C-Stock on a District Service

Well, a few weeks ago I was on a D stock at Earls court going to westminister and upon arrival a C stock departed platform 3 heading to Putney Bridge. A sight not seen every day. Later arriving at Slone Square a C stock arrived with the destination blind saying 'Wimbledon'. Does anybody know why this Service was operated by a C stock instead of a D stock. Could it be the lack of available D stock??

Very often if there is a problem between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road C stocks get diverted to Mansion House because this puts the train out of timetabled position it gets short tripped to Putney Bridge so it can reverse on time,

Sometimes it will be odd numbered trains 071 073 etc and sometimes evens.

Or to Barking Depot?

I understand going round and round all day causes uneven wear on the wheels, so there are a few C stock workings between Whitechapel and the south side of the circle in order to turn the units end for end - effecticvely using the layout at Algate as a reversing triangle (there may be some scheduled to use the Kensington triangle in the same way)

I have had a C stock at South kensington going to Whitechapel

C Stocks have occasionally been used for Richmond services too. I used to work in an office overlooking the junction north of Gunnersbury, and used to see a C stock waiting at a signal every couple of months.

The Circle line no longer runs round and round in Circles - bar the odd engineering work weekend, it stopped doing that in December 2009!! AIUI trains alternate between the "Circle" and H&C every time they reach Hammersmith.

And as for the timetabled Whitechapel turn around move, well that hasn't run for even longer!!

C stocks were also maintained at Ealing Common post 7/7 - Hammersmith couldn't be accessed due to the damage at Edgware Road.

Getting back to the subject in hand though, the train you saw geofftech was undoubtedly a diverted one. It may have been a "Wimbleware", or it may have been a H&C/Circle, but it was being sent to Barking and it saves a whole of confusion if you just say it's a District line train. Mind you, I say that but you'd need to at least be a regular to marry up the in car line diagrams!

How would alternating at Hammersmith affect the wheel wear anyway?
The train doesn't get turned at all, the same side is on the inner side of the circle every trip surely?

If by "the other day" it was Bank Holiday Monday 7th May (London Marathon Day) (three days before your post), then I was running an additional passenger service with a C stock primarily for driver training purposes and secondarily for additional London Marathon capacity purposes, this ran Barking - Richmond - High Street - Triangle - High Street - Richmond - Barking. This would have been at Tower Hill eastbound during the late afternoon.

If it was late in the evening, it's likely to have been an inner Rail Circle to Barking Sidings "depot" working, these are described as a District from Gloucester Road. (On the present timetable these are limited to 3 trains on Sunday evenings and are all at Tower Hill post 2330 - However others may work during special Engineering Timetables)

If it was early evening it may well be there was no driver for a late night Barking stabling train, so it has to be "put away" early.

Final possibility is there was some disruption on the north side of the Circle in which case they tend to be sent "out of the way" to Barking until the line is clear again.

Happens everyday

juliang was probably referring to these:
Scheduled passenger workings of C Stock to/from Olympia M-F, Sat and Sun and during the Exhibitions only M-F service.
M-F:
05:50 Oly-ERd
06:32 Oly-ERd

Sat:
05:53 Oly-ERd
06:33 Oly-ERd

Sun:
23:15 ERd-Oly

Additional M-F exhibition service:
16:25 ERd-Oly
16:49 Oly-ERd
17:06 HSt-Oly
17:23 Oly-ERd
17:25 ERd-Oly
17:50 Oly-HSt
18:08 HSt-Oly
18:23 Oly-ERd
18:25 ERd-Oly
18:55 Oly-HSt
19:12 HSt-Oly
19:23 Oly-ERd.

The Exhibition service is running tomorrow, Fri 18 May.

I note that on Sun 27 May a 10min service will operate to/from Olympia using C Stock, the first passenger arrival being the 07:35 ex-ERd, the last departure 23:50 to High St Kensington.

In my time I've witnessed a 3 train shuttle operating from HSt providing about a 7½-10min frequency.

I notice the "Ideal Home Show" will be back at Earl's Court in 2013, as it would be interesting to see Olympia cope with the 30min exhibition service from 2014!

Were they ever diverted onto the East London, when this was possible?