Leaves over the line!

[fandroid]

I'm on an SWR train heading towards Fleet from Basingstoke. The air is absolutely full of flying leaves. Frost expected tonight so I imagine there'll be a lot more dropping onto the tracks in the next 24 hours.

 

[800001]

I'm on an SWR train heading towards Fleet from Basingstoke. The air is absolutely full of flying leaves. Frost expected tonight so I imagine there'll be a lot more dropping onto the tracks in the next 24 hours.

I can imagine the RHTT will have its work cut out overnight to attempt to clear the lines.

 

[infobleep]

I can imagine the RHTT will have its work cut out overnight to attempt to clear the lines.

Still, not long until the new timetable and then the problem of leaves will go away.

 

[Bantamzen]

Leaves flying about in Autumn? Who would have thought it?

 

[Viper]

As long as they keep flying, the track is safe!

 

[Bigfoot]

Still, not long until the new timetable and then the problem of leaves will go away.

Thankfully all leaves are eradicated by the 10th of December this year.

 

[Horizon22]

Thankfully all leaves are eradicated by the 10th of December this year.

Some routes are planning to extend the RHTT trains as required due to the abnormally late Autumn (although this might become the norm in years to come).

If they're flying around and its relatively dry thats not so bad.

 

[yorksrob]

Leaves flying about in Autumn? Who would have thought it?

Autumn ? Feels like winter now !

 

[infobleep]

Some routes are planning to extend the RHTT trains as required due to the abnormally late Autumn (although this might become the norm in years to come).

If they're flying around and its relatively dry thats not so bad.

Will that mean they need to change the timetables on those lines?

 

[Bantamzen]

Autumn ? Feels like winter now !

Tell me about it! Big coat for the game today!

 

[yorksrob]

Tell me about it! Big coat for the game today!

Definitely jumper weather !

 

[al78]

Autumn ? Feels like winter now !

Yes, the cause of delays will shift from leaves on the line to iced up points.

 

[Tramfan]

Some routes are planning to extend the RHTT trains as required due to the abnormally late Autumn (although this might become the norm in years to come).

If they're flying around and its relatively dry thats not so bad.

That's an interesting one, as up in the north east its felt like the leaves have come off quicker and earlier than, say, last year. Although the storms we've had may have helped somewhat with that.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Some routes are planning to extend the RHTT trains as required due to the abnormally late Autumn (although this might become the norm in years to come).

Leaf-fall arrangements on the Metropolitan Line have been planned to run until 7th January from the get go, for example.

Normally they finish a week after the December timetable change.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, the cause of delays will shift from leaves on the line to iced up points.

Need to get those old SUB/EPB de-icing units out !

 

[infobleep]

Leaf-fall arrangements on the Metropolitan Line have been planned to run until 7th January from the get go, for example.

Normally they finish a week after the December timetable change.

Do they have a different timetable for the leaflet period?

 

[najaB]

Do they have a different timetable for the leaflet period?

As I understand it, the winter timetable doesn't include paths for railhead treatment trains.

 

[infobleep]

As I understand it, the winter timetable doesn't include paths for railhead treatment trains.

So they will have to amend it then.

 

[najaB]

So they will have to amend it then.

For areas where there's still a lot of leaves and no paths, probably yes.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Do they have a different timetable for the leaflet period?

Yep. Trains depart Amersham and Chesham Southbound 3.5 minutes earlier than normal.

This is due to a 40mph speed restriction being in place between Mantles Wood (NR boundary) and Watford South Junction in the Southbound direction.

Extended signalling overlaps also apply between Chalfont & Latimer and Rickmansworth Southbound, as this is the worst-affected section.

 

[DerekC]

Yep. Trains depart Amersham and Chesham Southbound 3.5 minutes earlier than normal.

This is due to a 40mph speed restriction being in place between Mantles Wood (NR boundary) and Watford South Junction in the Southbound direction.

Extended signalling overlaps also apply between Chalfont & Latimer and Rickmansworth Southbound, as this is the worst-affected section.

Silly question - do leaves in the Chilterns avoid the down line, then?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Silly question - do leaves in the Chilterns avoid the down line, then?

I believe the key difference is that it's downhill from Amersham/Chesham towards Rickmansworth, but uphill going the other way, so LU essentially rely on gravity to assist with braking when heading North. That said, I don't work for LU and I'm not a Driver, but it seems like a logical explanation. (YMMV of course.)

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Isn't there a leaf-fall timetable...?

I'll get me coat...

 

[londonmidland]

Lots of drizzle and mist tonight and throughout Monday itself. Potential for issues with slippery rails for tomorrow? (Monday 27th)

 

[Deepgreen]

Some routes are planning to extend the RHTT trains as required due to the abnormally late Autumn (although this might become the norm in years to come).

If they're flying around and its relatively dry thats not so bad.

Yes, autumn leaf fall has become much later in recent years, but the RHTTs still start running in September, pointlessly!

 

[londonmidland]

We seem to be running extremely slow over the Hope Valley. This is my train.

I assume it’s down to several ESR’s and poor rail conditions?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Late running preceding freight train, perhaps?

 

[Mike Machin]

Autumn ? Feels like winter now !

It's nearly Winter, Meteorological Winter always starts on December 1st, Astronomical Winter varies by a day or two and this year it begins on Friday December 22nd.

 

[TheEastAnglian]

We seem to be running extremely slow over the Hope Valley. This is my train.

I assume it’s down to several ESR’s and poor rail conditions?

At least 3 ESR's appeared yesterday in various places along The Hope Valley.

 

[12LDA28C]

Leaf-fall arrangements on the Metropolitan Line have been planned to run until 7th January from the get go, for example.

Normally they finish a week after the December timetable change.

This however is nothing to do with actual or predicted leaf fall affecting the line in question.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Nov 2023 ==

I believe the key difference is that it's downhill from Amersham/Chesham towards Rickmansworth, but uphill going the other way, so LU essentially rely on gravity to assist with braking when heading North. That said, I don't work for LU and I'm not a Driver, but it seems like a logical explanation. (YMMV of course.)

This is more or less correct. Quite a significant falling gradient between Amersham and Rickmansworth in the Southbound direction.