Railway Myths

[The Barlow Boy]

I always remember passengers being quite good at shutting doors on the slam door stock on the Southern. It held up their journeys as much as everyone elses. If anything I definitely recall some extremely rapid arrivals and departures, especially with the likes of a VEP with a door to every seating bay. Of course, there were times when that one solitary door was left hanging, for the guard to take of. A good shout of "shut the doors!" usually yielded results.

That's very true. I'd bet good money that a VEP spent less time at a station platform than it's modern equivelent. Don't forget also that any 59/63 stock could be coupled/uncoupled with punters boarding/alighting unlike the four minute nonsense that I see nowadays.
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Myth 127/b.
Trains are fitted with external automatic doors.

(There's a cracking notice on the buffet on platforms 3/4 at East Croydon. "Automatic door, push button to open".

 

[scotsman]

Myth 106/B
The door open buttons work quicker if you press them repeatedly. (This is also true for pedestrian controlled traffic lights.)

I once pointed out this to some pax on a TPE 185 at Carnforth, where I'd gone after taking a break before the return working of a tour. I'm not saying or claiming I have any authority over them or that they should listen to me, but they heard what I said, turned and saw me (and by definition, my uniform and badge which clearly showed I worked on the railways), turn round and continued to push the button.

 

[daikilo]

I once pointed out this to some pax on a TPE 185 at Carnforth, where I'd gone after taking a break before the return working of a tour. I'm not saying or claiming I have any authority over them or that they should listen to me, but they heard what I said, turned and saw me (and by definition, my uniform and badge which clearly showed I worked on the railways), turn round and continued to push the button.

Well, let's hope your passengers were happy.

The doors should follow a pre-agreed and validated signal sequence. Guys, can we confirm this sequence pls?

 

[Dewedin]

Myth 147- National Rail Fares are simple, fair and transparent

 

[Anvil1984]

Sorry if already posted

myth 148 -The driver and guard intentionally choose a unit clearly too small for purpose

myth 149 travelling on a first advance entitles you to act like lord of the manor and a 5 course meal

myth 150 its ok to smoke on railway property so long as you hide

myth 151 all credit and debit cards are accepted on Northern services and never randomly decline

 

[Flamingo]

Myth 147: Slam-door carriages convert to automatic doors when the train passes through the Severn Tunnel into Wales. (There has to be some reason why the Welsh don't shut the doors!)

 

[chuckles1066]

Myth 125 - People listen to the onboard annoucments on trains

They did tonight on the London Paddington - Bristol service.

A female voice came over the PA telling us we'd soon be arriving in Bristol, la-de-da when all of a sudden it was punctuated by a giggle and a "ooooh".

Nice work if you can get it, I guess?

 

[Greenback]

Well that's one way of getting everyone's attention!

 

[Simon Poole]

Myth 148: The Pretendolino loves working Wednesdays
(It wasn't running the past two Wednesdays, 5/1/10 & 12/1/10)

 

[tbtc]

Myth 194 - Class 90s are reliable (the Pretendolino was only meant to work one duty a week, the GEML ones have the flattest mainline in the UK - comparisons with 390s doing Shap/ Beattock are still made on this forum though)

 

[Pumbaa]

Myth 194 - Class 90s are reliable (the Pretendolino was only meant to work one duty a week, the GEML ones have the flattest mainline in the UK - comparisons with 390s doing Shap/ Beattock are still made on this forum though)

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Myth 195 - as requested; 350/1s are no longer DC capable

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Myth 148: The Pretendolino loves working Wednesdays
(It wasn't running the past two Wednesdays, 5/1/10 & 12/1/10)

Can we have actual myths rather than something that just didn't happen?

 

[Mojo]

Can we have actual myths rather than something that just didn't happen?

Or maybe even real myths, not something which is obviously not a popular misconception, but sometimes winds people up.

 

[321446]

If you stop at Bethnal Green on a down-road at night, there is a flat opposite where you can see someone in the shower. (Insert any station or signal for Mess Room banter chestnut)

 

[Striker]

Or maybe even real myths, not something which is obviously not a popular misconception, but sometimes winds people up.

I've been saying this in numerous posts on this thread but all requests have been ignored. You're a mod. Why don't you delete off topic posts?

Somebody having a general moan about various types of behaviour is NOT a myth. What was a great idea for a thread has been turned very quickly into 95% utter crap.

 

[Flamingo]

I've been saying this in numerous posts on this thread but all requests have been ignored. You're a mod. Why don't you delete off topic posts?

Somebody having a general moan about various types of behaviour is NOT a myth. What was a great idea for a thread has been turned very quickly into 95% utter crap.

Like this one...

 

[Greenback]

I've been saying this in numerous posts on this thread but all requests have been ignored. You're a mod. Why don't you delete off topic posts?

Somebody having a general moan about various types of behaviour is NOT a myth. What was a great idea for a thread has been turned very quickly into 95% utter crap.

Am I alone in feeling a sense of irony?

Anyway, back tot he myths, as we have seen in the last couple of days, it's amyth that pennies will derail a train, and it's a myth that 70% of Underground drivers over 50 are incontinent!

 

[Flamingo]

Myth number whatever: All problems on the railway are caused by EU directives

 

[tbtc]

it;s amyth that 70% of Underground drivers over 50 are incontinent!

Talking of Underground myths - presumably the premise for that Mackenzie Crook film (Three And Out?) that any driver involved in three fatalities gets immediately pensioned?

(in the film they admitted it wasn't true at the end, but I wondered whether there was ever any real rule along those lines...)

 

[ainsworth74]

Myth: A penny placed on the rail will derail a train.

 

[Striker]

Am I alone in feeling a sense of irony?

:

I'm well aware of the irony, believe me.

 

[Greenback]

The smiley didn't work, it was meant to be a tongue in cheek wink, not an angry one!

 

[Striker]

The smiley didn't work, it was meant to be a tongue in cheek wink, not an angry one!

It's OK. I'm not offended.

 

[CheekyBandit]

Myth 214: Bearsted is the nearest station to Leeds Castle (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/nonrail/poi_uk/leedscastle.html) - expanded "Getting there" panel:

Note
The nearest railway stations to Leeds Castle are listed below. Train services to these stations may vary, you can use our Journey Planner to confirm your travel arrangements. Unless shown otherwise in 'Inclusive Tickets Available' section below, travel between the station shown andLeeds Castle is not included in your rail ticket. You may need to pay an additional bus or taxi fare to complete your journey.

Station name
Bearsted

Leeds Castle map:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=MMRE...5LjAyMzQxNjQwMjEyNTklN2UtMTIuNDU4MTE4NDM4MjU=

 

[EM2]

^^^
That's not a myth, it's just a mistake

 

[tbtc]

Myth: Island Line is a separate franchise. I often see it claimed as an answer to railway questions (e.g. "which TOC serves the fewest stations"), but its been part of SWT for a while now.

 

[Hydro]

Myth: Box tunnel was designed so that the sun would shine directly through it each year on IKB's birthday.

 

[OuterDistant]

Myth: The Rocket was the first steam locomotive.
Myth: The Flying Scotsman holds the world record for the fastest steam locomotive.

 

[Nym]

Myth: Island Line is a separate franchise. I often see it claimed as an answer to railway questions (e.g. "which TOC serves the fewest stations"), but its been part of SWT for a while now.

To answer that question BAA...

Myth #x Guides Busways are better than railways...

 

[cyclebytrain]

Myth: Box tunnel was designed so that the sun would shine directly through it each year on IKB's birthday.

I've always wondered about this one -it's possible that IKB had intended it to work as per the myth, but kept quiet after he discovered that it wouldn't work. I mean, if I'd sneakily worked something like that into a design, I wouldn't announce it until I was sure it had worked... I've always wondered and unfortunately I don't think it'll ever be truly proven