Tube/snow

[urban469]

I've spotted little blue lights on the side of some trains during the cold weather. I'm guessing it's snow-related. Does anyone know?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Would these be the units fitted with de-icing equipment, I wonder, and indicating that the equipment is in use?

 

[urban469]

Would these be the units fitted with de-icing equipment, I wonder, and indicating that the equipment is in use?

Maybe...tell me more! I've seen Met and Jubilee Line trains with the blue lights on.

 

[causton]

Trains with a dot after the number (usually a solid circle after the car number on the front or side) will be fitted with deicing equipment. I have never seen the blue light, however I have never seen a tube train with the deicing equipment activated, so I presume they go together

(An example of the dot is shown on pictures on http://www.squarewheels.org.uk/rly/stock/1996tubeStock/ - the first 2 I looked at had them )

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Did you clock the unit numbers?

On the Jubilee the de-icer units are the even numbered ones from 96080 upwards, the trailer is the fitted car..

Not 100% sure as to which of the new Met units are fitted with de-icers, but on other lines as far as I know the units in question are:

Bakerloo - 3252 to 3263 are all fitted, the equipment being on the 43xx trailer..

Central - the entire batch of 924xx units ( these are non-driving units, so are always going to be one of the middle pair of units in a train ) are de-icers.

C Stock - 5543 to 5553 inclusive are all fitted.

D Stock - Even numbered units 17000 to 17048 inclusive are fitted.

Northern Line - The 517xx units are all de-icers.

Piccadilly Line - even numbered units 606 to 652 are fitted, as usual it is the trailer.

It is always the trailers in the units that are fitted is down to lack of space on the motor vehicles.

 

[Dstock7080]

It is always the trailers in the units that are fitted is down to lack of space on the motor vehicles.

'92, '09 Stock and S Stock do not have trailer cars.

 

[jopsuk]

This spreadsheet shows which S-Stock are de-icers
Presumably Northumberland Park depot on the Victoria is manually de-iced? It would seem silly for 09 stock to have deicing equipment.

 

[urban469]

Did you clock the unit numbers?

On the Jubilee the de-icer units are the even numbered ones from 96080 upwards, the trailer is the fitted car..

Not 100% sure as to which of the new Met units are fitted with de-icers, but on other lines as far as I know the units in question are:

Bakerloo - 3252 to 3263 are all fitted, the equipment being on the 43xx trailer..

Central - the entire batch of 924xx units ( these are non-driving units, so are always going to be one of the middle pair of units in a train ) are de-icers.

C Stock - 5543 to 5553 inclusive are all fitted.

D Stock - Even numbered units 17000 to 17048 inclusive are fitted.

Northern Line - The 517xx units are all de-icers.

Piccadilly Line - even numbered units 606 to 652 are fitted, as usual it is the trailer.

It is always the trailers in the units that are fitted is down to lack of space on the motor vehicles.

I didn't write the unit numbers down, sorry. Next time, ay.

Ah, I thought they might be de-icers...because when they come through, they sound like they're making that vacuum sound that roadsweepers make.

Anyone know how they work?

And the spots next to the car number – does that mean *that* car is the de-icer, or just that train. I always thought the spots meant they were the +1 on the S7+1s.

 

[Tubefan2013]

09 stock does have trailer cars, however 6 out of 8 cars are motored.

 

[TheVicLine]

This spreadsheet shows which S-Stock are de-icers
Presumably Northumberland Park depot on the Victoria is manually de-iced? It would seem silly for 09 stock to have deicing equipment.

Yes it is, the guys go out and spray the points etc. during engineering hours. There is a snow cover over the track on the gradient going into the tunnel and obviously then the rest of the line is underground.

 

[Dstock7080]

Ah, I thought they might be de-icers...because when they come through, they sound like they're making that vacuum sound that roadsweepers make.

Anyone know how they work?

And the spots next to the car number – does that mean *that* car is the de-icer, or just that train.

De-icing cars do not make any extra sound.
All leading cars are fitted with sleet brushes for snow clearing operations, which make a scraping sound.

De-icing is switched on by the driver, each cab is fitted with switches, irrespective of whether a de-icing car is in the formation. Fluid should be spread in outside sections, usually from the last station with a tunnel. Fluid is gently dispensed while the train is motoring.

The spots are usually found on cab-ends of de-icing units and on the actual de-icing car.

 

[urban469]

De-icing cars do not make any extra sound.
All leading cars are fitted with sleet brushes for snow clearing operations, which make a scraping sound.

De-icing is switched on by the driver, each cab is fitted with switches, irrespective of whether a de-icing car is in the formation. Fluid should be spread in outside sections, usually from the last station with a tunnel. Fluid is gently dispensed while the train is motoring.

The spots are usually found on cab-ends of de-icing units and on the actual de-icing car.

So they do two things, they dispense de-icing fluid (on the 3rd and 4th rail?) and sweep the tracks. That must be the sound I hear as they come into the platform.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

'92, '09 Stock and S Stock do not have trailer cars.

Whoops, yes - quite right, though of course the 2009 stock does not have any de-icers.

 

[D365]

09 doesn't need it since the Victoria Line is pretty much entirely underground. Ditto W&C 92.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

When doing 'sleet' nights the advice used to be to travel at a steady 15mph while spreading de-icing fluid for it to be effective so I used to wonder if de-icing trips on normal passenger journies were of any use.