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"Steve Dulieu" wrote in message
om...

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.

What always puzzles me, as a passenger, in this kind of situation is why on
earth passengers are made to wait (in this case) 45 minutes before being
allowed to get off the train. It really is inconvenient and, while I realise
that problems do happen, surely we should be allowed to get off the train
ASAP and get on with our lives.

I would go bananas if I had to sit for 45 minutes with what I presume was
little or no information.

Ian

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On Jan 9, 1:28*pm, "Ian F." wrote:
"Steve Dulieu" wrote in message

om...

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.

What always puzzles me, as a passenger, in this kind of situation is why on
earth passengers are made to wait (in this case) 45 minutes before being
allowed to get off the train. It really is inconvenient and, while I realise
that problems do happen, surely we should be allowed to get off the train
ASAP and get on with our lives.

I would go bananas if I had to sit for 45 minutes with what I presume was
little or no information.

On the main lines passengers in this situation have regularly thought
bugger it and let themselves off the train either through the
emergency door release or chucking something heavy through a window.
Then railway companies act all surprised and come out with stern
warnings against it. They seem to forget we're people, not cattle in a
pen and people arn't going to sit around for ever if they've had
enough and can get out. The tube doesn't have any obvious door release
mechanisms inside the carraiges so thats out , so it would be a window
job or get out the front door in the drivers cab. Though that 4th rail
would make it a bit tricky :)

B2003

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On 9 Jan, 12:36, "Steve Dulieu"
wrote:
"MIG" wrote in message

...
On Jan 9, 3:38 am, "Steve Dulieu"
wrote:





"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
platform
it became rear-tripped, coming to a halt with the rear of the train about
2
metres out of the platform.

The T/Op went through his checks and identified the problem. He then set
about getting the train moving.

Sadly this is when it went all man-boobs up.

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.

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation (which I won't repeat).

The bit I don't understand is how a whole train can be gapped. *Could
you clarify how that can occur (and why it isn't avoided for that
matter)? *How many shoes need to be in contact for movement to be
possible, compressors to work etc?

You need one positive and one negative shoe on current. Because of all the
point work at CK there are numerous gaps in the juice rails. Had the train
stopped two feet in either direction it would not have become gapped.

Looking at the layout, I guess that the train would be accross four
sets of points. Still seems very unlucky though.

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In uk.transport.london message
dia.com, Fri, 9 Jan 2009 03:38:34, Steve Dulieu steve.dulieu@greenyond
er.co.uk posted:

The SOP for this situation used to be to get a set of gap jumper leads
(basically a 640 volt extension lead, with a plug to go into the side
of the train on one end and a pair of shoes to go onto an adjacent
possie and neggie rail on the other) that were stored locally to where
trains could be gapped.

ISTM that each train could be equipped with an electric cable long
enough to reach either to the cable of a nearby train or to a shoe
assembly (or with an SCD, a winch, some rope, and an anchor).

--
(c) John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v6.05 MIME.
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.
Proper = 4-line sig. separator as above, a line exactly "-- " (SonOfRFC1036)
Do not Mail News to me. Before a reply, quote with "" or " " (SonOfRFC1036)

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On 2009-01-09, Steve Dulieu wrote:



"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)


Detail much appreciated, thanks, Steve.

And this might just serve as a reminder to some of us that every
disruption has a long story behind it, if only we could find the right
person to tell the story.

E.

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On Jan 11, 8:11*pm, Eric wrote:
And this might just serve as a reminder to some of us that every
disruption has a long story behind it, if only we could find the right
person to tell the story.

It still didn't explain why they couldn't implement stepping back at
Arnos Grove or why the trains sit their forever instead of leaving
again immediately. When theres a problem like this its not business as
usual , lets take our own sweet time. The staff need to pull their
fingers out occasionally whether its the signaller, the drivers or
both at fault. Unfortunately they dont' seem to be bothered.

B2003