Railway Myths (2013)

[eastend43]

Myth (whatever).

RJ is just Richard Branson in disguise and his exploits with EMT and SWT are merely a ploy to make Virgin Trains look good.

 

[gnolife]

Myth: A ticket routed Any Permitted means that you can take any route between the origin and destination.

 

[Crossover]

Myth 1A01: Tickets not marked with +HS1 are specifically not valid on HS1...

 

[OuterDistant]

Myth 4472: Saying "I'm Steve Strange" is a secret password that allows you to board a train when no-one else can.

 

[Crossover]

Myth 4472: Saying "I'm Steve Strange" is a secret password that allows you to board a train when no-one else can.

Haha - I was thinking the same! Steve who?!

 

[43074]

Myth 85: 172s are the answer to any rolling stock problem anywhere.

Myth 85a: If the line is electrified then the solution is baby pendos..

Myth 85b: If neither of the above are preferable, the solution must only be a 444 variant.

 

[Buttsy]

Myth 1001 dry foam: People travelling on trains are passengers, not customers.

 

[D365]

Haha - I was thinking the same! Steve who?!

If you've watched the Channel 5 FGW programme from yesterday, you'll get the reference - if you're old enough! Just checked, has definitely made it to Demand 5 catch-up.

[SPOILER ALERT]'Passenger' attempting to board the infamous 2045 Paddington to Swansea[/ALERT]

 

[Buttsy]

Myth 4472: Saying "I'm Steve Strange" is a secret password that allows you to board a train when no-one else can.

Steve Strange - wasn't he the lead singer of Visage?

 

[Polarbear]

Steve Strange - wasn't he the lead singer of Visage?

Yep - boy does that bring back memories!

 

[Crossover]

If you've watched the Channel 5 FGW programme from yesterday, you'll get the reference - if you're old enough! Just checked, has definitely made it to Demand 5 catch-up.

[SPOILER ALERT]'Passenger' attempting to board the infamous 2045 Paddington to Swansea[/ALERT]

I did watch the programme and still no idea who this somebody who appears to think he is an everything is! Arrogant twit

 

[AndyLandy]

Myth: Power-operated doors are a mandatory requirement of the PRM-TSI accessibility legislation for trains, post-2020.

In actual fact, mk3 trailers can be made compliant by simply re-fitting the internal door handles. Improved interlocking for safety is required, but they can still be slam-doors. I'd wager that TOCs like to phase out slam-door trains so as to simplify dispatch procedures.

 

[tsr]

Myth #-10: "An administrative fee may be charged" means that it is unlikely that said fee will be charged in practice. Virtually nobody is ever charged an admin fee. On the railways, it is traditionally believed to be wrong to make money out of people like that.

 

[Muzer]

Myth: Power-operated doors are a mandatory requirement of the PRM-TSI accessibility legislation for trains, post-2020.

In actual fact, mk3 trailers can be made compliant by simply re-fitting the internal door handles. Improved interlocking for safety is required, but they can still be slam-doors. I'd wager that TOCs like to phase out slam-door trains so as to simplify dispatch procedures.

Re-fitting? Did they used to have them?

 

[AndyLandy]

Re-fitting? Did they used to have them?

So I'm led to believe. Removing internal door handles was a cheap safety measure, before central door locking was mandated.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Myth 964-98076 ( ISO 90546904 Part 0-084b ): Mk 3 stock had internal door handles at one stage.*





*If they did then it must have been very, very, short lived - never seen one and I started travelling on HSTs in the late 1970s...

 

[trainophile]

Myth 1001 dry foam: People travelling on trains are passengers, not customers.

They are all passengers, but only the ones who have a valid ticket are customers. And not even then, if their firm bought the ticket for them!

 

[tsr]

Myth 964-98076 ( ISO 90546904 Part 0-084b ): Mk 3 stock had internal door handles at one stage.*





*If they did then it must have been very, very, short lived - never seen one and I started travelling on HSTs in the late 1970s...

I will make enquiries to check if any of my contacts have any info... and that's not a myth.

 

[Buttsy]

They are all passengers, but only the ones who have a valid ticket are customers. And not even then, if their firm bought the ticket for them!

I think you've missed my point, though that may be down to poor wording on my part.

For well over 100 years, we were passengers, but that was too boring for the franchises, so we are now all customers in the eyes of TOC management and almost all dissatisfaction is immediately resolved by travel vouchers, whether travelling with or without a valid ticket.

Those of us who still believe we are passengers are quite clearly in the wrong, we are customers, whether we like it or not.

Myth 1,000,003a, subsection b, paragraph 4: As we are customers, we are entitled to a seat however busy the train is and entitled to compensation if we don't get one.

 

[AndyLandy]

Myth 964-98076 ( ISO 90546904 Part 0-084b ): Mk 3 stock had internal door handles at one stage.*





*If they did then it must have been very, very, short lived - never seen one and I started travelling on HSTs in the late 1970s...

You may be right. It looks like it might have been later Mk2s that had sealed droplights and internal handles, which were eventually changed for openable droplights and removal of the internal handles. By the time the Mk3s came around, they were designed from day one without the internal handles.

 

[Seacook]

Myth number nivelo i: First class carriages are for the sole use of business travellers on expenses and spending their time working.

 

[umontu]

Myth √-10,000,0000

When a TOC says they charge "No booking fee" it's clearly a reason why they are better than any other ticket provider....

I'm yet to come across a single ticket provider that charges admin fees.

 

[SS4]

Myth √-10,000,0000

When a TOC says they charge "No booking fee" it's clearly a reason why they are better than any other ticket provider....

I'm yet to come across a single ticket provider that charges admin fees.

An imaginary myth, does that make a fact?

Myths IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAND : It is perfectly safe to stand in front of the yellow line

 

[Roverman]

Crosscountry don't charge a booking fee but they do charge £1 to collect them from a machine, despite the fact its YOU driving down to the station, YOU parking the car and YOU doing the work yourself!!

 

[umontu]

An imaginary myth, does that make a fact?

Myths IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAND : It is perfectly safe to stand in front of the yellow line

Gave up keeping track and wanted to appear clever, then gave up.

 

[AndyLandy]

I'm yet to come across a single ticket provider that charges admin fees.

That's because you have been smart enough to not use TheTrainLine.

 

[Eagle]

Myth number pi: The usage of a 158 on the Lymington branch is a travestic waste of diesel power and must be sorted immediately.

 

[12CSVT]

Myth number 1.000001 trillion : First class on 319 units is for the sole use of ticketless chavs who get on at Flitwick and Leagrave.

 

[chuckles1066]

The driver of the train rolling in, at a gentle pace, 30 minutes late whilst you've been stood around on a platform in temperatures of -7C really does take it personally that you make a pointed effort to stare at your watch as he trundles casually past.

 

[Polarbear]

You may be right. It looks like it might have been later Mk2s that had sealed droplights and internal handles, which were eventually changed for openable droplights and removal of the internal handles. By the time the Mk3s came around, they were designed from day one without the internal handles.

Earlier Mk 3's did indeed have internal door handles when they first rolled off the production line in 1974. However, due to a few incidences of doors being opened whilst trains were on the move, they were quickly plated over.