Stopping in Protected Manual

What is a Tod?

The following applies for the Northern or Jubilee - but shouldn't be used as a guide for the Vic.

I can only speak from experience, however first of all you need to be aware that different platforms have different brake rates. Typically tunnel platforms have a high brake rate, whilst open air platforms have a low brake rate. Some tunnel platforms also have a low brake rate, or something in between. There's nothing to tell you as a driver what rate applies where, it's merely something that will come with experience - plus things change when new software is dropped.

Bearing in mind the above, the objective is then to match the hand coming down as far as possible. When the zero comes up, I normally wait until "over speed imminent" appears on the TOD (accompanied by the warning beeps) then the objective is to select a suitable amount of brake, in an ideal world keeping that one rate of braking for the majority of the stop. In tunnel platforms with high brake rate I will go straight to full service and then take off a bit if necessary. Whilst for platforms with low brake rate select a suitable amount of brake and adjust as necessary. Take brake off if there is an increasing gap between your speed and the hand, but put more on if the speedo is more than 1 or 2 mph into the orange - and if at a high brake rate platform then select full service if into the orange until its back yellow again.

In all cases you may need to adjust at about 10 mph when the rheo brake comes off, as on some trains the brakes can die at this point. A second or two before the final stop the handle should be thrown into off and release, then back into then braking sector after stopping - but being careful at places where the platform is on a gradient (again experience comes to play here).

It doesn't really matter whether you look at then mark or the TOD, as long as you stop in the green and on 1m or 0m. However, in time one should be erring more towards feel and less towards the speedometer, as the driver should really be focusing more on what's going on outside - especially when on your own with no instructor present. So best to use the speedometer as a guide, but look towards the mark towards the end. I suggest this will come with time and practice and over time you will rely less on the speedo, so in the meantime do what works best for you to build up your feel for the train, and then look to refine later.

Over time you may also develop your own trackside markers which can be used as a guide as to when to start braking from full speed. For example at Angel nb there's a convenient Entry Point board which one can use to start braking in full service from - in this case you'd hit the platform at about 37, and keeping it in full service to a stand would stop you about half a car short. At Chalk Farm sb there's a silver box on the tunnel wall which acts as a similar marker. At Elephant and Castle sb the tunnel profile changes shape. At Tooting Broadway nb it's the first bang as the front wheels go over the points. Etc etc etc. All these are markers I use, but people develop their own. Once one starts doing this stopping comes naturally, you're then simply into refining and adjusting depending on whether you're on a good or bad train. Needless to say in the open one has to use a lot more judgement on the day to allow for weather conditions.

Just my thoughts...

Thanks for the advice ....I passed out on Monday!