Has Leeds Station roof been cleaned since construction?

[class 9]

Was wondering if the inside of Leeds station roof has ever been cleaned since it was constructed over 20 years ago?
The white steel work is absolutely filthy & piles of pigeon sh*te over walk ways.

 

[yorksrob]

Was wondering if the inside of Leeds station roof has ever been cleaned since it was constructed over 20 years ago?
The white steel work is absolutely filthy & piles of pigeon sh*te over walk ways.

To be fair, it was always painted grey !

 

[themiller]

Was wondering if the inside of Leeds station roof has ever been cleaned since it was constructed over 20 years ago?
The white steel work is absolutely filthy & piles of pigeon sh*te over walk ways.

I don’t know if it’s regarded as coming under the Workplace regs.

 

[Neptune]

I couldn’t tell you if it’s ever been cleaned since it went up but the biggest mistake was using grey sheeting on the roof instead of glass (or clear equivalent) to really brighten the place up. Yes it’s better than the dark shed it replaced but it could have been so much better.

 

[DarloRich]

I couldn’t tell you if it’s ever been cleaned since it went up but the biggest mistake was using grey sheeting on the roof instead of glass (or clear equivalent) to really brighten the place up. Yes it’s better than the dark shed it replaced but it could have been so much better.

I think that is probably indicative of cost and construction norms at the time of the work. I think it would be don't differently these days.

 

[yorksrob]

There are fairly sturdy walkways with banisters running under all the main roof sections. I imagine those are there for general maintenance and cleaning if that were required.

 

[quantinghome]

I think that is probably indicative of cost and construction norms at the time of the work. I think it would be don't differently these days.

I had a job interview with the station designer years ago and we talked a bit about it. Same old story - built to a budget, cost overruns elsewhere meant savings had to be made - particularly with the extractor units. Hence the build up of diesel grime.

 

[DarloRich]

I had a job interview with the station designer years ago and we talked a bit about it. Same old story - built to a budget, cost overruns elsewhere meant savings had to be made - particularly with the extractor units. Hence the build up of diesel grime.

standard!

 

[LucyP]

And you believed him? He was hardly likely to say that the problems were down to poor design, which were his fault, was he, so he blamed someone else.

 

[Leeds1970]

it would have let in more light if the glass panels had faced south instead of north - cost would have been the same

 

[Halifaxlad]

A while ago some of it was cleaned as for the OHL that appears to be another story!

 

[yorksrob]

It's not a bad trainshed by any stretch. Parts could do with a lock off paint, but it has been over twenty years !

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

it would have let in more light if the glass panels had faced south instead of north - cost would have been the same

That choice was apparently very deliberate. There were concerns that south facing "clerestories" would have generated excessive heat under the roof in summer. Instead of which we have an icebox through the winter.

 

[RailWonderer]

Leeds trainshed feels very European with its grey roof and tarmac flooring. I don’t think a design like that would be done today, they would’ve gone a stock PRM bridge and some more glass panelling which would’ve looked uglier but let in more light.

 

[SeaKing]

To save opening a new thread, what are the best platforms to be on to or is it a general walk around for viewing train.

 

[Neptune]

The end of platform 6 sits furthest out at the west end and means everything except the York - Leeds stoppers (they normally terminate in 7 at the opposite end) is viewable.

 

[SeaKing]

The end of platform 6 sits furthest out at the west end and means everything except the York - Leeds stoppers (they normally terminate in 7 at the opposite end) is viewable.

Many thanks

 

[Revaulx]

It's not a bad trainshed by any stretch. Parts could do with a lock off paint, but it has been over twenty years !

Yes I agree; I have no idea why it receives so much disdain. The 1960s rebuild was truly awful, and the current trainshed is a massive improvement.

I know the bridge could be a bit wider, but the only really bad thing about City is the atrocious “access” to P17. This really should have been sorted when the Southern entrance was built.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes I agree; I have no idea why it receives so much disdain. The 1960s rebuild was truly awful, and the current trainshed is a massive improvement.

I know the bridge could be a bit wider, but the only really bad thing about City is the atrocious “access” to P17. This really should have been sorted when the Southern entrance was built.

Yes, that and the gents toilets dotted around seem inadequate for the numbers.

 

[xotGD]

I know the bridge could be a bit wider,

The bridge is more than wide enough. It's the coffee stalls, lift shafts and other obstructions that are the problem.

 

[Revaulx]

The bridge is more than wide enough. It's the coffee stalls, lift shafts and other obstructions that are the problem.

True.

I don’t think it’s that bad anyway. Apart from the (already mentioned) atrocious access to P17.

@yorksrob I think it’s better to have toilets dotted around than one big smelly one. You have to know your way around to locate them though.

 

[GoneSouth]

it would have let in more light if the glass panels had faced south instead of north - cost would have been the same

100% agree with you on this, even on a fairly bright day it’s still quite dark in there

Instead of which we have an icebox through the winter.

yes, it must the coldest place to wait for a train in the uk, it just gobbles up the wind from the west, chills it and then blasts it through every corner of the station, it’s almost like it was designed to be a giant chiller… there are plenty of bars just outside the station these days though if you want somewhere warm to wait

The bridge is more than wide enough. It's the coffee stalls, lift shafts and other obstructions that are the problem.

The lifts are obviously essentials so you can’t move those easily (yes, they should have been on the side of the bridge to start with rather than in the centre but too late now). The kiosk are also plonked right in the middle which has the effect of making the bridge feel half of the actual width. What is nice about the current layout is there’s a great view to the west of all the comings and goings (if you like that kind of thing).

] I think it’s better to have toilets dotted around than one big smelly one. You have to know your way around to locate them though.

Well the small toilets I’ve been in are certainly very smelly!

I didn’t know there were any more, where are they

 

[43367]

Platforms 1-8 were cleaned overnight over quite a few Saturday nights by abseiling people around 10 years ago, although the cost was astronomical hence why the rest of the station was never done.
The main train shed was the worst due to the number of HST's, mainly the EMT ones that were the smokiest as well as the pacers which asl Liked to chuck out some clag.
It would be interesting to see whether Network Rail have enough in the purse to look at cleaning the roof again now that the older trains have all disappeared, with cleaner ones replacing them.
The roof of the stairs on the west end footbridge being especially grubby
The station at the moment looks like it is being spruced up with platform 1 and the Network Rail offices receiving a rather sickly mustard colour, I guess to make it look a bit more like the front of the station although am not sure it looks that great

 

[modernrail]

I have always wondered why they don’t look at putting in some vertical glass/similar panelling at the west end of the station to curb the prevailing wind. It wouldn’t be that big a job for a massive improvement in the station environment. It wouldn’t help the exposed parts of the platforms outside the west end train shed but would still improve about 75% of the station. You could even look at making some of the panelling solar PV with some of the newer tech that needs less light, to help pay for the works and generate a bit of power for the station

 

[skyhigh]

I have always wondered why they don’t look at putting in some vertical glass/similar panelling at the west end of the station to curb the prevailing wind.

I don't really see how that would fit without causing signal sighting issues. You wouldn't be able to get any more restrictive than the existing overbridge outline, so I doubt it would block out more wind than that?

 

[modernrail]

I don't really see how that would fit without causing signal sighting issues. You wouldn't be able to get any more restrictive than the existing overbridge outline, so I doubt it would block out more wind than that?

Signal sighting might kill the idea to be fair!

The other thing to look at would be the east end. Same goes for Huddersfield. Although the prevailing wind is west I suspect I have had my most frozen days when the wind is blowing from the east. Huddersfield in particular is very exposed from the east.

In general though Leeds isn’t a bad station. The roof could do with a clean though, and yes I think they should have put the the sky lights facing south. I am not sure I have ever experienced many days in Leeds where I would have melted and I have experienced far more where I have been rather cold. I remember reading about why they had gone north when it was done and thinking, hmm they may have confused Leeds for Barcelona.

The other thing is how grey the overall structure is. The white has turned grey and the grey is very grey. I would paint the columns white and out colourful banners on some of them. It definitely feels like dead light in there most of the time.