The Island Gardens Accident: What Really Happened

So just how did a train end up hanging off the end of a viaduct in Millwall in 1987? Time for a closer look.

[DigitalDiabloUK]

As someone involved in the IT industry for 25years, I’ve learned that if you invent a foolproof system, a better fool will be along shortly.

[roblyndon]

If I miss anything about London life, it's the Driving the DLR game. The art is to combine nonchalance and apparent disinterest with extreme aggression and ruthlessness.

[MrGreatplum]

This is the best “apology” video I’ve seen on YouTube! This is excellent technical geekiness we all need and want!

[YellowPinkie]

This is why you test. This is where you learn the most.

[EtwasMartin]

And here is why you are a great youtuber: you are willing to correct yourself if the new information comes from a valid source. Great job on claryfing this.

[LewisCollard]

As someone whose day job is in software...as soon as you said the word "asynchronous" I immediately thought "oh no, it's going to be a race condition or timing bug isn't it?" and I wasn't far off. Awesome video my man. Always love your microhistories but this might be your best yet!

[ssbohio]

A word in your shell-like: Be aware that "lighthouse keeping" is an entirely different job from "light housekeeping."

I almost became a light housekeeper through that mistake.

[davidbull]

I bet the DLR's mother called it by its full name that night when it got home...

[sandwich]

Big respect to Jim for coming forward and lending you his expertise on the subject. It really is wonderful that your audience has within it, some very experienced people in the subjects that you will sometimes cover.
I have to commend you for making this video. I know a lot of other people wouldn't have done the same thing. It's really interesting to see what really happened with it

All very well done

[SecretSquirrelFun]

Very appropriately described as a “loophole” given the 3 computers and their individual one second loops!!

[MatthewJohnCrittenden]

As a software engineer of many years I can see exactly how this happens, great explanation. This would all be virtually modelled these days, a bit extreme to test an edge case in the real world though!

[chuckboyle]

Very interesting episode, nicely done...thanks Jago. You have given us a new phrase for the lexicon...”latency in message processing”. I will be using it the next time my wife instructs me to Hoover the flat before supper!

[jpr]

Very interesting story. As computer programmer myself its nice to know that they did such thorough testing. It's actually worrying when you test and nothing goes wrong, you start wondering what you missed. :)
I don't even live in London, but I love your videos

[Outfrost]

As a software engineer, I really appreciate the technical explanation. It's always series of small details like these, lining up to create scenarios noone might've thought of. Whenever I find one of them in something I'm working on, and figure out what caused it, I feel a great sense of satisfaction, and I reckon I'm not alone in that :) We've just destroyed a testing database, or the undercarriage of a DLR unit, sure, but we get to fix it before going live, and have just saved ourselves a humongous headache later on.

[RogueWJL]

I can confirm I have never stood on any DLR station desperate to gain the front seats if the opportunity arises, on a train.

I can confirm I have never shoved past some old dear in a desperate attempt to get said seats nor sat the rest of the journey fearful of turning around and seeing a sea of disapproving faces.

Great video

[MsGrandunion]

Thank you for not being a lighthouse keeper.
Expat Londoner here, (who can no longer stand casually at Bank and then shove my way to the front), your videos are a wonderful solution to homesickness!

[shrikelet]

This was a really interesting episode. It raises— in my mind at least— interesting moral questions of the interface between engineering and bureaucracy. Kudos to Jim for bringing it to light, and kudos to Jago for having the intestinal fortitude to break policy in order to get this story out there.

[ManlykefreshINC]

You are the man. I wish a lot more YouTubers were more like you
To make it even more interesting you added humour and wit to this video 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[slim]

Thanks for including the technical information. As a programmer it's very clear.

[yabbaso]

I'll be sharing this with my A-Level Comp Sci classes :) this is brilliant Jago!