Class 319 Meets Thomas The Tank Engine

[Crossforth]

The title may suggest I'm going slightly mad but honestly, I don't think I am this time.

I was on a Northern 319 coming into Manchester Victoria from Liverpool Lime Street on Saturday (25/06) when across the PIS it started showing 'VMI TEST Am I working correctly?' or words to that effect. Now this I thought funny but not too unusual. The weirdest part was when the automatic announcer came on saying "Welcome on board this Northern service to" and at that point it cut off and started playing the original theme tune to Thomas the Tank Engine. It then finished and started going saying "This service will be calling at" and on came the TTTE theme again.

I found this most bizarre and have never heard anything like it before. Has anyone else heard this on other 319s or is it just Northern or have they heard anything similar anywhere else?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Do the train crew have access to do custom messages or do they just select pre-installed messages?

 

[northwichcat]

Was there any announcement about if any problems occur you will be rescued by Bertie the Bus?

 

[DarloRich]

The title may suggest I'm going slightly mad but honestly, I don't think I am this time.

I was on a Northern 319 coming into Manchester Victoria from Liverpool Lime Street on Saturday (25/06) when across the PIS it started showing 'VMI TEST Am I working correctly?' or words to that effect. Now this I thought funny but not too unusual. The weirdest part was when the automatic announcer came on saying "Welcome on board this Northern service to" and at that point it cut off and started playing the original theme tune to Thomas the Tank Engine. It then finished and started going saying "This service will be calling at" and on came the TTTE theme again.

I found this most bizarre and have never heard anything like it before. Has anyone else heard this on other 319s or is it just Northern or have they heard anything similar anywhere else?

have you been at the mushrooms again?

That is all very odd!

Perhaps the Assoicated Union of Blue tank engine drivers should be worried about the impending electrification and modernisation of the railways on Sodor. Since Sir Topham Hatt was ousted and Sodor Rail privitised by the Sodor Unionsit & Coinservative Party the die rundliche Führer ( who has come in from the owning
Deutsch Eisenbahn) has been keen to rid himself off the labour intensive, old fashioned, inefficient and outdated steam engines. New multiple units will allow for a faster, more frequent service, with more cpacitry than a couple of outdated wooden coahes ads wel las allowing for reduced manning via the removal of the superfluous gaurd ( who simply closes dooors and waves flags) and lazy fireman (who stand about drinking tea) and reduced costs to the passnger.

 

[AM9]

I found this most bizarre and have never heard anything like it before. Has anyone else heard this on other 319s or is it just Northern or have they heard anything similar anywhere else?

You need to report it to the Fat Controller.

 

[W230]

Do the train crew have access to do custom messages or do they just select pre-installed messages?

We didn't when they were on TL. They were all pre-selected. And a lot of the messages were disabled anyway. Maybe Northern have been feeling mischievous...

 

[Mikey C]

I blame Ringo, he's crept into the depot and changed the messages

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

The title may suggest I'm going slightly mad but honestly, I don't think I am this time.

I was on a Northern 319 coming into Manchester Victoria from Liverpool Lime Street on Saturday (25/06) when across the PIS it started showing 'VMI TEST Am I working correctly?' or words to that effect. Now this I thought funny but not too unusual. The weirdest part was when the automatic announcer came on saying "Welcome on board this Northern service to" and at that point it cut off and started playing the original theme tune to Thomas the Tank Engine. It then finished and started going saying "This service will be calling at" and on came the TTTE theme again.

I found this most bizarre and have never heard anything like it before. Has anyone else heard this on other 319s or is it just Northern or have they heard anything similar anywhere else?

Very unusual... Did you get the unit's number?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Very unusual... Did you get the unit's number?

It might have been number 1...

 

[jon0844]

I guess any new PIS has a lot more functionality than old ones, and storage isn't an issue when it comes to recorded announcements or audio clips.

It may well be some sort of demo mode.

I bet the new 700 system has a few tricks up its sleeve. With the colour screens, maybe it can actually play a whole episode too!

Sent from my HUAWEI GRA-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[SpacePhoenix]

I bet the new 700 system has a few tricks up its sleeve. With the colour screens, maybe it can actually play a whole episode too!

I wouldn't be surprised if the functionality is there to play video adverts

 

[Crossforth]

Very unusual... Did you get the unit's number?

It was 319377

 

[jon0844]

I wouldn't be surprised if the functionality is there to play video adverts

I think it's been said in the long 700 thread that the left hand screen (the smaller of the two) is indeed designed to play video.

As long as they don't have sound, and are perhaps mixed with useful information (weather, news headlines, other rail related service information) then I don't have a problem. It will be something to look at on a long journey to relieve some boredom, and can be easily ignored if you prefer.

 

[Aws87024]

Just onboard 319363 and it has just started playing the Thomas theme tune as we left Huyton! PIS now blank.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

It was 319377

Just onboard 319363 and it has just started playing the Thomas theme tune as we left Huyton! PIS now blank.

Thanks...

So that is two units that are doing it now

 

[Crossforth]

Just onboard 319363 and it has just started playing the Thomas theme tune as we left Huyton! PIS now blank.

Thank goodness someone can back me up. I'm not going completely mad

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Thank goodness someone can back me up. I'm not going completely mad

Has Northern been alerted to the situation?

 

[NSEFAN]

I was on a Northern 319 coming into Manchester Victoria from Liverpool Lime Street on Saturday (25/06) when across the PIS it started showing 'VMI TEST Am I working correctly?' or words to that effect. Now this I thought funny but not too unusual. The weirdest part was when the automatic announcer came on saying "Welcome on board this Northern service to" and at that point it cut off and started playing the original theme tune to Thomas the Tank Engine. It then finished and started going saying "This service will be calling at" and on came the TTTE theme again.

Do you have a recording? It sounds hilarious!

 

[W230]

Has Northern been alerted to the situation?

We can only hope that they haven't.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

We can only hope that they haven't.

Why...? Surely it is an indication of possible misuse of safety systems

 

[Loop & Link]

It's not. Never seen anyone panic over something so trivial as this.

It's part of the test message to show the PIS is functioning correctly and the tune should play.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Bit of an Easter Egg you could say I like it.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

It's not. Never seen anyone panic over something so trivial as this.

It's part of the test message to show the PIS is functioning correctly and the tune should play.

Hence why I said possible...

Anyway, Northern are unaware of it

 

[Loop & Link]

They are aware of it, someone tweeted about it the other day. And I be surprised if anyone in the depot didn't know about it

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

They are aware of it, someone tweeted about it the other day. And I be surprised if anyone in the depot didn't know about it

In a related note - is the line to the Island of Sodor electrified or is it just that one section?

#

Joking aside, it *is* rather amusing

 

[AM9]

I wonder if someone at Northern thought to get copyright clearance and a public performance licence for public use of the music.

 

[crehld]

That's a good enough excuse to take my daughter out on the rails tomorrow. She shouts "Toot toot!" every time she hears the Thomas the tank engine theme!

 

[the sniper]

I wonder if someone at Northern thought to get copyright clearance and a public performance licence for public use of the music.

This is going to be the issue that Northern themselves have with this phenomenon occurring. No doubt no thought was given by Northern to getting clearance as this was probably just set up as a joke by/for whoever designed and tested the system.

 

[christopher]

Link going around on Facebook of it;

https://www.facebook.com/pete.o.newton/posts/10154277050998524

Hopefully it works!

 

[N228PF]

Link going around on Facebook of it;

https://www.facebook.com/pete.o.newton/posts/10154277050998524

Hopefully it works!

It does! Got a hefty chuckle Stateside