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Post by Chris M on Mar 1, 2024 2:40:54 GMT
The whole London Underground network is only 402 km (250 miles) long ( Source). Do you really think they could replace all of that (most of it twice!) in three months? Without any major shutdowns? With their current financial position?
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Post by Chris M on Mar 1, 2024 2:16:51 GMT
There is now a February 2024 map online, this is a very minor update so it's not worth starting a new thread to list the changes since December:
The Love the Tube 160th roundel is replaced by the standard Underground one (I suspect this is the entire reason for the new edition).
The watermark on the right of the map moves north east significantly - previously the Goblin passed between "Transport" and "for", "Transport" now beings north-east of the line (the Romford-Upminster line passed between "December" and "2023", it now passes between "London" and "February".
The map code format changes significantly - December: 3149092-A01, February: TfL 0011.02.24 as the new code is longer, the width of the key to symbols box is extended slightly.
The advert for Santander Cycles is replaced by one for the TfL Go app, which does not encroach on the map area.
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Post by Chris M on Mar 1, 2024 2:14:41 GMT
I realised I never got around to doing a detailed list of changes between the October and December digital maps: Brent Cross West added to map, Cricklewood moves down to accommodate Kentish Town struck through Bermondsey gains a blue dagger, the label moves from below-left to below the blob to remain wholly within the zone 2 shading Edmonton Green loses the double arrow Catford and St Mary Cray become step-free to platform (previously not step-free) All Heathrow stations gain a dagger. The Terminal 5 label was previously centred below the connector between XR and LU stations, now centred below the LU station. The Terminal 4 label was previously centred below the LU station, the H of Heathrow is now centred in that spot. The label for Shenfield moves from being above to above left of the blob. The watermark on the right of the map is reduced in size by a couple of text sizes to that the two London Overground lines both pass through word boundaries.
Map code moves left to be closer to the date.
The advert below the map (for Santander Cycles) encroaches onto the map frame for the first time, but no changes to any lines or labels are required.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 25, 2024 23:44:22 GMT
Think the locations are transposed in the answers. They were, but I've just corrected it and will adjust the answer file if necessary so it doesn't propagate to the next time we have another question with this combination of images.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 24, 2024 8:06:44 GMT
Location B: Hounslow West - east end of westbound in October 2008 [Chris M] (click for a larger version)
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Post by Chris M on Feb 22, 2024 17:49:40 GMT
Main photograph: Between Canal Junction and New Cross Gate - flyover from train towards London Bridge on northbound fast in June 2021 [Chris M] (click for a larger version)
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Post by Chris M on Feb 22, 2024 17:47:33 GMT
Sorry for the delay, it seems that the files just didn't upload when I asked them to for some reason. Anyway, they are available now (you might need to refresh this page to see them).
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Post by Chris M on Feb 21, 2024 23:01:02 GMT
B is an SSL station but it isn't Edgware Road. The image has not been modified.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 21, 2024 4:29:19 GMT
The two parties (customer and manufacturer) will have agreed a delivery schedule for test train(s) and production trains, but I expect that the choice of when to manufacture them is entirely the manufacturer's. The customer will only make the final payments for the train once the agreed acceptance criteria are met, and so it's not generally going to be financially relevant to them whether the trains are modified post-production line or not (unless there are significant differences in life expectancy and/or maintenance requirements).
Whoever makes the decision, it will include consideration of the likelihood and likely significance of required hardware modifications. My guess is that the DLR's much more modern, relatively compact, relatively homogenous network was seen as having a lower risk of this than the Piccadilly line. The differences from the manufacturer's platform (and how established that platform is) will also make a difference.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 20, 2024 23:59:50 GMT
Assuming the design of step-free access is similar to that which was originally planned (illustrated in Ianvisits' article) then this will help congestion on the stairs slightly as some people (especially some of those who are likely to be slower) will take the left instead of stairs increasing their capacity a bit. Adding a second set of stairs to the new footbridge would help even more, but I'm struggling to see how this could be done easily/cheaply. I am not familiar enough with the station to know where the bottleneck is, but I'd be surprised if the scope of the works was greater than rearranging the layout of the ticket hall interior (e.g. number and position of gates). I can't see any obvious way to increase the capacity of the pavement outside without significant changes to the road, which will definitely not be part of this project - especially as this isn't a TfL road so the project would need (at minimum) significant involvement from Ealing council. Thinking long term, the best way to improve capacity would probably be to do something like North Ealing and build a new station building at 90° to the current one to the side of the railway. This would not come cheap, obviously, but I have no idea what value for money calculations would look like.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 20, 2024 4:56:26 GMT
It could also have been the train losing the pilot light, for example due to people leaning on the doors.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 20, 2024 4:54:20 GMT
I think it's pretty much guaranteed that if the next mayor is not Sadiq Khan that the project will be reconsidered. How seriously, and what the outcome of that consideration would be is anyone's guess (and would anyway depend on which candidate was elected). It is also not impossible (although I think unlikely) that the scheme could be quietly dropped even if Khan does get reelected. As the saying goes, a week is a long time in politics and there is a lot more than a week between now and the Autumn.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 20, 2024 4:44:28 GMT
Have you changed a suspended platform sign? Have you replaced an escalator? Have you carried out engineering works in a confined space, below ground, adjacent to a live railway line? Have you been in charge of planning the schedule for a complex project that had to be replanned part-way through because assets were found to be in significantly worse condition than was apparent from the checks that can be done without intrusive works? If the answer to any of those is no, then you have no basis on which to doubt the competence or truthfulness of those who have.
Nobody is disputing that the extended closure will be disruptive, however an extra ~2 months closure now will have been determined to be either unavoidable (i.e. it would not be safe to reopen the station before the work is complete) and/or less disruptive than doing the work at a different time (for example doing it later may require three or more months of closure). It is all-but guaranteed that doing the work now will be cheaper than doing it later (or, in the longer-term, not doing it at all), and given that the majority of TfL's income comes from fares, this means lower fares and better value for you.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 19, 2024 12:36:45 GMT
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Post by Chris M on Feb 19, 2024 11:19:25 GMT
You should try changing a suspended platform sign between the last and first train. It ain't easy. Sign in with Station Supervisor. Get zip up scaffold, tools and sign to platform. Wait for Protection Master to confirm the traction current is off. Erect scaffold. Isolate and disconnect power supplies to sign (if necessary). Remove old sign and lower to floor. Lift new sign into position and secure. Reconnect power supplies (if necessary). Remove everything from platform. Confirm completion to Protection Master. Sign out with Station Supervisor. In addition to that, I suspect that the signs are a lot heavier than a casual glance might suspect - as the faces of the sign are enamelled metal and the gray edging is also metal (I had assumed the latter was plastic or rubber). It's also plausible that the signs are larger than you think as well, as this is common for objects you only ever see from a distance.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 19, 2024 11:07:43 GMT
Sorry for this not being posted yesterday. I made a typo in the filename and wasn't around to spot the message Colin left me about it. (click for a larger version)
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Post by Chris M on Feb 15, 2024 14:41:52 GMT
They can discuss it all they like, but unless they can find some money from somewhere then nothing is going to happen. Something like a Watford to Amersham or Chesham service wouldn't require major new infrastructure or driver training, but would be operationally convenient? Are paths available? Would it be value for money?
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Post by Chris M on Feb 15, 2024 14:19:04 GMT
So are they getting rid of the London overground branding completely, eg. the roundels at stations, the announcements on trains… No. The mode is staying but the individual lines now get names. Just like there is the London Underground District and Victoria lines there will soon be the London Overground Lioness and Weaver lines.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 15, 2024 1:59:27 GMT
One possible reason for this is that the ceiling is so low that overhead signage (and thus signage visible at a distance) is smaller and much less prominent than typical. People see a staircase and, not seeing signs telling them they can't, they naturally use them to exit (plus there will the usual proportion of people who ignore one way systems). I'm not sure there is an easy fix for this.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 14, 2024 12:23:47 GMT
Location A: Between Star Lane and West Ham - Stephenson Street bridge [Chris M] (click for a larger version) The 5th in the set is not a single station.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 12, 2024 22:22:17 GMT
Answer: Covent Garden - ticket hall (click image for a larger version)
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Post by Chris M on Feb 12, 2024 12:25:15 GMT
They will almost certainly know the energy consumption of the train in the climate and environments it has been tested in (mainly outdoors in southern Germany I think), but I'm not sure how well that corresponds to tunnels in London. Air con (and probably cooling) will be more efficient on test than in service because the air wont be being exchanged with the surroundings every 2-3 minutes and they aren't carrying several hundred human radiators.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 12, 2024 12:16:21 GMT
You have the correct line, but not the correct station.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 10, 2024 18:27:43 GMT
Location D: Between Leyton and Leytonstone - rear of houses on Norman Road [Chris M]
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Post by Chris M on Feb 10, 2024 2:05:15 GMT
This is despite no reason yet given for the significant/sudden increase in flashed over motors. Last I was aware, the root cause wasn't known or at least wasn't known with certainty. This blog post from 2008 (of unknown reliability) suggests brushes wearing out as one possible cause, although my gut feeling is that if it were that simple then there would be a lot more certainly about how to fix the issue and how long disruption will last.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 9, 2024 13:10:49 GMT
The impression I got regarding buses would be that normal bus routes would be enhanced rather than a special route or routes being provided.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 9, 2024 13:08:04 GMT
I presume it's the view from the train... It is.
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Post by Chris M on Feb 2, 2024 14:08:18 GMT
B is the odd one out, but the link is unrelated to service operators
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Post by Chris M on Feb 1, 2024 14:30:42 GMT
Location A: Between Plaistow and West Ham - West Ham siding [Chris M] (click for a larger version) Location C: Between Clapton and Clapton Junction - River Lea towpath [Chris M] (click for a larger version) Location D: Between Hanger Lane and North Acton Junction - view east from Hanger Lane Gyratory [Chris M] (click for a larger version)
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Post by Chris M on Jan 30, 2024 11:18:35 GMT
I too find a handrail running fast to be more common than one running slow. Getting the two synchronised is (as I understand it) one of the most complex parts of escalator design.
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