Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
First (GW - perhaps it's a Mark Hopwood thing) are quite open to it - there was a long series based on their services primarily in the Paddington area a couple of years ago.
GTR, well, they're GTR, aren't they?
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Inside King's Cross: CH5
- Thread starter anti-pacer
- Start date
- Status
First (GW - perhaps it's a Mark Hopwood thing) are quite open to it - there was a long series based on their services primarily in the Paddington area a couple of years ago.
GTR, well, they're GTR, aren't they?
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Of course. American shows in particular have been made for US advertising breaks, whereas we had restrictions on lengths here and often programmes made here were for the hour, but had edited versions for export.
Now it seems we solved the problem by just padding, with the 'coming up' bits and recaps, clearly for ad breaks that on the BBC don't happen and look a little out of place.
Channel 5 documentaries are FULL of this and the programme could probably fit a 30 minute slot without it.
Clearly fans of a subject want to see anything and everything that covers a topic, but I do wonder why we had many years with nothing and now it's a craze to follow people about on the railway.
The shows have to be general entertainment, so can never go into things with the depth rail fans would like, but if the whole series is just about drunks, lift jams and delays, I suspect the general public will get bored too.. and simply go back to asking for more poverty porn.
First (GW - perhaps it's a Mark Hopwood thing) are quite open to it - there was a long series based on their services primarily in the Paddington area a couple of years ago.
GTR, well, they're GTR, aren't they?
I think each TOC will look at how it reflects their 'brand'. GWR makes sense, and any Intercity operator, but imagine GTR if the filming was last year (around Christmas time) when all the problems would be down to them! Great publicity that.
I wouldn't be surprised if GTR actually refused permission to feature them, besides the odd establishing shot or in the background.
It would be perhaps more interesting for a TV documentary to find a way to actually follow a hugely busy commuter operation, like Thameslink, c2c, GA or something. It might actually educate the public that many delays are down to passengers or Network Rail, and could show the domino effect of what seem like mundane, inconsequential, delays that are anything but.
We've had this for the London Underground, but people sort of expect to stand and be squashed on the tube. Once they go above ground, they expect quiet trains with loads of seats.
Imagine if the circumstances were different, if there was a series looking at the Thameslink upgrade work, including the introduction (and ups and downs) of the new Class 700 introduction, explaining the need to change the interior design, a look at the new PIS etc.
It could still (IMO) be done in a way to interest the general public and not just rail geeks.
Perhaps going forward, a production company that might by some luck read this, could consider a future series on Greater Anglia, to look at how the company will replace every single train, introduce new timetables and services etc.
I have a funny feeling that PTI incident may be one where a late running passenger was trying to board a departed train and ended up down the side of it. If so, it was reported on here on a thread, but I can't recall when to start to look for said thread
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
TPE actively joined in the filming of this series too.
GW43125
Established Member
- Joined
- 8 Dec 2014
- Messages
- 2,049
I remember that happening, though I thought the person involved didn't make it so it was a pleasant surprise.
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
We sae the BBCs efforts with Trainspotting Live. Look how ridiculous that became. A great idea that was juat stuffed full of srereotyping innuendos!
TH172341
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2010
- Messages
- 394
Yeah the Trainspotting Live was fairly cringey at times I thought. The better BBC one was their "The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track" in 2013 - that was quite insightful into the problems experienced through operations although do feel at times it was a bit over negative in its approach. In reference to someone saying about swearing being in this C5 series in the first episode, seem to remember that having a bit at times. Personally got no problem with it; adds some realism to it all.
It wouldn't surprise me if the BBC return to Crossrail when it's up and running; they did that short series in 2012 'The Tube' with TFL's permission, and a few episodes covering the Crossrail construction. Both were excellent I thought.
Another series I thought was great was Sky's 'All Aboard East Coast Trains' in 2013; added a touch of humour and character, covered the operations and accessible to everyone. If you've got access to NOW TV online jonmorris0844 I'd recommend that one.
Personally enjoyed this C5 series so far - looking forward to the next two episodes. Their series covering FGW was very good I thought - that's still available to watch if you do a bit of googling!
It wouldn't surprise me if the BBC return to Crossrail when it's up and running; they did that short series in 2012 'The Tube' with TFL's permission, and a few episodes covering the Crossrail construction. Both were excellent I thought.
Another series I thought was great was Sky's 'All Aboard East Coast Trains' in 2013; added a touch of humour and character, covered the operations and accessible to everyone. If you've got access to NOW TV online jonmorris0844 I'd recommend that one.
Personally enjoyed this C5 series so far - looking forward to the next two episodes. Their series covering FGW was very good I thought - that's still available to watch if you do a bit of googling!
Last edited:
I recall that particular one was much hated on here due to the overuse of music.
TH172341
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2010
- Messages
- 394
Yeah I'd say that is my one criticism of it as well actually; does go overboard on the music side of things at times.
Ambient Sheep
Member
- Joined
- 28 Jul 2015
- Messages
- 111
Indeed. Must put my anorak on here and say that, as someone who spent the 1990s lovingly taping them off of BBC2 (if only I'd known about the forthcoming invention of cheap DVD box-sets!), they're in fact only about 43 minutes each, making your point even more salient.
To feature in a TV show I suppose you've got to be a 'sexy' intercity operation with long distance trains. Talking about the express train to Edinburgh sounds good on TV. Lots of fake drama about the train to Tring probably wouldn't be as interesting.
Also everyone can associate with London, which is why we've had many series about London Underground, London Buses, TFL in general, would a series about the Metrolink or Go North East have nationwide appeal?
Also everyone can associate with London, which is why we've had many series about London Underground, London Buses, TFL in general, would a series about the Metrolink or Go North East have nationwide appeal?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
There was one about EYMS buses...
On 'The Railways' show on the BBC, which I believe is from the same production company as this series, a huge variety of TOC's were featured, many small.
Didn't the episode of that series at KX also not have any features surrounding the then GN/FCC? I'm wondering if it's more of a GN management decision rather than the production company's...
Didn't the episode of that series at KX also not have any features surrounding the then GN/FCC? I'm wondering if it's more of a GN management decision rather than the production company's...
Last edited:
I remember a very good series about the Northern chaps and chapesses dealing with the booze train drunks, through the peak district ("ale trail" was it?).
Hugely depressing though.
I thought they did OK on the "Ale Trail" coverage, given the subject matter. They remind me of Terry the so-called "Law Abider" (as in "The Irony of it All" by The Streets")
The Real Ale Trail in Yorkshire. Depressing maybe, but sadly what our railstaff have to deal with on a regular basis
Surely a lify should be designed and built so its actual capacity exceeds the maximum weight that can cram into it?
just another example of the 'built to the lowest possible specification to save a few quid' so endemic in this bloody Country!
SpacePhoenix
Established Member
- Joined
- 18 Mar 2014
- Messages
- 5,492
Was watching episode 2 last night, was that a EMT power car on one of the VTEC HSTs that I saw (lead power car - clip near the end of the program)?
GW43125
Established Member
- Joined
- 8 Dec 2014
- Messages
- 2,049
Probably.
NL65 is a full set on hire to VTEC, they also have various parts of another EMT set.
Hairy Bear
Member
Full set each day plus 2 powercars to go with one of their rakes.
Leaves us with 4 spare powercars which are normally under repair leaving us no reserve...........Thanks !.
Wilts Wanderer
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2016
- Messages
- 2,488
And yet EMT keep on cheerfully hiring them out and presumably making a fair few quid on the deal... :roll:
Stampy
Member
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
That was a VTEC/EMT/Branch Line Society/125 group joint charter for Railway Children. Organised by same team that organise TPEs tracker tours and 3 peaks charter. Used gronks to drag train through Bounds Green and Craigentinny depots. Raised over £50k for Railway Children
#boundforcraigy for pix etc.
To be fair, it was never envisaged that the lifts would be used in this way. The new KX layout was specifically designed with a one-way passenger flow in mind - so that the bridge would be used for access to the platforms only. The lifts were to be used only for those who needed them, and only to go down.
But of course, not everybody was enamoured with walking from the back of a 12-car train to the front, exiting the station and coming all the way round again to get back to the side where they were headed in the first place. So people started catching the doors of these lifts as they came down and used them to go up. Eventually, NR relented, and allowed these lifts to be called from the bottom.
This is great off-peak, if you're headed to the mezzanine or out towards the canal. Peak, though, a queue quickly builds up - the lifts were only meant to carry the odd passenger down, not dozens up, so were never supposed to be that capacious or fast.
So you end up being crammed in.
Predicting passenger flow isn't an exact science, but given the mezzanine has a number of places to eat, plus quicker access to platforms 9-11*, it wasn't unreasonable to predict that some people who learn the layout of the station would seek to go the 'wrong way' to save time.
* Let's say you come in on an Intercity train and need to go north on a GN train.
* Let's say you come in on an Intercity train and need to go north on a GN train.
When the bridge was first opened, though, there were no lift call buttons on the platform level, no exit barriers on the bridge, and no entry barriers on the Euston Road side. It was only following passenger complaints that they first tried stopping the escalators (hmm, that was fun, especially on that narrow one) then unlocking the platform level call buttons. ISTR someone explaining that the passenger flow was part of the planning consent?
However, given the staircase access to the Eastern Range on platform 1, it was inevitable that passengers (awkward ones like me!) would find their way up. Thing is, the lifts were still the weak link. Again, IIRC, the size of lift, and the shaft being part of the bridge structure, were English Heritage stipulations on the building's listing.
Personally, I'm pretty impressed you can cram 8 people in one of those. It's rather up-close-and-personal with 6. Having a lift that will go when overweight a very poor show, though. Even the ones at Stevenage will buzz at you well before they're physically full. Maybe Stannah should stick to chair lifts...
It would be possible to train some of the station staff to lower a stuck lift and open the doors. This would minimise the time the passengers are trapped. The lift may need to be kept out of service until an engineer arrives.
For passenger lifts that would seem easy to prevent this- base the weight limit on the mass of people who can fit in (with an allowance for baggage).
For passenger lifts that would seem easy to prevent this- base the weight limit on the mass of people who can fit in (with an allowance for baggage).
Last edited:
I am sure the lift installer would be really happy to have a barely trained non employee mucking about with their lifts, I am also sure it wouldnt have any effect on the warranty of the lifts.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Unless the baggage is very heavy indeed or people stack their bags on top of other people's, I would guess a lift crush-loaded with people with baggage would be lighter than one crush-loaded with people without baggage. Whether they are holding bags, wearing rucksacks or put large bags on the floor, it is making floorspace unavailable for other people to occupy.
- Status