I've always thought the train service through Leyton
Midland runs at fifteen minute intervals and never goes
further than Barking at one end and Gospel Oak at the
other. I normally use the service only at off-peak periods.
Yesterday I travelled in the rush hour and just missed a
westbound train. I assumed I would have to wait another
fifteen minutes.

Instead I found another train announced: the 08.08 to
Willesden Junction. Clearly this train runs beyond Gospel Oak.
The train was quite full so an additional train is financially
justified. I didn't know spare train sets were available for
extra duties in the peak periods.

I got off at Blackhorse Road. I would have liked to have
stayed on to see how the train negotiated the Gospel Oak
junction.

In article ,
(Robin9) wrote:

I've always thought the train service through Leyton
Midland runs at fifteen minute intervals and never goes
further than Barking at one end and Gospel Oak at the
other. I normally use the service only at off-peak periods.
Yesterday I travelled in the rush hour and just missed a
westbound train. I assumed I would have to wait another
fifteen minutes.

Instead I found another train announced: the 08.08 to
Willesden Junction. Clearly this train runs beyond Gospel Oak.
The train was quite full so an additional train is financially
justified. I didn't know spare train sets were available for
extra duties in the peak periods.

I got off at Blackhorse Road. I would have liked to have
stayed on to see how the train negotiated the Gospel Oak

It's only in service from Woodgrange Park and it passes Gospel Oak without
stopping. The latter is obvious really because the GOBLIN platform is a bay
and the other platforms are not on that route. It does call at stations from
Hampstead Heath to Willesden Junction though.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Thu, 19 May 2016 10:23:45 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote:

On Thu, 19 May 2016 09:07:00 +0200, Robin9
wrote:


I've always thought the train service through Leyton
Midland runs at fifteen minute intervals and never goes
further than Barking at one end and Gospel Oak at the
other. I normally use the service only at off-peak periods.
Yesterday I travelled in the rush hour and just missed a
westbound train. I assumed I would have to wait another
fifteen minutes.

Instead I found another train announced: the 08.08 to
Willesden Junction. Clearly this train runs beyond Gospel Oak.
The train was quite full so an additional train is financially
justified. I didn't know spare train sets were available for
extra duties in the peak periods.

I got off at Blackhorse Road. I would have liked to have
stayed on to see how the train negotiated the Gospel Oak
junction.

It doesn't stop at Gospel Oak. It runs on the freight tracks and then
heads to Hampstead Heath. After kensal Rise it dives underneath the
NLL and terminates in the bay platform by the Watford DC platforms.

I intend to have a ride on it before the blockade starts because I
suspect it may not run after the blockade finishes.

I rode on it a couple of years ago. People at stops on the NLL don't
seem to even notice that a two-car diesel has turned up instead od a
four-car (then) 378. The train was crowded for almost the entire
journey but not many stay on for the final leg into Willesden. They
probably know how long it takes to get the road into the low-level
bay.

On 2016\05\19 14:22, BirchangerKen wrote:

I rode on it a couple of years ago. People at stops on the NLL don't
seem to even notice that a two-car diesel has turned up instead od a
four-car (then) 378. The train was crowded for almost the entire
journey but not many stay on for the final leg into Willesden. They
probably know how long it takes to get the road into the low-level
bay.

Your last sentence contradicts your second one.

On 2016\05\19 14:27, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2016\05\19 14:22, BirchangerKen wrote:

I rode on it a couple of years ago. People at stops on the NLL don't
seem to even notice that a two-car diesel has turned up instead od a
four-car (then) 378. The train was crowded for almost the entire
journey but not many stay on for the final leg into Willesden. They
probably know how long it takes to get the road into the low-level
bay.

Your last sentence contradicts your second one.

I should have added, most people at that time of day will be regular
commuters and will be well familiar with the two-car DMU showing up at
that time.

I'm surprised no enterprising railway photographer has
taken photos from the Gospel Oak platform of the train
passing through. Such pictures would have a rarity value.

Thank you for that. What is strange is that there was no
announcement warning passengers that Gospel Oak would
be avoided. I imagine someone unfamiliar with the train -
someone like me! - would board, assuming all the usual stops
would be made. Gospel Oak is one the three stations where
large numbers of people alight.

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 19 May 2016 09:07:00 +0200, Robin9
wrote:


I've always thought the train service through Leyton
Midland runs at fifteen minute intervals and never goes
further than Barking at one end and Gospel Oak at the
other. I normally use the service only at off-peak periods.
Yesterday I travelled in the rush hour and just missed a
westbound train. I assumed I would have to wait another
fifteen minutes.

Instead I found another train announced: the 08.08 to
Willesden Junction. Clearly this train runs beyond Gospel Oak.
The train was quite full so an additional train is financially
justified. I didn't know spare train sets were available for
extra duties in the peak periods.

I got off at Blackhorse Road. I would have liked to have
stayed on to see how the train negotiated the Gospel Oak
junction.

It doesn't stop at Gospel Oak. It runs on the freight tracks and then
heads to Hampstead Heath. After kensal Rise it dives underneath the
NLL and terminates in the bay platform by the Watford DC platforms.

I intend to have a ride on it before the blockade starts because I
suspect it may not run after the blockade finishes.

Is it mainly to move stock to the depot, and might as well carry pax?

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Thu, 19 May 2016 18:12:29 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 19 May 2016 09:07:00 +0200, Robin9
wrote:

I've always thought the train service through Leyton
Midland runs at fifteen minute intervals and never goes
further than Barking at one end and Gospel Oak at the
other. I normally use the service only at off-peak periods.
Yesterday I travelled in the rush hour and just missed a
westbound train. I assumed I would have to wait another
fifteen minutes.

Instead I found another train announced: the 08.08 to
Willesden Junction. Clearly this train runs beyond Gospel Oak.
The train was quite full so an additional train is financially
justified. I didn't know spare train sets were available for
extra duties in the peak periods.

I got off at Blackhorse Road. I would have liked to have
stayed on to see how the train negotiated the Gospel Oak
junction.

It doesn't stop at Gospel Oak. It runs on the freight tracks andthen
heads to Hampstead Heath. After kensal Rise it dives underneath the
NLL and terminates in the bay platform by the Watford DC platforms.

I intend to have a ride on it before the blockade starts because I
suspect it may not run after the blockade finishes.

Is it mainly to move stock to the depot, and might as well carry pax?

It's a congestion buster on the east end of the line. It uses the
"spare" train so sometimes it can't run if there is a fault. The AM
peak overcrowding into Blackhorse Road is, I am told, chronic and
that's why it was added. As you say LOROL could have run it oos from
Blackhorse Road into Willesden and not carry anyone but they took the
sensible decision to run in service given it has a path.

Other special workings in the timetable don't all run in service from
the depot and that's fair enough as they run at slightly less busy
times for their positioning runs.

Running otherwise empty stock in service is rather hit and miss. They've
just extended a Kings Cross-Royston train to Cambridge which used to run ECS
from Royston while cutting back another to run to Royston instead of
Cambridge. It runs ECS to Letchworth.

I sometimes catch the 16:40 Cambridge-Liverpool St (arr. 17:46). That's
another otherwise ECS move to provide stock for the 18:07. OTOH the 16:05
Cambridge to Liverpool St runs as a class 3 ECS move arriving 17:26 to
provide stock for the 17:37. I think this doesn't carry passengers because
it gets looped at Broxbourne for 5 minutes.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 2016\05\19 18:03, Robin9 wrote:

Thank you for that. What is strange is that there was no
announcement warning passengers that Gospel Oak would
be avoided. I imagine someone unfamiliar with the train -
someone like me! - would board, assuming all the usual stops
would be made. Gospel Oak is one the three stations where
large numbers of people alight.

Not because they want Gospel Oak but because they want to change onto
the westbound NLL... but I agree there should be an announcement.