On 5 Feb, 17:10, Mizter T wrote:
On Feb 5, 4:24*pm, Matthew Dickinson
wrote:





On 5 Feb, 15:33, Mizter T wrote:

On Feb 5, 2:09*pm, MIG wrote:
[big snip]
I think LM is a good bet for experimentation.

I should add, I'm not planning on traipsing round the railways of
London actively looking for a confrontation! Just that, I wouldn't let
the lack of an OEP deter me from travelling at all. The problem is, of
course, that the blurb says an OEP must be obtained before travelling,
so it puts people who're trying to do the right thing in an awkward
position - but I'd have no qualms about travelling should an OEP not
be obtainable from my starting station (if there was a newsagents
directly next to the station then maybe, I might get one - but if I
wasn't buying anything else it'd feel a bit weird to go in there to
ask for a 'free' ticket, though I suppose along with people coming in
to check their Oyster PAYG balance and not buying anything it could be
said to be part of the quid-pro-quo when you agree to retail Oyster
products, given the number of people it does bring through the door).

I suppose one argument that the TOCs could deploy would be that if an
OEP wasn't available (ticket machine and ticket office couldn't issue
them), *but* the ticket office was open, then the pax should buy a
standard paper extension ticket instead - though this would be a bit
more expensive than the equivalent (and automatically deducted) Oyster
PAYG fare for the extension. Though I think I'd still say stuff that!
(I dare say you might suggest some parallels with the old days pre-
PAYG expansion w.r.t. paper Travelcards and pricey paper ticket
extension fares, though I don't think the situations are directly
comparable.)

Re LM and experimentation - I'm not so sure it would be a good venue
for testing the waters actually, because Oyster PAYG was fully
available on LM between Euston, H&W and Watford Junction before the
great PAYG expansion of January gone and they obviously didn't have
any requirement for an OEP type arrangement back then. Plus all three
stations are gated too, though yes, LM use ungated platforms at

Five.... remember Bushey and Wembley Central.

Shoots, yes, of course, how could I forget poor old Bushey! Is the
station gated now? It wasn't a year or so ago.

Wembley Central only half counts in my book as hardly any LM trains
stop there (also the platforms they stop at are not within the gated
area).



Another factor is that London Midland ticket machines have not been
upgraded to issue OEPs.

Do they handle Oyster at all?


The machines at Euston have Oyster pads ... are they LO or LM though?

On Feb 5, 5:12*pm, MIG wrote:

On 5 Feb, 17:10, Mizter T wrote:

On Feb 5, 4:24*pm, Matthew Dickinson
wrote:

Another factor is that London Midland ticket machines have not been
upgraded to issue OEPs.

Do they handle Oyster at all?

The machines at Euston have Oyster pads ... are they LO or LM though?

LM. In which case I think we might be able to say that the Scheidt &
Bachmann ticket machines which are equipped to 'do' Oyster nonetheless
can't 'do' OEPs for whatever reason - Southeastern has S&B machines,
and whilst they too do Oyster they don't do OEPs (must confess that I
haven't presented one with an Oyster card loaded with a Travelcard on
it yet, so I suppose it could be an option that's hidden, but I have
my doubts it would work like that).

Just wondering if the rule is that Shere ticket machines (such as
Southern) do OEPs, S&B don't (yet)?

(If so, then it's also interesting that LO have got some of both
types, I think.)

On 5 Feb, 17:31, Mizter T wrote:
On Feb 5, 5:12*pm, MIG wrote:

On 5 Feb, 17:10, Mizter T wrote:

On Feb 5, 4:24*pm, Matthew Dickinson
wrote:

Another factor is that London Midland ticket machines have not been
upgraded to issue OEPs.

Do they handle Oyster at all?

The machines at Euston have Oyster pads ... are they LO or LM though?

LM. In which case I think we might be able to say that the Scheidt &
Bachmann ticket machines which are equipped to 'do' Oyster nonetheless
can't 'do' OEPs for whatever reason - Southeastern has S&B machines,
and whilst they too do Oyster they don't do OEPs (must confess that I
haven't presented one with an Oyster card loaded with a Travelcard on
it yet, so I suppose it could be an option that's hidden, but I have
my doubts it would work like that).

Yes, I've looked since and they are LM. It occurs to me that there
wouldn't be any LM stations where Oyster is valid that wouldn't also
be LO stations.



Just wondering if the rule is that Shere ticket machines (such as
Southern) do OEPs, S&B don't (yet)?

(If so, then it's also interesting that LO have got some of both
types, I think.)