Retention tank toilets on Great Central Railway?

[Comstock]

I've just got back from an excellent Sunday lunch on a Great Central Railway train at Loughborough . (£40 a head, but excellent food and very good waitress service)

It probably says a lot about me, but I was interested to see that the trains had 'toilet' signs at the end of each coach, and I wondered about these. Presumably the toilets in the days of steam emptied straight onto the track, something that wouldn't be acceptable now. So have they retro-fitted retention tanks to these trains, or something else?

 

[Zoidberg]

From what's been said in other threads, it appears that several types of rolling stock used on normal passenger service on the national rail network do not use retention tanks.

 

[Tomnick]

They dump straight onto the track - folk seem to be very accurate at aiming for the crossing between the Down platform and the box at Rothley .

 

[455driver]

The HSTs, pacers, sprinters et al all dump on the tracks except SWTs 158/159s which were retrofitted with tanks.

 

[yorksrob]

The HSTs, pacers, sprinters et al all dump on the tracks except SWTs 158/159s which were retrofitted with tanks.

I was always under the impression that the 159's were built with tanks ?

 

[LWB]

Ahh, so that's what HST means ........ Happily Sh*t on the Tracks

 

[Comstock]

They dump straight onto the track

Wow, I find that almost impossible to believe in 2013!

As for the HSTs I knew HSTs didn't have retention tanks when built, but I thought they were retrofitted.

Actually come to think of it the HST I've just been on from Loughborough mainline to Derby station had a 'please do not flush in the station' notice. I assumed it was just an old one

 

[yorksrob]

Ahh, so that's what HST means ........ Happily Sh*t on the Tracks

Or the InterCity Number 1's Number 2's and Number 5's

 

[barrykas]

As for the HSTs I knew HSTs didn't have retention tanks when built, but I thought they were retrofitted.

Newp...Though I believe the Chiltern loco-hauled Mk 3s now have retention tanks fitted as part of the power door fitment programme.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[scotsman]

I was always under the impression that the 159's were built with tanks ?

Nope, they were taken all the way to Rosyth to be extended, and get tanks fitted

 

[yorksrob]

Nope, they were taken all the way to Rosyth to be extended, and get tanks fitted

You learn something new every day. Cheers

 

[TheEdge]

Newp...Though I believe the Chiltern loco-hauled Mk 3s now have retention tanks fitted as part of the power door fitment programme.

Cheers,

Barry

I believe fitting retention tanks is now something that has to be done on a refit. The 'old' GA 156s dump on the track yet the 'new' 156s returning from Wolverton have a retention tank fitted.

 

[Comstock]

You learn something new every day.

Yes, so do I. I'm simply amazed to learn this still goes on, not only on preserved railways, but also on mainline trains.

Proper put me off me tea, that has (not that I want much after the lovely Great Central Sunday Lunch )

 

[bronzeonion]

Problem with non tanked toilets on preserved lines is that the stuff literally just sits there on the track whole but at higher speeds attainable on the main line it disintegrates so not much of a problem till people do it whilst stopped.

There are stories of complaints from residents living next to the then new Shinkansen line, complaining of discoloured washing from the non tanked toilets on the trains!

 

[455driver]

Why do you think matting was put down between the tracks at Waterloo platforms ten, eleven and twelve while the FGW HSTS were using Waterloo over Easter?

 

[yorksrob]

Why do you think matting was put down between the tracks at Waterloo platforms ten, eleven and twelve while the FGW HSTS were using Waterloo over Easter?

To be fair, someone less well aquainted with the railway might assume that these were to mop up oil drips etc.

 

[DarloRich]

To be fair, someone less well aquainted with the railway might assume that these were to mop up oil drips etc.

well they are to mop up some liquids

Shifting the "soiled" matting is a pleasant job!

PS are we sure ALL HST have tanks?

 

[starrymarkb]

FGWs don't but at the time it wasn't considered viable for the planned life of the HSTs to retrofit as part of the 2007 refurb (remember that IEP was planned to be in service by now - life extension wasn't on the cards at the time the spec was drawn up)

 

[455driver]

PS are we sure ALL HST have tanks?

No HSTs have retention tanks.

 

[ainsworth74]

No HSTs have retention tanks.

No Mk3s at all, other than a few with Chiltern, have tanks do they?

 

[455driver]

The sleeper coaches have controlled emision toilets (whatever that means) but I was trying to keep things simple.

 

[fsmr]

Use the loo on the NVR Swedish stock and you can count the sleepers while you pee

On another note, i was surpised as well that modern stock has no tanks, it must make servicing the undergear a pleasant job not to mention the issues of dumping stuff under a 125 mph train, must be an issue in the rear power car you would have thought

 

[YorkshireBear]

Discussed in the last episode of the BBC series recently. Not pleasant at all, sooner they fit everything with tanks the better.

 

[455driver]

i was surpised as well that modern stock has no tanks, it must make servicing the undergear a pleasant job not to mention the issues of dumping stuff under a 125 mph train, must be an issue in the rear power car you would have thought

A train fleet built between 1976 and 1983 isnt "modern" despite still being the nicest way to travel.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I believe the MK4s dont have iether? Unsure about the Caly Sleaper MK3s but the MK2 Seated coaches have vacume flush jobs so assume a tank?
What about the more recent (EMT, ATW and Inverness Bassed Scotrail) 158s? Had an unsheduled run up the GSW the other week and noted a newly installed flush button on the 156. Are SR Fitting them with tanks?

 

[fsmr]

A train fleet built between 1976 and 1983 isnt "modern" despite still being the nicest way to travel.

No I was thinking of the 159s which came in between 1989 to 92 which is only 24 years- 21 years ago and even then, we had environmental laws looming.
Bit of a closed or should that be closet :roll: secret as TBH I hadnt realised the Mk3s hadnt been fitted years ago with tanks
The dailys would have some fun with that one
I can see the strapline now

 

[yorksrob]

No I was thinking of the 159s which came in between 1989 to 92 which is only 24 years- 21 years ago and even then, we had environmental laws looming.
Bit of a closed or should that be closet :roll: secret as TBH I hadnt realised the Mk3s hadnt been fitted years ago with tanks
The dailys would have some fun with that one
I can see the strapline now

I did see that little factoid turn up on a repeat of QI recently, so it is out in the public domain.

With regard to Mk4's, I believe they do have retention tanks, but a different type which allows proper flush toilets (although they do have an overflow pipe which can cause issues if they haven't been emptied frequently).

 

[t_star2001uk]

No Mk3s at all, other than a few with Chiltern, have tanks do they?

All of the toilet fitted plug door mk3's with Chiltern have a retention tank. Only the Blue/Grey set is still Kak on the Track.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Use the loo on the NVR Swedish stock and you can count the sleepers while you pee

Yes, alot of trains on the continent have loos like those, you can see the track at the bottom of the loo, or some times there is a flap which drops when the flush is pulled. You have to be careful you don't lean over too much otherwise anything in your shirt pocket, like pens, phone can go down the hole on to the track and therefore lost for ever. There is often a strong draft coming up through that too.

Some of the heritage railways with shortish routes, have locked the toilet doors on their trains which is understandable. There are usually facilities at the stations along the route.

 

[455driver]

No I was thinking of the 159s which came in between 1989 to 92 which is only 24 years- 21 years ago and even then, we had environmental laws looming.

But the 159s were not built with retention tanks, they were built as standard 158s, most didnt have a unit number on delivery though, and were then sent to Rosyth to have the 1st class and retention modifications added.