Are you stopping at Culham?

[Paul Kelly]

I've been passing through Didcot Parkway station a few times over the past week or so and I noticed at the Oxford end of platform 3 there is a large poster (in a display case, just like the normal marketing/publicity posters) headed "Operational Notice for First Great Western Drivers" and underneath "Are you stopping at Culham?", with "Culham?" in very large letters across the middle of the poster and in a different colour.

What is this for? Have train drivers been forgetting to stop at Culham?! Or is it some kind of code?

 

[Ivo]

I found this back in January and made a point of using it as a game in Guess the Station. Some time later, the following surfaced, explaining the sign:

http://railwayeye.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/pointless-signs-didcot-parkway.html

 

[Paul Kelly]

Ah so maybe it has been changed to make it clearer what the purpose is? That original version looks very mysterious indeed.

 

[transmanche]

What is this for? Have train drivers been forgetting to stop at Culham?!

There's a similar one at Bache (and presumably at Hooton too) prompting drivers to check if they are stopping at Capenhurst. In that case, only alternate trains stop at Capenhurst... so it does exactly what it says on the tin... reminds drivers to check if they're due to stop at Capenhurst or not. The driver wouldn't want to miss a booked stop - and neither would they want to stop if not booked to.

I guess it's something similar at Culham.

 

[IanXC]

I've been passing through Didcot Parkway station a few times over the past week or so and I noticed at the Oxford end of platform 3 there is a large poster (in a display case, just like the normal marketing/publicity posters) headed "Operational Notice for First Great Western Drivers" and underneath "Are you stopping at Culham?", with "Culham?" in very large letters across the middle of the poster and in a different colour.

What is this for? Have train drivers been forgetting to stop at Culham?! Or is it some kind of code?

I don't know anything specific about this location, but there's been other examples of this kind of poster. Seems its to remind the driver to think about whether their service stops at the station mentioned. Its usually a station where most services don't stop, as that can get drivers into a pattern of not stopping.

 

[Paul Kelly]

What struck me as odd was the way it looks like a normal publicity poster in a display case, rather than some kind of official sign.

 

[IanXC]

What struck me as odd was the way it looks like a normal publicity poster in a display case, rather than some kind of official sign.

I guess its quick, if there's a board already there, or if one can be put up, and cheap poster just has to be printed rather than ordering one from a sign maker.

 

[Railsigns]

There are reminder signs (proper signs, not posters) for Romford station at Stratford and Shenfield and for Treforest Estate station at Treforest and Taffs Well.

http://www.railsigns.co.uk/sect8page5/sect8page5.html

 

[Mutant Lemming]

What about Appleford ?

 

[ATW Alex 101]

there is one at hooton about capenhurst

 

[W-on-Sea]

Nope, there's not one for Appleford, even if not that many trains stop there either. I think there is also a "Culham?" poster at Radley, so presumably for some reason it is a particularly easy station to forget

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[VTPreston_Tez]

There's none for Salwick nor Layton either.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

There's none for Salwick nor Layton either.

Layton shouldn't need one with being an hourly service.

As for Salwick, maybe it is because the timetable, though sporadic, is easier to remember; or there has been a lot less incidents of a similar nature involving Northern staff.

 

[Captain Chaos]

It is an initiative designed to stop Fail To Calls at Culham after a spate of them. The driver's Diagrams have also been ammended with Culham also in enlarged letters on the schedule cards.

It has been running for a few months now and has been considered a success so other stations have been included on certain diagrams with unusual stopping patterns (such as first stop Maidenhead out of Padd on weekday commuter services). Although with stops such as Maidenhead, the diagrams have been altered but no signs have been erected.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Nope, there's not one for Appleford, even if not that many trains stop there either. I think there is also a "Culham?" poster at Radley, so presumably for some reason it is a particularly easy station to forget

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You'd think with Appleford being the next stop out of Didcot you'd have a reminder for it..... or have the FGW publicity people forgotten about it as well ?
Used to be a nice little pub near to Appleford but I think it closed down a few years back. Hardly surprising if the few trains booked to call there neglected to do so.

 

[LexyBoy]

What about Appleford ?

Culham has a more sporadic service as it only really serves the science park and a bit of commuter traffic. There's no Sunday service and limited service during midday and evening, so it would be easy to forget about it I imagine.

I think there are Culham services which don't call Appleford too.

 

[OliverS]

Many years ago, when I was doing postgraduate work at JET, I used to get off at Culham. It was quite well used as a station by staff for both Culham Labs & JET.

We did once get a fail to stop (shortly after a timetable change which gave Culham an extra morning train from Oxford), got off at Didcot and went to the booking office. This was just prior to privatisation and since they were essentially split they disclaimed any ability to do anything as Didcot was an intercity station and it was a NSE problem. There were about a dozen of us wandering around on Didcot station when an Oxford turbo pulled in that was Radley & Oxford. So I had a word with the driver and he agreed to drop us off at Culham. The guard did come by, but since he was the same gentleman as we had on the up service that failed to stop he was happy enough to let us off as well (once he checked the timetable).

 

[D1009]

Many years ago, when I was doing postgraduate work at JET, I used to get off at Culham. It was quite well used as a station by staff for both Culham Labs & JET.

We did once get a fail to stop (shortly after a timetable change which gave Culham an extra morning train from Oxford), got off at Didcot and went to the booking office. This was just prior to privatisation and since they were essentially split they disclaimed any ability to do anything as Didcot was an intercity station and it was a NSE problem. There were about a dozen of us wandering around on Didcot station when an Oxford turbo pulled in that was Radley & Oxford. So I had a word with the driver and he agreed to drop us off at Culham. The guard did come by, but since he was the same gentleman as we had on the up service that failed to stop he was happy enough to let us off as well (once he checked the timetable).

Just shows railway fragmentation predates privatisation.

 

[DarloRich]

I've been passing through Didcot Parkway station a few times over the past week or so and I noticed at the Oxford end of platform 3 there is a large poster (in a display case, just like the normal marketing/publicity posters) headed "Operational Notice for First Great Western Drivers" and underneath "Are you stopping at Culham?", with "Culham?" in very large letters across the middle of the poster and in a different colour.

What is this for? Have train drivers been forgetting to stop at Culham?! Or is it some kind of code?

An Aide-mémoire surely?

 

[OliverS]

Just shows railway fragmentation predates privatisation.

Yes, but only just in this case. It was one of two occasions where a driver kindly put an extra stop in for me. I have no idea whether he cleared it with anyone but I would hope so.

 

[phil beard]

They are certainly a good idea. I remember passing through Linlithgow in 1986 when we should have been getting off. The driver in his 47/7 stopped, had a word with the signal centre and backed up to the station.