I was browsing the section of the TfL website about filming the other day, and in the "common questions" section, the answer to question 11 about the number of people in the driving cab is:
"A maximum of two people with [filming] equipment can enter the driver's cab. This allows room for the driver and the member of supervisory staff."
Two media types, plus a driver and a member of supervisory staff would make 4 people in the cab by my maths. I don't know (and archive.org is refusing to play ball so I can't easily check), but I don't think this has been changed recently. I guess Tubeprune or CSLR might know. Well here is your answer, plus a couple of other relevant bits and pieces.
The way I look at it is that, regardless what authority I have to be in a cab, the T/O
always has the final decision. He/she is responsible for the safety of the train and I consider their word to be final. When I am wearing my filming hat, my presence is not essential to the safe running of the railway so, as far as I am concerned, my authority is not worth the paper it is printed on if the T/O is not happy with me being there.
Filming is usually arranged in advance and the T/O will know that someone is coming. Regardless of that, I always ask permission to enter the cab and always discuss where I would like to place things and what I intend to do.
Having said that, I have never ever had a problem in XX years of filming. (Note: XX = 'ever such a high number')
Until comparatively recently, the equipment that was used for underground filming was quite heavy and bulky. This had to be mounted on a substantial tripod in order to get a steady image (before anyone makes a comment about the tripod, please remember that pre-arranged filming falls under different rules to 'conditions of carriage'). It is rather odd to think that the rules that are being quoted above were made when this type of equipment was commonplace, therefore offering less space in the cab.
My view has always been that the T/Os area must be left completely clear and that no request should ever made to violate that space. On a tube train, it was almost impossible to squeeze an official and a cameraman into the remainder of the cab, once the equipment was in place.
SS stock was a little better and you could just about cram two others and an official in provided everyone was very friendly, particularly over bad stretches of track. We only ever tried to ride with 3 + motorman + film kit once and that was only because everyone wanted to have a look at St Mary's Junction!
To be honest, once the camera is fitted in position, the fact that cab shots are normally fixed position/ fixed focus means that there is no real reason for the cameraman to be in the cab at all. The soundman will invariably work from a passenger seat in the carriage and once technology had moved us into the video era, the adjoining seat became a good place to plonk the cameraman.
The characteristics of video mean that the shot that is being filmed can be checked on a monitor (this is actually far more accurate than looking through a camera eyepiece) and any aperture adjustments can be made using a remote cable.
Although there are times when a film crew need to be with their equipment, I think that some of them just like posing in the cab or standing there to enjoy the ride up front. My set-up was to have the T/O and official in the cab and anyone else in the passenger compartment, unless requested otherwise.
I alway gave instructions that, in an emergency the equipment could be knocked or thrown out of the way - and it was always set up with that in mind. The official riding in the cab was always shown the quickest way to do this, rather like lifeboat drill. I think that some of them secretly relished the idea of hurling a few thousand quid's worth of camera down the carriage, but luckily it never happened.
Today, things are so much different. Unless you are filming an episode of The Bill under controlled conditions at Charing Cross, there is no reason why this type of equipment needs to be used. Modern digital technology can produce a better picture than the bulky analogue equipment we were using only a few years ago.
I have no intention of showing commercial film crews how I rig a cab for filming. To do so might result in untold problems if some unforeseen situation were to arise while they were following my methods. I will however give you an example that cannot be replicated.
This is a shot of a stock that no longer runs in scheduled service and is therefore unlikely to be used for tunnel filming. In this case you are looking at a matched pair of stereo microphones being used for sound recording. The same basic principles could be applied for camera work. The important points are that the equipment can be secured without causing an obstruction. It should also be capable of being removed speedily. Here I have used a standard clamp with a quick-release trigger the location of which is identified by a bright yellow marker.
Note; When filming under the standard 'conditions of carriage' rules, this method of securing equipment is totally prohibited. Although it was authorised in this instance, it should not be considered to be acceptable in any other cases. I also prefer to run cables overhead to avoid obstruction, but almost everyone else that I have seen tends to run them on the floor. On this occasion, the digital recorder was in the carriage and it was only necessary to go into the cab once when I heard an unidentified rattle. After searching, I found that it was the paddles knocking against the SCD. That was quickly stopped with a little padding and I then left the cab.
I should perhaps point out that, because we were making official films, we usually had the luxury of a special (extra) train, but there were times when we did cab shots in service.
While it is true that you can
just about fit two camera crew and an official in the cab alongside the T/O if you are using modern equipment, there is hardly ever any genuine reason why this would be necessary.
