Who's driving the train? :P

This morning I was dreaming that I'd woken up really early. Then my alarm went off and it took me ten minutes to get out of bed :P Get out of bed I did, however, but I wasn't quite quick enough and didn't make it out of the house until 08:54, which was the time I was expecting the WOO train to arrive at ROV. Since I'd got myself ready and had all my things together, I didn't really see the point of going back inside when I realised how late it was. I also didn't fancy a long wait in the cold at ROV. Additionally, I didn't wanna be late to class again, so I thought I might as well go to BUH for a change - it's a bit more of a walk and it probably took me ten minutes to get there, if not a little more. Predictably, as I arrived, a westbound train also pulled up and I doubted I was gonna get over the bridge and onto the train in time. As I was making my dejected way towards the platform, however, I heard the T/Op informing his train that there had been a platforms and hold call due to a handle down at LIS. All rather convenient, actually, and I even had time to make my way up the platform to the first carriage (it gives a better change at LIS. Well, if we're not going anywhere, I might as well :P) Because of all this, I didn't get a chance to see how the work on the eastbound platform is progressing, but it still looked pretty forlorn the last time I passed through BUH. The westbound platform is actually quite a nice place to be, though - although I still say it could do with a lick of paint. BUH actually has the same colour scheme as LEY - white poles with green and orange ornamentation. As I say, though, it's looking a bit worn out at BUH :P The station building, though, is really wonderful:

Buckhurst Hill's really lovely station building. (Image courtesy "Sunil060902" (via Wikipedia))

And, I must say, the bridge over the track, which connects the platforms, does give very nice views.

We were soon rolling and after that little excursion, and the chance to enjoy the views between BUH and WOO junction that I don't usually get to see, it was all rather smooth and uneventful. I reached LIS by 09:35 - nearly tripped on the escalator, mind, but did manage to stay on my feet :P - and was just about able to make another train I thought I'd miss (semi-fast Harrow-on-the-Hill.) We passed an out of service S stock near King's X, but that was really the only thing to mention. In the end, I wasn't late for class :)

There were fun and games aplenty on the way back. After a long day, I finally reached Euston Sq. station at around 17:10/17:15. After a small 2 minute wait, I boarded an Aldgate train and that got me as far as Farringdon very nicely and rather swiftly for the time of night. We were slow into Barbican, however, and had a short wait at Barbican, during which the S stock's doors closed automatically (to help regulate the temperature) and passenger door operation was automatically enabled as well. Very soon after this, the T/Op came over the PA and was halfway through telling us he was waiting for a green signal, when the stick cleared. He cut off his PA, closed up and set about trying to move off. The train, however, had other ideas and we rolled-back very slightly, before the brakes were applied and we got on our way. We made it to LIS without further incident.

When I arrived on the eastbound Central line platform at LIS, an EPP train was just pulling in, with a WOO via HAI due behind it. I chose to take the EPP and change at LES. As we were heading into MIE we braked hard and I mean hard. I thought the emergency brakes might have been applied and was wondering if we'd been brought to a halt short for some reason. As it happened, however, we had apparently reached the stopping mark and, after a very short wait, the doors opened.

Now I really am no expert and some might be frustrated even at the following speculation but auto has a fairly distinctive driving style - if you can call it that. Auto will drive a train at full speed, until the very last point it's safe to do so. It will then slow, or stop, fairly quickly. In other words, auto's quite aggressive. It is my understanding that the 1992 stock does have a coasting feature, which can be turned on by Wood Lane if the service isn't in tip top health, but it rarely is from what I've heard. Even so, you won't really see auto coasting up to a red signal (or a block marker board at the start of a section transmitting a stop code) hoping it'll clear before the train gets there. This is something human drivers generally do - it gives a smoother, easier stop, means less stop-starting and is safer, more defensive driving - as there's less chance of the train passing the signal at danger. However, it's obviously not making the fullest possible use of the capacity. Central line ATO likes to drive as fast as it can for as long as it can. So, you also won't tend to see auto gradually stepping the power up, for instance. In general, it doesn't offer such a smooth stop, either, but (as long as there are no low adhesion areas) will tend to stop fairly consistently and with a fairly constant level of braking, from what I've experienced in general. Obviously, if the track is wet or slippery in any way, it will make a complete hash of things; but, the rest of the time, you don't tend to get, say, a heavy brake application and then perhaps an easing off on the brakes and then a bit more hard braking - for example.

Now, anyway, the point of that is I began to suspect, quite quickly, that we may have been in Coded. I am but a mere commuter and certainly wasn't in the cab so in some ways it's a little naughty of me to speculate, but that's certainly how it felt after MIE. Before MIE, everything felt pretty normal, but perhaps the unusually hard stop at MIE could be put down to the T/Op being a little caught out, since trains aren't usually driven manually 'downstairs'. In fact, I understand that on Sundays you're meant/allowed to go coded east of LES (I do think that includes the tunnel between LES and NEP) and west of WHC. The rest of the time, you're allowed to go coded in those areas as long as you don't hold the service up (although that may not be allowed during the peaks?), but you really should be in auto in 'the pipe' unless you have a problem, or you're training. If there's a problem which requires it, then you can go through the pipe in coded.

Why, then, am I so sure (well, I'm not actually 'so sure', but I do have a strong suspicion) we were in coded? Well, certainly the journey after MIE felt a little different - just the driving style: the way power was being applied - as if in response to changes of target speed - the stopping - it felt different. I certainly don't want to come across as if I'm assuming that because we braked hard at MIE, it must have been a human on the handle. On the contrary, I prefer humans on the handle, but if you haven't been through the pipe in coded for a while, it's easy to see how you might be a little rusty. That extremely minor irregularity, though, could have been caused by anything. But it was of note in itself and it was the reason why I started paying a little more attention and noticed the driving style felt different.

The main reason, though, is the implementation of ATP (Automatic Train Protection - the system that looks after the train and makes sure the target speed isn't exceeded (or, in general, an automatic system for ensuring that trains do not pass signals at danger or exceed temporary or permanent speed restrictions)) on the Central line and its 1992 stock trains. When the train is being driven in Coded, three audible chimes - rising in pitch - will sound when the target speed increases and three chimes - falling in pitch - will sound when it decreases. I am under the impression that the chimes don't sound when the train's in auto (why would they? I bet that would be unbelievably irritating if they did :P but perhaps they do?) I'm fairly sure I heard these chimes over the PA at LEY and that sealed the deal for me.

Anyway, however we got there, we got to LES (and it was a very nice stop at LES, too, whether man or machine made it - smooth on the way in, too, I must say). I left the EPP train and did happen to notice that the doors began closing ever so slightly before the signal cleared, which is another reason for my suspicions (I assume the target speed could have changed before the signal visibly cleared, or maybe the countdown clock simply finished and the T/Op closed up immediately, I don't know). Well, whatever, I got aboard the WOO via HAI, which I think was being driven in Auto. We made it to HAI in good time, had a predictably long wait at both HAI and GRH, and eventually reached ROV.

It was such a nice journey, too - the sky as we came out of the tunnel on the eastbound heading towards LEY was just beautiful as the sun was setting :)