Piccadilly line issues

[M***@DastardlyHQ.org]

There was a report about the trains out of service problem on the piccadilly
line caused by wheel flats due to leaf fall on BBC London last night. They
dutifully showed the flats on the wheels and lots of bods working hard shoving
bogies around with some duty management talking gravely about problems the
leaves cause.

Naturally it never crossed the dimwit reporters mind to ask what exactly
was different about this year compared to previous years and how they were
still having leave issues in mid winter , 2 months after the last leaves fell
off the trees, and why the Bakerloo doesn't seem to have having the same
problem despite having even older trains.

Was little more than face saving PR for LU with the BBC being its usual useless
self. I'm surprised they didn't just say the leaves were far right and be
done with it.

[Recliner]

Post by M***@DastardlyHQ.org
There was a report about the trains out of service problem on the piccadilly
line caused by wheel flats due to leaf fall on BBC London last night. They
dutifully showed the flats on the wheels and lots of bods working hard shoving
bogies around with some duty management talking gravely about problems the
leaves cause.
Naturally it never crossed the dimwit reporters mind to ask what exactly
was different about this year compared to previous years and how they were
still having leave issues in mid winter , 2 months after the last leaves fell
off the trees, and why the Bakerloo doesn't seem to have having the same
problem despite having even older trains.

I was affected by those problems yesterday, with the line running little
more than a skeletal service in the morning. Like you, I wondered why the
leaf fall effects were so much worse than usual this year on that line
only, and have a couple of theories m

1. Has work beings done in the depots to prepare them for the 2024 stock
reduced the facilities available for the old stock? For example, perhaps
wheel lathe time was reduced, or staff were away, being retrained or
working to get testing started on the new trains.

2. Has maintenance been cut back on the 50-year-old trains that are close
to retirement?

3. Were the RATs not used enough? It’s no secret that the western branches
of the Piccadilly line are very leafy.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/52858486956/in/album-72177720307897956

[M***@DastardlyHQ.org]

On Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:39:37 -0000 (UTC)

Post by Recliner

Post by M***@DastardlyHQ.org
Naturally it never crossed the dimwit reporters mind to ask what exactly
was different about this year compared to previous years and how they were
still having leave issues in mid winter , 2 months after the last leaves fell
off the trees, and why the Bakerloo doesn't seem to have having the same
problem despite having even older trains.

I was affected by those problems yesterday, with the line running little
more than a skeletal service in the morning. Like you, I wondered why the
leaf fall effects were so much worse than usual this year on that line
only, and have a couple of theories m
1. Has work beings done in the depots to prepare them for the 2024 stock
reduced the facilities available for the old stock? For example, perhaps
wheel lathe time was reduced, or staff were away, being retrained or
working to get testing started on the new trains.
2. Has maintenance been cut back on the 50-year-old trains that are close
to retirement?
3. Were the RATs not used enough? It’s no secret that the western branches
of the Piccadilly line are very leafy.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/52858486956/in/album-72177720307897956

Could be any of the above, or all of them.

Regarding the depot works - I was at cockfosters this week and in the approx
month since I was last there the only progress I could see was some more
orange fencing and a few more piles of mud. No new track laid, no evidence of
any new electrical cabling or anything that would indicate an upgrade. Lots
of people standing around in hi-vis however. God knows what they're doing.

[Recliner]

Post by M***@DastardlyHQ.org
On Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:39:37 -0000 (UTC)

Post by Recliner

Post by M***@DastardlyHQ.org
Naturally it never crossed the dimwit reporters mind to ask what exactly
was different about this year compared to previous years and how they were
still having leave issues in mid winter , 2 months after the last leaves fell
off the trees, and why the Bakerloo doesn't seem to have having the same
problem despite having even older trains.

I was affected by those problems yesterday, with the line running little
more than a skeletal service in the morning. Like you, I wondered why the
leaf fall effects were so much worse than usual this year on that line
only, and have a couple of theories m
1. Has work beings done in the depots to prepare them for the 2024 stock
reduced the facilities available for the old stock? For example, perhaps
wheel lathe time was reduced, or staff were away, being retrained or
working to get testing started on the new trains.
2. Has maintenance been cut back on the 50-year-old trains that are close
to retirement?
3. Were the RATs not used enough? It’s no secret that the western branches
of the Piccadilly line are very leafy.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/52858486956/in/album-72177720307897956

Could be any of the above, or all of them.
Regarding the depot works - I was at cockfosters this week and in the approx
month since I was last there the only progress I could see was some more
orange fencing and a few more piles of mud. No new track laid, no evidence of
any new electrical cabling or anything that would indicate an upgrade. Lots
of people standing around in hi-vis however. God knows what they're doing.

I thought they were effectively building a new maintenance shed on the old
sidings, and will subsequently convert the old maintenance shed to sidings.

[M***@DastardlyHQ.org]

On Fri, 17 Jan 2025 11:20:19 -0000 (UTC)

Post by Recliner

Post by M***@DastardlyHQ.org
On Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:39:37 -0000 (UTC)
Regarding the depot works - I was at cockfosters this week and in the approx
month since I was last there the only progress I could see was some more
orange fencing and a few more piles of mud. No new track laid, no evidence of
any new electrical cabling or anything that would indicate an upgrade. Lots
of people standing around in hi-vis however. God knows what they're doing.

I thought they were effectively building a new maintenance shed on the old
sidings, and will subsequently convert the old maintenance shed to sidings.

Could be, no idea. Whatever they're doing they're clearly not in a hurry.
They started these works about 6 months ago and so far all they have to
show for it is a cut down wood, some lifted track and mud piles.