In message of Fri, 9
Jan 2009 03:38:34 in uk.transport.london, Steve Dulieu
writes

Thanks for a REALLY interesting posting. It would do no harm for the TfL
website to have similar reports for those few customers interested.
(Pleasedon't count this as top-posting).


"John B" wrote in message
...
On Jan 6, 1:52 pm, wrote:
1) the depot is at Cockfosters. Not sure what time this incident took
place, but if the train died in a place where it blocked or

MId to late afternoon.

Right boys n' girls, this is what happened...

(I have simplified this a bit but it's still gonna' be long)

At about 14:53 a train departed CK platform 4, as it got out of the

It took me a while to be confident that CK means Cockfosters. You use
several other two letter station codes. Where is the set publicly
available?

[snip]
The T/Op went through his checks and identified the problem. He then

Presumably Train Operator or driver in normal parlance, but planes are
driven by pilots and ships by helmsmen.

The train had come to a stand on the one bit of track leaving CK where
it was completely off juice (gapped in LU jargon) AND where the train
will not roll - in either direction.

I presume that is a bit of track where most carriage lighting vanishes.
(I guess residual lighting comes from batteries.) Why are such gaps
needed?

[snip]

The SOP for this situation used to be to get a set of gap jumper leads

Standard Operating Procedure

CK.) We can reverse trains at WG, AG & OK (which is what we did).

Wood Green, Arnos Grove and Oakwood.

The Arnos DMT drove up to CK, along with Tubelines staff from CFDT and

District Manager (Trains)? Completely Fouled Dam Trains?

[snip]

Whilst this was going on, the customers on the stalled train expressed
a desire to get off and continue their journey by other means, which,
given that they had now been sitting there for 45 minutes was not
unreasonable. So we got everyone into the car closest to the platform,

I love that summary of the customers' perspective. Was the driver able
to use announcements for customer communication during the whole of the
incident to this point.

cleared any trains between AG and OK, knocked the juice off, SCDs down,

SCD?

discharged TC at 17:15, deployed the jumpers, recharged at 17:20. We

Train Current? "discharged TC" = "switched track power off"?

then had to let the air on the train build up, moved the train forward
the 2 feet required to get it back on juice, knocked the juice back off

0.6m?

So, Mr. B, I'm sorry that for you "Normal Crap Service" was resumed, we
didn't do it deliberately and believe it or not some of us do care. If
you want to get a chuckle out of the whole sorry saga, when I said that
the Arnos DMT drove to CK, that man was me, only problem is I had not
driven a car since 1990, so you can comfort yourself with thought that
at least one of the bone idle useless layabouts who work for LU was
actually sh*tting himself.
Is the ability to drive a car part of your job?
Should it not be exercised formally and regularly?
You are plainly too valuable a member of staff to risk as described.
(Not to mention elfin safety.)

Could a C.S.A. (Customer Service Assistant) have been your driver?
The 40 minutes you would have had to budget to travel by 298 bus is
probably excessive. A Taxi account would probably be better.
On the other hand, I am sure stress probably affected those dealing with
the situation.


Disclaimer: All opininions are my own.

2 obvious questions:
1) Was there train operator error?
2) Should jumper availability be reviewed? e.g. Put them in a locked
cupboard with a notice indicating the criteria for opening the cupboard.
The expected return period of such a cost (delay in powering the train)
would have to be balanced against the cost of more availability.

Thank you again for a REALLY interesting report.
Thanks to Boltar for THIS thread that stimulated your response.
--
Walter Briscoe