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Post by Alight on Mar 3, 2009 16:09:42 GMT
Hi Did London Underground ever use tape announcements at stations and their platforms? If so are any still in place today? If you're wondering what is meant by tape announcements, you should find this following link very useful: groups.google.com/group/Railway-recorded-announcements/web/home-page?version=28Although it is concerned with British Rail, it discusses how station announcer systems have changed through time. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2009 20:56:05 GMT
Assuming we are excluding the current "Mind the Gap" announcements (?).
The Met had one on the northbound at Finchley Road in the mid (?)-late 1960s and into the 1970s and was a female voice. I am sure a "fuss" was made of it in London Transport Magazine at the time when it was introduced.
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Post by Alight on Mar 4, 2009 15:59:30 GMT
Assuming we are excluding the current "Mind the Gap" announcements (?). Mind the gap announcements are still relevant so I would assume that they are included  Although the current ones are probably digital...but then that is part of the learning outcomes from this discussion thread; the advancement in technology in such systems. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2009 16:36:51 GMT
Not sure about LU's set up, either past or present... but I do remember the taped announcements. Always wondered who it was and now that has been revealed. IIRC, there were two panels at Ashford in Kent on each platform, hidden away in a small booth behind the lifts. During the station refurbishment, a friend managed to obtain a speaker from the canopy and the actual hand held microphone. I think the rest of the equipment was just junked. I do believe the tapes themselves resembled 8 track cartridges.
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slugabed
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Post by slugabed on Mar 4, 2009 19:17:12 GMT
Assuming we are excluding the current "Mind the Gap" announcements (?). Although the current ones are probably digital...but then that is part of the learning outcomes from this discussion thread; the advancement in technology in such systems. The first digital announcements on LT (or BR,as far as I know) were in 1967ish as a result of the work of Peter Lodge,sound recordist (and dad of my mate JP) and Telefunken. Taped messages using actual tapes had been discounted when LT approached Peter to produce the initial "Mind the Gap,Stand clear of the closing doors!" digital segments,due to frequent repitition. I don't know if any experimental tape systems had been tried and found wanting,or whether LT had very carefully considered the alternatives,and gone straight to digital. *Edit:I seem to remember there being a system based on gramophone records being tried* The digital recordings were installed at Bank(Central) and Waterloo (Bakerloo) at the very least,possibly other places,too. The full story of Peter Lodge's involvement is in the public domain and is very funny,but too long to go into here,and I've outlined it on another thread anyway. As far as I know,up to then,platform staff had to either shout loudly,or use a platform PA "live". |
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Although the current ones are probably digital...but then that is part of the learning outcomes from this discussion thread; the advancement in technology in such systems.
