Common misconceptions on this forum

[northwichcat]

Which statements frequently come up on this forum which are misconceptions?

The ones that I keep seeing include:

The TPE 350/4s are sub-leased from LM.

They were added on to a ITT that LM had issued but they aren't LM units.

The TPE 170/3s are surplus to requirements at TPE now they have 350/4s.

TPE were due to get 40 additional carriages in CP4 HLOS in the form of new DMUs but due to new electrification plans that changed to 40 additional carriages in the form of EMUs. If it was the plan to cascade the 170/3s away then it would have been shown as 22 additional carriages on the HLOS.

While the HLOS for CP5 has 6tph on North TPE starting in December 2016 - the same time as 185s should be freed up from Blackpool services and the Ordsall Chord should open, meaning the 170/3s would only have become surplus to requirements when North TPE services can start switching to electric traction.

Pacers are always cheap to operate

Not a misconception if you're talking about a Pacer compared to another (larger) DMU. However, when you start running Pacers doubled up then you're providing the same sort of capacity as with a 156+153 or a 3 car 172 but the track access costs for a pair of 142s are higher (143s and 144s have even higher track access costs.) So on lines which see a lot of doubled up Pacer workings e.g. Manchester Airport-Southport or Calder Vale Pacers aren't necessarily the cheapest option. (I'm aware that 153s wouldn't be allowed to run Manchester Airport-Southport services.)

Electrification sparks growth

It's usually the increase in frequency that usually accompanies electrification that sees passenger growth. Does average Joe really care if his half-hourly Sprinter service is replaced by a class 350/1 every 20 minutes or a (4 car) class 171 every 20 minutes?

 

[craigybagel]

The most common misconception on this site seems to be that enthusiasts know more about the railway than the people who actually work for it?

 

[Tomnick]

That the words 'diagram' and 'schedule' are interchangeable.

That the randomised headcodes used by RTT and similar websites actually mean something and that one can look informed by using them.

 

[Muzer]

They do - the first letter is still the class, eg 0xxx will still be a light loco.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The most common misconception on this site seems to be that enthusiasts know more about the railway than the people who actually work for it?

True in certain areas - I suggest you read the "Fares Advice & Policy" subforum

 

[Tomnick]

They do - the first letter is still the class, eg 0xxx will still be a light loco.

Quite correct . The rest of it is gibberish though - that's where the misconception is!

 

[yorkie]

The most common misconception on this site seems to be that enthusiasts know more about the railway than the people who actually work for it?

Are you suggesting that is never the case? (if so, are you serious?!)

Or are you suggesting that some people believe that is always the case? (if so, I don't think I've ever seen that claim made, so perhaps you can provide some examples?)

 

[island]

This topic has already been covered in a slightly more jocular fashion at http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88925

 

[MK Tom]

The most common one seems to be that BNS stands for 'Birmingham New Street'.

 

[Philip Elliott]

The most common one seems to be that BNS stands for 'Birmingham New Street'.

Sorry but BNS does stand for Birmingham New Street just not in CRS code terms.

 

[starrymarkb]

Sorry but BNS does stand for Birmingham New Street just not in CRS code terms.

Indeed And everyone posting here but the Pedants (there is always one) knows exactly what the poster means.

Getting too hung up on codes can cause issues though. Some Brummies thought they had a extremely cheap flight that took half the time it should from BHM to the Caribbean. The issue there was BHM is in Alabama! They only found this out when they were declined check in at BHX

 

[Muzer]

Yeah, everyone knows they need BHI for the airport

 

[TUC]

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The most common misconception on this site seems to be that enthusiasts know more about the railway than the people who actually work for it?

And of course in so many other industries 'the professional knows best' and telling consumers to stay out of it has always had beneficial effects.

 

[The Planner]

Cross Country have an endless supply of rolling stock and should serve all the places that are suggested on here.

 

[higthomas]

That the posters local station would actually be very well used, if only more trains stopped there, and therefore all trains that come anywhere near it should be rerouted to serve it.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

The most common misconception on this site seems to be that enthusiasts know more about the railway than the people who actually work for it?

Personally I would have used "armchair experts" instead of "enthusiasts" and then thrown in the word "always" just after it, 'cause we don't want to give all enthusiasts a bad name, just the 'know-it-alls'....

Indeed And everyone posting here but the Pedants (there is always one) knows exactly what the poster means.....

It's the same as when people talk about "Bury" or "Victoria", because it's so obvious where they are talking about. Makes me wonder why the forum bothers having a rule about abbreviations, I mean, we all know what everyone else is thinking and talking about........:roll:

 

[Sacro]

That the randomised headcodes used by RTT and similar websites actually mean something and that one can look informed by using them.

That they are actually randomised!

They are actually obfuscated and issued sequentially.

 

[3141]

The ones I notice are assumptions rather than explicit statements:-

1) "They", i.e. the DfT, ministers, the government, or some authority somewhere, have plans for absolutely everything.
2) There should be a law requiring or forbidding everything.

In practice, (1) is often contradicted by those who assume

3) "They" i.e. the DfT etc., are completely incompetent and have no plans for absolutely anything.

 

[TDK]

Quite correct . The rest of it is gibberish though - that's where the misconception is!

The second letter is down to the route and correct me if I am wrong this does assist the signalman in many cases.

 

[Tomnick]

The second letter is down to the route and correct me if I am wrong this does assist the signalman in many cases.

Not the obfuscated (apparently - thanks for pointing that one out!) ones that are found on RTT and similar websites relying on the data feeds from NR - they come out as something like 634F, which is meaningless apart from the first character. For proper train descriptions, you are of course quite correct.

 

[TDK]

here are a few, more quotes than misconceptions but you can count them as misconceptions .

1. I have inside information
2. I overheard
3. A driver who is respected told me
4. I am not bothered either way if I get a drivers job
5. Bring BR back as it is a lot better than privatisation
6. LHCS is better than units.
7. I am not a spotter I am an enthusiast
8. A friend of a friend told me and he is in the know.
9. I know what happened although RIAB says different.
10. There is no difference between driving on a heritage railway and the main line.

 

[Emyr]

That seemingly right-minded individuals holding conflicting beliefs or opinions can ever form a consensus via forums, newsgroups, social networks et al.

It always descends into reductio ad absudum and ad hominem attacks.

 

[island]

Indeed And everyone posting here but the Pedants (there is always one) knows exactly what the poster means.

The forum rules do clearly state that you aren't supposed to make up abbreviations.

 

[LowLevel]

I'm definitely not a spotter (the only train numbers I write down are in my work journal each day as a record should I need to come back to it along with my takings should they bugger up my commission and any unusual events/issues) but I am a railway enthusiast - I'm more interested in signalling and seeing the network as a whole than the trains - so I'd say that's far from a misconception

I will agree with 'XC services are always full' - they're not, but they always seem to be whenever I want to use them
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The forum rules do clearly state that you aren't supposed to make up abbreviations.

It's not an abbreviation made up on the forum. 'BNS' for Birmingham New Street has been used by railway staff, cranks and locals for many, many years before this place came into being - I'm certainly not going to modify how I put things just in case some smart arse with nothing better to do wanders along to point out that "it's Barnes snigger snigger aren't they silly"!

 

[Sacro]

People that use BML to describe the line from Victoria to Brighton (VTB) rather than the Bournemouth Main Line

 

[Qwerty133]

that 'my friend', 'my sister'and 'someone I know', are phrases to describe yourself. Mainly occurs in the disputes forum

 

[Rapidash]

That Torbay doesn't exist and has no bearing on a Dawlish avoiding line

 

[thenorthern]

The most common one I have heard is that all Pacers are unsafe and should be withdrawn.

Another one I have noticed is this forum is simply used to rant about how bad train companies are and not discuss the railways sensibly.

 

[Muzer]

People that use BML to describe the line from Victoria to Brighton (VTB) rather than the Bournemouth Main Line

ELRs (Engineers' Line References) certainly don't often correspond with the colloquial name for the line. The "Bournemouth Main Line" is usually referred to as the South Western Main Line (SWML), leaving BML free for the Brighton Main Line.

S&DJR (or worse, just S&D) is a rather amusingly ambiguous abbreviation, on the other hand - Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, Salisbury & Dorset Junction Railway, or Southampton & Dorchester Railway? (All closed, so no problems nowadays )

What's always confused me is the name of the line from Bristol/Taunton to Penzance. I always assumed it was counted as part of the Great Western Main Line, but I've seen it increasingly referred to as the West of England Main Line. That's horrible, since Basingstoke to Exeter is also the West of England Main Line

 

[455driver]

Sending any complaint to the Managing Director will get it sorted personally by them immediately because they obviously have nothing better to do!

Any staff member who makes a mistake should be sacked or retrained.

Any fare dodger who writes into a certain section of the forum has obviously made a mistake despite altering their ticket or making one up in photoshop and everyone should bend over backwards to get them off on a technicality rather than let them face the music!*

People who post in that section always post all the facts and dont leave bits out that to suit their agenda.

All RPIs are rude, abusing and are difficult to understand.

TOCs have spare staff and stock sat around doing nothing which can be put into service at a moments notice but the TOCs prefer to run their trains crush loaded for a laugh.

Driving a train consists of pulling a few levers and pushing a few buttons, rules and route knowledge is just something made up by the drivers to make them sound clever and is totally irrelevant to the job.

Putting 'I assume' or 'I thought' at the beginning of a post means it is acceptable to post any insane wibble that comes into your head and anyone taking you to task is being nasty/a bully and it has nothing to do with the fact that we are sick of answering the same old wibble week after week.

And breath!


* This obviously does not apply to the genuine cases in that section.

 

[Minilad]

That train drivers are always on strike.
And it's always about getting more money