"Open Train Times" website - detailed train times online at last!

I'm happy with the diesel helping the shunt at Carlisle, as it gives me another hour in bed in the morning. :sleep: Now I've just got to find a way to get to Euston by 7.11am, not 6-something.

Maybe we shouldn't read TOO much into the new website's timings. If something isn't there, it doesn't mean it won't happen.

Richard

 

Just imagine what it is like to be the tour operator/promoter.

 

Just because a path is in the system doesn't mean it is going to be used. Conversely, a path can be arranged using VSTP (very short term planning) at the last minute.

 

Wow. Impressive. :shocked:

 

Thank you James - information is what the customer needs if they are to be confident in their booking - an assurance that loads will be measured to Black Five capacity and that there will be no diesel assistance barring unforeseen risks on the day is useful.

XC weather is showing a clear crisp day topping out at minus one with an enormous anticyclone above us, so there should be nothing out there to cause concern then.

 

Not really sure what was wrong with James' reply: TRUST paths for charter trains are frequently changed after they've been entered into the system and being put into the system a few weeks before they actually run usually results in a few tweaks being made to the original (see Saturday's alteration to watering at Appleby vice Hellifield). Even trains that have a WTT path get altered on a daily basis.

Writing from a photographers point-of-view rather than as a passenger, I would wait until a few days before the tour runs to see the final version of the path before doing anything and not to read too much into what is posted on the internet weeks before the train even runs.

 

Actually I think this is an excellent reply from JS. Just goes to show that some informed information effectively stops speculation in its tracks and therefore avoids some of the content on here that seems to upset WCR and JS in particular.

 

Sorry, I've got to ask.. why??

Its factual, to the point and provides practical information from the coal face so to speak?

 

Nothing wrong with his reply!, he's merely stating some of you have misunderstood the ins & outs of TRUST, which to me seems to be the case

 

Imagine your sat at your desk at work...your half way through an important job for a customer.. Everything's half done.

All of a sudden your customer phones you... All irate..shouting down the phone wanting to cancel.

says he read an email on the Internet that you sent to someone.., that says your doing the opposite of what youve sold your customer..yet the email was ages ago halfway through a plan.
Now you have both a deadline and a mess to deal with, that's based on something out of date...

How do you feel ? * in L comes to mind.

Now we all know this new website is work in progress and should be treated as such.
lets be more studious and examine the train weight, line speed, section timings rather than new websites.

Otherwise wait and see what happens on Saturday.

 

Welcome to the real world - sxxt happens John - the trick is how you deal with it.

One answer is not to create a problem that then has to be solved in the first place. Coming from the IT world you shouldn't need telling that.

 

I was somewhat concerned with the way folk on here were using Open Train Times. It is a very useful resource for us enthusiasts, but as other's have said, things can and do change right up until the last minute. I'd hate to see the resource pulled because the likes of WCRC are getting hassle from people who've looked at schedules on there, without possibly knowing all the information. The simple fact is that if you're that untrusting of the operators to deliver what they say (i.e. no diesel), then don't book.

Frank, I hope you're suggesting that operators improve their relationship with their customers by making it clear what involvement a diesel will have in the working and then delivering that and not suggesting that Open Train Times should be pulled?

 

I don't think that this new website could be "pulled". If it's publicly available information which some clever web person has pulled together, then there's little that can be done about it. Not sure how the site is being financed though.

I've just spotted this disclaimer on the website:
Open Train Times

Richard

 

Indeed, the source code is even available, so you can make your own version of the site. However, if enough grief is given to the person developing it then they may stop. It's use just requires a bit of common sense with regard to its limitations.

 

We are doomed.

Whos first for the iPad app ?

 

Re: Diesel will not be on the back.

Troll, troll!

 

Re: Diesel will not be on the back.

just a little bit brusque is the term I think