• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Victoria - Vent Ducts

Status
Not open for further replies.

markwo15

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2012
Messages
15
Above the lines to platforms 18 and 19 there are large vent ducts which terminate into three cowls per line at roughly each end of a eight car train length plus in the middle with the rectangular open cowls having rubber/neoprene skirts around them.

Every time I see them I wonder if they are for steam trains using the platforms (if so when were they last used? are they still functional?) or are they just a more prosaic emergency smoke or general extract system?

They don't appear above any other lines in that part of the station

Can any one enlighten me?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

pendolino

Member
Joined
22 Nov 2010
Messages
737
Installed to allow the Uckfield line DEMUs to run to Vic, but then the decision was taken to run these to London Bridge so the extractors have hardly ever been used. So I was told.
 

markwo15

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2012
Messages
15
Thanks for the quick reply, I must admit I prefered my slightly romantic view of a steam train puffing gently underneath however far fetched it seemed.

The mystery is solved

Cheers
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,267
Installed to allow the Uckfield line DEMUs to run to Vic, but then the decision was taken to run these to London Bridge so the extractors have hardly ever been used. So I was told.

Wasn't the problem that the exhaust cowls were installed originally in the correct positions for the Mk1 DEMUs, and it was not cost effective to alter them for 171s, which have a completely different layout, ie an exhaust for every vehicle?
 

pendolino

Member
Joined
22 Nov 2010
Messages
737
Steam trains still run occasionally over the other side (platform 2), which is a far better setting anyway if you want to get all romantic about it (and why not?) - under the lovely old trainshed roof, instead of the relatively* modern-looking platforms 15-19, the surroundings of which look like they're made from 1970s formica.

*relative to the Southeastern side, that is. 15-19 now look terribly dated and dingy compared to recent railway architecture, e.g., the new Kings Cross concourse
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Wasn't the problem that the exhaust cowls were installed originally in the correct positions for the Mk1 DEMUs, and it was not cost effective to alter them for 171s, which have a completely different layout, ie an exhaust for every vehicle?

That makes sense and could well be the reason, yes.
 
Last edited:

markwo15

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2012
Messages
15
Indeed, there was a very handsome black steam loco lurking outside the other side of the station on Tuesday morning with some very posh (and named) Pullman carriages. Not sure if my travelcard would be valid on that one!
 

user15681

Established Member
Joined
3 Jun 2012
Messages
1,355
Yup, all steam trains from Victoria start from platform 2 on the Southeastern side. This is because it's the only platform long enough to accommodate the full length of a steam train.

Not sure if any shorter steam run from the Southern platforms, but I can't imagine so.
 

paul1609

Established Member
Joined
28 Jan 2006
Messages
7,189
Location
Wittersham Kent
Installed to allow the Uckfield line DEMUs to run to Vic, but then the decision was taken to run these to London Bridge so the extractors have hardly ever been used. So I was told.
Partially true, once the East Grinstead line Electrification was complete the Uckfield line off peak was run as a shuttle between Uckfield and Oxted, however peak services did serve Victoria and the vents were used.
When the DEMUs (thumpers) were replaced by Class 171 turbostars the vents no longer alined with the exhausts. There were by this time no paths for off peak services for 171s to Victoria and Southern wanted to reintroduce a through service for the whole day so the service was diverted to London Bride. Passenger use has rocketed since the introduction of the 171s, expect to see electrification proposals as part of the new Southern/FCC franchise bid



 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top