Silly Desiro destinations

[61653 HTAFC]

Say what you like, but to me the CIS/PIS is for information not, childish nonsense on February 14th.

I got a b****cking for putting 81 London Waterloo on the side and 81 Waterloo on the front, which is a lot more helpful than Waterlove or Hampton Courting.

I agree that it's a bit silly, but it's essentially harmless and results in positive headlines for the railway: a rare thing indeed!

Being disciplined for putting the old style headcode numbers up is ridiculous though, and on that front you have my sympathy. It certainly doesn't paint your management team in a good light, unlike the novelty messages on the PIS. Don't the 455s still have the numbers on the roller blinds anyway? I remember a poster at New Malden which told passengers what the numbers meant, making life easier for the occasional traveller.

 

[Polarbear]

When the 350's were on test a few years back, I saw one passing through New Street, apparently going to Munich via Stuttgart. Actually written in German too as I recall...!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree that it's a bit silly, but it's essentially harmless and results in positive headlines for the railway: a rare thing indeed!

The "late again" one turned a few annoyed passengers into amused ones, and because it was put up after the last stop it wasn't going to mislead anyone.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When the 350's were on test a few years back, I saw one passing through New Street, apparently going to Munich via Stuttgart. Actually written in German too as I recall...!

Neue Strasse's departure board used to have German destinations on it...

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Not on 185s though.

You can...

TPE did a day out for a little girl not long ago and managed to get her name on the front of a 185

Yes, I read the same story here and also here

#

I remember very early on when they started coming to Hull, some of them were spotted on the side boards with "DRIVER WANTED - APPLY WITHIN"

 

[theironroad]

While some of the Swt valentines stuff was a bit odd and occasionally confusing, most people seemed to like it. I'm not sure what the point in putting old headcodes up as very few passengers and many staff (guards and drivers included) don't have a clue what they mean.

 

[Crossover]

You can...



Yes, I read the same story here and also here

#

I remember very early on when they started coming to Hull, some of them were spotted on the side boards with "DRIVER WANTED - APPLY WITHIN"

It may be that 185's have to be programmed with them at depot, whilst other Desiros allow anything to be input on the fly, perhaps?

 

[Bletchleyite]

While some of the Swt valentines stuff was a bit odd and occasionally confusing, most people seemed to like it. I'm not sure what the point in putting old headcodes up as very few passengers and many staff (guards and drivers included) don't have a clue what they mean.

I'm not convinced they cause any harm. Some VT Pendolinos show the reporting number (e.g. 1A11) and people just ignore it if it is not of interest.

 

[theironroad]

I'm

I'm not convinced they cause any harm. Some VT Pendolinos show the reporting number (e.g. 1A11) and people just ignore it if it is not of interest.

No harm, but headcodes and train describers on external display give no useful info to 99% of passengers and when many external displays have very limited character space, then not really helpfuil IMO.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm

No harm, but headcodes and train describers on external display give no useful info to 99% of passengers and when many external displays have very limited character space, then not really helpfuil IMO.

Fair point. FWIW the side displays on Desiros have quite a lot of space, though those on the ends are often abbreviated.

 

[DasLunatic]

Does anyone know if you can put silly locations on a 360?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

While some of the Swt valentines stuff was a bit odd and occasionally confusing, most people seemed to like it. I'm not sure what the point in putting old headcodes up as very few passengers and many staff (guards and drivers included) don't have a clue what they mean.

Headcodes are useful as most platform staff know that:

10 - Woking - Waterloo
16 - Guildford (Ep) - Waterloo & vv
17 - Dorking - Waterloo
18 - Chessington - Waterloo
19 - Epsom - Waterloo
21 - Waterloo (M) - Waterloo (W)
24 - Shepperton - Waterloo
30 - Hampton Court - Waterloo.
32 - Waterloo (W) - Waterloo (M)
51/52 - Alton line
61/62/63/64 - Basingstoke and West of England lines
70-84 - Portsmouth line services (70-74 being to Southsea)
91/92/93 - Southampton/Bournemouth - Weymouth line

Having a head code on the front/side is useful if the train describers go down as they can see what train it is. I'm not on about TRNs.

 

[pompeyfan]

How on earth did I manage in my youth seeing a 4Vep roll in with 85 (later 75) on the front?

I'm sure there's still plenty of enthusiast sites which decipher all the old SR codes. Caught a 36 a couple of times too.

Anyway, I think its ridiculous and petty that you got a slapped wrist or worse just for putting that info up, it's a damn sight more usual then the (increasingly) common 'South West Trains' or 'southernrailway.com'

 

[rebmcr]

Does anyone know if you can put silly locations on a 360?

What, like Shoeburyness? ;D

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I just got a slapped wrist for doing it, did it the other day, put Guildford via Camberley on the side of one, much more informative that just Guildford.

 

[Fiyero]

I liked the Valentines ones (well the less tenuous ones anyway). I think its good if they can have a bit of fun with it while still being clear for travellers not in the know. If they'd have been doing that while I was in Paris last week I really would have struggled!

 

[exile]

I did once board a 101 at Preston with the destination blind showing "Afon Wen" - which had closed 20 years earlier.....