Today I went to see a new pedestrian/cycling bridge being lowered into position across the R Beam, nr Western Avenue Dagenham, joining Beam Valley Country Park with Bretons Outdoor Recreation Centre. The bridge should be ready for use in about 3-4 weeks time - marki it on your maps now - and the formal opening will be on 28 April 2015, which is the 80th birthday of veteran walking campaigner Michael Cullen, who has doggedly campaigned for a bridge in this vicinity for many years.
The bridge is a Sustrans project funded by TfL. Some photos and moving pictures I took are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105158567856821703505/CullenBridge20141020
Monday, 20 October 2014
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Times of Hammersmith & City Line Trains from platform 3 at Barking Station
---
Here is a transcription which you may like to copy and file fro reference:
Mo-Fr:
0611 0628 0650 0709 0748 0806 0828 0845 0857 0917 0925 0934 0946 0957 1005
1545 1555 1605 1617 1626 1637 1645 1656 1706 1716 1725 1735 1746 1755 1805 1814 1826 1835 1846 1856 1906 1915 1925 1935 1945 2344 2354 0005
Sat: 0606 0630 2345
Sun: 0641 - 0735 plat 6
0745 onwards plat 3
---
What the poster doesn't show is the times of District Line trains from platform 3 - I have seen someone making her way to platform 3 to catch what I assume she thought was an H&C. It was the wrong type of train for the H&C line, but a lot of people don't know the difference, and anyway the District line will soon be operated by S-stock trains like the H&C, so the train's appearance will be no indication.
The "changes" were, I've been told, caused by the introduction of the new S-stock trains. It's bad practice that this poster is undated (at least as displayed) and it would be useful if it were available on line. I have yet to check whether the other locations that showed the previous version of this poster have this one, which I assume to be the latest.
TfL say that they do intend to add platform numbers to their journey planner, but this is a long way down the line. In the mean time, if you really want to know full details, you can plough through the working timetables at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables.
The information provided about Sunday is not terribly helpful, as it doesn't give the times of departures from platform 3, so we still don't know whether to set off down there or not.
If/when the Barking & Gospel Oak Line service is extended onto the Tilbury loop, it will use platforms 7/8. This would free up platform 1, which could conceivably be used for Underground services terminating at Barking.
Even so, what we need is a proper train describer just like the c2c, B&GO and other Underground platforms have, giving dynamic information.
Monday, 6 October 2014
Myth of new trains on Barking & Gospel Oak Line
Apparently even London Overground staff are saying that there will be new trains on the line next year. They are mistaken *, as are the public address announcements saying the same thing. There won't be new trains on the B&GO next year, and here's why:-
1) Any new trains' engines would have to comply with the latest emissions regulations (stage 3b). The Class 172's (the current train type in use) engine and (possibly) exhaust design would need changing to make it stage 3b compliant. This would be difficult - and probably prohibitively expensive for the small number of vehicles required for the B&GO - but not impossible.
2) (1) is not the main reason for not purchasing more diesel trains. If electrification - the obvious answer for the line - comes before any new / existing diesel trains have recovered their cost from leasing fees, Angel Trains, the company that owns them would have to lease them in a market in which much cheaper and more efficient older units will still be available. (These are unhindered by new emissions regulations - they are not retrospective; some diesel locos are being refurbished and brought back into service for the same reasons.) New diesel trains would give a poor return on investment, in other words. NB: The trains are leased to LOROL, not TfL.
3) Adding additional (unpowered) carriages to existing diesel trains would not only be technically difficult (they are not designed for it) but would slow the trains down (reduce their power-to-weight ration) below the standard required by Network Rail.
4) Additional trains cannot be run because there are insufficient paths (ie time slots) to run more without reducing the number of freight trains. There are currently eight paths per hour in each direction (per Wikipedia). This makes longer (higher passenger capacity) trains the only option.
5) As electrification of the remaining un-electrified stretches of line, along with associated works, has not yet started, it will certainly not be finished by next year. (Electrification work will take a long time.)
6) No new trains or carriages have been ordered, so none will be delivered next year.
* There will be additional carriages on other parts of the London Overground next year. Unfortunately this information gets passed on into the wrong contexts and repeated imprecisely, leading to the myth.
Note of caution
This article has been compiled from remembered information and some unclear/illogical/ambiguous published information to which I have attempted to apply logic and common sense. One source http://stibasa.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/gospel-oak-and-barking-line-train.html is based on an e-mail (now mislaid) from Glen Wallis of the B&GO Rail User Group,and another is the 4th of the "notes for editors" in this BGORUG press release - http://www.barking-gospeloak.org.uk/documents/20130331_press_release.pdf
1) Any new trains' engines would have to comply with the latest emissions regulations (stage 3b). The Class 172's (the current train type in use) engine and (possibly) exhaust design would need changing to make it stage 3b compliant. This would be difficult - and probably prohibitively expensive for the small number of vehicles required for the B&GO - but not impossible.
2) (1) is not the main reason for not purchasing more diesel trains. If electrification - the obvious answer for the line - comes before any new / existing diesel trains have recovered their cost from leasing fees, Angel Trains, the company that owns them would have to lease them in a market in which much cheaper and more efficient older units will still be available. (These are unhindered by new emissions regulations - they are not retrospective; some diesel locos are being refurbished and brought back into service for the same reasons.) New diesel trains would give a poor return on investment, in other words. NB: The trains are leased to LOROL, not TfL.
3) Adding additional (unpowered) carriages to existing diesel trains would not only be technically difficult (they are not designed for it) but would slow the trains down (reduce their power-to-weight ration) below the standard required by Network Rail.
4) Additional trains cannot be run because there are insufficient paths (ie time slots) to run more without reducing the number of freight trains. There are currently eight paths per hour in each direction (per Wikipedia). This makes longer (higher passenger capacity) trains the only option.
5) As electrification of the remaining un-electrified stretches of line, along with associated works, has not yet started, it will certainly not be finished by next year. (Electrification work will take a long time.)
6) No new trains or carriages have been ordered, so none will be delivered next year.
* There will be additional carriages on other parts of the London Overground next year. Unfortunately this information gets passed on into the wrong contexts and repeated imprecisely, leading to the myth.
Note of caution
This article has been compiled from remembered information and some unclear/illogical/ambiguous published information to which I have attempted to apply logic and common sense. One source http://stibasa.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/gospel-oak-and-barking-line-train.html is based on an e-mail (now mislaid) from Glen Wallis of the B&GO Rail User Group,and another is the 4th of the "notes for editors" in this BGORUG press release - http://www.barking-gospeloak.org.uk/documents/20130331_press_release.pdf
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Get a loan to buy an annual travelcard on Oyster and save relative to monthy travelcards
https://www.commuterclub.co.uk/
This organisation is offering loans at 5.6% to enable people to buy an annual travelcard on Oyster, whilst paying out monthly. Not only are the monthly payments less than a monthly travelcard, but also you get a Gold Card with an annual travelcard and this gives substantial savings on off peak train fares for you and travelling companions. If your employer doesn't offer an interest free season ticket loan, this may be a good option for you.
(The cheapest annual season in the country used to be (and maybe still is) Ryde St Johns Road to Ryde Esplanade on the Isle of Wight, currently costing £164. Because Gold Card savings are more than with ordinary railcards, this could be cost effective for those who travel often enough.)
This organisation is offering loans at 5.6% to enable people to buy an annual travelcard on Oyster, whilst paying out monthly. Not only are the monthly payments less than a monthly travelcard, but also you get a Gold Card with an annual travelcard and this gives substantial savings on off peak train fares for you and travelling companions. If your employer doesn't offer an interest free season ticket loan, this may be a good option for you.
(The cheapest annual season in the country used to be (and maybe still is) Ryde St Johns Road to Ryde Esplanade on the Isle of Wight, currently costing £164. Because Gold Card savings are more than with ordinary railcards, this could be cost effective for those who travel often enough.)
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Tickety Split - improved version
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/split-cheap-train-tickets/
There's now an improved version of tickety split out, which doesn't cover just walk on fares, but advance fares too.
Tickety split works out where you can split your train tickets (not your journey - you use the same train) saving you substantial amounts of money on fares.
There's now an improved version of tickety split out, which doesn't cover just walk on fares, but advance fares too.
Tickety split works out where you can split your train tickets (not your journey - you use the same train) saving you substantial amounts of money on fares.
Monday, 22 September 2014
New path in Mayesbrook Park
A new path has been built in Mayesbrook Park, roughly bisecting the northernmost field (containing the cricket ground) running north-south. It finishes at the fence by Honour Gardens, one of the new roads in Academy Central - ie the former UEL Barking Campus site - I can only conclude there will be a new gate into the park there.
If this is the case, it will help form more routes avoiding Longbridge Rd, and particularly the junction with Goodmayes Lane, which will be attractive and useful.
From memory, B&D council has already started to pepper Academy Central with restrictions on cycling, such as no entries and one ways. I need to go and audit / take photos (or find previous photos). Then I will raise this with the council.
If this is the case, it will help form more routes avoiding Longbridge Rd, and particularly the junction with Goodmayes Lane, which will be attractive and useful.
From memory, B&D council has already started to pepper Academy Central with restrictions on cycling, such as no entries and one ways. I need to go and audit / take photos (or find previous photos). Then I will raise this with the council.
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Essex churches bike ride 13 September 2014
There's a selection of photos, featuring 12 churches, and a short video taken at Moreton church while the bells were being rung, at https://picasaweb.google.com/105158567856821703505/FOEC_bikeRide_2014.
The day started off well as I travelled with bike on train via Leytonstone High Rd station, meeting a fellow rider on the platform at Leytonstone Central Line station. With my new Jobcentre Plus travel discount card, the fare from Barking to Theydon Bois was only 75p - the same back from Epping to Barking later.
I arrived outside Theydon Bois station in good time for the 9.45 start, and the rider leader suggested that I go to see Theydon Bois Church (St Mary's) and meet the others back at the station where they would wait for me, so off I set. I found the Baptist Church, but it was closed and I could see no evidence that they knew about the churches ride day; no posters, stickers or signing in sheets were obvious. An encounter of the first kind.
I saw a road sign indicating St Mary's and found its church hall, but I could not see a church, and thought I'd better head back to the station, where the others would be wondering where I was, as I thought, but when I got back they were nowhere to be seen. I had a map (without the route indicated) and a list of the churches to be visited, but self navigating can be rather tedious and slow, but most of all I came to ride with a group, so I phoned the leader who confessed he'd forgotten about me, but he directed me which way to go out of Bois and I rejoined the group at Theydon Garnon (All Saints) which was closed - an encounter of the second kind.
Theydon Mount (St Michael the Archangel), an encounter of the third kind, was open and serving tea, coffee and biscuits, in which several of us indulged. They had forgotten to bring cold drinks, but the weather wasn't hot so no-one minded. Little did we know that this would be the only offer of refreshment from churches the whole day. I helpfully poured boiling water over a tray when the polystyrene cup yielded under the pressure of water (lid not on kettle tightly).
Stapleford Tawney (St Mary) was empty when we arrived, but - from memory - had evidence that they knew the ride was happening - an encounter of the fourth kind.
The famous wooden church of St Andrew, Greensted was buzzing when we arrived, and prepared for churches bike ride visitors - an encounter of the fifth kind - whilst also preparing for a wedding. I don't think they had refreshments for riders, but that is probably understandable with the number of visitors they get.
As we approached the bridge over the Epping & Ongar Railway near what was Blake Hall Station, some of us heard a train whistle, and one said he thought he'd seen some smoke. Some of us hurtled to the bridge in the hope of seeing a steam engine, but without luck. I expect some riders wondered what all the fuss was about; they just don't understand. There was some consolation in that we saw at least two of the E&OR's splendidly restored green buses during the day- one RT and one or two RF's
Bobbingworth (St Germain) was also preparing for a wedding: We were greeted with "can I ask you not to come in?" I did manage to sign the log sheet, which was handed to me in a bundle of papers like the one I am sent as a church organiser for the Essex ride(s), including the sheet with the woman's name and address on it (so the papers can be posted), stickers, sponsor forms, return envelope, etc. I will say an encounter of the fifth kind.
There was an extraordinary thing inside the church near the door; a large wicker-edged tray full of individual packets of tissues. Next to it stood a perspex picture frame of the kind I imagine one would keep an OBE certificate in, or something momentous - thick and on its own stand. It sported an explanation for the tissues, complete with a schmaltzy verselet about tears of sorrow and tears of joy. No sick-bags that I could see.
As we hung around outside the church, two smartly dressed young men came up to us (I assume the groom and best man), said they were an hour early as they had been given the wrong time, and asked if there was a pub in the village. We informed them that the nearest pub was in Moreton, where there are in fact two (bit greedy). We jokingly discussed how we might ferry them there on the recumbent tandem that one couple in our group had, but in the end they set off on foot.
Moreton (St Mary) summoned us by bells. A "ride-and ring"team of 8, travelling by bicycle, was ringing before we arrived and nearly till we left at 2pm after our lunch stop, by which time they had adjourned to the pub. I heard they were to be ringing for the wedding at Bobbingworth. No evidence of knowledge of the churches ride(s) at this building - another fourth kind encounter.
Little Laver (St Mary) was a bit dark inside, so I flicked on the light switch just inside the north door. The lights came on for a moment, but there was a pop and a spark and they all went out. Oh. I did my duty and phoned the churchwarden, who was clearly quite keen for me try to rectify the problem and save her a trip. She directed me into a vestry, which seemed locked, but following the instruction "pull the door towards you a bit", rendered the handle moveable and got me admittance. There were two possible candidates to be the "fuse box" as the warden put it- on the wall about nine or ten feet up). One was locked, and neither looked like the RCD boards that I have dealt with, but by this time the mobile phone call had dropped out, so we abandoned Little Laver to its fate. (I did find a switch in the vestry labelled "do not switch off". There was nothing to say that I should not switch it on, so I did, and the red lamp on it sprang to life - so I knew they weren't without electricity altogether.)
Like Little Laver, High Laver (All Saints) was empty when we arrived, and had nothing to evidence that they knew the rides were happening - the fourth kind of encounter. A largish group of cyclists arrived, however. One had had a fall and was grazed. I had some wet wipes which one of his friends used to clean his cuts.
Anyway, the whisper went round that amongst these riders was the group Song Cycle. We listened to four men perform a four-part a capella piece, which transpired to be an arrangement Simon Lindley's "God is a Spirit", which suited the acoustic nicely. (Lindley is Master of Music at Leeds Parish Church - and organist of Leeds Town Hall - and, I was told, wrote the piece for full choir and organ.
Magdalene Laver (St Mary Magdelene) was empty with no sign of knowledge of the ride(s) - again the fourth kind of encounter. North Weald (St Andrew) was another encounter of the first kind. From here we had a rather daunting single file ride along the rather busy main road into Epping, where I found St John's open, but not evidencing knowledge of the rides; the fourth kind of encounter again.
Some people rode home from Epping, but many got the train, mainly alighting at Snaresbrook. I changed at Leytonstone and made a perfect connection at Leytonstone High Road.
The riders made a generous donation of £100 of which half is to be attributed to me and half to an absent octogenarian friend who until fairly recently would have joined a ride such as ours.
The day started off well as I travelled with bike on train via Leytonstone High Rd station, meeting a fellow rider on the platform at Leytonstone Central Line station. With my new Jobcentre Plus travel discount card, the fare from Barking to Theydon Bois was only 75p - the same back from Epping to Barking later.
I arrived outside Theydon Bois station in good time for the 9.45 start, and the rider leader suggested that I go to see Theydon Bois Church (St Mary's) and meet the others back at the station where they would wait for me, so off I set. I found the Baptist Church, but it was closed and I could see no evidence that they knew about the churches ride day; no posters, stickers or signing in sheets were obvious. An encounter of the first kind.
I saw a road sign indicating St Mary's and found its church hall, but I could not see a church, and thought I'd better head back to the station, where the others would be wondering where I was, as I thought, but when I got back they were nowhere to be seen. I had a map (without the route indicated) and a list of the churches to be visited, but self navigating can be rather tedious and slow, but most of all I came to ride with a group, so I phoned the leader who confessed he'd forgotten about me, but he directed me which way to go out of Bois and I rejoined the group at Theydon Garnon (All Saints) which was closed - an encounter of the second kind.
Theydon Mount (St Michael the Archangel), an encounter of the third kind, was open and serving tea, coffee and biscuits, in which several of us indulged. They had forgotten to bring cold drinks, but the weather wasn't hot so no-one minded. Little did we know that this would be the only offer of refreshment from churches the whole day. I helpfully poured boiling water over a tray when the polystyrene cup yielded under the pressure of water (lid not on kettle tightly).
Stapleford Tawney (St Mary) was empty when we arrived, but - from memory - had evidence that they knew the ride was happening - an encounter of the fourth kind.
The famous wooden church of St Andrew, Greensted was buzzing when we arrived, and prepared for churches bike ride visitors - an encounter of the fifth kind - whilst also preparing for a wedding. I don't think they had refreshments for riders, but that is probably understandable with the number of visitors they get.
As we approached the bridge over the Epping & Ongar Railway near what was Blake Hall Station, some of us heard a train whistle, and one said he thought he'd seen some smoke. Some of us hurtled to the bridge in the hope of seeing a steam engine, but without luck. I expect some riders wondered what all the fuss was about; they just don't understand. There was some consolation in that we saw at least two of the E&OR's splendidly restored green buses during the day- one RT and one or two RF's
Bobbingworth (St Germain) was also preparing for a wedding: We were greeted with "can I ask you not to come in?" I did manage to sign the log sheet, which was handed to me in a bundle of papers like the one I am sent as a church organiser for the Essex ride(s), including the sheet with the woman's name and address on it (so the papers can be posted), stickers, sponsor forms, return envelope, etc. I will say an encounter of the fifth kind.
There was an extraordinary thing inside the church near the door; a large wicker-edged tray full of individual packets of tissues. Next to it stood a perspex picture frame of the kind I imagine one would keep an OBE certificate in, or something momentous - thick and on its own stand. It sported an explanation for the tissues, complete with a schmaltzy verselet about tears of sorrow and tears of joy. No sick-bags that I could see.
As we hung around outside the church, two smartly dressed young men came up to us (I assume the groom and best man), said they were an hour early as they had been given the wrong time, and asked if there was a pub in the village. We informed them that the nearest pub was in Moreton, where there are in fact two (bit greedy). We jokingly discussed how we might ferry them there on the recumbent tandem that one couple in our group had, but in the end they set off on foot.
Moreton (St Mary) summoned us by bells. A "ride-and ring"team of 8, travelling by bicycle, was ringing before we arrived and nearly till we left at 2pm after our lunch stop, by which time they had adjourned to the pub. I heard they were to be ringing for the wedding at Bobbingworth. No evidence of knowledge of the churches ride(s) at this building - another fourth kind encounter.
Little Laver (St Mary) was a bit dark inside, so I flicked on the light switch just inside the north door. The lights came on for a moment, but there was a pop and a spark and they all went out. Oh. I did my duty and phoned the churchwarden, who was clearly quite keen for me try to rectify the problem and save her a trip. She directed me into a vestry, which seemed locked, but following the instruction "pull the door towards you a bit", rendered the handle moveable and got me admittance. There were two possible candidates to be the "fuse box" as the warden put it- on the wall about nine or ten feet up). One was locked, and neither looked like the RCD boards that I have dealt with, but by this time the mobile phone call had dropped out, so we abandoned Little Laver to its fate. (I did find a switch in the vestry labelled "do not switch off". There was nothing to say that I should not switch it on, so I did, and the red lamp on it sprang to life - so I knew they weren't without electricity altogether.)
Like Little Laver, High Laver (All Saints) was empty when we arrived, and had nothing to evidence that they knew the rides were happening - the fourth kind of encounter. A largish group of cyclists arrived, however. One had had a fall and was grazed. I had some wet wipes which one of his friends used to clean his cuts.
Anyway, the whisper went round that amongst these riders was the group Song Cycle. We listened to four men perform a four-part a capella piece, which transpired to be an arrangement Simon Lindley's "God is a Spirit", which suited the acoustic nicely. (Lindley is Master of Music at Leeds Parish Church - and organist of Leeds Town Hall - and, I was told, wrote the piece for full choir and organ.
Magdalene Laver (St Mary Magdelene) was empty with no sign of knowledge of the ride(s) - again the fourth kind of encounter. North Weald (St Andrew) was another encounter of the first kind. From here we had a rather daunting single file ride along the rather busy main road into Epping, where I found St John's open, but not evidencing knowledge of the rides; the fourth kind of encounter again.
Some people rode home from Epping, but many got the train, mainly alighting at Snaresbrook. I changed at Leytonstone and made a perfect connection at Leytonstone High Road.
The riders made a generous donation of £100 of which half is to be attributed to me and half to an absent octogenarian friend who until fairly recently would have joined a ride such as ours.
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