How do drivers take toilet breaks?

Alan2603 · 18 Jan 2020

How do drivers manage on London Undeground, particularly in the core?

I don't know where the nearest WC is for drivers at for example Kings Cross/St Pancreas on the PIcc line, but it must cause problems if the driver needs to leave the train, even for a couple of minutes for a WC break.

Alan

RailUK Forums

Islineclear3_1 · 18 Jan 2020

Wear a nappy like the Queen's Guard..
and don't sit down

BenW390Fan · 18 Jan 2020

Alan2603 said:
How do drivers manage on London Undeground, particularly in the core?

I don't know where the nearest WC is for drivers at for example Kings Cross/St Pancreas on the PIcc line, but it must cause problems if the driver needs to leave the train, even for a couple of minutes for a WC break.

Alan

I would assume seeing as the journeys on the LU are relatively short, they'd have to wait till they reach the terminus

paddington · 18 Jan 2020

I believe Piccadilly line drivers use a staff toilet near the front of the platform in the timetabled (at least a few years ago) long dwells at South Harrow southbound.

Mogster · 18 Jan 2020

sharpley said:
US and Canadian locos have toilets installed in them. Can be seen from 2:10 in the cab tour video below...

In Canada it gets very cold in winter. Wandering around outside the cab could be considered a health and safety risk if it’s -30°C I suppose.

I am surprised that freight trains don’t have a small caravan toilet as standard. Even a WW2 Lancaster bomber had a tiny Elsan chemical bog onboard, and they weren’t exactly designed with crew comfort as a priority...

50039 · 18 Jan 2020

6Gman said:
A lot of modernisation scheme diesels - I believe - had toilets installed.

Seem to recall that Deltics had one in the nose... not sure who would want to use it though!

Kurolus Rex · 18 Jan 2020

50039 said:
Seem to recall that Deltics had one in the nose... not sure who would want to use it though!

I recall seeing a basin behind the drivers cab on a British Pathe video on YouTube so that wouldn't suprise me.

Welshman · 18 Jan 2020

philthetube said:
It's actually even worse for coach drivers, awkward to use a bottle with 53 passengers sat behind

So that's the real reason why drivers of the old dmus started leaving the blinds down all day!

arbeia · 18 Jan 2020

Guess how Miners used to manage.

choochoochoo · 18 Jan 2020

No prizes why the 700/717 windscreen washer filler pipe has a serrated port ?

Also 313s were known to have 'solids' found in their washer bottles.

Tube driver · 18 Jan 2020

Alan2603 said:
How do drivers manage on London Undeground, particularly in the core?

I don't know where the nearest WC is for drivers at for example Kings Cross/St Pancreas on the PIcc line, but it must cause problems if the driver needs to leave the train, even for a couple of minutes for a WC break.

Alan

As been said, you try and wait until you get to a terminus or turning point. You quickly train your body to go when convenient but if you have to go, well, you have to go! Every station has a staff toilet so you radio through that you’re taking a ‘PNR’ (physical needs relief) and the signaller will hold trains until you’re back. If need be, the signaller will throw you into the sidings and out the way as it can cause disruption.

37057 · 18 Jan 2020

50039 said:
Seem to recall that Deltics had one in the nose... not sure who would want to use it though!

37s have/had urinals next to the batteries. 47s have/had one in the equipment room. No doubt any corner of an engine room in a loco has been used as a toilet though...

trebor79 · 18 Jan 2020

50039 said:
Seem to recall that Deltics had one in the nose... not sure who would want to use it though!

Full flushing toilet apparently.

4F89 · 18 Jan 2020

I wonder if this I how the ballsted areas that are near the line got their name....

wolfman · 18 Jan 2020

PHILIPE said:
In the old days on steam engines over the side

Over the side for urine shovel for anything else.

Crepello · 18 Jan 2020

I work in fire/EMS and can be unpredictably away from "facilities", sometimes for hours. There are commercial products available (basically some combination of sack, chemicals, wipes, etc) - I keep one with me in case of true urgency; knock on wood, haven't had to resort to it... yet! And yes, avoid spicy foods before and during each shift, ditto leftovers etc.

Did hear that the WCs of American locos are rarely cleaned, consequently so uninviting that crews only use them when waiting's no longer an option. Hand sanitizer is a wonderful invention!

Ladder23 · 18 Jan 2020

When you do a track walk it isn’t really apple juice you see in lucozade and oasis bottles!

gray1404 · 18 Jan 2020

If its a train with toilets on it then the driver could stop the train, come out the cab and use the facilities then return and drive on. I've seen this done twice by drivers during a station stop. One time the train came to a halt at a green signal (in the middle of no where) and the driver did the above, returned to cab and we continued.

380101 · 18 Jan 2020

choochoochoo said:
No prizes why the 700/717 windscreen washer filler pipe has a serrated port ?

Also 313s were known to have 'solids' found in their washer bottles.

The 380s got those screenwash filler caps as a special request from ScotRail when specifying the units as the fitters were fed up with urine in the screenwash! Seems Siemens made them the standard fit on all subsequent new builds.

Meerkat · 19 Jan 2020

380101 said:
The 380s got those screenwash filler caps as a special request from ScotRail when specifying the units as the fitters were fed up with urine in the screenwash! Seems Siemens made them the standard fit on all subsequent new builds.

Are there any photos, I can’t picture how you have a serrated port. Where are they on the train?

Ashley Hill · 19 Jan 2020

wolfman said:
Over the side for urine shovel for anything else.

Please don't be offended if I turn down your offer of an enginemans breakfast.

jopsuk · 19 Jan 2020

About fifteen years ago I was on a Stansted Express into London. Class 317. We'd stopped at signals near Bethanl Green. I was sat on the left hand side, just in front of the front set of doors, by the window, facing forward. Heard the cab vestibule door open, saw a strong arc of piss. Angle meant I didn't see anything else, but if something came past on the GEML tracks everyone would have got a good look!

Spartacus · 19 Jan 2020

wolfman said:
Over the side for urine shovel for anything else.

Once read a good one about trains being banked through the long Gildersome tunnel, if the crew on the rear weren't seen to be doing their fair share whoever could manage it on the front would would pee in the shovel before throwing it into the fire leaving a foul smell in the tunnel behind resulting in a kick from the rear as the crew of the rear loco opened up to get out as soon as possible! I pity the innocent guard in the van!

In more modern times I heard of, I think, a Skipton based driver who decided to pay a visit on a train in an adjoining platform in Leeds due to the one on his being out of order. One way or another his timing wasn't great as it set off with him still on the throne!

More normally if a driver needs to go outside of their breaks they'll normally use the facilities on train while in a station or the station facilities depending on availability. Failing that it's resorting to a wide necked pop bottle!

superjohn · 19 Jan 2020

Meerkat said:
Are there any photos, I can’t picture how you have a serrated port. Where are they on the train?

I am also struggling to picture a filler that would prevent the entry of urine but still allow filling with screenwash. Could it just be some kind of filter that prevents debris or foreign objects getting in? Or perhaps some kind of valve system that can only be filled with the correct attachment.

380101 · 19 Jan 2020

Meerkat said:
Are there any photos, I can’t picture how you have a serrated port. Where are they on the train?

It's the filler cap that we're talking about. Most filler caps were just a lid that screwed on, but the 380 and other new Siemens units have a big metal plug that needs a big torx style socket to unscrew it.

Llama · 19 Jan 2020

Fitting them outside the cab was another method. On 142s if the screenwash filler cap is on the outside (right hand side) then it's an ex-FNW unit (including the Merseyrail ones).

Meerkat · 19 Jan 2020

380101 said:
It's the filler cap that we're talking about. Most filler caps were just a lid that screwed on, but the 380 and other new Siemens units have a big metal plug that needs a big torx style socket to unscrew it.

Llama said:
Fitting them outside the cab was another method. On 142s if the screenwash filler cap is on the outside (right hand side) then it's an ex-FNW unit (including the Merseyrail ones).

Ahhhh.....I didn’t realise the filler caps were inside the cab!

arbeia · 19 Jan 2020

Can recommend Pot Noodle container, by personal experience

Spartacus · 19 Jan 2020

arbeia said:
Can recommend Pot Noodle container, by personal experience

Cyclical, in an ashes to ashes, dust to dust kind of way :lol:

D365 · 19 Jan 2020

Meerkat said:
I didn’t see anywhere to wash your hands.....

Copious amounts of hand sanitiser needed...

50039 said:
Seem to recall that Deltics had one in the nose... not sure who would want to use it though!

Kurolus Rex said:
I recall seeing a basin behind the drivers cab on a British Pathe video on YouTube so that wouldn't suprise me.

I was once "shown to" the basin in 55022, didn't take any photos though!

trebor79 said:
Full flushing toilet apparently.

That sounds far too posh :lol:

How do drivers take toilet breaks?

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