Plaistow reverser

This morning it was cold, it was wet and I was tired. As I was so late and landed myself in such trouble last week, I thought I probably needed to be on time this morning. Regrettably, I was on time. There were minor delays on the Central line between LES (Leytonstone) and EPP (Epping) because of a signal failure at EPP. Didn't affect me very much, though, the WER (West Ruislip) train I changed onto at WOO was very punctual - possibly even more so than usual - and had a little wait outside the platform while the WOO via HAI train was tipped out, before proceeding into 21 road. Mind you, we were crawling on the way out of WOO, but after SOW (South Woodford) we didn't have any problems and it was plain sailing all the way into Liverpool Street (LIS). Although I doubt a sailing boat could carry that many people in the morning peak...No problems on the subsurface lines either and I made King's X in good time. I happened to notice that the people standing by me on the H&C (Hammersmith & City line) train into King's X were speaking Hindi - they were saying something about technology but I've no idea what. Sadly, my Hindi is pretty useless and I'm not sure today's lesson has contributed to remedying that, especially as I was so tired. Still, pleasant walk with a friend afterwards, even if it was cold. I also noticed another C stock train in the sidings at Farringdon. There wasn't any disruption as far as I could tell and it didn't look like there was anyone aboard. Not sure what it was doing there, perhaps it hadn't yet been brought into service. I think, more likely, though, it had just been parked there ready to be taken out again later on. It wasn't there when I came back in the other direction.

Speaking of which, on the way home we had severe delays on the Circle line anticlockwise and minor delays clockwise (or perhaps it was the other way round). This was, I think, caused by a shortage of train operators. Delays were not reported on the other subsurface lines, but since the Circle line shares almost all of its track with them, delays on the Circle tend to have a knock on effect. Certainly we were very slow between King's X and Moorgate. When we got to Moorgate there was an H&C train in platform 3 (one of the bay platforms), which is shown (empty) below:

Two of the bay platforms at Moorgate. As you can see, the nearest platform on the left is platform 4, westbound platform 3 (the platform in question) is the one on the immediate right. It is an island platform, meaning that westbound platform 2 (the main through platform, stopped at by trains from Liverpool Street heading to Barbican) is actually part of the same physical structure, which is divided into two halves. The left hand side is platform 3 (a bay platform, used to terminate trains) and the right hand side is platform 2. Visible on the extreme right is a C stock train in eastbound platform 1, used by trains heading to Liverpool Street from Barbican. The two bay platforms on the extreme left are rarely (if ever) used, I don't even know if any physical link to them still exists. (Image courtesy "Sunil060902" (via Wikipedia))

I wonder if we were held up a little by that train terminating at Moorgate, or if it had been there a while.

Eventually, though, I made it to LIS and got the perfect EPP train, so I only had a very short wait at WOO for the HAI train. After a miserable start, the day really brightened up, though and coming out of the tunnel at STR (Stratford) and, again, at LEY (Leyton) was just lovely. It was a really nice journey home on the open sections of the Central line and I wouldn't have minded the wait at WOO so much today. Still, not complaining, it was cold after all and it was nice to have an easy ride home.

One really noteworthy thing I did notice on the Central line, as I was heading home, was a train sitting in the eastbound H&C and district line platform at MIE (Mile End). This was an S7 displaying "Plaistow, District Line" which is a new one on me. I have seen once before (and promptly hurried onto) the S7 operating on the District between Kensington (Olympia) and West Ham. (Unfortunately I could only stay with it to Aldgate East and, again, I didn't really have the time to get on the one I saw today). The thing is, I wasn't aware that the District's S7 (or perhaps it's S7s now, but I don't think so?) was running beyond West Ham. This makes me suspect it was really an H&C train which had been set up incorrectly, but you never know? Either way, I've only ever seen H&C trains showing Barking (and, on one weekend, King's Cross St Pancras) and I've actually been looking out for one that was bound for Plaistow. They're not very common when everything's running to timetable, with only one timetabled right at the end of the day. If anything, it's nice just to receive absolute confirmation that the S7s can, in fact, terminate at Plaistow :P

Oh, and I also passed the RAT going in the opposite direction as I headed out of WOO. In fact, I guess it reversed at WOO (presumably via 21 road?) since I heard it and turned to see it trundling over a bridge as I walked home, having stopped in a shop on the way (thereby allowing it to catch up with me).

Happy travelling