"Mait001" wrote in message
...
Here's a new phenomenon: carrying out Underground track repairs whilst a
train
is in service, which is deliberately held up for that purpose!

Today, around 9.45a.m., I was in the front carriage of an Edgware Road
train at
West Brompton. 2 fluorescent-jacketed men got into the driver's cab. About
200
yards from Earl's Court, the train stopped (just before it emerges into
daylight from the tunnel, West of the station) for about 10 minutes.
Clanking
could be heard in front of the train - like spanners being dropped on the
rail.
All the passengers looked at each other rather bemused. After a few
minutes,
came the announcement from the driver: "Sorry for the delay, but we are
checking a piece of trackside equipment"! A few minutes later, the train
moved
off into Earl's Court and the 2 men in fluorescent jackets got off,
complete
with tools!

I can't offer an explanation but I had a similar experience last year on a
Bakerloo line train. I boarded at Piccadilly Circus to find that the
carriage reeked with a burning smell, a whole bank of seats were lifted and
two engineers were intently watching the traction motor below. There were a
lot of grinding and banging noises (unusual ones) coming from the wheelset
as we progressed towards Queen's Park.

I was surprised that the vehicle was in service. Had it been an overground
TOC then the vehicle would have been locked out of service, rather than full
of after-show revellers on their way home, surrounding working engineers -
but then that's LUL for you!