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Post by Chris W on Oct 12, 2006 7:05:30 GMT
Morning all Have just traveled up from Stockwell to Green Park on the VL this morning I notice that the train operator in the unit I was on wore a face/breathing mask. I appreciate that the tunnels are dusty mostly due to train brake dust, however why, if there's not a health risk (i.e. a requirement that all TO's wear them), did this TO chose to wear the mask?  It certainly doesn't make cattle/customers feel secure in the knowledge that the LU system is a healthy place to be. |
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Post by william on Oct 12, 2006 7:35:58 GMT
Oh dear! Perhaps she's testing them prior to being a compulsory requirement!!   |
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Phil
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Post by Phil on Oct 12, 2006 8:21:37 GMT
Oh dear! Perhaps she's testing them prior to being a compulsory requirement!! But then wouldn't the unofficial HSE (i.e. the substandard) demand they be issued to all passengers who asked for them.....?? |
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Post by Chris M on Oct 12, 2006 9:08:02 GMT
What I can't understand is howcome in these days of rheo and regen braking there is more tunnel dust than when there weren't such things? From comments on another thread, I suspect it is becuase the tunnels aren't cleaned like they used to be. I remember seeing a TV program years ago that said the majority of the dust on the Underground was human hair and skin. |
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Post by Tubeboy on Oct 12, 2006 9:41:48 GMT
I remember about a year ago, a driver on the Vic wore a dust mask, he looked like Hannibal Lecter!
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Post by version3point1 on Oct 12, 2006 13:17:51 GMT
You'd be better off wearing that mask whilst walking around in Central London for a couple of hours.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2006 14:40:46 GMT
What I can't understand is howcome in these days of rheo and regen braking there is more tunnel dust than when there weren't such things? The Victoria line has always been dusty. The 67 stock does not have regen braking it does have a basic Rheo but the trains mainly use friction brakes. The line will get cleaner once the 09 stock has run for several years, this has been the effect on the Northern and Central lines which are a lot less dusty than they were. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2006 20:18:30 GMT
I know of three people on the central who use the masks... theres no regulations concerning the use of them... mind you, I did see someone on the Pic the other week with great big bright yellow ear defenders!!!
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Post by william on Oct 12, 2006 21:20:34 GMT
Crikey! Now ear defenders as well, what more should the t/op have to wear to keep safe??
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2006 21:23:06 GMT
Hazmat Suit? With full respirator provision?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2006 21:24:00 GMT
so presumably that person was oblivious to the radio!
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Post by william on Oct 12, 2006 21:27:39 GMT
Hazmat Suit? With full respirator provision? Don't give people ideas! |
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Post by DWS on Oct 12, 2006 22:53:03 GMT
What I can't understand is howcome in these days of rheo and regen braking there is more tunnel dust than when there weren't such things? The Victoria line has always been dusty. The 67 stock does not have regen braking it does have a basic Rheo but the trains mainly use friction brakes. The line will get cleaner once the 09 stock has run for several years, this has been the effect on the Northern and Central lines which are a lot less dusty than they were. The only way the Tubes will get cleaner is when Metronet & Tubelines get round to building new Tunnel Cleaning trains, that will do a better job than the 1938 Tunnel Cleaning train. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2006 7:45:05 GMT
In days gone by, we used to have people called 'Fluffers', who literally walked the tunnels once a week, scraping off the dirt from the tunnels... They never wore any protection, just had a selection of wire brushes, scrapers...
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Oct 14, 2006 14:39:15 GMT
Theres a book by Michael Rosen which has a short story concerning fluffers. I think its called the Bakerloo Flea or something.
When did they get rid of them?
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Post by frimm on Oct 14, 2006 16:30:10 GMT
Morning all Have just traveled up from Stockwell to Green Park on the VL this morning I notice that the train operator in the unit I was on wore a face/breathing mask. I appreciate that the tunnels are dusty mostly due to train brake dust, however why, if there's not a health risk (i.e. a requirement that all TO's wear them), did this TO chose to wear the mask? It certainly doesn't make cattle/customers feel secure in the knowledge that the LU system is a healthy place to be. Maybe the TO was under supervision and the person with them (hidden from your view) had just farted  Oh and it takes a bit more than brake dust to make the tunnels dirty |
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Post by Tomcakes on Oct 14, 2006 17:57:56 GMT
Is a new TCC being built? You'd imagine the time the 38ts has been out of service, a (say) 72ts or 83ts could have been converted.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2006 18:17:02 GMT
Is a new TCC being built? You'd imagine the time the 38ts has been out of service, a (say) 72ts or 83ts could have been converted. I did see a strange engineers train waiting for current on at Chiswick Park a few weeks back when doing nights. It was formed of 2 ballast locos and a strange new looking car with a pipe with the words "Tube Vacuum" on it, I had not seen or heard of this before, I don't know weather it's a tunnel cleaner or something to clean ballast. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2006 18:37:08 GMT
on the roads, you see cyclist wearing those masks, that apparently do very little apart from restrict your breathing. B
The major problem with it, is that they don't block out the particulates that come out of Diesel engines without particulate filters (all TfL buses have been fitted or retro-fitted with these)
we don't know whether these particulates are actually bad for you, but early studies aren't looking good.
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Post by stanmorek on Oct 15, 2006 20:42:27 GMT
I did see a strange engineers train waiting for current on at Chiswick Park a few weeks back when doing nights. It was formed of 2 ballast locos and a strange new looking car with a pipe with the words "Tube Vacuum" on it, I had not seen or heard of this before, I don't know weather it's a tunnel cleaner or something to clean ballast. Sounds like what's called the Disab Tubevac. It does what it says on the tin - a giant vacuum! ;D Metronet have been using it for drainage works excavating the six foot sucking up old ballast. Particulary useful under complicated points and crossings and saves having to move and reinstate all in one weekend. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2006 21:38:35 GMT
I did see a strange engineers train waiting for current on at Chiswick Park a few weeks back when doing nights. It was formed of 2 ballast locos and a strange new looking car with a pipe with the words "Tube Vacuum" on it, I had not seen or heard of this before, I don't know weather it's a tunnel cleaner or something to clean ballast. Sounds like what's called the Disab Tubevac. It does what it says on the tin - a giant vacuum! ;D Metronet have been using it for drainage works excavating the six foot sucking up old ballast. Particulary useful under complicated points and crossings and saves having to move and reinstate all in one weekend. Yes it did say "Tube Vac" not "Tube Vacume", thanks for clearing that up. |
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Post by connextrain on Oct 16, 2006 9:17:41 GMT
He was probobly being safe.
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Post by yellowsignal on Oct 18, 2006 12:08:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2006 12:37:26 GMT
You'd be better off wearing that mask whilst walking around in Central London for a couple of hours. I have been always concerned about the "suspended particulates" as environmentalists would call it in the London Underground, as evident from blowing your nose after a trip! In fact, I was about to post something about it! I learnt something interesting at my lecture today - that tube passengers have a higher intake of lead than cyclists! This is due to the wear and tear of brakes/metal parts. I'm curious as to the possible long-term health effects especially for the T/ops! |
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Post by stanmorek on Oct 19, 2006 21:50:04 GMT
Think of all the track works taking place which amounts to an awful lot of ballast removal and breaking out of concrete bedding in tube sections. This is inherently a very dusty operation. When I worked with the P-way gangs we'd be digging out ballast with like 20 men in the sub-surface tunnels and there was so much dust around that you'd think someone had lit a fire in there. The trouble was that the dust could quite possibly be whatever had lain in there undisturbed for years e.g. brake dust, asbestos etc. Conditions were so hot in there that most refused to wear face masks. And any extra equipment worn was a hindrance in getting the job done before start of traffic. I trust that those organising the major track works now are taking adequate measures to protect the health of their workers. Speaking of which I never did have that blood test for lead after 10 weeks of nights watching a bridge get shot blasted for lead paint last year... During one weekend possession to lay six foot drainage the contractors brought in large industrial blowers to clear the tunnel of dust and exhaust fumes from road railers as asked by health and safety. The trouble was that the dust cloud was blown to the next station setting off the fire alarms  The other problem was that these blowers drew so much power from the supplies that the pumps didn't work. As a result any trench that was dug flooded immediately. |
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The other problem was that these blowers drew so much power from the supplies that the pumps didn't work. As a result any trench that was dug flooded immediately.
