Why didnt it stop?!?

[whole diary]

[SDS]

I was travelling back from London today and firstly was most surprised that the 19.48 was running but decided to go for it since it was running on a bank holiday and since it's so fast to Maidenhead .. As I came out of the underground entrance shortly after 19.30 it was already on the board and I could have sworn it said platform 1 but I honestly can't say one way or the other if that is true.

Having then done a bit of shopping and got a coffee I took another look (having read this post I knew it was a good idea) and indeed it was then platform 9..

So either a 9 looks like a 1 from a distance to me (I do need to get my eyes tested however), or I just assumed it would say 1 and read it as such, or the platform changed...

Think it was a platform change based on realtimetrains having it as a red 9 and tomorrows being platform 1. Good thing you did check!

[IndustryInsider]

Indeed, you need to consider lost time from the start of (defensive) braking, through the station stop, until the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))/Adelante is back up to 125mph running. And then compare that time to full 125mph running through the station non-stop. This difference could easily be 8minutes-ish

Yes, I did consider the braking curve and acceleration curve and based it on a two minute station stop - which I would say is about average for a HST at Maidenhead/Slough in the peaks if there is no 'silly' additional time.  So that gives three minutes in my calculation lost by acceleration/braking.  I think that's probably about right, certainly if it is more it would only be a little more - once a HST gets towards three figures in speed it is only a matter of seconds lost if it's heading for 125mph than a train already at that speed.  Certainly, I think eight minutes, under normal running conditions, is very excessive, unless you're taking into account the time that a following non-stop train would need to be behind not to have to slow down.

[TonyK]

In the shuffling madess
of the locomotive breath,
runs the all-time loser,
headlong to his death.
He feels the piston scraping
steam breaking on his brow
old Charlie stole the handle and
the train it won't stop going
no way to slow down.

He sees his children jumping off
at the stations - one by one.
His woman and his best friend
in bed and having fun.
He's crawling down the corridor
on his hands and knees
old Charlie stole the handle and
the train it won't stop going
no way to slow down.

He hears the silence howling
catches angels as they fall.
And the all-time winner
has got him by the balls.
He picks up Gideons Bible
open at page one
old Charlie stole the handle and
the train it won't stop going
no way to slow down.

You can see a video of the man whose mother Muriel Anderson got me my initial civil service job here. I am unsure as to whether or not I am grateful, but Charlie has much to answer for.

Ian Anderson, by way of "Life's a Long Song", inspired me to learn to play the flute