On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 00:29:09 +0100, Recliner wrote:

Does this sort of thing happen often, and what could have made it
necessary? Or did someone make a mistake?

I once experienced something similar on the Met. I was on a fast
eastbound train that stopped (as usual) in platform 6 at
Harrow-on-the-Hill. But as we pulled out of the station, to my
surprise, we took the crossover to the slow line. However, we still
didn't stop at the intermediate stations (and we certainly didn't slow
to 5mph for the starter signals, either).

"Steve Fitzgerald" ] wrote in message

In message , James
Farrar writes

I often travel east from Northfields at that time of day (well, any
time between 5:30 and 9:30), and it's not at all unusual to end up
on the outside (District) platform). I would estimate it happens to
me more often than once a fortnight.

There's a crossover from the EB fast to the EB local just west of
Acton Town. In 7 years, I think I've only been routed over it about 3
times. I note that EB 261 and 315 (ex Northfields at 2101 and 2142
respectively) are booked to do this move although I've never seen it
so it may be an Acton turn that does it.

You could, of course have travelled east along the EB local/test track
from Northfields.

I was travelling from the Rayner's Lane branch, which often uses
platform 4 at Acton Town. I hadn't realised that the Northfields branch
also sometimes used this platform, either from the fast or the local
lines. It was also the only time I've ever noticed two WB Piccadilly
line trains at Acton Town, with both getting green signals. The obvious
penny didn't drop till after we'd departed the station and stayed on the
local line.

On Sun, 5 Apr 2009 20:01:58 +0100
"Recliner" wrote:
That it should be viewed as "nothing unusual" for a train to stop for
a while waiting for a train operator *in the evening peak* is an awful
indictment of the current management and/or timetable of the
Piccadilly Line.

It's happened for as long as I can remember, so there's nothing new
about this. The same happens on the District at Earls Court.

And at arnos grove going north. It could be 6pm with a huge queue of
trains backed up down the line but they don't give a stuff - they'll take
their merry time swapping drivers, assuming the relief driver has even
bothered to turn up in the first place which isn't always guaranteed.
Why there has to be a driver change anyway 3 stops before the end of the line
is a mystery even Mulder and Scully would have trouble solving.

B2003

Recliner wrote on 05 April 2009 21:01:58 ...
"Richard J." wrote in message

James Farrar wrote on 05 April 2009
07:44:35 ...
[Assuming you mean "eastbound"...]
[wrong directions now corrected in original post below]
"Recliner" wrote in
:

I was on [an EASTbound] Piccadilly Line train from the Rayner's
lane branch at about 6:45pm on Friday that stopped for a while
at Acton Town, waiting for a relief driver. So far, nothing unusual,

That it should be viewed as "nothing unusual" for a train to stop for
a while waiting for a train operator *in the evening peak* is an awful
indictment of the current management and/or timetable of the
Piccadilly Line.

It's happened for as long as I can remember, so there's nothing new
about this. The same happens on the District at Earls Court.

Agreed. I wasn't implying it was something new, merely countering any
inference that this was a situation that we found tolerable.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

"Steve Fitzgerald" ] wrote in message

In message , James
Farrar writes

I often travel east from Northfields at that time of day (well, any
time between 5:30 and 9:30), and it's not at all unusual to end up
on the outside (District) platform). I would estimate it happens to
me more often than once a fortnight.

There's a crossover from the EB fast to the EB local just west of
Acton Town. In 7 years, I think I've only been routed over it about 3
times. I note that EB 261 and 315 (ex Northfields at 2101 and 2142
respectively) are booked to do this move although I've never seen it
so it may be an Acton turn that does it.

You could, of course have travelled east along the EB local/test track
from Northfields.

I was travelling from the Rayner's Lane branch, which often uses
platform 4 at Acton Town. I hadn't realised that the Northfields
branch also sometimes used this platform, either from the fast or
the local lines. It was also the only time I've ever noticed two
WB Piccadilly line trains at Acton Town, with both getting green
signals. The obvious penny didn't drop till after we'd departed
the station and stayed on the local line.

Looking at the EB local/test track from Northfields today it definitely
seemed a bit under-used, if not totally rusty, particularly so close to
the junction at the bottom of Ealing bank. How many daily trains are
scheduled to use it? I see the EB platforms at Acton Town are labelled
District Platform 4, Piccadilly Platforms 3 & 4, by the way.

--
Colin Rosenstiel