Manual driving

How exactly does manual driving under DTG-R work, if ever it's called for? What indications does the driver drive to?

Even back in the 1967 stock days, you often see the Train Operator's hand resting on the Traction & Braking Control Lever when approaching ststions - Just In Case!

I experienced that once, in the early seventies.

Coming into Oxford Circus (IIRC) northbound, there was a sound like a short, very loud, fart (sorry, that really is the best way to describe it), and everyone was hurled forward. Fortunately the train was only very lightly loaded and the few people standing (in my carriage) were in the doorways and did not get thrown far. The train came to a stop with the first carriage well into the tunnel.

That's not quite true as far as my history goes. The original intention was for the train to be able to be driven at full line speed in Coded Manual mode, but in the end the system wasn't implemented as well as perhaps it could have been and it became necessary to impose a blanket maximum speed of 25 mph in order to avoid running into problems.

Tubeprune explains more:


Of course, perhaps that's what you meant all along, although if so, you and I would differ in our interpretation of "very slow," although doubtless 25 mph is too slow for Coded Manual to present a generally usable alternative to Auto and its use was avoided except where necessary and on the Seven Sisters - Northumberland Park Depot section, which could not be done in Auto back then.

No. The issue was that there was no advance warning of a change in codes (unless the driver happened to be able to sight a red signal in the distance - where provided and where visible). The change in code normally occurred in the rear of the signal (or headway post), which means that if speed were not reduced there would be an emergency brake application - uncomfortable for the passengers and introducing the risk of flatting the wheels. Depending on braking distances I presume there was a risk that the emergency brake application might not stop the train before the signal in some or all circumstances. However the setup was designed to ensure the train would always be stopped within the overlap.

Another unusual feature of the original Victoria Line signalling was that most platforms had a red/white/green home signal. Once the train ahead started moving the home signal would clear to a white aspect, with the preceding train protected by codes only. It was arranged so that with normal operation the following train should never catch up with the departing train quickly enough that it would encounter a stop code. This was a most unusual setup in that it was the only circumstance on LU at the time where a train wouldn't have either a signal or headway post behind it. Naturally if the departing train stopped unexpectedly (e.g. passenger alarm) the following train would get an emergency brake application.

(Some time in the 2000s this happened and the unions jumped on it saying there had been a "near collision" between two Victoria Line trains - when in fact the system had performed exactly as designed).

Train protection on the Victoria line was done by the ATP (although Tubeprube informs me that in those days it was referred to as The Safety Box).

However, Victoria line trains sometimes had to be moved to Acton Works over the Piccadilly line, requiring them to be fitted with tripcocks for that journey. Apparently they weren't allowed in passenger service with tripcocks fitted.