|
Post by countryman on Jun 15, 2020 18:20:28 GMT
We have been told that the expectation is that all staff will wear face coverings as an additional measure to further protect and provide reassurance to both our people and our customers. Not sure what will happen if some refuse as it's only an expectation and not a rule. It is interesting to note the wording used here, "face covering" which is defined in the Statutory Instrument:There is currently no law that I'm aware of requiring you to wear a mask (surgical otherwise) whilst aboard public transport. Yes there is. A link to the legislation was posted above. The legislation came into force today. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/592/pdfs/uksi_20200592_en.pdf
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Jun 13, 2020 6:55:52 GMT
I'm surprised how difficult it is to see the signals. I thought they would be far more prominent. The additional camera lighting combined with the video upload resolution doesn't do justice to how tunnel signals are usually sighted. The normal lighting afforded by the trains headlights even on newer stocks is much more subtle to the human eye than most lenses make out in my opinion. If you cannot see the signals, doesn't it reduce its effectiveness as a route learning tool?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Jun 12, 2020 19:18:31 GMT
"You must test the Westinghouse brake at Lambeth North if your train is terminating at Elephant & Castle" presumably anticipating Lewisham trains to avoid a commentary update? Trains can terminate at Lambeth North, then proceed north from the southbound platform. They’d probably do this more often when there is congestion at E&C if it wasn’t for the fact they use stepping back. I'm surprised how difficult it is to see the signals. I thought they would be far more prominent.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 31, 2020 9:36:29 GMT
The way things are going in my locality, with packed trains and packed beaches, I think it is possible we will have to have lockdown reimposed. I hope we don't get a local second wave imported mainly from London. Sorry, but it will be the other way around. Deaths in London have been in single figures for the last week, The Midlands, North East and North West seem to be lagging by a couple of weeks. But hoardes of people are not travelling to the south coast taking the virus with them. Londoners are travelling in vast numbers to the south coast though. www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18486545.durdle-door-tombstoning-seriously-injured-airlifted-scene/Sorry to drift the topic. Last post on the subject.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 30, 2020 18:26:14 GMT
The way things are going in my locality, with packed trains and packed beaches, I think it is possible we will have to have lockdown reimposed. I hope we don't get a local second wave imported mainly from London.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 24, 2020 12:47:50 GMT
And a worst case? Perhaps T4 current buildings needed no further? Unlikely to be that drastic, most airlines at LHR seem to be of one voice that passenger traffic will return to pre-Covid levels by 2023. I suspect the reasons T4's demotion to a stabling facility besides collapsed demand was that social distancing is impossible with such a small terminal so as long as that is required T4 will remain unusable. This is the best terminal to be out of use as airplane access to the terminal conflicts with the take-offs and landings on runway 09R-27L (not that there is a lot of traffic at present).
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 22, 2020 8:27:46 GMT
TfW Transport for Wales 230.006 showing end-car windows removed from cars. That's pretty noisy. And not the diesel engine.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 15, 2020 11:42:07 GMT
If the running cost saving covers the changeover costs within say four years, I suppose they are worthwhile. In the Bakerloo case they release house power for passenger information displays required for the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (RVAR) by the end of 2021. The bulkhead lights were to hide that end windows couldn't be cut into these trains! People keep mentioning 'freeing power'. What is the 'bottleneck' for power for internal systems? Presumably there must be some sort of current limited voltage reduction system somewhere on board - would that be it? I would have thought that it is to prevent an increase in power consumption, although I wouldn't expect new LED screens to be power-hungry.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 12, 2020 11:00:24 GMT
And of course, the wearing of masks on public transport is only advisory. It would only be totally effective if everybody wore one. Actually it would only be totally effective if everybody wore one correctly. Based on my anecdotal observations when shopping, only around half those wearing masks are doing so completely correctly at all times. It would only be totally effective if everyone wore the correct mask correctly. Most of the masks, even if worn correctly only reduce the risk, not eliminate it.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 9, 2020 7:44:28 GMT
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 7, 2020 12:29:49 GMT
I think the (or at least a) proposal for the London Overground was entirely destination based, e.g. Euston to Watford Line, Richmond to Stratford Line, etc. which were not received with enthusiasm in the wild, partly I suspect due to being unwieldy and partly due to the existence of names like Watford DC, North London Line, etc. I agree with the last two comments - I don't see the problem with the 'traditional' names, ELL, North London Line, Watford DC etc. Would the general public understand the Watford DC? I don't suppose they care about the power supply. In this case, perhaps Euston-Watford may be better.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on May 4, 2020 9:10:34 GMT
What's the road traffic situation like in Central London? I expect that with the restriction on 'non-essential' travel, it will be possible for vital workers to drive themselves to work by car, just like we do here in the North-East. (My only view of London traffic is of Abbey Road, St. John's Wood, where traffic is noticeably sparse). Central London traffic is still very light. Suburbs I’d say has returned to something approaching normal weekday off-peak levels, but without the spikes caused by things like events so at the moment it’s possible to get pretty consistent journey times. On occasions when I’ve driven in during the daytime I’ve been achieving door to door journey times of about 40 minutes for a journey where I’d normally have to leave a good hour, towards the beginning of the lockdown I was achieving about 35 minutes, which over time has stretched out to a maximum of 42 as traffic has progressively increased. The biggest issue with driving into central London would of course be parking availability. Is the congestion charge still being enforced?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 26, 2020 13:31:51 GMT
I used to travel frequently from South Greenford Halt (as it was then) to Ealing Broadway. Due to the Elizabeth Line, I know that the service has been cut back to West Ealing. From the Carto Metro map, it appears that it comes into a new platform 5 to avoid the slow lines. However, from the map it appears that there is no route from platform 5 to the left side track to Greenford. Is this the way it operates, running wrong road, or is there an omission from the map? I've answered my own question. The line approaching from Castlebar Park has been singled for a short distance, allowing the move to the down line. However the map has not been updated.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 26, 2020 13:27:51 GMT
I used to travel frequently from South Greenford Halt (as it was then) to Ealing Broadway. Due to the Elizabeth Line, I know that the service has been cut back to West Ealing. From the Carto Metro map, it appears that it comes into a new platform 5 to avoid the slow lines. However, from the map it appears that there is no route from platform 5 to the left side track to Greenford. Is this the way it operates, running wrong road, or is there an omission from the map?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 17, 2020 15:45:18 GMT
Interesting that the mayor, Sadiq Khan, is calling for the wearing of masks on public transport by passengers. This goes against the current national guidance. Can't help but form the impression this is a rather cynical attempt to be seen to be doing *something*. I suspect history may well take the view Khan has been rather ineffective through this. The situation with bus drivers shouldn't have required too much of a vivid imagination. It's also rather daft to call for something but not actually provide it. If masks are suddenly such a good thing, where are they for those staff who are at work *now*? The problem with this and all the other calls for protective equipment is that, as this came out of the blue, no-one had any idea that it would be needed. This refers both to TfL, NHS, and the suppliers. If there isn't any available to buy, it cannot be supplied to be used.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 13, 2020 7:12:25 GMT
Is there a "return working", entering the reversing siding from the north? I couldn't see one in the WTT When Debden had two central reversing roads, were they both accessible from either end? According to Carta Metro there is no access to the siding from the westbound other than reversing from the platform.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 9, 2020 14:27:15 GMT
Harrow Hot Weather plan in today... for once it is absolutely not a faff in any way, shape or form. 😂 Could someone explain what Harrow Hot Weather plan is please.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 8, 2020 7:02:48 GMT
My daughter spent an academic year in the University of Neuchatel. She had a room on the 14th floor hich was served by a lift with no internal doors. Good fun until the day i went to bring her back. The lift broke down in the evening and we had to walk up and down the stairs to bring all of her stuff down. And she had a lot of stuff!
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 7, 2020 21:13:53 GMT
Stand to be corrected but AFAIK today they are all (slightly) modified WT54s. I think the mod might simply be that any armature or carcass overhaul would have brought them up to the latest contemporary insulation standard, which tends to alter a motors characterstics. The 1938 batch as built had MV 145AZ motors, don't know if they got exchanged. The MV 145 AZ motors were used on the O/P Metadyne stock so that makes sense. According to my book L41, 42, 43 were built in 1937 with MV Metadyne equipment, the 1938 batch were L35- 40 with GEC equipment. The way they appear to be numbered seems odd as the older ones have higher numbers. Or is my book wrong?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Apr 4, 2020 15:50:00 GMT
I'm a little confused about what a Pickering is. According to my Ian Allen book from ~1965, at that time there were 30 battery locomotives, 3 built by Gloucester in 1937 (L41, 42, 43), 6 by Gloucester by in 1939 (L35, 36, 38, 39, 40), 3 by Hurst Nelson in 1951 (L55, 56, 57), 4 more by Hurst Nelson in 1952, (L58-61) 1 built by Acton Works (L76) and 13 being built by Metro Cammell from 1965. Also listed are 14 Ballast Motor Cars built in 1923, (L62-75) but there is no builder's name associated. So as these numbers tie up with the post above, I assume these are the Pickerings. As only L56-61 are listed above and these 7 are the lowest numbers of the 14, what happened to L62-75?
Apart from this batch of 14, all the rest are listed as Battery Locomotives, but these are Ballast Motor Cars. Would I be right in assuming that the Battery Locomotives only ran on battery power, or could they run off track power as well, but the ballast motors only ran off track power?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 30, 2020 19:22:40 GMT
No wonder I didn't recognise it. I have only ever been to Mill Hill East once!
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 30, 2020 18:26:08 GMT
Here is another one. The middle section shows overhaul of a 1938 stock at Chiswick in 1951. The lack of Health and Safety is amazing, especially the upholsterers who appear to store the tacks in their mouths. In the early part there is a 4 car train crossing a viaduct. I don't recognise the location. Anyone got any idea?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 30, 2020 15:31:52 GMT
As many of us have time on our hands, I thought I would post this link as it shows some fascinating shots of the Underground in the 30s. I know they are not discussed on this site, but some of the shots of buses and trams are also very interesting. Hope you enjoy it.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 28, 2020 8:46:30 GMT
In the thread on coronavirus, the service on the Central Line seem very similar to the off-peak service I recall when I used it to travel to school in the late 60s/early 70s. This thought led me on to the Specials that were run for my school. I went to St. Clement Danes in Du Cane Road. As the school had a tie with St. Clement Danes Church in The Strand, every year the whole school travelled from White City to Holborn by a Special, and returned by two specials. In my naivety, I thought that special trains were scheduled, but I now suspect that the trip to Holborn was just a normal eastbound service which was effectively reserved as far as Holborn, and I suspect that the westbound trains were probably trains that started from Liverpool Street, or others that were tipped out at Liverpool Street. I can't now remember whether the westbound trains actually terminated at White City, or whether they carried on. What I do remember is that, for obvious reasons we ran non-stop to Holborn and on return.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 27, 2020 8:33:07 GMT
Brian Hardy's "Underground Train File" gives some more detail. They were built to handle increased traffic levels on the Picadilly, for use with 1906-vintage motor cars, which were converted from gate to air door operation for the purpose. These trains operated alongside the existing trains of gate stock. Up to and including the 1923-34 Standard Stock, normal operation on the Tube lines was for motor cars, with their large equipment compartments, to be formed at the ends of trains, so a six car train would be M-T-CT-CT-T-M. However, three-car trains were not unknown. They were converted in 1928 to work with new standard stock motor cars and, in 1931 they were transferred to the Bakerloo, because they were not considered suitable for extended open-air running on the new extensions to the Piccadilly Line. On the Bakerloo they were only used south of Queen's Park. In 1938 they were earmarked for the Northern City Line but found to be out of gauge (presumably width wise) and withdrawn, some finding non-railway use as ARP shelters during the War. The oval cab windows were not unique - the F stock on the District Line, introduced the previous year, also had this feature, as did contemporary trains on the Berlin U-Bahn. If I remember correctly, all F stock cars had oval windows at both ends, a feature which wasn't repeated until later stock was refurbished, (although obviously not oval.)
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 21, 2020 8:43:03 GMT
How much of this is due to use of historic addresses. I used to live in the borough of Ealing, my postcode was UX (Uxbridge) rather than a W code, and the address was Greenford, Middlesex. I left many years ago, so I wonder what the current address of my old house is. The Uxbridge area postcode sequence is 'UB'; Greenford is UB6. Sorry, m poor memory. Of course it it is UB, UX is the code for Uxbridge bus garage!
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 20, 2020 16:45:56 GMT
I took ijmad's comments to be a reference that many residents of Bromley still earnestly try and pretend they are part of the posh rural-ish Kent County Council and not a London borough under the authority of the Urban Grater London Authority. There is also a slight party political angle too - Bromley is / has always solidly been Conservative territory while the GLC / GLA has been led by Labour in the past. A similar fiction is also perpetuated in parts of Kingston, Sutton and Croydon where some folk are most vehement that they reside in Surrey (rather than a London Borough), while residents of Bexley, like those in Bromley prefer to still think of themselves as living in Kent.
Chingford & Wanstead prefer Essex to E4 & E18. How much of this is due to use of historic addresses. I used to live in the borough of Ealing, my postcode was UX (Uxbridge) rather than a W code, and the address was Greenford, Middlesex. I left many years ago, so I wonder what the current address of my old house is.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 19, 2020 7:41:49 GMT
It differs from line to line. Some are nice and simple, some really aren’t. Off peak there is a pattern, but during the peak it gets disrupted. The former are listed in the WTTs under Train Numbering or similar, but for peak stuff you’d need to go through trains individually. One exception to the above is the CnH which uses the same numbering all day long, bar one train which moves from Circles to H&Cs after the peak. Remembering that LU numbering doesn’t use 8s or 9s, some example, continuous sequences from my parts of the world: *200-217 - Circles (213 becomes a H&C after the peak) *261-277 - H&C *171 - Upminster/Hammersmith changeover train (peaks only) *172 - Ealing/Hammersmith changeover train (peaks only) *175 - Edgware Road changeover train (one Circle at CoT) *401-413 - Amersham/Chesham-Aldgate *421-427 - Watford-Baker *430-451 - Uxbridge-Aldgate *460-474 - Neasden inter peak stablers Aside from the changeover/inter peak stabling trains, the above numbers could start/finish at any depot or sidings. I understand what an inter-peak stabler is, but I'm not sure about a changeover train. Could some kind person please clarify?
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 17, 2020 10:14:37 GMT
This turned up as a suggested video this morning. it is a mainly cab view of a service in 1980 from Epping to Ongar, back to Epping, then non-stop to Loughton Platform 1. On arrival at Loughton the camera is moved to the platform and the train moves off signalled by the shunt signal with an indicator reading 4. After a couple of minutes the train (I assume the same one) reappears heading eastbound in the siding adjacent to Platform 1. The quality isn't great as I suspect at that age it was transferred from VHS.
|
|
|
Post by countryman on Mar 12, 2020 8:04:39 GMT
We get that a lot on the SWR "rounders", where the train gets confused as to whether it is on the outward leg or the inward one and announces the previous station instead of the next one. (That is, it knows where it is but not which way it's going). Occasionally also happens on "Real Time Trains" where the train is shown as being at two different stages of its journey simultaneously. In my case it knew which way it was going but not where it was.
|
|