Connect Live on the District

I would be interested in a photo, thanks ZEDex.

I'm not familiar with what size the police handsets are though - I've seen a policeman on the beat in Cheddar perhaps 4 times in 15 years!

I'll explain a little more in the next reply, but it basically doesn't work like that Chris!

Ok, to expand on this as far as I think is reasonable in the public domain, have a look at this image (sorry for poor quality):

This is the train bourne unit fitted in all cabs. If Connect were working in the way it should be, we'd only use the four buttons on the right (the ones with the handy pictures). The one with the train in what looks like a tunnel is for the depot (if the train is in one of course ;D), the person with 'LC' on their chest is the line controller, the signal button will put you in touch with the signaller for the area the train is in, and finally the orangey-red triangle button is the 'mayday' (emergency) call button.

They are 'call request' buttons - in simple terms, press the button for the person you wish to speak to, and they will call you back at their convenience.

At the moment, the C stocks are still using the 'old' "legacy" radio, the signallers will not be a part of Connect until after the 30th October, half the stations are still un-Connected...........essentially we are still in 'transition mode'.

To enable the C stocks to still receive the line controller via the train radio, the two systems have been merged such that we are using Connect in 'group call mode' - that is we simply pick up the handset, press the button on it and talk. We can use the 'LC' button to request a call from the line controller, but that is getting mixed results at the moment....I assume that's because they are still getting used to their equipment.

As for the post's regarding the size of the hand held, here is a piccy of my current mobile phone (Sony Ericsson K800) next to the hand held, on a sheet of A4 paper (again, apologies for poor quality):

Thanks for the Colin - very interesting

One of the benefits of using Connect in the way we are at the moment is that we can, for the first time, hear both sides of a conversation. All I'll say is: us drivers were right all along with regard to being ignored ;D ;D

On the other side of the coin, it's not so good when a certain Acton driver took a D stock to Northfields last night The poor driver had to go through the indignity of making himself known when he called the line controller explaining his predicament.

Wouldn't he have to contact the Piccadilly line controller first, as it is off the line?

The abilty to call the Service Operator/Controller Level One may be delayed as there is no arrangement/agreement for them to answer the calls, unlike the Signal Post Telephone- so I heard on the grapevine today.

I assume that train would have tipped at South Ealing, or would it have ran fast to Northfields to tip, then reverse?

Back to the present...........we ain't road trained - so the passengers would be kicked off at South Ealing. In any case, is there much point in running 'passenger' to Northfields in this scenario? The punters were expecting to go to Ealing Common & Ealing Broadway.

I can confirm that the train was indeed tipped out at South Ealing on this occasion

No, he isn't.

D Stock IS permitted to run in passenger service to Northfields depot. (Though as commented elsewhere, drivers are not trained over this route and may require a pilotman)

Tut Tut! Northfields Depot

Ok Jim ! I assume your point is that no stock can run in passenger service to any depot !!!

I'll be more accurate then and say it is permitted to run in passenger dervice to Northfields and then empty into Northfields Depot. It is NOT permitted to run between Northfields and Boston Manor, so by default I asume answers the question about depot ends.

For the record D stock is no longer permitted on the East London Line (not sure why). 6 car C stock is permitted to run passenger non-stop to New Cross Gate from St Mary's or Whitechapel.

Meanwhile .... back to Connect !

The very useful ability to hear both sides of a radio call seems now to have been stopped and we can't hear the drivers side of any conversation, negating one of the real benefits of Connect ! (Except when a train radio is used to direct call control - in which case all the train radios can hear the driver, but the hand portables and more importantly the controller can not

Well there's no reason I am aware of why a D stock can't operate as a 3 car unit, provided it's a double ended unit. But in practise, there are not sufficient cars to provide any to the East London Line. But that is not the basis upon which the Working Reference Manual dictates what stock can go where, without special permission, that's pirely to do with guaging and compatability etc...

Perhaps the appearance of Canada Water gives issues ? Or perhaps no guaging for a D78 has occurred since Canada Water opened ?

(1967 and 1972 Mk II are allowed down there but not in passenger service)

I'm sure I posted elsewhere when this was last raised, the double-enders have NOT had any of their compressors removed. They still have two fully functioning compressors on the trailer cars. SOMETIMES one of them may be cut out locally, but that is unusual. I've been training on a few double-enders recently, and in each case both compressors were working on the trailer of the double-ender