Train numbering

the programme machines use binary numbers thats why u see trains with specific numbers

The Central line signalling system can work with 8 & 9, however the reason why they dont is because the machine that makes the timetable tapes at 55 Broadway cannot!!

Well they are called tapes, i dont know for sure what they do look like, for all i know they could be CDs!



Say No More!

The first computer systems loaded timetable data sent out from the timetable office from magnetic tapes and although all systems have probably now been updated the old name has stuck for referring to the base timetable as sent out from the timetable office.
As Tom says at Baker St (for Met & Jubilee as well as the BAkerloo) the whole timetable is sent by email, copied onto a floppy disk and loaded onto the system which has no network connection.

But train numbering doesnt mean anything during the peak!

Speaking of ancient computer technology:
The FDS database, the main vehicle database for the Stockholm tube, used to keep track of what vehicles are allocated to what trains where, service and maintenace intervals etc etc, still runs on a couple of old VAX boxes stashed away in a basement somewhere. Depot staff connect to the database through a telnet connection and a terminal window!

Oh, and the system still, after all these years, can't handle Å Ä Ö , so we always have strange little ] / and % in our stock allocation sheets.

/Igelkotten

Well, you're partly correct citysig, as they do have a connection to Vietnam (and other US Armed forces activities).

The same type of site computer used to autopilot cruise missiles IIRC.

Metal Mickey is the father/mother (depending on your views on the gender of such things) of the Baker Street machines. That story doesn't surprise me in the least.

I also believe that, over time, the machines have developed some sort of artificial intelligence. The times you ask it to do something and it almost seems to argue back. Then there are days when it does everything you want, and really seems to help you out. Then of course there are days where it is like wrestling a wild animal.

Q8 coupling up.
As an aside to this thread in my day certain trains had nicknames sometimes used. For instance train 111 was "Nelson" (one eye, one arm and one a---hole) Train 10 was "Popeye" Train 22 was "Swans" and train 66 was "B-llocks" but I never found out the reason for that one.

Q8 Uncoupling

I told you the old boy had been playing with them...

But to confirm, the Arnos, Oakwood and Cockfosters site computers were either HP 1000s or early A-Series machines, formerly used in Vietnam. The site terminals for the 'Baker St' era sites are HP A600, A900 or A990 machines, and we recently took delivery of a spare for the Central control computers (GEC4195 IIRC) that was made redundant from it's previous role serving the MOD at Blandford (sp?).

It does kind of work like that anyway. 001-167 are District numbers, 170-177 are East London numbers, 200-277 are H&C/Circle numbers, 400-477 are Met Numbers. But that's half the available numbers used up on just the sub-surface lines.

The Jubilee uses 300-377. So that leaves the Bakerloo, Northern, Vic and Picc with just a few numbers between them.

Then engineers trains use the 5xx and 6xx series. Stock moves use the 7xx series.

Even compacting the last group to use just the 5xx series, at least 2 of the above tubelines would not be able to run the trains they do if they were restricted to a certain series. Sharing a series isn't really an option either as many lines will quickly use the whole series in a weekday timetable.

On a line-by-line basis, most of those in control have never had any problem with recognising one train/booked stock from another. For example, if I hear of a 4xx series number, I know which of the 5 lines it's meant to be heading towards, and will hope it's an A-stock (though a C-stock on the peak Chesham would be fun, and would generate many questions in parliament!)