A Stock withdrawals - Discussion

So looks like 5167 is getting the chop, shame. Was on it the other day. Will the train get stripped or just get sent up intact?

or 5056, 5112 or 5159

A fine train it is, but also I have a model of it so there is a certain fondness for her.

I also have models of 5056 and I'm in the process of painting up 5234. 5159 is just underway!

No he hasn't! He couldn't be more wrong even if he tried really hard.

'A' Stock is broken in terms of our current usage, and therefore it did need to be fixed. 4 million customers a day demand a different design/layout and that's what we got.

As for the design looking ok on CAD and the designer not ever seeing Amersham, that is totally wrong too. We spent a long time (in excess of a year) helping BTUK design this train to meet our needs. By 'we' I mean London Underground, and as I helped in that design I can assure you that in my mere 22 years with LU I have seen Amersham on numerous occasions.

Is the design perfect? No, of course not. To get a perfect design we would have needed to have started by completely re-designing and rebuilding the railway itself. When you are dealing with infrastructure that was originally built in the 1860's there are going to be compromises. The design was the best mixture of seating and standing space we could achieve given that the train has a projected 40 year life and our customer numbers are topping 1.1 billion a year and due to increase significantly in that time.

As for the overrall design itself, I can't help people not liking the final look. I personally prefer it to an 'A' stock but accept that others will not. 'A' Stock has done a great job but they are no longer viable in terms of life expectancy or suitability for use going forward.

Yes but they can't go on for ever, although they may have a few more years in them, but basically the balance has tipped. 50 years ago the Amersham man had more power. The power to influence the choice of seat pattern. Today and over the next few decades, the numbers of passengers are increasing, and increasing to a point where they can't all get a seat so have to stand.

We must also remember that the Met now provides a lot of the service over the Northern part of the Circle, especially in the peaks and the current seat layout doesn't permit much increase in traffic.

I think the A stock is the best stock on LU by far and I'm gutted to see it go, but the stats speak for itself.

Back on topic.... I have a half day booked at work so I'll try and get to Northwood in time. Perhaps catch one of you at Highfield Road....

well they are fifty years old,the only complaints were the state they were left fall into sorry appearance, and the ease some had at causing vandalism such as here.

www.rockingthecity.com/tubes8587.htm

personally i like to sit down, and the first thing i look for is a seat.not a pole dance.

Well, it's a scandal that LU didn't ask you before designing the S stock, rather than consulting people who have had years of experience, eh? Having travelled on S Stock during the evening peak, the ability to walk through the train does help when trying to find a seat, and the definition of seat boundaries is also preferable (in my view) to trying to squeeze between two reluctant fellow commuters on the A Stock. The seating's not quite as comfy, but that's outweighted (again, in my view) by the ride being a damn sight smoother between Finchley Road and Wembley Park. I like a ride which doesn't turn me into a jiggling poledancer

They'll be something there friday.

I got a poor video of her, others will have better.....

On its way, albeit via Watford!

www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/5705291026/in/photostream

No, what I've highlighted is that the ability to walk through the train helps mitigate the effect of fewer seats. I've not commented on how important that is to me: if I'm on a fast from Finchley Road, I'll need to change at HOTH anyway, so in that case it's not important to me at all. I also pointed out that although the A Stock has more seats, the way that they're used often cancels out the advantage of them. I've also pointed out that the bouncy ride of the A Stock can make travelling on them quite uncomfortable at times; in actual fact, standing can be preferable when the seats are bouncing you up and down! Both stocks have pros and cons.

However, the wider point is that my personal needs aren't that important when LU have to consider the wider travelling public, but you seem to assume that your needs are the central issue. They're not, and you're being unreasonable when assuming so.

Or bring a small fold up chair ;D

As I've said, the definition of 'comfortable' varies fairly widely depending on who you're talking to! A Stock seats are great if you're not being bounced out of them. And as for schoolkids: I can't see a S Stock driver wanting to proceed with them running up and down, for their safety as much as anyone else's.

I don't get some of these arguments at all. If the comfort of travellers on the Met is paramount which it should be, then as the numbers travelling increase, which it is doing and will continue to do so, those standing will be in the vast majority. It is they whose comfort should be addressed first and if that means reducing seating arrangements to make standing less sardine-like then that is what should be done. I'd be interested to read how that could be achieved with the A Stock seating arrangements.

When I passed the site about 1930 this evening, one trailer from 5166/67 and all four carriages from 5066/67