains, although now you come to mention it, seeing that the TRV car is a converted 73 stock that could also be a plan. Not sure if there is the money to replace those trains even when the 73TS units become available. Surely it would be prudent to keep a few trains for when conversion money does become available? Those old girls can't carry on forever as much as it pains me to say that.
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Post by trainopd78 on Dec 18, 2023 12:35:57 GMT
Once the 24ts is fully in, I wonder if the two 73ts units currently used for RAT duties will become permanently converted purely for RAT duties? We're hoping that they will adopt 2 x 6 cars plus a few spares to replace the 62s owing to their increasing age. The only reason we'd like 6 car trains on ther Picc is to make it less likely for us to 'gap' it. There are a few locations where the entire train is off juice whilst traversing pointwork. I'm sure the reality will however be the current 2 x 3 cars in use.
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Post by trainopd78 on Dec 18, 2023 12:24:22 GMT
Hi,
Sorry about the late reply, been a busy, busy season.
The 62TS Sandite trains have had the original speedometers removed. There is a battery loco style ATP system fitted which is located in the saloon. The cab has an ATP speedometer in similar style to the 92 stock which has actual speed on the top row and target speed on the bottom. If the train loses code, or the driver passes a signal/ block marker board with a 0 or no code (red signal in old money), the ATP valve opens and drops the 'Train line' air causing a full emergency Westinghouse brake application. The code does drop from time to time through no fault of the operator, hence the huge flats (especially on the 8 car) by the end of the leaf fall season.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jun 12, 2023 19:13:29 GMT
Everytime I have been involved in railing the '38, a forklift has pushed it until the 1st car is on juice. There is an air line under the platform in the museum depot to pump the train up, so we have an emergency brake whilst being railed. I allude to the air line as we were entering the shed ensuring it was well under the platform before entering.
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Post by trainopd78 on Sept 7, 2019 16:35:42 GMT
its a shame that SS will not be at the front It's a shame that the train has turned into a BR Type 1 enthusiasts special. To be fair, this weekend was priced to attract families as much as it was for the enthusiasts. Plenty of families travelled with us today and I think a good time was had by all which is what it is all about :-)
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Post by trainopd78 on Sept 6, 2019 17:39:50 GMT
Train formed and performed a test run in preperation for tomorrows run. Sarah north end - 4TC - 20142 south end
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 9, 2019 13:11:01 GMT
The lawnmower sound only occurs when Sarah is leading. The noise is from the electric vacuum exhauster required to run the vintage coaches with. When she is in air brake mode you will find there is no noise. I presume that this is a new vacuum pump, On steam on the Met 2000, the 2 vintage carriages and Met 1 were dragged by battery locos, with an airline clipped on to the stepboards... Â We were also told that Sarah did not have vacuum. They must have fitted a pump for the runs of the Ashbury / Chesham set in passenger service. Â N.B. the TC set is of course air braked. The vacuum equipment was fitted late 2012 in readiness for the lu150 celebrations. The briefing note i have is dated Dec 2012
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 8, 2019 10:57:15 GMT
This might be me just having a slightly hazy recollection of what Sarah Siddons sounds like but why did it have the sound of a lawnmower when it was out and about? The lawnmower sound only occurs when Sarah is leading. The noise is from the electric vacuum exhauster required to run the vintage coaches with. When she is in air brake mode you will find there is no noise. On a side note I feel obliged to thank our superb test engineers and everyone else on duty who quietly and efficiently pulled out all the stops to ensure Saturday could still go ahead. Its an honour to work with them all.
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Post by trainopd78 on Dec 10, 2018 8:32:13 GMT
The Ruislip Sandite train has now finished for the season and the crews are booked for other duties. All other trains are running. Im on the Cockfosters RAT this week and looking out there, most of the leaves are down or crispy on the trees so have no oils in them to cause issues, so this may be the beginning of the end for the rest?
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Post by trainopd78 on Mar 29, 2018 8:48:40 GMT
I suppose the real question is whether they are headed for Booths or RAF Spadeadam (per the rumour). Ah well, they did well and it is over 57 years since the first one rolled on to LU metals, which is good going for anything really (in service or not). MOD no longer want them so its a trip to Booths for them. Parts are being collected by various parties for further use on various other trains and of course the museum. The A stock took its path as a bit of a farewell Tour. Detonators were laid to finish its run.
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Post by trainopd78 on Oct 8, 2017 7:44:33 GMT
We've been busy with the A stock this week. We have been training the remaining Test Train operators with stock and road handling and have been performing shake down runs to ensure shes A1 for the start of the season. As a nicety we ran the train in anger for a few days working to our own timings and working around everybodys training needs so we could get some Sandite down. Neasden depot has also gone above and beyond this week to finish their training on it and putting everything in its place by working with us so it was out and about laying sandite early. Collaboration at it's best :-)
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Post by trainopd78 on Aug 21, 2017 9:25:12 GMT
A decision has now been made. The A stock RAT is destined to have one last season on the Met as the D is not quite ready.
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Post by trainopd78 on May 11, 2017 20:22:23 GMT
Most of the train operators early in the day seemed to drive conventionally, travelling slowly through stations whilst waiting the starter to clear, then accelerating normally once it did. This created some confusion amongst those on the platform. The final train op seemed to take a different approach though. She would slow on the approach to the stations, allowing the train ahead to get clear then draw in confidently and accelerating once the starter cleared, but not accelerating to full line speed so as to prevent catching up with the train in front. 96% of the station starters on the District are not approached controlled but trains if non stopping are supposed to go through 5mph if memory serves me right, most of the starters have full speed overlaps. It all depends how close the train was following another though of course. As the train was a extra one in the timetable at programme machine sites the signaller would of had to press a few extra buttons to get the signals to clear. The slow progress through the stations was done as a courtesy to all the photographers out and about. It did have the added benefit of enabling us to match the speed of the train in front 😉
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Post by trainopd78 on May 8, 2017 14:22:12 GMT
Those images captured the day perfectly. Superb job.
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Post by trainopd78 on Mar 28, 2017 13:13:42 GMT
Ive just moved one of the A stocks around neasden depot. I can confirm that the luggage racks in the trailer cars by the car end windows were not fitted with hooks. Hope this solves the mystery for you.
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Post by trainopd78 on Oct 29, 2016 11:34:37 GMT
Was the blown 35A fuse for the compressor then? It certainly was. That was the following evenings fun.
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Post by trainopd78 on Oct 29, 2016 8:45:11 GMT
Once we got back into Harrow siding it wasn't leaking at all. As the train goes along on its merry way the sandite collects on the bogies, under the floor and on the wheels inside the tyre rim. Although the train had been cleaned the day before a few lumps of old sandite had fallen from under the train between the point blades stopping the points being detected as normal or reverse. The "wet" sandite reported to us by harrow cabin was indeed days old and had no bearing on the situation but led people to believe the train was laying when in fact it wasn't. One underframe clean later and she came out to play again.
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Post by trainopd78 on Sept 1, 2016 13:33:42 GMT
The 72 mk1 is still at the Aldwych alive and well. 3329 is at the west end and 3229 is at the east end.
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Post by trainopd78 on Aug 22, 2016 13:45:35 GMT
The test the RMT are talking about never took place. Thales tried to slip the testing in between lots of other tests. My colleague spotted what was about to happen and refused to perform the test so it never took place. It was a very underhanded way that the test was put into the programme hoping we wouldn't notice and has been sent up the food chain. The test involved moving the train in ATO without any keys in or anyone monitoring the train out of the platform.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 20, 2016 6:19:40 GMT
Just because they've been delivered doesn't mean they're serviceable.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 18, 2016 10:29:54 GMT
I've got to say getting anything out of the works currently is a mission. Getting the 5 car to Ruislip with a motor out was painful. Inch and 1st notch of series was just spinning up and putting a bit of brake on whilst motoring wasn't working either. Dragged it out kicking and screaming at 1 - 2mph and coaxed her into the platform. Those rails need some serious cleaning
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 11, 2016 15:35:40 GMT
Apart from at some locations where the lights are left on due to points or other track features. The reflection of the light off the rails gives some indication of how the points are set. I'm not sure if there are direction indicators in tunnel where signalling is done by TBTC. I can imagine it being far more reassuring to have the gaps and directions etc signed by something immediate to the feature rather than sent remotely from some distant command centre. If all is working correctly, the only indication is via the TOD (train operator display). There is nothing trackside. However there are remote secure indications for use under degraded conditions but are only lit as required.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 11, 2016 14:12:34 GMT
Personally I cant see it happening. I know we're replacing those loops with beacons which means easier re-entering as the beacons are closer together than the loops, but apart from that ive been led to beleive that its more of the same. I cant wait until its first leaf fall season up on the Amersham road.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 11, 2016 6:38:32 GMT
All stocks have some sort of system of steps to leave through the front "m" door. Its the only safe way to evacuate. A ramp would have to be far too steep to be safe and fit in the small comfines of the m door.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 11, 2016 6:34:57 GMT
We also seem to have gone back to leaving them on near pointwork again too. They cannot be turned off manually once traction current is off.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 10, 2016 19:18:04 GMT
When o was road training we was only allowed to drive manually outside of the peaks between sisters and walthamstow. The braking profile offered to the driver is a lot slower than that offered to trains in ATO. Manual was a stupidly slow profile so would get in the way of trains behind in the busiest times. Im not sure of the situation now everything goes to walthamstow but its the only way other than depot working to get stock handling.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 10, 2016 19:09:07 GMT
Unfortunately the doors wont open until the tbtc signalling system tells the train its safe to open them. Thats generally 3 seconds. On a line like the district with 40 stations end to end that 120 secs minimum of lost time through door opening or to put it another way 2 tph lost!! Still thats progress i suppose.
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Post by trainopd78 on Jul 10, 2016 19:02:30 GMT
The "yellow" aspect is just a dirty signal lens.
You can overrun a signal (SPAD) in coded with the trains emergency brakes coming on as soon as you enter the next section. The ATP puts the brakes on if sitting at a red signal for a certain period (sorry cant remember the exact time - got 60 secs in my head by probably wrong) so the train wont then move until it receives a code to proceed. Theres a bit more to it but thats the basics.
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Post by trainopd78 on Sept 22, 2015 20:47:01 GMT
Sarah was in the formation to assist (push) as required and as a backup in case of the failure of either of the steam locos. Although sarah has its own ejector, it wasn't used as both steam locos created their own vacuum. Both locos created a vacuum of 21".
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Post by trainopd78 on Sept 7, 2015 18:11:35 GMT
The signalling on the Northern Line prior to TBTC is what the Piccadilly Line has now so don't see that as a problem. Only thing I can think of is the traction package of the Northern Line trains may interfere with Delta rail circuits but I'm sure the Northern still had this pre TBTC As you say, its to do with the interference with the remaining delta track circuits that the restriction is in place. Down St/ Hyde Park Corner was the main location as regards to the delta's.
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