Advent Quiz - December 2022

[whole diary]

[grahame]

8th December 2022.  Yes, I expect this to be identified quite quickly 

[brooklea]

If that yellow and black tape on the floor is necessary it looks like it needs replacing. If not, removing it would make the immediate area look much more presentable. (Not that it would do much for the surrounding town )

[grahame]

If that yellow and black tape on the floor is necessary it looks like it needs replacing. If not, removing it would make the immediate area look much more presentable. (Not that it would do much for the surrounding town )

There are clear safety concerns at this station.   A recorded announcement - "When using the stairs, please use the handrail and take care" is played on a loop - a 4 second announcement that was played every 15 seconds (so 11 seconds of silence) when I was seated in the wanting area a few yards behind me when I took the picture.   I found that highly irritating to the extent of being unpleasant, and wonder if it's counterproductive at that level.  Or is there some sort of "special case" here / in this town / on this stair case?

[brooklea]

That announcement is very irritating, and sadly not restricted to this particular staircase! Elsewhere in Wiltshire I have encountered it, as well as other stations operated by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). I haven’t noticed it elsewhere on the GB^▸ (Great Britain) rail network, although I would hesitate to say with certainty that it’s not out there somewhere causing suffering to the travelling public’s ears (and mental well-being…).

But how do you roll-back a safety initiative once it’s in place? The first accident on one of these staircases after the announcements are switched-off, and the personal injury lawyers can have a field-day.

[froome]

Nobody seems to have said this is Swindon yet, so I will, the platform for trains heading west towards Bristol and Cardiff. I also get very annoyed by the automatic announcement when you go near the staircase.

[Mark A]

120 times in half an hour. In a waiting area. Given that it was continuously triggered by movement during that time, a 50 minute connection there gave me the opportunity to calculate its frequency before tuning it out.

Mark

[bobm]

Nobody seems to have said this is Swindon yet, so I will, the platform for trains heading west towards Bristol and Cardiff. I also get very annoyed by the automatic announcement when you go near the staircase.

Particularly when you are heading for the lift for platforms 1,2 and 3 as you have to walk past the foot of the stairs and so trigger the announcement.

Interesting quirk of the station is the South Swindon/North Swindon constituency boundary runs through the middle of the station.  So if you have an event on platform 4 you invite Sir Robert Buckland.  If it is on the island platform it is Justin Tomlinson.

[Clan Line]

That announcement is very irritating,

Not quite as irritating as the "doors will close 40 secs before" announcement when made at intermediate station platforms where the stop/start time is 1 minute. Why bother to open the doors at all ?

[grahame]

9th December 2022 ... where is this?  How old is the picture?

[stuving]

It's Catania Borgo, current terminus of the Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE). Presumably it was when you went for a ride on it, 31 days ago (plus a couple of hours, as it looks like early morning).

[grahame]

It's Catania Borgo, current terminus of the Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE). Presumably it was when you went for a ride on it, 31 days ago (plus a couple of hours, as it looks like early morning).

FCE is a railway of incredible contrasts along the way

[Bmblbzzz]

That announcement is very irritating,

Not quite as irritating as the "doors will close 40 secs before" announcement when made at intermediate station platforms where the stop/start time is 1 minute. Why bother to open the doors at all ?

Possibly the announcement varies slightly from place to place, but the one I've heard is "doors will close up to 40 secs before".

[grahame]

An easy one, I think? - Where is this, and what about it, 10th December 2022

[grahame]

Advent Quiz - EXTRA - for 10th December.  I have added these two pictures which are peculiarly relevant to today.

[Oxonhutch]

Coombe Junction Halt is the top picture with the trap points leading from the Moorswater branch.  Original double track formation that used to be the run-around loop with spring points at this end. Nice signals and signalbox originally.