How to use trains, some helpful hints and the occasional quarrel. Options

[Andy Capp]

My first one is for Biker1: in practical terms, what does the train time tell you?

For example: the train time table states 07:24. What does that mean?

[Andy Capp]

The third world crap that is our railway strikes again. App states P7, nope it is P8 and the berk too busy gassing at the entrance didn't have a scooby. Of course the next train is delayed by half hour!!!

[Biker1]

The third world crap that is our railway strikes again. App states P7, nope it is P8 and the berk too busy gassing at the entrance didn't have a scooby. Of course the next train is delayed by half hour!!!

How to wind up AC even more!!

[On the edge]

How to wind up AC even more!!

It's all about automation and investment. One day, Andy will be met by an auto organ at the barrier, who will be very nice to him guide him to the right train. So when the investment programme is finished, we won't see any 'humans' on the station. Apparently this kitvand software is on beta test right now in railway management, where so far the executive level had been replaced.

Mind, by the time they get it working, Andy will be in his driverless car.

[je suis Charlie]

It's all about automation and investment. One day, Andy will be met by an auto organ at the barrier, who will be very nice to him guide him to the right train. So when the investment programme is finished, we won't see any 'humans' on the station. Apparently this kitvand software is on beta test right now in railway management, where so far the executive level had been replaced.

Mind, by the time they get it working, Andy will be in his driverless car.

Out of interest, and I don't wanna derail thread but why your deep interest. In driverless cars?

[On the edge]

Out of interest, and I don't wanna derail thread but why your deep interest. In driverless cars?

Simply that it will bring a massive real paradigm change. Get it right and its good use of technology to solve some intractable problems in a sustainable way. It should help us make roads and therefore travel quicker and safer. It should eliminate a major domestic capital cost and ongoing mantenance worry. It should make the city and urban street scene cleaner and more pleasant. It should eliminate the signigicant downsides of mass public transport.It opens up much commercial potential. And no, I've no personal financial or other interest in the development of this technology.

[Andy1]

Simply that it will bring a massive real paradigm change. Get it right and its good use of technology to solve some intractable problems in a sustainable way. It should help us make roads and therefore travel quicker and safer. It should eliminate a major domestic capital cost and ongoing mantenance worry. It should make the city and urban street scene cleaner and more pleasant. It should eliminate the signigicant downsides of mass public transport.It opens up much commercial potential. And no, I've no personal financial or other interest in the development of this technology.

so you get in a driverless car to drive to a paperless office, to login into your wireless laptop to do a job which could have been done from home in the first place. Remote working where possible should be promoted by employers, for employees. Just wondering how a driverless car reduces traffic if everyone was to own one.

[Andy Capp]

so you get in a driverless car to drive to a paperless office, to login into your wireless laptop to do a job which could have been done from home in the first place. Remote working where possible should be promoted by employers, for employees. Just wondering how a driverless car reduces traffic if everyone was to own one.

Because driving can be managed and therefore optimised. Would also put the Piggy Bank out of business!.

[je suis Charlie]

Because driving can be managed and therefore optimised. Would also put the Piggy Bank out of business!.

Cryptic? Gibberish? Or just cryptic gibberish?

[Andy Capp]

Cryptic? Gibberish? Or just cryptic gibberish?

I could reply but there is no educating pork.

[TallDarkAndHands...]

Snow tomorrow. Wonder if it will be the wrong kind for the trains?

[Biker1]

Snow tomorrow. Wonder if it will be the wrong kind for the trains?

It may well be, who knows?
The misuse of this phrase which was never used by BR is mainly used by those who do not understand it's meaning and is often used to ridicule.
This maybe justified as the railway, as we all know, is far from perfect but I thought it may help the interested few on this forum to know how the term was coined.
Extract from Wiki (to save you looking it up) is a very good explanation..........

The phrase originated in a comment by British Rail's Director of Operations Terry Worrall on 11 February 1991 whilst being interviewed by James Naughtie. He explained that "we are having particular problems with the type of snow, which is rare in the UK". Naughtie replied "Oh, I see, it was the wrong kind of snow," to which Worrall replied, "No, it was a different kind of snow". The exchange prompted a headline in the London Evening Standard saying "British Rail blames the wrong type of snow" which was swiftly taken up by the media and other papers. The cold snap had been forecast and British Rail had claimed to be ready for the coming snow. However, the snow – which was not deep enough for snowploughs or snow blowers to be effective – was unusually soft and powdery, finding its way into electrical systems and causing short circuits and traction motor damage. For traction motors with integral cooling fans and air intakes pointing downwards – the type that is still common on British electric multiple units – the problem was made worse as the air intakes sucked up the loose snow. Meanwhile, the snow also became packed into sliding door mechanisms and into points, causing them to fail. In addition, low temperatures resulted in problems with electric current collection from the third rail.
Many electric services had to be replaced by diesel haulage, and emergency timetables were introduced. Long delays were commonplace – up to eight hours in some cases. The disruption lasted over a week.

When you see one of the 40 year old HST's coming through Newbury at 110mph enveloped in snow while cars and lorries struggle to get anywhere even in the RIGHT kind of snow you MAY understand.
These great trains are about to be replaced by new ones from Hitachi.
I wonder how they will cope with "the wrong kind of snow"?

[TallDarkAndHands...]

It may well be, who knows?
The misuse of this phrase which was never used by BR is mainly used by those who do not understand it's meaning and is often used to ridicule.
This maybe justified as the railway, as we all know, is far from perfect but I thought it may help the interested few on this forum to know how the term was coined.
Extract from Wiki (to save you looking it up) is a very good explanation..........

The phrase originated in a comment by British Rail's Director of Operations Terry Worrall on 11 February 1991 whilst being interviewed by James Naughtie. He explained that "we are having particular problems with the type of snow, which is rare in the UK". Naughtie replied "Oh, I see, it was the wrong kind of snow," to which Worrall replied, "No, it was a different kind of snow". The exchange prompted a headline in the London Evening Standard saying "British Rail blames the wrong type of snow" which was swiftly taken up by the media and other papers. The cold snap had been forecast and British Rail had claimed to be ready for the coming snow. However, the snow – which was not deep enough for snowploughs or snow blowers to be effective – was unusually soft and powdery, finding its way into electrical systems and causing short circuits and traction motor damage. For traction motors with integral cooling fans and air intakes pointing downwards – the type that is still common on British electric multiple units – the problem was made worse as the air intakes sucked up the loose snow. Meanwhile, the snow also became packed into sliding door mechanisms and into points, causing them to fail. In addition, low temperatures resulted in problems with electric current collection from the third rail.
Many electric services had to be replaced by diesel haulage, and emergency timetables were introduced. Long delays were commonplace – up to eight hours in some cases. The disruption lasted over a week.

When you see one of the 40 year old HST's coming through Newbury at 110mph enveloped in snow while cars and lorries struggle to get anywhere even in the RIGHT kind of snow you MAY understand.
These great trains are about to be replaced by new ones from Hitachi.
I wonder how they will cope with "the wrong kind of snow"?

Twas a joke. I use the trains every day. We are lucky in Newbury with GWR. I would say they never go 110mph as you well know. 90 is about top speed. Given what the commuter is paying we should have bullet trains (or at least something comparable) as per Japan.
I do understand though that these private companies are having to pay for decades of stagnation under BR.

[Biker1]

I would say they never go 110mph as you well know. 90 is about top speed.

The line speed on the through lines at Newbury is 110mph as is much of the line between here and Exeter. The HST's do this every day come rain, fog, snow.
The 90mph you speak of is the maximum speed of the turbo units.

Given what the commuter is paying we should have bullet trains (or at least something comparable) as per Japan.

The Japanese "bullet" trains or Shinkansen use new lines that were built specifically for that purpose as do the TGV's of SNCF.
We try to run trains on lines that were built over 150 years ago with no knowledge of the speeds that would be required of a 21st century railway.
When we do try to build new lines and trains in the same way as Japan, France and several other countries this happens!

[TallDarkAndHands...]

The line speed on the through lines at Newbury is 110mph as is much of the line between here and Exeter. The HST's do this every day come rain, fog, snow.
The 90mph you speak of is the maximum speed of the turbo units.

Why are / were they called Inter City 125s? Was that the top speed (and not 90 or 110)?