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Post by snoggle on Jan 13, 2014 17:45:28 GMT
TfL have announced today that the lifts at Covent Garden station are going to be replaced in two 8-9 month periods in 2014 and 2015. One aspect of the plan that intrigues me somewhat is the 25% increase in capacity. I can understand the faster transit / cycle time helping to raise capacity. I'm pondering just how much bigger the actual lift cars can be. Would I be right in assuming that it is only the width of the car that can be increased? The project scope apparently includes replacement of the steelwork in the shafts so I guess that's how they'll facilitate that. I assume it may be possible, with modern materials to make the car walls thinner thus increasing internal space. Anyone know any more? Let's hope they can keep to the project timescales. I recall the tortuous duration of the work when they were last replaced. It was a nightmare using the station but it was a lot quieter back then. One final comment - I guess this investment probably means any significant capacity expansion (rebuilding) at Covent Garden is now a long way away?
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Post by John Tuthill on Jan 13, 2014 18:03:11 GMT
TfL have announced today that the lifts at Covent Garden station are going to be replaced in two 8-9 month periods in 2014 and 2015. One aspect of the plan that intrigues me somewhat is the 25% increase in capacity. I can understand the faster transit / cycle time helping to raise capacity. I'm pondering just how much bigger the actual lift cars can be. Would I be right in assuming that it is only the width of the car that can be increased? The project scope apparently includes replacement of the steelwork in the shafts so I guess that's how they'll facilitate that. I assume it may be possible, with modern materials to make the car walls thinner thus increasing internal space. Anyone know any more? Let's hope they can keep to the project timescales. I recall the tortuous duration of the work when they were last replaced. It was a nightmare using the station but it was a lot quieter back then. One final comment - I guess this investment probably means any significant capacity expansion (rebuilding) at Covent Garden is now a long way away? If the shafts can't be widened, they may consider double decker lifts?
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Post by southfieldschris on Jan 13, 2014 18:53:36 GMT
I have no idea how much scope for making the cars at Covent Garden bigger there really is, but having worked on a lift replacement project elsewhere, my guess would be that the increased capacity is going to come mainly from the second of the two stated reasons, i.e. faster running speeds.
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Post by Alight on Jan 13, 2014 20:19:40 GMT
The article says that the current lifts were installed 'around 25 years ago', which sounds about right. Quite a short lift span compared with their predecessors, which could last 80+ years. Still, I suppose Covent Garden is so intensively used, it's justified. Russell Square must be next on the list though as they're practically the same in terms of design, manufacturer and indeed the antiquated voice announcer!
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Post by crusty54 on Jan 13, 2014 20:22:33 GMT
Just after the existing lifts had been installed Otis informed a meeting that they could run faster with a simple low cost modification.
Great timing.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2014 20:53:41 GMT
The article says that the current lifts were installed 'around 25 years ago', which sounds about right. Quite a short lift span compared with their predecessors, which could last 80+ years. Still, I suppose Covent Garden is so intensively used, it's justified. Russell Square must be next on the list though as they're practically the same in terms of design, manufacturer and indeed the antiquated voice announcer! Russell square's lifts are being worked on now
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Post by superteacher on Jan 13, 2014 21:01:50 GMT
The lifts at Covent Garden have taken a real pounding over the past few years. Hard to believe that a few years ago, it was one of the quietest stations on the line and, to my knowledge, was closed on Sundays.
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Post by railtechnician on Jan 13, 2014 22:28:34 GMT
It's many years since I last had anything to do with lifts, I installed the lift telephone systems in some of the early 1980s lift refurbishments. My recollection is that modern lifts then were usually smaller in size than the original installations and the shafts were simply fitted out to accommodate the smaller cars, thus installing bigger cars for current refurbishment projects is probably not an issue other than reframing the shaft appropriately.
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Post by rheostar on Jan 14, 2014 8:26:14 GMT
The lifts at Covent Garden have taken a real pounding over the past few years. Hard to believe that a few years ago, it was one of the quietest stations on the line and, to my knowledge, was closed on Sundays. You're correct, we never used to stop there on Sundays. Back in the early 80's there was talk of Covent Garden closing altogether. How times have changed!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 10:16:11 GMT
Maybe the new lifts will be based on the Tardis ! LOL
XF
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Post by PGtrips on Jan 14, 2014 15:18:06 GMT
My recollection is that modern lifts then were usually smaller in size than the original installations and the shafts were simply fitted out to accommodate the smaller cars, thus installing bigger cars for current refurbishment projects is probably not an issue other than reframing the shaft appropriately. Remember that the original lifts installed on all the Yerkes tubes were trapezoid in shape, because the shafts are circular in section. They were installed two to a shaft as an opposite-handed pair. I guess all the lift cars for all three lines were ordered at roughly the same time, making a worwhile run of this unusual shape. With ad hoc replacement over the years, it might possibly have been cheaper to have an 'off the shelf' rectangular shaped lift car?
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Post by sawb on Jan 14, 2014 16:12:57 GMT
Presumably when these works are happening, Covent Garden will need to operate as exit only like last time?
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Post by John Tuthill on Jan 14, 2014 16:34:50 GMT
Presumably when these works are happening, Covent Garden will need to operate as exit only like last time? As CC to Leicester Square is the shortest distance on the tube, should take too long to walk there.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 20:28:02 GMT
The lifts at Edgware Road (Bakerloo Line) were also installed around the same time as this 1989/1990 batch, and they were just replaced again. The Gloucester Road (Piccadilly Line) ones were also from the same batch of lift installations around 1989/1990.
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Post by Alight on Jan 14, 2014 23:11:39 GMT
Thanks for clarifying the dates, kkc35348.
My bad!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 23:14:47 GMT
First Embankment, now Covent Garden... one-by-one TfL is shutting all my frequent stations...
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Post by DWS on Jan 14, 2014 23:25:08 GMT
First Embankment, now Covent Garden... one-by-one TfL is shutting all my frequent stations... Embankment is not shut is only the Bakerloo & Northern Lines not stopping.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 0:10:15 GMT
I know, but I use Bakerloo...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 11:52:17 GMT
AS a result of the lift replacement works, the station is exit only as well as on weekends, the westbound trains don't stop. Why can't they close off the Eastbound platform instead?
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Post by Chris M on Jul 11, 2014 14:37:38 GMT
I imagine that because of the locations of the next stations - Leicester Square is closer than Holborn and a simpler walk at street level. More people will get off one stop late after not listening and finding their station closed than will get off one stop early.
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Post by wimblephil on Jul 11, 2014 14:45:31 GMT
I would agree if one has to close, the Westbound is the better choice. What does closing one Platform actually achieve anyway? Is it literally just to reduce the number of people that can arrive to the station?
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Post by Alight on Jul 11, 2014 19:45:46 GMT
That's right - it would essentially halve the amount of passengers using the station.
The advantage I notice with having 'exit only', however, is that at least there's a quicker turn around when the lifts reach ticket hall level as customers can use both sets of doors... this wouldn't be possible under close one platform alternative as you'd require one set of doors for entering and one set of doors for exiting.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 20:04:26 GMT
Fair enough.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 20:05:17 GMT
Currently at the moment (11/7/2014) 21:05, Caledonian Road station CLOSED due to the lifts not working.
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Post by Tomcakes on Jul 11, 2014 20:32:43 GMT
Currently at the moment (11/7/2014) 21:05, Caledonian Road station CLOSED due to the lifts not working. It has closed several times recently. I presume that this is the problem with only two lifts - if one's out of service for whatever reason (perhaps scheduled maintenance) and the other goes, you're stuffed.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 20:38:30 GMT
Currently at the moment (11/7/2014) 21:05, Caledonian Road station CLOSED due to the lifts not working. It has closed several times recently. I presume that this is the problem with only two lifts - if one's out of service for whatever reason (perhaps scheduled maintenance) and the other goes, you're stuffed. Seems very plausible. As a quasi-regular sufferer of Russell Sq. I've observed this on a number of occasions.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2014 0:04:49 GMT
From my understanding take Covent Garden for example, ignoring that two lifts are closed at the moment, there are two pairs of lifts, in each pair, if one lift gets stuck in between floors the other lift is used to get the trapped people out, if one lift of the pair isn't working the working one has to be closed. I may be wrong.
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Post by pgb on Jul 12, 2014 7:52:05 GMT
More people will get off one stop late after not listening and finding their station closed than will get off one stop early. Yup - been there, did that. Looked at the map which said "Westbound Closed" and went back on the next Eastbound!
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Post by orienteer on Jul 12, 2014 17:28:18 GMT
From my understanding take Covent Garden for example, ignoring that two lifts are closed at the moment, there are two pairs of lifts, in each pair, if one lift gets stuck in between floors the other lift is used to get the trapped people out, if one lift of the pair isn't working the working one has to be closed. I may be wrong. That was pretty much how it was described on a recent tour of Aldwych, which was fitted with similar lifts. (Incredibly, built for three pairs - but only one pair was ever installed).
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Post by Alight on Jul 12, 2014 19:49:11 GMT
That's right - lifts come in pairs by way of safety as opposed to counterbalance. The newer, smaller lifts fitted as part of station modernisation e.g. King's Cross, Green Park etc. don't have this facility, however. As fair as it's going to get!
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