MAA and TBTC

In all honesty, in terms of the commute, it was all pretty straightforward for me today. Despite not exactly flying out of bed, I managed to get ready pretty quickly and was set to make the earlier 08:54 train to WOO. I did make this train, but had to put on a last-minute burst of speed in the end, especially as I needed to top up my Oyster card. That was all, really, though. Central line to WOO and changed for a WER (West Ruislip) train to LIS (Liverpool Street). I then took a semi-fast Met line train for Harrow-on-the-Hill as far as Euston Square. And that was that. I did notice, though, that there were P way men on the track at WOO (well I assume they were P way). Dunno what they were doing, but it's a very regular occurrence of course.

Between classes, though, I had some time to kill and, actually, some research to do. I've been trying to draw one of my diagrams of MAA (Marble Arch) and essentially everything was complete. However, I wasn't sure of the location (in fact, I wasn't completely sure of the existence) of a shunt signal which I imagine clears trains into the siding from eastbound platform 2. Suffice it to say I couldn't find it, but this is my best guess:

A slightly provisional diagram showing the track layout around Marble Arch. The key point though, really, is the siding itself, rather than the signals, whose locations are approximate (and, in one or two cases, whose existence is not completely certain :P)

Anyway, I wanted to have a look to see if I could actually see anything (and, to be honest, it was worth the trip), so I decided to go down to MAA. The best route would probably have been Russell Square to HOL (Holborn) and then Central from there; but I wanted to avoid the lifts - so I went to King's X from Euston Square and took the Picc to HOL from there.

I got off at MAA to have a look around what is a nice station:

Marble Arch station, with the decorative Marble Arch design visible on the left. (Image courtesy "Sunil060902" (via Wikipedia))

And see what I could see of the signals from the platform. I did manage to get quite a nice view of the siding itself but, ultimately, I didn't really learn anything. I took a train to LAG (Lancaster Gate) and then came back, hoping to spot that elusive signal to the left of EB2 in my diagram. As I say, it may not even exist and if it does, it's probably nothing more than a small, usually unilluminated screen, which'll basically just look like a small grey box. However, I'm pretty sure trains can reverse off of eastbound platform 2 into the siding and I'd expect there to be a shunt signal to clear them to do it. I was hoping I might catch a glimpse from the very back carriage as we slowed right down to stop in the platform. Nothing though.

So, having failed, I stayed on the train, not really sure where to go next. At HOL I finally decided to see how the TBTC (Transmission Based Train Control, sc. Northern line ATO) roll-out is going on on the Northern line. Of course, if I'd thought about it, I could've changed at TCR (Tottenham Court Road). As it was, I took the Picc to Leicester Square and changed there.

As of 19/01 (I believe that's the official date), NMA 4 is now live. As a quick reminder, the Northern line is currently being converted to ATO (Automatic Train Operation), using the SelTrac S40 TBTC system. Which, as far as I'm concerned, is a poor system, but that's a bit by the by. It is being commissioned in stages - the first of which (NMA 1) went live on 17/02/2013. NMA stands for New Migration Area and there're 6 of them. NMA 1 is High Barnet - West Finchley. NMA 2, which went live on 24/06/2013, I think, is West Finchley/Mill Hill East - Highgate. NMA 3, which I believe went live on 27/10/2013, is Highgate/Chalk Farm - Angel/Euston (Charing Cross branch). NMA 4 takes us from Angel/Euston (Charing Cross branch) - Oval. NMA 5 will be Oval - Morden and NMA 6 will be the last bit: Chalk Farm - Edgware. NMA 6 is suspected to be the most difficult one to complete, because of Golders Green. The equipment may well actually be all - or mostly - in place by now, mind you, but there's still testing and all the rest of it to get through.

Anyway, I went from Leicester Square to Kennington. The ride in TBTC was better than I'd expected at first, but it was awful between Waterloo and Kennington. Again, no good at all along the slower sections heading north out of Kennington - very poor really. Stops hard, too, but not as bad as on the Vic.

Still, despite the TBTC, and the rock hard new seats, it wasn't a bad little trip. I watched a train head round the Kennington reversing loop before making my way back northbound (after touching out and back in again, of course, and having to operate the lift myself, which I wasn't expecting :P) to King's X. Got a decent look at the crossover outside Moorgate on the way. Obviously it was a brief trip to Euston Square from there (I think I took a Chesham train, perhaps not?)

On the way home, it was all rather straightforward again. Ended up on one of the last 'C's on the Circle line to LIS and then I took an EPP (Epping) to LES (Leytonstone). Decided I might as well change for the WOO via HAI at LES, since it was the next train along and I didn't fancy chancing a long wait in the cold at WOO. Long dwells at HAI and GRH (Grange Hill) on the way back, though. Still, saw a train on the depot roads alongside GRH while we were waiting for our departure, which was quite nice.