I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time
ever, and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of a
shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about? something
must be wrong with it. I walked down to sit at the front at one point
and was nearly thrown off my feet several times.

2. why are there drivers sometimes? I know they don't need drivers and
the one I was sitting behind seemed to be only closing the doors and
pressing the 'go' button, and then just jumped off at one station
leaving the train to make it's own way. Why have a driver for part of
the journey?

--
Mark Varley
www.MarkVarleyPhoto.co.uk
www.BeautifulBondage.net
www.TwistedPhotography.co.uk
London, England.

On Jan 12, 3:29*pm, Huge wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time ever,
and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of a
shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal wear
marks on the rails and a speed limit.

2. why are there drivers sometimes?

Unionisation?

They can occasionally be driven manually in emergencies, but the
reason why you sometimes see them at the front isn't because they are
driving.

As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from the
front of the train. Sometimes it may just happen to be convenient,
and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able to use the
mirrors to see both sides.

MIG wrote:
On Jan 12, 3:29 pm, Huge wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time
ever, and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of
a shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal wear
marks on the rails and a speed limit.

2. why are there drivers sometimes?

Unionisation?

They can occasionally be driven manually in emergencies, but the
reason why you sometimes see them at the front isn't because they are
driving.

As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from the
front of the train. Sometimes it may just happen to be convenient,
and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able to use the
mirrors to see both sides.

Do they still sit at the front on Saturday nights because of drunken
passengers falling off the platform?

On Jan 12, 4:37*pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
MIG wrote:
On Jan 12, 3:29 pm, Huge wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time
ever, and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of
a shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal wear
marks on the rails and a speed limit.

2. why are there drivers sometimes?

Unionisation?

They can occasionally be driven manually in emergencies, but the
reason why you sometimes see them at the front isn't because they are
driving.

As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from the
front of the train. *Sometimes it may just happen to be convenient,
and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able to use the
mirrors to see both sides.

Do they still sit at the front on Saturday nights because of drunken
passengers falling off the platform?-

I guess it would make sense if they had an emergency brake in that
position, but I hadn't heard that one.

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:37:46 -0800 (PST), MIG wrote:

As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from the
front of the train. Sometimes it may just happen to be convenient,
and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able to use the
mirrors to see both sides.

Can't they just close one side at a time?

--
jhk

On Jan 12, 3:29*pm, Huge wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time ever,
and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of a
shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal wear
marks on the rails and a speed limit.

I've been on one of the new trains recently. Didn't seem quite so bad
but the wobble is still there and added to that it had a nasty thump
from the front bogie each time the body wobbled at speed though it
could have been just that unit.

B2003

On 12 Jan, 17:16, Jarle H Knudsen wrote:

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:37:46 -0800 (PST), MIG wrote:
As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from the
front of the train. Sometimes it may just happen to be convenient,
and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able to use the
mirrors to see both sides.

Can't they just close one side at a time?


Yes, but at peak times timing is everything - and the vestibules get pretty
packed too, so even moving from one side to the other is a challenge.
Perhaps the same thinking applies to some extent when riding at the front in
other places, where station platforms may be at either side of the train.

On Jan 12, 5:21*pm, wrote:
On Jan 12, 3:29*pm, Huge wrote:

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time ever,
and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of a
shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal wear
marks on the rails and a speed limit.

I've been on one of the new trains recently. Didn't seem quite so bad
but the wobble is still there and added to that it had a nasty thump
from the front bogie each time the body wobbled at speed though it
could have been just that unit.

The one I went on I thought it was as wobbly as ever, except where
slower.

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:37:46 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote this gibberish:

On Jan 12, 3:29*pm, Huge wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time ever,
and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell of a
shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal wear
marks on the rails and a speed limit.

2. why are there drivers sometimes?

Unionisation?

They can occasionally be driven manually in emergencies, but the
reason why you sometimes see them at the front isn't because they are
driving.

As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from the
front of the train. Sometimes it may just happen to be convenient,
and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able to use the
mirrors to see both sides.

but why be on the train, operating the doors for a few stations, and
then not for the rest of the line?
--
Mark Varley
www.MarkVarleyPhoto.co.uk
www.BeautifulBondage.net
www.TwistedPhotography.co.uk
London, England.

"MarkVarley - MVP" wrote in message

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:37:46 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote this gibberish:

On Jan 12, 3:29 pm, Huge wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:12:41 +0000, MarkVarley - MVP wrote:
I don't often go on the DLR, infact yesterday was the second time
ever, and prompted a couple of questions.

1. are the rails made form recycled corkscrews?!? thats one hell
of a shimmy going on along some stretches, what's that all about?

It's a design flaw, and also the reason why there are sinusoidal
wear marks on the rails and a speed limit.

2. why are there drivers sometimes?

Unionisation?

They can occasionally be driven manually in emergencies, but the
reason why you sometimes see them at the front isn't because they are
driving.

As well as from each doorway, they can also operate the doors from
the front of the train. Sometimes it may just happen to be
convenient, and sometimes, eg at Canary Wharf, they need to be able
to use the mirrors to see both sides.

but why be on the train, operating the doors for a few stations, and
then not for the rest of the line?

I thought the train captain (are they still called that?) was always on
board, and always operated the doors, but only rarely drove. I think
they sometimes checked tickets at one time, though I'm not sure of they
still do.