Strange/unusual destinations programmed in the PIS

[jamieh27]

Southeastern: St. Pancake International on Pancake Day.

SWT: Romsey & Juliet.

 

[stadler]

701s have Salisbury programmed on them despite the line not even being electrified:

View attachment qj7njxs (1).mov

701s also have Southampton via Guildford and Haslemere programmed on them:

View attachment 885B5211-7958-4FF9-83A9-C7472FE08DEC-1 (1).mov

SWR have used 707s on Southampton via Basingstoke and Winchester services very rarely so i suppose this latter one could potentially happen even if it is extremely unlikely.

 

[Man of Kent]

Are the Great Central stations programmed into the Chiltern units a joke or was there some slim chance of possibility that the route would have been reopened?

By the time those units were introduced, some major structures had been demolished, including Brackley viaduct (in 1978). I can't imagine there was ever any possibility of rebuilding those structures even if a need for the line had been accepted.

It was a serious proposal by the privatised management, M40 Trains, to reopen the line as far as a parkway station in the vicinity of Lutterworth. It is described in the Pen & Sword published "Chiltern Railways - The Inside Story" by Adrian Shooter (published 2022).

 

[dosxuk]

Are the Great Central stations programmed into the Chiltern units a joke or was there some slim chance of possibility that the route would have been reopened?

It's a joke - even if there was a very small chance of some of the route being reopened, there was zero chance of it making it all the way up to Sheffield, and the chances of a 165 making it all the way there unmodified from introduction were even less.

 

[DelW]

It was a serious proposal by the privatised management, M40 Trains, to reopen the line as far as a parkway station in the vicinity of Lutterworth. It is described in the Pen & Sword published "Chiltern Railways - The Inside Story" by Adrian Shooter (published 2022).

Wow, that was ambitious. I suspect a detailed construction estimate would have sunk the scheme (or possibly it did).

In that era both East Midlands Parkway and Luton Airport Parkway were promoted as taking traffic off the M1, the latter certainly had signs to it on the southbound carriageway. I'm not sure how much that came to fruition, but East Midlands at least seems to be rather less busy than originally expected.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Wow, that was ambitious. I suspect a detailed construction estimate would have sunk the scheme (or possibly it did).

In that era both East Midlands Parkway and Luton Airport Parkway were promoted as taking traffic off the M1, the latter certainly had signs to it on the southbound carriageway. I'm not sure how much that came to fruition, but East Midlands at least seems to be rather less busy than originally expected.

It really needs an extension of the Nottingham tram line there I think

 

[LowLevel]

Vaguely remember years ago that you could occasionally see 158 units on long layovers in Edinburgh with nonsense such as Paris Nord or Berlin Hauptbahnhof displayed on the electronic destination screen.

It was 158806 which had various European destinations programmed in as part of the PR for the opening of Manchester Airport station.

Sadly the Vultron chip burnt out about 10 years ago and the whole system has since been replaced by TrainFX.

Paris, Madrid, Rome, Gibraltar were all destinations that ring a bell.

 

[roadierway77]

LNER have announcements recorded for North Road, Newton Aycliffe, Heighington (mispronounced), Shildon and Bishop Auckland. Perhaps a homage to the line where the Azumas were built?

 

[stadler]

LNER also have Stanford Le Hope (a stop on the C2C network) announcements recorded. I believe this was a mistake as they got it mixed up with Stamford which they intended to record in case it was ever needed for diversionary purposes. LNER also have all the stops on the entire East Coast Main Line recorded (even Chathill and other minor ones) just in case their trains ever need to make additional calls anywhere.

 

[Swedenorer]

In addition to a selection of currently served stations not normally used as termini for use during engineering works etc, the 158/159 list also includes places such as Bristol Temple Meads, Brockenhurst, Lymington Pier, Paignton, Plymouth and Totton where the SWT/SWR diesel fleet have regularly worked terminating services too in the past.

Further to that, it also includes a selection of off-network stations such as Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Chippenham, Exmouth, Gloucester, Great Malvern, Severn Beach, Swindon, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare and Worcester Shrub Hill. These saw use during the periods where SWT were regularly hiring units to GWR.

I am convinced I saw Ludgershall on a 158/159 in the bay at Southampton years ago - a destination that is at least possible from there. In the early days of privatisation was there ever a plan to reach there?

 

[GordonT]

LNER also have Stanford Le Hope (a stop on the C2C network) announcements recorded. I believe this was a mistake as they got it mixed up with Stamford which they intended to record in case it was ever needed for diversionary purposes. LNER also have all the stops on the entire East Coast Main Line recorded (even Chathill and other minor ones) just in case their trains ever need to make additional calls anywhere.

I wonder if even minor, minor ones such as Springfield and Balmossie are included.

 

[Fokx]

Blackpool North, Barrow-in-Furness, Glasgow Central. Edinburgh, Windermere, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester all still appear on the TPE Class 185 pre-set destinations list alongside short journey options such as Urmston, Bolton and Warrington West (no pre-set Warrington Central interestingly)

 

[PeterC]

There is also 'Merry Christmas' and dare I say, I think I've heard of Vladivostock is also in the system somewhere. (This may be a rumour, however).

Liverpool Street used to have connections from Hook included in the main platform display. IIRC this included Moscow but no points further east.

 

[MadMac]

Not in the PIS, but on the old blinds. I believe that early on at least some Class 319 had Milton Ernest on the end destination blinds. I think I read that at the time they were being built there was a plan to extend electrification from Bedford to a new station at Milton Ernest; I can’t remember if it was a new town or a parkway station.

As we’ve touched on blinds:

The ScR “black on white” blinds first appeared in about 1980 and included Grangemouth which still hasn’t reopened.

The Class 311 electric units had Ibrox on the blind: it had closed before a 311 had got anywhere near there.

The Railcar site has several pictures of a 101 on a railtour with Cluny Bridge on the blind: there was never a station there.

 

[GordonT]

The Railcar site has several pictures of a 101 on a railtour with Cluny Bridge on the blind: there was never a station there.

A WTT timing point in Fife between Cardenden and Thornton which erroneously or mischievously must have been added to a destination blind procurement list?

 

[MadMac]

A WTT timing point in Fife between Cardenden and Thornton which erroneously or mischievously must have been added to a destination blind procurement list?

The story, as I understand it, was that the blind manufacturer was given the relevant parts of a Working Timetable with the places BR didn’t want crossed out: someone forgot to cross out Cluny Bridge.

 

[357]

Class 357s can show "Special Service" and "Charter Train" in addition to the usual "Not In Service" and "Empty to Depot"

Voyagers can be set to display anything through a free-text input on the TMS

 

[Warrior2852]

It's a joke - even if there was a very small chance of some of the route being reopened, there was zero chance of it making it all the way up to Sheffield, and the chances of a 165 making it all the way there unmodified from introduction were even less.

They'd also run into the problem of the route in Nottingham now consists of a tram line, several roads, and a multi-story shopping centre/flat/bus station complex.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

LNER also have Stanford Le Hope (a stop on the C2C network) announcements recorded. I believe this was a mistake as they got it mixed up with Stamford which they intended to record in case it was ever needed for diversionary purposes. LNER also have all the stops on the entire East Coast Main Line recorded (even Chathill and other minor ones) just in case their trains ever need to make additional calls anywhere.

So Saltash (mentioned in #12) could have been a misprint for Saltaire, as a possible call for a Skipton service ?

 

[brad465]

On Southeastern Northfleet might qualify, as trains can terminate here when Gravesend is shut (which was introduced when the latter's rebuild took place, but has seen occasional use since). Similarly, I haven't been on one to find out if this station is programmed as a destination, but Victoria-Gravesend trains have been forced to turn round at Greenhithe if delayed, which involves running empty to Northfleet, turning round and restarting from Greenhithe.

 

[airantraigh]

LNER also have Stanford Le Hope (a stop on the C2C network) announcements recorded. I believe this was a mistake as they got it mixed up with Stamford which they intended to record in case it was ever needed for diversionary purposes. LNER also have all the stops on the entire East Coast Main Line recorded (even Chathill and other minor ones) just in case their trains ever need to make additional calls anywhere.

https://www.railannouncements.co.uk/rolling-stock/lner-azuma apologies for the external link but this has a lot of examples

 

[CyrusWuff]

They'd also run into the problem of the route in Nottingham now consists of a tram line, several roads, and a multi-story shopping centre/flat/bus station complex.

It was only ever intended to run as far as Leicester, with new Parkway stations near Brackley and Catthorpe Interchange (most likely in the vicinity of Shawell, where there's a triangle of land bounded by the Great Central, A5 and M6.) This is mentioned on page 461 of the old Chiltern franchise agreement.

Also mentioned in the same document, with a footnote saying it was added in November 2007, is what became East-West Rail. The expectation even back then being that Chiltern would operate it including through services from Marylebone via Aylesbury and the Marston Vale, with a future aspiration for a Milton Keynes - Heathrow service.

 

[M60lad]

With the old destinations still programmed into TPEs 185s do/can these destinations appear on the new interior information screens?

As for other destinations why isn't Warrington Central programmed into the list? It does seem odd that Warrington West is programmed into the list when Warrington Central isn't.

 

[Spartacus]

When TPE exchanged some 158s for SWT 170s for a while you'd occasionally see them with SWT destinations on, probably just the one driver at a guess. I wonder if there was a SWT driver who did the same?

 

[dodecahedron67]

With the old destinations still programmed into TPEs 185s do/can these destinations appear on the new interior information screens?

Nope. The interior PIS operates off headcodes only. Putting a headcode into the PIS will also force write the ‘correct’ destination onto the blinds*

*there is a way around this but it’s only really useful if the train is splitting halfway - fx being able to show ‘Redcar Central’ on the front 3 , and ‘York’ on the back 3, while having announcements work in both

 

[720144]

Class 357s can show "Special Service" and "Charter Train" in addition to the usual "Not In Service" and "Empty to Depot"

They also show “Electrostar” on display while in service, normally occurs when they go to Liverpool Street on weekends.

 

[Tetragon213]

I am convinced I saw Ludgershall on a 158/159 in the bay at Southampton years ago - a destination that is at least possible from there. In the early days of privatisation was there ever a plan to reach there?

Iirc an open access operator proposed running Andover-Ludgershall services a few years back. Personally, I think it would be a waste as there's already a good bus service from Ludgershall to Andover. But there was indeed a plan to run rail services with (of all things) Class 139s!

 

[357]

They also show “Electrostar” on display while in service, normally occurs when they go to Liverpool Street on weekends.

That's when the PIS system has crashed or is stuck in boot loop

 

[Russel]

That's when the PIS system has crashed or is stuck in boot loop

I've seen 'Turbostar' on the 170 displays, I'm guessing for the same reason.

 

[cduncan]

They also show “Electrostar” on display while in service, normally occurs when they go to Liverpool Street on weekends.

"Electrostar" usually shows when switching between third rail and overhead power. 377/2 when they previously operated East Croydon-Watford Junction between Shepherds Bush and Wembley Central and 377/5s at Farringdon.

"Welcome to Class 377" would show up for the 377/7s.