Railway Myths (2013)

[CyrusWuff]

Myth 442: A 5-WES is ideally suited for services between Victoria and Gatwick Airport, and further afield on the Brighton Main Line in the peaks.

 

[Temple Meads]

Myth 47555:

HST doors close themselves!

Myth 42041: HST doors must have some form of internal handle, and the handle that was there must have "fallen off". (heard more than one passenger say that before!)

 

[Eagle]

Myth 442: A 5-WES is ideally suited for services between Victoria and Gatwick Airport, and further afield on the Brighton Main Line in the peaks.

Myth 4Jop: People know immediately what you mean when you refer to modern EMUs by anachronistic Southern Railway designations. :P


(A 4Jop is a 458, for those who don't know. Or at least it is until it becomes a 5Jop in the near future.)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Myth number e=mc2:

a) On a corridor train, passengers must charge along the full length of the train before boarding.

b) On a non corridor train, passengers must board the first carriage they come across.

 

[43074]

Myth 2-2: Guards only ''shut doors and bell the driver to move the train''.

(As was said by a Tory London Assembly Member on the subject of DOO conversion on WLL and NLL to save money).

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Myth 400: 4VEG is not an EMU but a term describing a group of 4 spotters on the platform end. This can also be extended to 8 or 12 VEG

 

[Eng274]

Myth 1M16: adding wifi, showers, TVs, power sockets and proper cooking facilities won't exceed the ETH limit on a class 67, ditto a class 90 for a load 16 rake.

 

[WCML]

Myth 390001: Virgin services departing Euston after 16:00 which call at stations in Staffordshire always make their station calls at the advertised arrival time

Myth 390002: It is acceptable to announce the arrival time at calling points on Virgin routes as the departure time at said calling points to try to minimise the length of the inevitable delay despite departing Euston on time

Myth 390003: Virgin Trains services always run through the Bletchley and Watford Junction areas at linespeed and never pick up any delays in these areas

Myth 390004: Passengers will leave all of their personal belongings on morning Virgin Trains services unless repeatedly shouted at by the automated announcement system

Myth 390005: The automated announcement system used on Virgin Trains services is gramatically correct

Myth 390006: Virgin inflict the "eff you" effect on passengers boarding services to/from Lichfield Trent Valley if a 390/0 turns up despite seats being available for all passengers

Myth 390007: It is acceptable for passengers from Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth to shout at train managers because a 390/0 unit has turned up, which is full despite plenty of seats being available for passengers who are not allergic to somebody sitting next to them.

Myth 390008: The hot drinks and card machines in the VT onboard shops are frequently in full working order

 

[12CSVT]

Myth 400: 4VEG is not an EMU but a term describing a group of 4 spotters on the platform end.

Or four class 47 bashers riding up and down all day between Norwich and Great Yarmouth on the loco hauled DMU substitution.

 

[Flamingo]

Myth of the day: If you ticked the box saying "Table seat" on the online booking engine, this automatically entitles you to a seat in First Class because you were allocated an airline seat.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Myth of the day: If you ticked the box saying "Table seat" on the online booking engine, this automatically entitles you to a seat in First Class because you were allocated an airline seat.

Is that the latest excuse you've had put to you during a ticket check?

 

[umontu]

If traveling to Blackpool North or South with your family on a summer holiday it is completely fine to place all your luggage in the doorway on the left side of the train as no stations are on that side of the train, except Layton (on North trains), Lytham, St Annes, Ansdell and Fairhaven, Squires Gate and Pleasure Beach (On the south trains)...

And...

slowing to pass through Poulton-le-Fylde, on a LIV-BPN train, means the train is stopping at Blackpool now so it's time to que at the doors. :roll:

 

[Flamingo]

Is that the latest excuse you've had put to you during a ticket check?

It's quite a common one!

 

[OuterDistant]

Myth: Before Beeching, branch lines were feeding traffic to main line trains that would otherwise have run empty.

And buses hadn't been invented. Or lorries.

 

[yorksrob]

Myth: The routes clost by Beeching (and since) were all running empty and didn't contribute any passenger traffic to the mainline.

Myth: Bustitution proved a viable and long term transport solution for areas deprived of their railway link.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Myth of the day: If you ticked the box saying "Table seat" on the online booking engine, this automatically entitles you to a seat in First Class because you were allocated an airline seat.

Myth of the day: ticking the "view" box on the online booking engine means the system will pay heed to your request, rather than sitting you next to a wall on a Pendolino.

 

[Flamingo]

Supplementary myth of the day: Ticking any box on the online booking engine makes any difference to the seat you will be allocated!

 

[Temple Meads]

Myth #221141: Electronic seat reservation systems are failsafe, and render paper reservation labels completely obsolete.

 

[Oswyntail]

Myth 101142: Pacer, when introduced, were already a far worse train than any 1st-gen unit.

 

[317666]

Myth 760: All driving trailers are called DVTs, even if they don't have luggage vans.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Myth (e^(π-1)^(π+1))^(-1):
Officers of the BTP are "not real police", but "just plastic police" who "can't touch me innit"

 

[Eng274]

Myth 5647: a class 56 is the same as a class 47, cos they look the same. Except the 56 has chicken wire on the front.

 

[MK Tom]

Myth no. D10: There are no differences between classes 44, 45 and 46, and they are only classified separately to create a headache for enthusiasts.

 

[yorksrob]

Myth 423

Access and Egress from sliding door trains is much quicker than their slam door predecessors (I actually heard this on a train from Charing Cross once, and had to exercise all of my self control not to interject into a private conversation)

 

[Beveridges]

Myth 5647: a class 56 is the same as a class 47, cos they look the same. Except the 56 has chicken wire on the front.

Except the 56 has that domed roof at the front which looks great

 

[gnolife]

Myth G4S) If it's not orange, it's not valid

 

[Temple Meads]

Myth G4S) If it's not orange, it's not valid

Myth BHM_Manual_Gateline: If it's orange or ticket shaped then it's valid.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Myth SN: One can collect tickets purchased online from Doleham, Pevensey Bay, or Ore.

 

[marks87]

Myth i^2: "Route: Any permitted" means "Any route is permitted".

 

[TheKnightWho]

Myth i^2: "Route: Any permitted" means "Any route is permitted".

Surely a negative myth would be a truth