Tunnel Cleaning Train - London Underground -

How does London Underground clean the underground.

[@rachelcarre9468]

You can tell it’s the late 80s, early 90s the way the cameraman follows the young woman with the nice legs.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

I noticed that as well, I bet he forgot what he was supposed to be filming for a minute.

[@HELL-BENT74]

Within a second it is possible to tell that this film was made back in the 80’s by the poor image quality, one notices the poor image quality before the camera-man follows the woman.

[@Fedderchini]

@@HELL-BENT74Yes Onslow …

[@tomkent4656]

@rachelcarre9468 In those days it was allowed!

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

@ yes lots of things have changed now

[@MrOmwm]

I was a driver at Golders Green. When the works for the 1995 stock were being undertaken, the tunnel cleaning train was brought out to clean the tunnels to make the environment a little better for the works and effects of the new stock. Would often see the TCT at Edgware being emptied.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

I don’t think I would like the job of emptying it.

[@xxfyrezgamerxx6279]

​​@@kingwolfgaming4774 i couldn't imagine how dirty those filters would be

[@louismessere6379]

I don't understand why they didn't automate the emptying process. You wouldn't even need to change the cloth filters that often as they use compressed air to pulse blow down each filter at the same time, it's kinda cool to see it happen but the micro span time that it cleans out the sock really doesn't stop vacuum. It's quite effective really. And as far as the dust use a screw feeder to remove it to waiting dust hoppers. And large debris can use automated controls to dump in trash hoppers. Um I don't think they pay 50 people to clean the rail areas either, it would be phenomenally cheaper to convert older cars to do this process than to scrap them. But the actual collection car really wouldn't need replaced as long as it's kept out of the weather, only the driver car. Ok wait why did it need 5 cars again? Vac car, storage car, and driver car. Why did it need 2 more cars? And why did it take 6 weeks to vacuum that section of rail? The vacuum should have been on pivot joints to get closer to the surface with a semi soft brush to rub the sides, roof, and tracks with the air jet nozzles right in front of the vac hoses. There is so much you can do to improve this system. You wouldn't even need a human to run the thing, set it up to run between two set points and return to the dump location to be emptied.

[@louismessere6379]

You would need to check the cloth socks at least every 6 months for failure though, depending on what was sucked up. But with the amount of rails in England I'm not sure of the replacement timeframe for the vac socks if only one train is doing all the cleaning.

[@billclarke5109]

How does the cleaning unit move from say the Northern to the Bakerloo line etc etc?

[@loverofgod6176]

I imagine that with regenerative motors increasingly being used, meaning less reduction of speed through braking, dust no longer accumulates as quickly.

[@wilsjane]

You are absolutely correct. It reduces the mechanical braking by around 85% It stops working at around 4,mph. To work, it returns current at around 900 volts, As the track reduces this to 720, the braking force applies. However, if there is no traffic to absorb the current, as the track voltage rises, the braking effect is lost. Then the mechanical brake does all the work. Improving the network is constantly reducing the mechanical braking, but is a complex process. The biggest problem is that old and new stock cannot be mixed within a sector, since if it is stationary and becomes subjected to a voltage increase, breakers will drop out.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Great invention regenerative braking motors

[@SandBoxJohn]

You are forgetting that wheel and rail wear is also a dust source. Arching between the contact rails and shoes also produces dust.

[@loverofgod6176]

@SandBoxJohn Sure. I was just focusing more on the braking side of things, but good point.

[@Pesmog]

There is another video on KZbin from a year ago by the BBC that shows that TFL have returned to cleaning the tunnels by hand at night. Hair, skin flakes and metal oxide from the wheels and track are the main types of debris that they are sweeping up. Apparently more than a tonne every night is removed.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

I don’t fancy that job. By hand?

[@johncourtneidge]

The workers were, I recall, called 'Fluffers'. What heroic work! Poorly paid perhap?

[@georgechickful]

​​@@johncourtneidgethere should be a few old documentaries about fluffers on YT. 'heart of the angel??' Shouldn't be too badly paid, for a cleaning job. You need various 'tickets' to be allowed near underground tracks, at any time. Used to be 'track accustomed' 'track competency' in my day (-30 years). As you can't just walk in off the streets, it bumps the wages up.

[@petervankooij5770]

@@kingwolfgaming4774 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYvGaHd_dr5kpM0

[@pow1983]

​@@johncourtneidge no, they will be unionised they will be paid well and have plenty of breaks

[@pow1983]

They really went to town with the transitions in the second half lol

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Yes 👍 your not wrong

[@keith6400]

I saw a video on the same issue a few years back on You Tube where the guy on the tricycle was featured more prominently and the girls that did the cleaning were referred to as de-fluffers. They had to change into/out of work clothes on the platform.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

I think I have that film somewhere, must of been back breaking work, then there’s the dust.

[@ThomasMcIlroy-h1h]

The LT tube train does look amazing and interesting and one thing I would say it like a giant hovers and getting rid of the dust like a giant house hold hover

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Yes but I wouldn’t want to empty it

[@Doggonewest]

oh sorry i forgot we were supposed to be commenting on a tunnel cleaning train!!

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

I needed to know why they couldn’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for most of the mainline Trains so that they could extend the unused abandoned underground train stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock which will include the class 507, class 508, class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign all of them into an overhead wire line trains and also make most of them into Five carriages per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Cummins M11, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXCT, Gardner 6LXB, Scania N112, Gardner LG1200 and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 6 Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 10 Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 507, class 508, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into 11 carriages per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers? A Stock Train and 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it even much more Larger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Railway tunnel into a High-Speed Railway lines? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Railway line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. Then put the modernised 11 carriages per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised Waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 carriages per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 47 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project if that will be OK for London Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from the Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden more Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly Line and also build brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street can they also make another brand new underground train station in Chingford and could they extend the Piccadilly Line and the DLR right up to Chingford? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 114, 105, and 117, will be replaced by all of the Cummins M11, Gardner 6LXCT, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Scania N112, Gardner LG1200 and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1963 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and can they order Every 46 Octagon and Every 88 Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.14 and unique small no.13 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 147MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 147MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units, can they use those Deltic class 46’s Deltic class 44’s, Deltic class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!!!!!!!!, oh can you make all of those 18 Tonne Boxes of Coal for all of those 147MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!!!!!!!!!! So please make sure that the Builders can do as they are told!!!!!!!! And PLEASE do something about these very very important Professional ideas Please? Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Germany, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Wow!! Great ideas 👍 interesting, thank you for taking the time to comment

[@125brat]

I think you need to get out more 🥱

[@adammars1438]

I wonder if they still use an underground cleaning train nowadays

[@BaileyChap]

I don't think they do

[@adammars1438]

@@BaileyChap thats unfortunate. they had an interesting concept too

[@rowland5951]

They clean the tunnel manually nowadays

[@crossleydd42]

@@rowland5951 The video's about a tunnel-cleaning train, not the cleaning of the trains themselves.

[@HELL-BENT74]

No, they use a Dyson these days 🙄

[@Bobrogers99]

I wish that Boston, MA had such a train.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

What do you have in Boston?

[@matthewbrown3420]

It looks like a 1938 stock train painted yellow

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

They were 38 stock

[@matthewbrown3420]

@kingwolfgaming4774 I thought so. They could have kept a few 59s a d 62s too to do the same. Trains not as old.

[@leonardbreach3431]

no, it was scrapped a good 10 years ago.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Shame it could not be saved. But then you can’t save everything

[@MartinPiper6502]

Probably not used since 1994

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Someone said that it had been scraped?

[@mostlyinterested1016]

This has to be 70s since they were then starting to push the metric system (kilometers). I don't know anyone in the UK that refers to Kilometers for distance.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

You think it was that old? Did the metric system start in 1971? I’m not sure just asking. 👍

[@mostlyinterested1016]

@@kingwolfgaming4774 I think 1971 was the magic year for switching to a decimal currency and then the kinda/sorta adoption of the metric system. Gasoline and diesel pumps have, I believe, gone to measuring in litres but most road signs are still in "miles" and most people still talk in pounds and ounces. I emigrated in the early 90s so I can't tell you much beyond that other than what I glean in conversations.

[@markylon]

@@mostlyinterested1016 We refer to speed on roads in MPH, Height on Bridges in Feet and Inches *but shows metric too* all weights and measures in shops legally have to be metric EXCEPT for MILK AND BEER which can be sold in pints. People refer to their height in Feet and Inches and weight in Stones and Pounds (14 pounds is one stone) But day to day measuring is metric. We use degree Celsius for temperature and most people use the 24 hour clock. When we cook we use metric as in ml and litres and Grammes for weight. It's illegal for a shop to use-non metric weights and measures. I think most people of a certain age know their weight in both KGs and their height in metres but know the imperial versions. I think most British can flick between the systems quite easily. I remember a joke when we switched to metric in shops "A man says can I have a pound of potatoes please" the shopkeeper says we it's KILOS now. So the man says "Can I have a pound of Kilos please".

[@mostlyinterested1016]

@@markylon The funny thing, going way back, is that it's so darned easy to multiply and divide in bases of ten and yet we all resisted it when it first started. Go figure.

[@dkbmaestrorules]

The entire engineering world, including railway engineers, now use metric. New railways (at least, on the main line network - not sure what they do on the Underground) do still get mileposts as location markers, but the design and construction is done entirely in metric.

[@peterbollox6928]

The main reason was apart from the trash the brakes are still made of asbestos

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

I’ve always wondered about the brake dust. Are they still asbestos based?

[@lwilton]

@@kingwolfgaming4774 Automobile and truck brake pads haven't contained asbestos for something like 50 or 60 years now. I can't imagine that train brake pads would be any different. Aside from legality, who would still want to maintain the equipment and materials to make a few specialized brake pads a year?

[@randomoldbloke]

Train brakes are cast iron that is one of the reasons they squeak. Cast is much softer than the wheels

[@deathpod1975]

In a nutshell some dudes got an old train and turned it into a hoover.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Correct an old 38 stock

[@deathpod1975]

@@kingwolfgaming4774 Used to love riding them on the IOW during holidays. Lots of bouncing around.

[@simontaylor2319]

Obviously pressure washing is out....well I hope not!

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Why not you could turn the traction current off. 😆

[@lwilton]

@@kingwolfgaming4774 Way too much electrical infrastructure like insulators and signaling and switchgear that was not designed to be protected from rain and would be quickly destroyed. There is also ancient power cabling near 100 years old, and its ability to withstand water mixed with conductive mud would be highly questionable after all this time.

[@admiralbenbow5083]

So what about the roof and the tracks ?

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Yes I don’t know then? But apparently the tunnels are all cleaned by hand again?

[@pow1983]

This is a 2012 document which outlined the problems of the old cleaning train and proposed a new design of cleaning train. What i don't know is whether it came to reality. cleanair.london/app/uploads/CAL-226-Tunnel-cleaning-train_FOI-EIR-July-2012.pdf

[@fatwalletboy2]

Interesting video. No zone for the tunnel roof so looks like thats not cleaned. The 3/4 ton of muck shovelled out looks grim to think theres skin in there too......

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Even after cleaning I bet it looks the same.

[@FerdoFulgosi]

So does this thing still exist?

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Apparently not!

[@rowland5951]

Scrapped in 2012

[@tomkent4656]

How old is this video?

[@ConfidentialMeerkat]

1:15 says occupational exposure limits 1992, so at least 31 32 years

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

1992

[@musiqtee]

I was 26 in ‘92, and saw this contraption on a siding at some point. The train was stitched together in ‘76 from 38-stock, scrapped in 2012 (source LU). Ok, we’re all museum pieces now. Good thing to share this, for the same reason. The camerama… operator getting distracted by eh… a particular member of the general public, is also museal. (No wonder I never got anything useful done in London back then…😅)

[@MistressValkress]

When was the last time this was used? I have to wash my hair EVERY time I travel on the tube!!! It's disgusting! Why is there only one on these trains? Every different line should have it's own cleaning train! Crickey!!!! This is made of 1938 Bakerloo line Driving cars!!! Almost 90 years old now... is there a newer version of this train or is LU still using the same unit?

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

Apparently this train has been scrapped, and the cleaning is done by hand using backpack hoovers, so I’ve been told.

[@MistressValkress]

@@kingwolfgaming4774 Dust pan and brush then yet again! Sighs!!! 1 step forward - 3 steps backward as per usual!

[@pow1983]

​@@MistressValkress www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/tfl-tunnel-cleaning-train-1

[@johnjephcote7636]

I expect a well-known proprietary model company will produce one now (for mega bucks) just as they do for one-off locos that no one could ever expect to look right on their branch line.

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

I think you might be right! 👍

[@johncourtneidge]

These videos are rubbish (no pun intended) since they never showed 'before' and 'after' shots. Then we could judge the"92% efficincy" claim . . .

[@kingwolfgaming4774]

You probably wouldn’t see any difference. An ex LU driver I know said a drunk man fell on the tracks one night and survived, he climbed up on to the platform absolutely covered in black dust