Some Leytonstone observations

Timed it perfectly this morning. Well, sort of. Actually, by the time I extracted myself from the cosy depths of my bed, I knew it wasn't looking likely that I'd make the earlier train and I didn't. Resigned to the necessity to take the later train in, which I anticipated should turn up somewhere around 09:10-09:15 (timetabled to arrive at 09:14, but I don't necessarily recommend setting too much store by that), I took my time a bit more, checked my e-mails and all the rest of it and left at about 09:05. I got to ROV without any need to jog at all and only had a 3 minute wait for the WOO train, which was nice.

On the walk to the station I noticed a train heading towards HAI (Hainault), which looked to me like it was out of service - its lights appeared to be off and there didn't seem to be anyone on it (not that the HAI train is usually packed to the rafters anyway). Also, I'm sure no train was due for a little while and one that was in service did arrive shortly after. This reminded me that I'd meant to mention that, while at WOO yesterday, wondering when my train would arrive, I saw a train that was out of service trundle through on the westbound. (It's hard to remember everything I think I ought to mention sometimes :P) Now, being a geek, this is the kind of thing that generally makes me prick up my ears and take note, even though it's really just another train (at least, from the outside it is, although I once saw one with a broken window), which just happens to be substantially less useful to the pax (passengers). This time in particular, though, I was actually rather surprised, as the nearest depot is at HAI, which is surely where you'd want it, in order to do any repairs. The others are at White City and Ruislip, both of which are long journeys away and I can't imagine Wood Lane would want an out of service train to do that trip, so the obvious thing to do would - I would think (remember I just get on 'em) - be to put it in the HAI depot. Now, the shortest route to HAI depot is to go in at GRH (Grange Hill) via ROV. It would have made a lot more sense to me to reverse this train off westbound platform 2 and send it round via ROV to the depot. The reason for this is that WOO westbound was not very busy at that time of day, the next train wasn't through for a little while and it's a much shorter trip. Continuing on the westbound through WOO would either mean carrying on all the way to White City or Ruislip, or reversing at LES (Leytonstone) and going round via NEP (Newbury Park). The problem here is partly the longer journey and that LES is a lot busier - both in terms of the number of people who want to get somewhere and who won't appreciate their platform being visited by a train they can't get on; and in terms of the number of trains that will have to queue behind the out of service train as it reverses. Mostly, though, it's that trains from SNA (Snaresbrook) westbound cannot reach eastbound platform 3 (which is the only platform from which trains can go to WAN (Wanstead) and on to HAI via NEP) without doing a "main line shunt".

The track layout at Leytonstone. Notice how the eastbound route towards Wanstead can only be reached from eastbound platform 3 (EB3)

This basically involves stopping and changing ends on the main running track to LEY (Leyton); rather than in a convenient platform or siding - meaning trains have to be routed round the reversing train. Not a huge problem at LES, since you have two westbound tracks; but it does seem rather a hassle, when the train could have been reversed at WOO. Additionally, as you can see, the main route from WB1 (which is the one that'd have to be used, as the main line shunt would probably be carried out on the main route from WB2) is not accessible from WB2, so WB2 could not be used for westbound trains until the move was completed.

I'm not massively familiar with all the procedures at LES, but - to clarify - my understanding of the procedure that would be followed to get any train from the EPP (Epping) branch to the HAI depot is as follows (remember this may not ever have happened, I had no way of checking, I was just standing on the platform, but I hope it makes an interesting few paragraphs :P). The train would arrive from Snaresbrook on WB2. It would then be cleared all the way down to the limit of shunt sign, which - I believe - takes the back of the train past the shunt signal to the west of the platform:

A train performing a mainline shunt is cleared out of WB2 by the starter signal. It will then proceed to the limit of shunt sign

The train would then, I believe, be cleared by the shunt signal into eastbound platform 3 over the crossover highlighted in blue:

The (mysteriously shortened - sorry) train is cleared by the shunt signal into EB3 via the crossover shown in blue

Well, I'm sure there was a (good) reason for the train not reversing at WOO, I'd just be interested to hear it, because the route seemed strange to me :P

Anyway, this morning. Changed at WOO; had a quiet, pleasant journey into LIS (Liverpool Street). Actually we had a change of T/Op at LES (perfectly normal) and our new T/Op was quite chatty - wished us all a good morning and everything, which was nice. Anyway, changed at LIS. Had a quiet, pleasant trip on the Circle line (S7, I'm happy to say, though I spotted two more C stocks) to King's X and arrived in class barely 5 minutes late. The only thing of any real note is that I did notice a Met line train to Wembley Park behind ours. This is, I do believe, a perfectly regular, timetabled service and quite a few Met trains in the morning peak do terminate at Wembley Park. Not very many do at other times of day, though, so - with my interest in Met line workings - it was nice to notice it :P

On the way back, I ended up going from Russell Square, meaning - of course - a brief spell on the Picc to HOL (Holborn), before heading off along the Central line on a HAI via NEP train. This obviously meant having a run over the busy section from HOL to LIS - which I usually miss out - so that was nice, if cramped :P I do like pulling into BAN (Bank) station, I must say. After that, it was warm, but plain sailing all the way to LES, where I changed for the EPP.

On the subject of uncommon moves at LES, I noticed the train in WB1 was cleared on to LEY via the crossover immediately outside WB1, rather than the more usual straight route, which merges with the track from WB2 just before the end of my diagram (see Variety is the spice of life for more detials). I also noticed that the poor member of station staff doing SATS had a dodgy tannoy. Bit of a pain, I imagine, he looked quite fed-up.

Anyway, I got to WOO and the HAI train hadn't even arrived from ROV, so the journey wasn't exactly seamless - and it was cold. But oh well, the wait goes quickly enough for me. Woulda been nice if we'd had a bit of coordination, though, I might have made the previous HAI train. I'm not one to whinge about my Central line too much, I'm a forgiving sort of a commuter, who understands that things must be tricky to manage in the control room and not everything is within Wood Lane's control. However, I noticed at LES that the service at that point was HAI via NEP (the train I got off), NEP, EPP, EPP, WOO via HAI. This two up the same branch situation was supposed to have gone with the last timetable change so I can only imagine something went a bit wrong. Bit of a pain for me, but oh well, I suppose the fresh air was nice :P

At WOO, I noticed that there were two members of cleaning staff on the platform (WB2), who boarded the train when all the pax were being detrained and stayed on it into the sidings. They then, of course, clean the train in the sidings - a fine idea, which has been done for ages at NEP, if I'm not mistaken, and is common practice in many other places. I'm pretty sure it's new to WOO, though; I thought I saw it a few days ago, but that was the first time I'd seen it. This is a pretty good idea, as the WOO trains are usually cleaned at HAI and if they get rid of that (and the associated short dwell there), it'd really smooth the journey home via HAI out. They hadn't done that on Monday (last time I went through), though.

I also noticed a WER (West Ruislip) train arrive in WB2 which was fine as it approached, but then I saw all the lights go out in the saloons, apart from the emergency lights. I've seen this before, and I'm sure I've read about situations that can cause it, but I'm afraid I can't really remember what those are :P Still, as it pulled out, all lights but the emergency lights were off and so was the destination display on the rear cab. I think the rear cab light might have been off too. Wonder what caused it. It's not a huge deal and probably gives you a slightly better view out the window, as a passenger, but it's not ideally pleasant. Sadly the T/Op has no way of knowing what's happened to fix it. Often that can mean it doesn't get fixed until a change of drivers, or until the driver changes ends, unless someone manages to get the message to them.

Anyway, the HAI train arrived nice and promptly and I was back home in no time after that.

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Unrelatedly, while writing this, I seem to have trapped a crumb or bit of dirt or something under my <t> key, which means it isn't registering my keystrokes very well, so I'm signing off to fix that. Gonna have to get a screwdriver out I think, wish me luck, or I won't be blogging for a while :P

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A quick edit: I suppose that out of service train which passed through WOO could have been reversed (presumably off westbound platform 2) at LES and sent back round to HAI via WOO. A possible explanation for this is to make use of the three platforms you have available at LES - no need for a main line shunt at all. The main question, though, for me is why bother? WOO was quiet at that time; LES wouldn't have been nearly as quiet and it's a bit of a pain working all westbound trains into WB1 around the reversing train. Obviously, it also adds to the journey of the dud, but I'm sure they had their reasons.