Indicator Screens out last night at Baker St

[Deleted]

What happened last night (9th March 2009) to the screens at Baker St around 23.30.?
Got to the top concourse-all blank.
Wanted to get on Watford train.
Take a chance on Platform 1.All screens blank.
Train pulls in,driver gets out and he confirms that that train will be a Watford.
Apart from that,no PA announcements and where were all the platform staff?
Any info anybody?

[citysig]

Although I am not certain of the exact reason, this tends to occur when
a)work is being carried out on the signalling computer,
b)the signalling computer is suffering some slight difficulties,
c)planned maintenance is being carried out.

To be honest, our largest influx of customers is not at 2330 on a Monday night, so if work needs to be carried out "under traffic conditions" but not when lots of people are travelling, this is a pretty good time to do it.

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2009 16:11:22 GMT @landau1945 said:

What happened last night (9th March 2009) to the screens at Baker St around 23.30.?
Got to the top concourse-all blank.
Wanted to get on Watford train.
Take a chance on Platform 1.All screens blank.
Train pulls in,driver gets out and he confirms that that train will be a Watford.
Apart from that,no PA announcements and where were all the platform staff?
Any info anybody?

Don't know the reason for the blank screens last night, but I do know PA's are not made on the Met platforms after 20:00 out of courtesy to/because of complaints from the residents of Chiltern Court above.

As for "all the platform staff", at that time in the evening there would be one member of staff for platforms 1-4, and possibly even 1-6. They would have security checks to perform and possibly last circle line trains to lamp out.

[neasdena60]

shocking news, im shocked.

[mpd]

Bearing in mind the age of the Baker Street signalling Control Centre signaling system as a whole - prehistoric in computing terms at over 25 years, it's remarkable how often the equipment works! They are rather expensive, there is a limit to what they can display and how long it takes to update the displays when the service is not running well, but certainly seem to have been worth the expense. I doupt if there are any of the original OPO monitors anywhere on the system and all of these (except Vic Line) are younger than the kit at Baker Street.

regards
Malcolm

[citysig]

The system - despite its age - remains the most up-to-date "reliable" computerised signalling system LU possess. It is rare - extremely rare - to have the service delayed by a total loss of signalling control. The system has back-ups similar to some Victorian constructions, which, when the surface is peeled back, reveal extreme over-engineering.

When the service is disrupted, the information can be updated more or less straight away - indeed the system updates itself and whatever it "talks" to every 15-30 seconds. Dependant on the disruption, the operator may not always have the chance to insert all of the information to allow the computer to make informed decisions with regard to passenger information displayed.

The system was designed with an "optimistic" view, and as such, when things go wrong it will always try and predict the next train - even if that won't be for some time.

[a60]

landau1945 can you please stop complaining?

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2009 16:11:22 GMT @landau1945 said:

What happened last night (9th March 2009) to the screens at Baker St around 23.30.?
Got to the top concourse-all blank.
Wanted to get on Watford train.
Take a chance on Platform 1.All screens blank.
Train pulls in,driver gets out and he confirms that that train will be a Watford.
Apart from that,no PA announcements and where were all the platform staff?
Any info anybody?

If the screens are out you should make your way to platforms 1 and 2. There is normally a member of staff there and if a train comes in from the city you wont have to run to catch it.

When you come down the stairs to the platform there will be 2 screens to your right, one is platform 2 arrivals, the other is all departures.

[Tomcakes]

Mar 17, 2009 19:16:32 GMT a60 said:

landau1945 can you please stop complaining?

Mar 12, 2009 18:50:57 GMT @carlovel1 said:

Mar 11, 2009 16:42:09 GMT @neasdena60 said:

shocking news, im shocked.

Shameful!!
Despicable!!
Disgraceful!!
Disgusting!!
Horrific!!!
This cant possibly be tolerated!!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Less of the squabble and back to the topic, please.

[citysig]

It's been a few days since I was at work, but on my last day, the majority of screens were back in action, with a fault rendering those in the immediate area of Platform 5 still out of action. It's one of those "could be tomorrow, could be weeks" type faults whilst replacement parts are awaited.

[Deleted]

Mar 18, 2009 9:18:25 GMT @citysig said:

It's been a few days since I was at work,

Yes, that had been noticed! ;D
The last 2 nights I've been at Baker Street all the screens now seem to be working okay.

[Deleted]

The boards that are very important are at Harrow, has the board on platform 4 been replaced? Is there any news on the board? I noticed platform 3 was fixed before I went on leave.

[metman]

The board on platform 4 is broken and is being repaired! The board at the top of the stairs is in place, but not working. We can presume it is a systems failure. My mate who lives in Uxbridge ended up on a Watford train that came into plat 4 the other night and ended up in Croxley- muppet!

[Deleted]

What surprises me is why not just take the first train to Finchley Road or Harrow on the Hill and change there.

Agreed that it'll be the same train BUT unless it's a system wide failure then at least the info will be available at Finchley Road/ Harrow or you'll have the chance to see the front of the train.

[mrfs42]

Mar 18, 2009 19:41:32 GMT @centralsimon said:

Agreed that it'll be the same train BUT unless it's a system wide failure then at least the info will be available at Finchley Road/ Harrow or you'll have the chance to see the front of the train.

Hmmm.......

Mar 14, 2009 18:57:34 GMT @centralsimon said:

You are, of course, jumping to the conclusion that everybody can actually see the destination blind. In 2008, 153,000 people were on the register of blind people and a similar number of the register of partially sighted people. (no doubt countless more have eye sight problems).

;D

Anyway, rather than being flippant - a semi-serious question - do any lightboxes remain on the Met, or has it all gone dot matrix? Seeing the comment upthread about the boards at Harrow made me wonder.....

[Chris M]

Mar 18, 2009 19:05:26 GMT metman said:

My mate who lives in Uxbridge ended up on a Watford train that came into plat 4 the other night and ended up in Croxley- muppet!

One of my former landlady's friends got as far as Buckhurst Hill before realising that the train she got on at Mile End wasn't going to take her to Newbury Park...

[Dmitri]

Mar 18, 2009 20:03:15 GMT Chris M said:

got as far as Buckhurst Hill

At least, it was Buckhurst Hill, not Barking .

[maxtube]

Mar 18, 2009 19:54:03 GMT mrfs42 said:

Anyway, rather than being flippant - a semi-serious question - do any lightboxes remain on the Met, or has it all gone dot matrix? Seeing the comment upthread about the boards at Harrow made me wonder.....

But - they - can't- it - is - not - possible - why - are - lightboxes - dissappearing - so - fast?

If you count Aldgate East as the Met, I think there are still some there.
I hope they are going to preserve some lightboxes at at least one station, they are becoming rarer than dancing arrows!

[mrfs42]

Mar 18, 2009 21:00:05 GMT @maxtube said:

Mar 18, 2009 19:54:03 GMT mrfs42 said:

Anyway, rather than being flippant - a semi-serious question - do any lightboxes remain on the Met, or has it all gone dot matrix? Seeing the comment upthread about the boards at Harrow made me wonder.....

But - they - can't- it - is - not - possible - why - are - lightboxes - dissappearing - so - fast?

If you count Aldgate East as the Met, I think there are still some there.

I consider Stanmore and Canons Park (Edgware) to still be Met.

Mar 18, 2009 21:00:05 GMT @maxtube said:

I hope they are going to preserve some lightboxes at at least one station, they are becoming rarer than dancing arrows!

I didn't notice any preserved in the rafters at Acton; but I agree it would be nice to see some preserved in situ and working. I wonder if suitable translation modules and buffers could be made as part of the resignalling. I suppose anything's possible as long as there is enought money thrown at it.

[metrider]

Mar 18, 2009 18:01:20 GMT @funk said:

The boards that are very important are at Harrow, has the board on platform 4 been replaced? Is there any news on the board? I noticed platform 3 was fixed before I went on leave.

The board on platform for had actually been totally missing for a week or so, and had not been replaced as of yesterday morning. In the last few weeks, I've been on a couple of Uxbridge trains whose destination blind had not been set - causing confusion to those waiting. Before being removed the board had a note attached saying "check front of train for destination" - I bet they were not expecting it to say "Baker st"!. On those occasions the doors have opened and I have gone to get off, to a chorus of "where's this train going?"

Mar 18, 2009 19:41:32 GMT @centralsimon said:

What surprises me is why not just take the first train to Finchley Road or Harrow on the Hill and change there.

Agreed that it'll be the same train BUT unless it's a system wide failure then at least the info will be available at Finchley Road/ Harrow or you'll have the chance to see the front of the train.

The problem there is that a northbound train can depart from three different platforms, with possibly several minutes or more before those reversing depart. So you don't know which will be first. Also the stairways to the platforms are very congested - If you realised that a train was departing from the other island, you'd not be able to get there in time.

During a period of disruption several weeks ago (AM rush hour), I arrived at the concourse, to find just one NB train displayed, and it was about 15 minutes away. One of the station staff trotted up looked at the boards, and without being prompted, got on his radio, and whistled us up more current information - top marks!

[Tomcakes]

Mar 18, 2009 22:43:34 GMT metrider said:

Mar 18, 2009 18:01:20 GMT @funk said:

The boards that are very important are at Harrow, has the board on platform 4 been replaced? Is there any news on the board? I noticed platform 3 was fixed before I went on leave.

The board on platform for had actually been totally missing for a week or so, and had not been replaced as of yesterday morning. In the last few weeks, I've been on a couple of Uxbridge trains whose destination blind had not been set - causing confusion to those waiting. Before being removed the board had a note attached saying "check front of train for destination" - I bet they were not expecting it to say "Baker st"!. On those occasions the doors have opened and I have gone to get off, to a chorus of "where's this train going?"

I'd hope that if the screens were defective an instruction would be issued to drivers to ensure that blinds were up to date and that an announcement should be made. Couldn't this be scribbled on the whiteboards at the end of platforms?

[citysig]

Mar 18, 2009 21:00:05 GMT @maxtube said:

If you count Aldgate East as the Met, I think there are still some there.

How dare you ;D

Mar 18, 2009 21:23:42 GMT mrfs42 said:

I consider Stanmore and Canons Park (Edgware) to still be Met.

How dare you again ;D ;D
Whatever they were is certainly not what they are.

Mar 18, 2009 22:43:34 GMT metrider said:

The problem there is that a northbound train can depart from three different platforms, with possibly several minutes or more before those reversing depart. So you don't know which will be first. Also the stairways to the platforms are very congested - If you realised that a train was departing from the other island, you'd not be able to get there in time.

During a period of disruption several weeks ago (AM rush hour), I arrived at the concourse, to find just one NB train displayed, and it was about 15 minutes away. One of the station staff trotted up looked at the boards, and without being prompted, got on his radio, and whistled us up more current information - top marks!

For the first point, generally a train approaching platform 2 from the city will leave before platforms 1 and 4. If there is a good service advertised, then travelling to Finchley Road will then mean you can "step back" to any train without the need to climb/descend stairs or swap platforms.

The station staff, whilst pretty much excellent at Baker Street, do not have the ability to "whistle-up" the information. They need to contact the Signalling Centre, and if it can be displayed, the chances are it is already being displayed. A train that does not exist in the immediate area cannot be made to exist if you see what I mean. Chances are the screens were being updated / trains were approaching at the same time. Don't want to burst the bubble there, but at least through whatever means we showed you what you wanted to see.

[Deleted]

Mar 18, 2009 19:41:32 GMT @centralsimon said:

What surprises me is why not just take the first train to Finchley Road or Harrow on the Hill and change there.

Agreed that it'll be the same train BUT unless it's a system wide failure then at least the info will be available at Finchley Road/ Harrow or you'll have the chance to see the front of the train.

I always tell passengers to take the first train and change, best advice any member of staff can give.

There is a short note on the drivers boards on the platforms at Harrow and I always make a point of making a couple of extra announcements and give passengers extra time.

I notice the lightbox at Uxbridge has been complimented with dotmatrix on all platforms which will help.