How to keep your railways clear of rubbish.

[industrial]

I have come across this on another site and I can't see it on this site. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/urban-rail/single-view/view/london-underground-vacuum-train-to-cut-tunnel-cleaning-time.html

 

I hope it is of interest to you.

[Kenton]

Must admit that when I saw the gangs and the manual efforts at cleaning - what must be a dreadful and unpleasant job - on the BBC "Tube" series, I thought to myself why oh why can't it be done more effectively, efficiently and without all that unnecessary labour with a big vacuum cleaner.

 

Then I though no way will the unions allow it.

 

I am really glad to see someone else has thought of it - about time. Should have been done years ago.

[GoingUnderground]

It's not a new idea. LT converted a 38 Stock set to do this many years ago. here's a link http://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/3635690508/ to some photos from 1983 of the train. I don't know if it is still used or how successful it is.

[coachmann]

How to keep your railways clear of rubbish?.....I could do with one in my new railway shed.......Mrs coach has managed to fill it with stuff over the past two years that Ive been distracted and now when I want to build baseboards I'm told I have to wait as half the kitchen is going in there soon during rebuilding!

[TheEngineShed]

I could do with one in my new railway shed.......

 

Ouch! Kitchen utensils that are not used regularly in our house seem to find their way to a box in the loft. Works wonders at keeping the shed free of non-value added material...

 

I have to admit being disappointed by the simplicity of the tube scrubber. When I first saw the subject and link, I imagined an octopus like vacuum system reaching out and grabbing cups, wrappers, newspapers, etc. on the right of way.

Each tentacle could be computer controlled, reaching out to bits that looked odd then giving them a quick suck...

[petethemole]

"Each tentacle could be computer controlled, reaching out to bits that looked odd then giving them a quick suck.."

 

That would be the Underground Spaghetti Monster then.....(Have you been touched by His noodly appendage?)

 

Pete

[DIW]

It's not a new idea. LT converted a 38 Stock set to do this many years ago. here's a link http://www.flickr.co...N05/3635690508/ to some photos from 1983 of the train. I don't know if it is still used or how successful it is.

It, or something along the same theme, was still around in 1997. Before the gauging runs of the Northern Line's then-forthcoming 95 stock the tunnels had apparently been machine-cleaned. The effort had not been successful; the new train, being of a slightly different profile to the previous stock, was able to dislodge dust from places in the tunnel in which the dust had thought it was settled for good. This dislodgement occurred due to the differing wind-profile created, not due to hitting anything (I hasten to add). This when running at a very slow (10 mph?) gauging speed. The train's ventilation system dragged in all the dust and deposited it on everything and everyone on board. Following the first night's run, all on board for subsequent runs were issued with decent masks for breathing. Still had to sort out washing the clothes ourselves though.

 

The discussions at the time led me to believe that the fluffers (for that is what tunnel cleaners are called - yes really!) were no l;onger used, and that all tunnel cleaning was by machine. Can anyone confirm whether this was true or just conjecture? I was a bit surprised and very pleased to see in Monday's broadcast that tunnel cleaning by hand is back with us (still with us).

 

Dave