Just been to a meeting in London Bridge, for which I was 30 mins late
due to Thameslink Programme-related amusement.

Went to Farringdon to catch the 1029 to Brighton, which was initially
reported as 2 mins late, then eventually turned up at 1035. To my mild
surprise, it was a Southern-liveried 377/2 - didn't get the unit
number.

So the train pulled into the platform, with an FCC driver and someone
else whose uniform I couldn't recognise in the cab, and the doors
didn't open for about 90 seconds (I assume this is due to GPS-related
idiocy). Everyone boarded as normal, and the lights dimmed for the AC/
DC changeover.

....ooops.

The lights didn't undim, and the train didn't move. Instead, nothing
at all happened, aside from various hi-vis and/or FCC uniform wearing
types swarming along the platform looking worried.

This continued for about 15 minutes.

Then a chap dressed in workboots, jeans and a polo shirt came along (I
think I was sitting at the rear end of the 2nd car, so in the middle
of the train), opened various electrical cupboards, and fiddled around
in them while speaking jargon I couldn't quite follow on the phone to
someone who may or may not have been the driver. I guess he must've
been a Bombardier fitter, as AIUI all FCC or Southern staff would've
been wearing some kind of uniform or ID?

Eventually he switched the train off and on again, shortly after which
we were on our way.

After that it was fine, except that we waited about 90 seconds for the
doors to open at each station, again presumably due to GPS-related
idiocy.

In some ways I'm annoyed I was late; in some ways I'm pleased to have
been on one of the first public service 377s on the route; in some
ways I'm glad that they're testing them in public service before next
Monday; and in other ways I'm rather worried that things are going to
go seriously titsup on Monday morning.

Even if the AC/DC problems were a glitch, there is literally no chance
of keeping to the rush-hour timetable if they can't sort out the door
opening delays...

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

"John B" wrote in message
...
Just been to a meeting in London Bridge, for which I was 30 mins late
due to Thameslink Programme-related amusement.

Went to Farringdon to catch the 1029 to Brighton, which was initially
reported as 2 mins late, then eventually turned up at 1035. To my mild
surprise, it was a Southern-liveried 377/2 - didn't get the unit
number.

So the train pulled into the platform, with an FCC driver and someone
else whose uniform I couldn't recognise in the cab, and the doors
didn't open for about 90 seconds (I assume this is due to GPS-related
idiocy). Everyone boarded as normal, and the lights dimmed for the AC/
DC changeover.

...ooops.

The lights didn't undim, and the train didn't move. Instead, nothing
at all happened, aside from various hi-vis and/or FCC uniform wearing
types swarming along the platform looking worried.

This continued for about 15 minutes.

Then a chap dressed in workboots, jeans and a polo shirt came along (I
think I was sitting at the rear end of the 2nd car, so in the middle
of the train), opened various electrical cupboards, and fiddled around
in them while speaking jargon I couldn't quite follow on the phone to
someone who may or may not have been the driver. I guess he must've
been a Bombardier fitter, as AIUI all FCC or Southern staff would've
been wearing some kind of uniform or ID?

Eventually he switched the train off and on again, shortly after which
we were on our way.

After that it was fine, except that we waited about 90 seconds for the
doors to open at each station, again presumably due to GPS-related
idiocy.

In some ways I'm annoyed I was late; in some ways I'm pleased to have
been on one of the first public service 377s on the route; in some
ways I'm glad that they're testing them in public service before next
Monday; and in other ways I'm rather worried that things are going to
go seriously titsup on Monday morning.

Even if the AC/DC problems were a glitch, there is literally no chance
of keeping to the rush-hour timetable if they can't sort out the door
opening delays...

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org



How hard can it be to press an "open" and "close" button?

I can remember when, hold your nerves here, as a passenger I used to operate
my own train door! As a car driver and house owner, I still do!

On Mar 18, 1:20*pm, John B wrote:
Just been to a meeting in London Bridge, for which I was 30 mins late
due to Thameslink Programme-related amusement.

Went to Farringdon to catch the 1029 to Brighton, which was initially
reported as 2 mins late, then eventually turned up at 1035. To my mild
surprise, it was a Southern-liveried 377/2 - didn't get the unit
number.

Even if the AC/DC problems were a glitch, there is literally no chance
of keeping to the rush-hour timetable if they can't sort out the door
opening delays...

The typical door release delay at Victoria is about 15 seconds - one
would hope that this can be achieved at SPILL, Farringdon and City. 90
seconds at each of those = timetable chaos.

On 18 Mar, 13:59, EE507 wrote:
On Mar 18, 1:20*pm, John B wrote:

Just been to a meeting in London Bridge, for which I was 30 mins late
due to Thameslink Programme-related amusement.

Went to Farringdon to catch the 1029 to Brighton, which was initially
reported as 2 mins late, then eventually turned up at 1035. To my mild
surprise, it was a Southern-liveried 377/2 - didn't get the unit
number.

Even if the AC/DC problems were a glitch, there is literally no chance
of keeping to the rush-hour timetable if they can't sort out the door
opening delays...

The typical door release delay at Victoria is about 15 seconds - one
would hope that this can be achieved at SPILL, Farringdon and City. 90
seconds at each of those = timetable chaos.

Indeed, 90s sounds like a fault to me, especially at open-air stations
south of London Bridge where the southern 377s' GPS should already
know where it is (from use on the Brighton - Watford Junction and
Charing Cross - Caterham etc. services)

The typical door release delay at Victoria is about 15 seconds - one
would hope that this can be achieved at SPILL, Farringdon and City. 90
seconds at each of those = timetable chaos.

Silly me, but why have any delay at all? What am I missing?


--
Peter 'Prof' Fox
Multitude of things for beer, cycling, Morris and curiosities at
http://vulpeculox.net

On Mar 18, 1:42*pm, "Light of Aria"
wrote:
"John B" wrote in message

...



Just been to a meeting in London Bridge, for which I was 30 mins late
due to Thameslink Programme-related amusement.

Went to Farringdon to catch the 1029 to Brighton, which was initially
reported as 2 mins late, then eventually turned up at 1035. To my mild
surprise, it was a Southern-liveried 377/2 - didn't get the unit
number.

So the train pulled into the platform, with an FCC driver and someone
else whose uniform I couldn't recognise in the cab, and the doors
didn't open for about 90 seconds (I assume this is due to GPS-related
idiocy). Everyone boarded as normal, and the lights dimmed for the AC/
DC changeover.

...ooops.

The lights didn't undim, and the train didn't move. Instead, nothing
at all happened, aside from various hi-vis and/or FCC uniform wearing
types swarming along the platform looking worried.

This continued for about 15 minutes.

Then a chap dressed in workboots, jeans and a polo shirt came along (I
think I was sitting at the rear end of the 2nd car, so in the middle
of the train), opened various electrical cupboards, and fiddled around
in them while speaking jargon I couldn't quite follow on the phone to
someone who may or may not have been the driver. I guess he must've
been a Bombardier fitter, as AIUI all FCC or Southern staff would've
been wearing some kind of uniform or ID?

Eventually he switched the train off and on again, shortly after which
we were on our way.

After that it was fine, except that we waited about 90 seconds for the
doors to open at each station, again presumably due to GPS-related
idiocy.

In some ways I'm annoyed I was late; in some ways I'm pleased to have
been on one of the first public service 377s on the route; in some
ways I'm glad that they're testing them in public service before next
Monday; and in other ways I'm rather worried that things are going to
go seriously titsup on Monday morning.

Even if the AC/DC problems were a glitch, there is literally no chance
of keeping to the rush-hour timetable if they can't sort out the door
opening delays...

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

How hard can it be to press an "open" and "close" button?

Remember they current thinking is that the driver is too stupid to
know when he's in a station so the computer has to ok the door opening
using GPS. If it doesn't then they won't. I'm waiting for the first
hacker to hang around some major station with a GPS jammer to see what
happens.

B2003

On 18 Mar, 14:13, Peter Fox wrote:
The typical door release delay at Victoria is about 15 seconds - one
would hope that this can be achieved at SPILL, Farringdon and City. 90
seconds at each of those = timetable chaos.

Silly me, but why have any delay at all? *What am I missing?


GPS is used tell the train's computer where it is and so stopping the
doors being opened when there is no platform along side (e.g in an 8
coach train the computer would only allow the front 4 coachs' doors to
be opened when at a 4 coach station). Victoria is undercover and so
the GPS system can't get a fix from the satelites. I can't remember
whether the GPS is overridden or if they have a fake transmitter at
Victoria, but the delay is in switching the whatever the backup system
is. The delay used to be longer than 15s.

In article
,
(John B) wrote:

I also noticed a 321 in FCC livery at Hornsey this morning.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Remember they current thinking is that the driver is too stupid to
know when he's in a station so the computer has to ok the door opening
using GPS. If it doesn't then they won't. I'm waiting for the first
hacker to hang around some major station with a GPS jammer to see what
happens.

B2003

How on earth can GPS be used at St Pancras LL or for that matter City
Thameslink.

You need to have a clear view of the sky - I would also have though
Farringdon (or any other station with a roof) would have been difficult.,

On Mar 18, 5:27*pm, "Paul Rigg" wrote:

How on earth can GPS be used at St Pancras LL or for that matter City
Thameslink.

You need to have a clear view of the sky - I would also have though
Farringdon (or any other station with a roof) would have been difficult.,

Quite. This is why SN 377s still take a silly amount of time to open
the doors in the low-level platforms at Victoria (and why they took a /
really/ silly amount of time before whatever solution they currently
follow was added).

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org