How boring is driving on the Circle?

There is a limit to how many circles can be done by an operator in 1 day. 4 springs to mind, there was a post about this some time ago.

Personaly I don't think that driving the circle is boring. But I've didn't driven the Circle (only in BVE)

Around 25

My son has showed me BVE, and I have to say that 'real' trains are actually slightly easier to drive IMHO! Perhaps it's something to do with actually being able to feel the motion and the rate of retardation during braking. Glad I don't have to drive A60s from a keyboard!!

Getting back to the original topic I didn't find the Circle boring when I worked on it. It takes almost an hour to go right round (end-to-end running times on some other lines are even shorter than that) and you are always in the central area where it's busy, with lots of junctions to make sure you don't get a wrong 'un at.

Lots of scantily-clad females on the platforms in the summer.... and a nice warm cab in the winter. No changing-ends and walking down the platform in the freezing cold. Cosy for almost 3 hours!!

It takes an hour to get round once. You may have to explain how you can do 25 in a day!

Well I guess that's true - I just thought that you harldy see light on the Circle do you?

Round time is 51 min (without waiting at ERD)

P.S. It certainly wouldn't be boring if you drive a real train; Is it boring to drive a boat??

Again, you're looking at an out of date Timetable (which - as you've been told before - you should NOT have in any event).

I don't have the current one to hand at the moment, but from WTT130 (as an example) Train 211 (IR Circle) appears at High Street Ken IR at 13:55. It next appears at the same location at 14:50.

Personally I make that 55mins - and it could be that it's again altered slightly in the current WTT - I'm sure someone will be along with an absolutely up to date answer very soon!

Again, can we suggest that you be entirely sure of your facts?

Not quite sure what boats have to do with this though! The two cannot be compared - the whole discipline of train boat handling is totally different, for a multiplicity of reasons!

P.S. Ikar - You will shortly have a PM from me. Please consider its contents.

Oh I love timetables too Pete and can never understand the mentality of schedule offices in the way they do things. In the 60s, 70's services were run with a common headway or multiples thereof. For instance the Circle/HC headway was 7+half min so was the Ealing Road. Richmond/Wimbledon was 15 min apiece. Now I am not saying those particular headways should be restored but at least they should try to restore some form of commonality.

The criterion nowadays sseems all to cock to me.

As, allegedly (according to Q8) do District drivers if a Circle is put in front at Gloucester Road ;D ;D ;D ;D

I'm in full agreement with you on that Q8. In those days it was almost all done with 'even' headways, like 2+half min between Gloucester Rd and Tower Hill, 7+half on the Circle, 7+half to Dagenham East, and 15 to Upminster.
At least some of the problems discussed in the 'Swap' thread could be avoided if the District and Piccadilly had a common headway, or multiples thereof, during the peaks.

Good to know that I'm not the only 'timetable anorak' on this board. ;D

I've worked all 3 sides of the conundrum, and in all hosesty I think the Circle & Hammersmith blokes get the raw end of the deal (not that I would ever tell them that to their faces ) They get messed about on the Met junctions at Baker Street and Aldgate with A60s going around in front of them. Then when they try to enter the District they sit at all the District junctions watching D stocks going around in front. It's hardly surprising some of them drag their trains about. Still, it keeps us all happy moaning about Circles

Ahh - well having worked 2 sides (C&H and District) I would agree to a point with Jim. Certainly, in days gone by, the C&H got the raw deal, with both Met and District getting priority, but since the Aldgate area went under the control of Baker Street, the C&H seems to get the priority over the District now. In all the times I pass Minories or Aldgate East, it is rare to see a Circle or H&C waiting for me these days. It is much more common for me to be waiting for then to come across the junction (cue Citysig defending his position ;D)
However, in days gone by, the C&H were much more likely to be delayed. I remember sitting at Baker Street E/B on Circle and watching 3 Met trains go across the junction before me - when I checked the timetable, they were all booked behind me, and I ended up sitting in the platform for 9 minutes (and yes - I DID ask the controller what was going on - the reply was 'computer working the junction'
I also remember sitting at OB40(?) on the North Curve at Aldgate East, waiting to get into Aldgate East. I watched 3 Districts pass in front of me, sat for a further 2 mins and heard the controller call up the H&C behind me to tell him to reverse at Moorgate due to a signal failure at Aldgate East. Shame nobody bothered to tell me It seems that the 3rd District had left the track down behind him, and I ended up having to go under rule into the platform. If I had been let through when I arrived there, I may have actually finished on time ;D ;D

Sounds like things have changed a wee bit since I came off the H&C/Circle then. During the time I've been on the Met, I've noticed that it's much more 'even' between the Met and H&C now. But I still remember those old days!!

'OB40(?)'.... Yeah I've checked the signalling diagram Solidbond and OB40 is now the EB starter. I left the H&C in late 1987 and the Aldgate/Aldgate East area has been re-signalled since then. This is one of the problems of being an old git who's been on the job for years!! ;D
The old OB40 signal stood about where OB35 does now I think.