Modern Information Screens at Manchester Piccadilly

[dannypye9999]

Not sure if this has been mentioned anywhere else in the forums but do you think Manchester Piccadilly will ever have modern departure boards and electronic information similar to that found at London Euston, Victoria etc. I remember the good old days of the flip display and then it went electronic before it was removed completely during the 2002 refurb project. All there is now is a Real time destination finder and if you want more information you have to walk to each of the platforms to check the screens there. I long for the day when i can buy a ticket then glance up to see a choice of trains on modern style LED boards just like they do at Euston.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Everybody's idea of what the passenger wants is different, even between the passengers themselves. The departure screens at Piccadilly have been mentioned before (and not that long ago IIRC) and as you would expect, there was a difference of opinion.

You should bear in mind that unless you are booked on a particular train, there are very few people in Manchester that need to worry about anything other than what the fastest train for their journey is and where it can be found. The screens at Piccadilly are quite acceptable for that imo.

 

[Starmill]

Additionally: full double departure boards are provided on all platforms, as well as on the bridge and all over the place on the concourse, which you don't get everywhere. Also note that they actually work as such, with page 1 always displayed on the left and page 2 on the right, in contrast to where there is just one board and it cycles, and unlike the wonder I found at Redhill they other day where there are two boards next to each other... both cycling at the same time, and as such both displaying the same thing; splendid!

 

[yorksrob]

But there are also those of us who would also like to see a row of traditional departure boards as is the case in most mainline terminals.

 

[WatcherZero]

At Victoria people think that row of individual departures is a bit muddled (especielly as they cycle) and they are crossing fingers for a similar static departure indicator post refurb.

 

[yorksrob]

At Victoria people think that row of individual departures is a bit muddled (especielly as they cycle) and they are crossing fingers for a similar static departure indicator post refurb.

On some of these boards, the trains move progressively to the left as the departure time gets nearer, and some of them have the boards are lined up according to platform. None of this I would describe as cycling (certainly not in the annoying way the one at Man Pic does).

Either way, I've never had any difficulty locating my train at Victoria, and I hope they don't move over to "the dark side".

 

[snail]

On some of these boards, the trains move progressively to the left as the departure time gets nearer

Which is very irritating if you're halfway down the list when it moves. I don't think there is a perfect solution.

 

[northofthesand]

Not sure if this has been mentioned anywhere else in the forums but do you think Manchester Piccadilly will ever have modern departure boards and electronic information similar to that found at London Euston, Victoria etc. I remember the good old days of the flip display and then it went electronic before it was removed completely during the 2002 refurb project. All there is now is a Real time destination finder and if you want more information you have to walk to each of the platforms to check the screens there. I long for the day when i can buy a ticket then glance up to see a choice of trains on modern style LED boards just like they do at Euston.

I'm with you with the old flip display it was quite mesmerising as a kid watching them...which of the main london terminus' were the last to have them ?

 

[tom1649]

I'm with you with the old flip display it was quite mesmerising as a kid watching them...which of the main london terminus' were the last to have them ?

I think Liverpool Street was the last.

 

[yorksrob]

I agree. I also far prefer the flappety flap boards (Don't know why they got rid of them tbh).

I seem to recall, London Vic had them quite late into the noughties.

 

[northofthesand]

I agree. I also far prefer the flappety flap boards (Don't know why they got rid of them tbh).

I seem to recall, London Vic had them quite late into the noughties.

Yeah i was going to say i dont remember any in the north west...lime street maybe?Think the first one i saw would of been london victoria in the early 90s?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....(Don't know why they got rid of them tbh)....

It's called progress apparently.....

Computerised boards are easier to reprogramme and more flexible in what they display

 

[yorksrob]

It's called progress apparently.....

Computerised boards are easier to reprogramme and more flexible in what they display

I'm highly sceptical about progress

Programming - just a few blank boards and some letraset surely !

 

[HowardGWR]

I'm highly sceptical about progress

Programming - just a few blank boards and some letraset surely !

Just as an aside, the Paddington Station Master (yes, complete with top hat when I met him) told me that if one needed to attract the attention of pax, for a special notice, the best way was with a blackboard and chalk!

 

[yorksrob]

Just as an aside, the Paddington Station Master (yes, complete with top hat when I met him) told me that if one needed to attract the attention of pax, for a special notice, the best way was with a blackboard and chalk!

I guess lo-tec sometimes works !

 

[Starmill]

Anyone got a pic of said 'flappy boards' - feeling young here :/

 

[Manchester77]

http://img3.photographersdirect.com/img/13725/wm/pd504374.jpg

 

[WatcherZero]

On some of these boards, the trains move progressively to the left as the departure time gets nearer, and some of them have the boards are lined up according to platform. None of this I would describe as cycling (certainly not in the annoying way the one at Man Pic does).

Either way, I've never had any difficulty locating my train at Victoria, and I hope they don't move over to "the dark side".

8 vertical boards at Man Vic, leftmost one shows departures and rightmost one shows arrivals, they usually cycle through two pages. The 6 in the middle I believe show the full station calls of all the departures within a certain time period e.g. 30 minutes and cycle between those different services to display them all, they arent static.

 

[yorksrob]

8 vertical boards at Man Vic, leftmost one shows departures and rightmost one shows arrivals, they usually cycle through two pages. The 6 in the middle I believe show the full station calls of all the departures within a certain time period e.g. 30 minutes and cycle between those different services to display them all, they arent static.

One of the many bonuses of the flappetty-flap boards was that they didn‘t cycle in the way described, but overflowed on to the next board.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Unfortunately, at the end of their working lives, the ill-maintained ones did have a tendency to get stuck or display additional stations. Flickr user Y bwmp has a wonderful picture of a ONE one at Liverpool Street. in 2006.

I've always wondered why modern boards don't at least try and emulate the "clack-clack-clack" sound so people know when to look up.

 

[dysonsphere]

As an aside Ive noticed many of the station bars either dont have a departure screen or there very hard to spot. I wonder why

 

[yorksrob]

Unfortunately, at the end of their working lives, the ill-maintained ones did have a tendency to get stuck or display additional stations. Flickr user Y bwmp has a wonderful picture of a ONE one at Liverpool Street. in 2006.

I've always wondered why modern boards don't at least try and emulate the "clack-clack-clack" sound so people know when to look up.

Ah, poor maintenance often gets blamed on the technology !
Incidentally, I once remember hearing that Parliament had a similar system to alert members of various debates etc.

After their flappetty-flap system was replaced, they had to pipe the flappety-flap sound through the tannoy so that members knew that an update had taken place.

 

[kevconnor]

Coming back to the displays at Manchester it looks like it too may be reverting/converting from the a-z display to those similar to Euston or Leeds. I was there on Thursday and there was a demonstration model on the reverse side of the information point to where the current screens are (sorry wasnt able to get any photo's) and it seems these are in time planned to replace the A- Z departure board.

 

[LowLevel]

It's called progress apparently.....

Computerised boards are easier to reprogramme and more flexible in what they display

I understand the Solari boards worked on a rather ancient computer programme whereby you had to programme every train on to a card with holes punched into it and put it in to the computer manually, it then operating the flapper. With the number of moving parts and the expense of changing it all, plus the probable expense in converting it to run off a new kind of computer system that didn't require a human to babysit it 24/7 it was probably significantly cheaper just to have the new system as well!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'm highly sceptical about progress
Programming - just a few blank boards and some letraset surely !

The pre-electronic setup at Crewe was priceless.
There was a list of departures on a huge roll, of which about 6 feet at a time was displayed in the window.
You got about 15 minutes-worth of departures at a time (some train listings were very long, splitting en route etc).

If you were lucky the station staff emerged to wind up the display to show the next 6 feet of the roll before it was out of date.
The cost of producing the rolls at every timetable change must have been huge.

The problem of inability to show a reasonable time-span of departures in a good way is still there - there's too much scrolling, and there's always a "Page 3 of 3" showing only one train.
More multi-screen summary displays please...

 

[yorksrob]

I understand the Solari boards worked on a rather ancient computer programme whereby you had to programme every train on to a card with holes punched into it and put it in to the computer manually, it then operating the flapper. With the number of moving parts and the expense of changing it all, plus the probable expense in converting it to run off a new kind of computer system that didn't require a human to babysit it 24/7 it was probably significantly cheaper just to have the new system as well!

Probably best to use an unconnected old computer anyway.

At least you know that the enemies of the nation can't hack it and say all the London trains are going to Bognor Regis, thus precipitating the collapse of Western civilisation !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The pre-electronic setup at Crewe was priceless.
There was a list of departures on a huge roll, of which about 6 feet at a time was displayed in the window.
You got about 15 minutes-worth of departures at a time (some train listings were very long, splitting en route etc).

If you were lucky the station staff emerged to wind up the display to show the next 6 feet of the roll before it was out of date.
The cost of producing the rolls at every timetable change must have been huge.

The problem of inability to show a reasonable time-span of departures in a good way is still there - there's too much scrolling, and there's always a "Page 3 of 3" showing only one train.
More multi-screen summary displays please...

I've seen pictures of a similar set up in Leeds in the 70's. Too old fashioned and impractical for my taste !

 

[Bill Stanier]

That display at Man Picc is awful. Just as you've located (alphabetically) your destination the damn thing changes and rotates 120 degrees to display the next set of alphabetical departures! That means you either have to physically chase the display round and re-locate your destination, or wait until it cycles round 2 more time back to what it was showing before it (annoyingly!) rotated away!

I much prefer the system in use at Euston.

The one at Stockport can be a pain as well. It displays 'page one of three' for ages, then pages two and three flash past in a couple of milliseconds before it reverts to page one... for ages!

 

[CallySleeper]

I was about to start a new topic about it, but since we're on the subject...

Does anyone remember and/or have any pictures of a large grey (I think) departures board at Nottingham? Would have been up to ~10-15 years ago. Alternatively what was in place before then.

 

[table38]

The one at Stockport can be a pain as well. It displays 'page one of three' for ages, then pages two and three flash past in a couple of milliseconds before it reverts to page one... for ages!

Not to mention the identical Arrivals board to the left of it.

Even though I know it's there, (and for an instant have wondered why my train to Buxton departs from Platform 4 ), I still accidentally start scanning it for the platform of my departing train!

Also if you come in from the car park, it's a pain to have to go down the stairs to the ticket call to find out your train is departing from Platform 0

 

[cjmillsnun]

I understand the Solari boards worked on a rather ancient computer programme whereby you had to programme every train on to a card with holes punched into it and put it in to the computer manually, it then operating the flapper. With the number of moving parts and the expense of changing it all, plus the probable expense in converting it to run off a new kind of computer system that didn't require a human to babysit it 24/7 it was probably significantly cheaper just to have the new system as well!

I don't think so... They were updated to be fed from a PC in the BR days (at about the same time that most staffed stations got TV screens on the platforms as departure boards.