pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Dec 9, 2011 9:01:05 GMT
I would just like to add my 2p'2 worth. Many years ago I was on duty on my own as the SS (MF) at Croxley. It was sometime in December. We had a very heavy fall of snow in the local area and I mean heavy. So much so that Croxley, Watford Met and Ricky were cut off from the outside world.
At about 1800 I received a call from "The Old Man" telling me that a train had stalled between Watford South Curve and Croxley and was unable to move. The only way I could get to the train was to walk along the track. So off I trot pitch black and in about six inches of snow. I actually asked one of my regular customers to wait at the station and tell other customers that there were no trains until further notice.
I eventually reached the train after about 15 mins of struggling and met the T/Op. We discovered that a tree had become entangled under the leading car. The T/Op advised that no way would the train move. So after getting back on the radio to the L/C the decision was made to evacuate the train. Fortunately for some reason it wasn't heavily loaded. We therefore had the onerous task of walking a number of customers to Croxley in the prevailing conditions.
My point is what would have happened if there was not a T/OP or worse any station staff. The funniest thing was I was told to take any staff with me in case of the need to de-train. I was the only staff.
I eventually left Croxley at 0700 hrs the following morning and that was after starting at 1500 the previous day.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Dec 9, 2011 8:00:15 GMT
I always thought that the Branch had already been closed by Dec 1990.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Dec 4, 2011 18:37:12 GMT
Reading the above does it mean that stations at the north end of the Met will be open. If so WHY?
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Dec 4, 2011 14:29:11 GMT
Anything was better than staring at a Photobooth or reading the T/C for the umpteenth time. Must admit I did manage to read a few books in those days. Specially on a Sunday evening, lucky to see more than a dozen people between 1800 and close of traffic. Total entry and exits for Sundays in 2003 was on average 200 approx. If you able to go back further it would show even less.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Dec 2, 2011 15:39:28 GMT
Has anybody seen the TfL Christmas service summary. I have seen NR and my local bus company's. I assume it's the same as previous years but it's always nice to see if there are any changes in which stations are open. (Used to spend an evening comparing each year's to the last when working in Croxley Booking Office had to do something to keep myself awake.)
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 28, 2011 10:12:01 GMT
Sorry didn’t mean to post twice! My PC gave me the impression the first one had not been posted. Also forgot to mention that the Station Inspector role was also absorbed into the role of Station Supervisor. The Booking Clerk grades were particularly mysterious. By and large there was a Berlin Wall between Station staff and booking Clerks. Each Station was graded due to difficulty or volume of sales. So you had various grades of Booking Clerk. You also had various grades of Relief Booking Clerks who covered any location at or below their grade, so a RBC2 would cover stations listed as 2 or below. However I seem to recall we could offer them higher grade working subject to agreement. The Relief clerks covered sickness and so on. There was about three grades RBC1, 2, 3. But for Rest Days you had Rest Day Cover Clerks who worked a fixed rota around a group of similarly matched stations. However for Leave Cover you also had Leave Cover Clerks (LCC1, 2, 3). When they were “spare” you had a number of restrictions on how you could deploy these staff. Each grade had its own rules and you had to adhere to them. Prior to UTS, all clerks used a fixed pot system where no clerk was individually responsible for debits and credits. Of course if a station had a bad reputation for debits, then certain clerks would want to steer a wide berth through fear of association. Likewise Clerks often complained about “outsiders” who they believed were responsible for bad debits. UTS generally cleared this away. But there was still pockets of trouble where certain ticket offices had difficulties in achieving a dead balance. To manage all these staff you had a Chief Clerk who had a similar role to the Station Manager. Dean Dean I agree with you assessment of the Booking Clerk Structure but IIRC there were also Relief Clerks (Those who had knowledge and experience of operations) and Line Chief Clerks not forgetting deputy Line Chief Clerks. I always thought that there was only one grade of Relief Booking Clerk (RBC1). Those I recall were line based and could cover for instance anywhere from Amersham Aldgate plus The H&C. In reality they tended to stick to parts of lines. A friend of mine was an RBC1 and he loved covering places like Croxley and Moor Park and getting paid the RBC1 rate. When it all changed under Company Plan you get into a class I booking office as soon as you joined the combine. When I joined there was a 20 year waiting list for the same role. You can imagine what chaos ensued in some busy booking offices.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 27, 2011 11:44:38 GMT
Are you sure it was the ERU that had done all manner of things to the 72 stock. Could have some other organisation?
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 26, 2011 12:27:23 GMT
Mention of the 84 bus to St Albans brings back many memories. As a child my treat was going on that particular service all the way from Arnos Grove to St Albans and back. I believe the 84 ran out of Palmers Green (AD) garage. Another treat was to travel on the 29 route to Victoria. A totally different experience but none the less exciting. When I got a bit older my plan was to try and circumnavigate by bus but I ever got as far as Kingston. Does anybody know whether it is possible now to do this without going through central London.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 23, 2011 14:34:29 GMT
Where could the D stock be used. Somewhere in the UK?
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 23, 2011 14:32:38 GMT
My apologies quite right Christmas day is on the SUNDAY. Still get the extra Bank Holiday though. Assume this will be Sat/Sun service on most lines.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 22, 2011 10:49:08 GMT
Does it not get a bit confusing when Christmas Day and Boxing Day occur on a Sat/Sunday. This year for instance we get an extra Bank Holiday as Christmas Day is on a Saturday. I have never heard of a time when there was anything north of Ricky on the Met. I have noticed though that more and more stations open on the 26th. Don't think that will happen ever on the Met. Can't see the residents of Moor Park for instance wanting to travel on that day. Always on of the bonus's of working on that part of the Network. Always had Boxing Day off.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 19, 2011 11:28:14 GMT
I think you will find that Regent's Park is quieter than Lancaster Gate. So much so that when I joined LUL in 89 Regent's Park Booking Office was a class 2 position. Didn't work there myself only worked at Morrgate (MET), Aldgate and Liverpool St,( I think it was called "C" office).
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 18, 2011 6:59:09 GMT
Is the main picture Croxley N/B platform. Taken at the bottom of the stairs.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 17, 2011 13:14:16 GMT
Further to the last post are there any statistics relating to NR stns. If there are what is considered to be their quietest station.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 17, 2011 11:37:21 GMT
Thanks guys for the info. Very much appreciated. Further to the comment re ticketing and passengers. I heard that when Blake Hall was operating the tickets were sold by the station foreman from a dining room table along with newspapers etc. Being someone who only worked with UTS I can imagine this would have been quite interesting. As a matter of interest does anybody have any idea how many Passengers would have used Blake Hall when it was in operation.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 16, 2011 21:26:27 GMT
To settle an argument can anybody tell me what is now considered to be the quietest station on the Network based on the number of "Passengers" using it. When I worked on the Met, Croxley was considered the quietest then but that was back in 1991. But that was only the Met obviously things may have changed.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 2, 2011 8:17:38 GMT
Tubeprune Sorry perhaps I should have said not the whole length of tunnel but a a short distance under the park. This was related to me by an existing Station Foreman who had been at Watford for a number of years. You may be right he might have been pulling my leg. I was just curious. It was just after working at the LTM for a number of years and learning of many strange tunnels etc on the network it occurred to me that this may be another one of those curiosities.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 2, 2011 6:36:06 GMT
A quick question re Watford. When I worked there it was rumoured that running tunnels had already been constructed under Cassiobury Park. Has anybody heard this at all.
rob h
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 2, 2011 6:32:59 GMT
For those who have never visited Aldwych, let me say from someone who used to help conduct the visits. It's well worth the time and effort. I know I am preaching to the converted but do go if you get the chance.
rob H
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Oct 28, 2011 8:40:57 GMT
I'd go with Goodge Street, although it never quite looked like that when I worked there LOL.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Oct 21, 2011 12:47:15 GMT
I have spent TWENTY FIVE years in customer facing environments and I quite agree that manners work both ways. What gives the customer/ passenger or whatever they're being called being totally abusive and treating public transport employees like something that's dropped out of a back of horse. NOTHING! I was never a T**D but was often treated like one. Being spat at, punched, kicked, sworn at just for doing my job no way. Teach all manners. As a matter of interest I don't think John Lewis are all shining examples. I have found that they look down on people who don't have an account and want to pay cash.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Oct 20, 2011 7:13:05 GMT
Totally agree with videomaniac29. I'm confused and I have lived and worked in London. I also have some knowledge of the geography of the London Underground. God help the tourists from outside London let alone outside of the UK.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Oct 19, 2011 12:55:25 GMT
There is only one station in the Arnos Grove League and that is Arnos Grove. Southgate come a close second.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Oct 15, 2011 9:10:47 GMT
Is the bonus answer Russell Square
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Oct 7, 2011 13:10:32 GMT
I'd say Sudbury Town as well
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Sept 30, 2011 10:40:59 GMT
I know this is not the place to discuss Victoria Coach Station but as we are talking about transport in London I didn't think a brief mention wouldn't go amiss. Although I worked on LUL for 10 years then another six at the LTM. I have vey limited knowledge of the Bakerloo line including Marylebone. However I have used it once to travel to London from Wembley and found it to be quite a good station.
I think the plan that was mooted a few years ago about having Satellite coach stations around London so there would not be any need to cross London may have worked. This would have no doubt increased the loadings on other transport modes. I think TfL would love to dispose of VCS. Think of how much money they could get for all that prime Belgravia land.
Enough of this. Let the Met go back to Aylesbury
BTW I worked for for National Express for five and half years on the coach side so I have some knowledge of that company
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Sept 30, 2011 9:36:25 GMT
I am glad Marylebone didn't become a coach station perhaps part of TfL. They may have based the design on VCS. This as a coach station is an absolute disaster. No way can it cope with the number of passengers that travel by coach from there each day. An accident waiting to happen perhaps.
How on earth will it cope with next years influx of Olympic visitors
Come to think of it how will London cope. I myself will be going to the remotest part of Norfolk for two weeks sailing.
I know this is slightly of thread but is there a discussion going on about Olympic travel and how LUL will cope.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Sept 25, 2011 19:22:21 GMT
Forgot to add also went once on a private charter from Bowes Park to Blackpool.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Sept 25, 2011 14:35:29 GMT
As a matter of interest although slightly off forum can I ask what is the most unusual railtour or as they used to be called "Merrymaker" anybody has done starting in London. My was to Newport in south Wales from St Pancras.
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Sept 25, 2011 10:10:48 GMT
When I worked at the LTM this was a very common request ie a 3d representation of the LUL network. Our answer was and I suspect would still be " It was be a vast project to be able to show all the complex of tunnels that criss-cross it would be enormous " As far as I am aware nothing was ever done along these lines (pardon the pun). As an example try and imagine how all the lines intersect at Kings Cross. Now multiply that by the number of interchange stations in Zone 1 You can now see how complex a task it would be.
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