This is very exciting for me to see! I’m the current owner of some internal phone exchange equipment that was installed at lots rd in 1965. It’s a 50 line internal system built by British Ericsson, used for calls within the lots rd site (eg control room to turbine hall) From some of the control room shots, it appears the equipment may have still been in use in 1989. Its not easy to find much footage of the site that includes the phones, so this is great!
Now that the electrified London Overground seems to be expanding exponentially, maybe it's time to consider merging it with the Underground surface lines? They're compatible in terms of loading gauge and traction voltage (especially with dual-standard stock), and it could enable reopening pre-WW2 routes (e.g. from the District/H&C lines down to south London via a reinstated Whitechapel curve or even out into Essex over a reinstated link with the present C2C network). The loading gauge compatibility of deep level tube lines with surface lines has always unsatisfactory, so these could continue as a separate 'Underground' network.
I heard that the power supply actually became a lot more reliable after Lots Road was closed because it was getting old and unreliable. Id like to have seen the Greenwich gas turbine plant in action. I wonder what engines it used? Industrial Rolls Royce Speys or RB211s? Interesting use of the word 'pressure' at 2:02.
Was Neasden power station ever linked with the old London Underground generally, or was that exclusively for the Met line? It still functioned on into the 1970s at least, I think. I do also recall seeing some photos of a real Frankenstein-laboratory-looking setup near Leicester Square, I think, where the power was centrally controlled in the 1920s. Many open frame knife switches, and the like.
Hello, I live in Brussels - Belgium and have already been to London many times with many trips by tube. What I have never understood is why there is a negative rail. In our metro there are 3 rails, 2 to ride on and 1 for the positive. The negative is done by the rails to ride on. Why this difference ? Thank you.
I think main benifit now is that most of the tunnels are iron and having current run through them could corrode it and also utility pipes. It also sperated signaling paths as well. There are other reasons as well would imagine
Considering that farts are pre-filled with highly pressurised air and gas, imagine what would happen if a swollen fart landed on the live rail?; presumably the fart would explode like a bomb 😂
This video is somewhat outdated now, since the underground now runs at 720 volts. You also did not explain the reasons for the floating 4th rail, rather than return grounded via the traction rails. Their are also sections where a duel system is used. This is where BR stock shares the track. One example is the district line between east putney and wimbledon. Out of service BR trains use this sector to access the wimbledon park maintenance and cleaning depot. The sector is unde BR signalling, which causes endless problems. Lots road has now gone and supply at 11kv delta is now part of the national grid. Their is also a lot of misinformation about Lots rd, due to errors in TFL documentation, As far as I know, it generated DC directly. It was modified several times, so it may have generated AC, but unlikely, since the generators ran at 10,000 rpm. that would have provided 167hz wild from the grid. The specification also shows generators, not alternators.
Isn't it 750VDC following the uplift from 630VDC (FOI reply from TfL 6 February 2024) With +500VDC on the outside pos rail and -250VDC on the centre neg rail?
@@heckelphon You cannot simply split DC, the electrons have to pass through the entire load. The actual voltage is 720, Consolidating this reduced the additional cost of different motors. The main reason was to allow the underground to use the inverter technology developed by Siemens. Inverters coupled with regenerative braking have reduced the electricity costs in the central area (where stations are closer together) by up to 60%. The problem is that stock cannot be mixed when regenerative braking is used, since regeneration returns around 900 volts to the track. With another train in the sector, it is immediately absorbed, but if their is not, the track voltage goes high making the regeneration ineffective and the mechanical baking cuts in. The problem was, that if an old style train was sitting in a station and not absorbing the power, exposure to 900 volts was tripping all the breakers out. With the new trains costing around 8 million each, the changeover will take place line by line over a couple of decades. The new trains can be mixed during the changeover, but their regenerative braking has to be switched off until the whole line is running them.
Yes, we know the video is outdated now because it says it's from 1989. It's not intended to be a current instructional video, it's of historical interest. Amy erroneous statements should be taken up with London Underground by means of time Portal
@@wilsjane I was, as I said, referring to a FOI answer from TfL. I just repeated their data. If they are wrong because they don't possess your greater insight, then tell them!
This is very exciting for me to see!
I’m the current owner of some internal phone exchange equipment that was installed at lots rd in 1965.
It’s a 50 line internal system built by British Ericsson, used for calls within the lots rd site (eg control room to turbine hall)
From some of the control room shots, it appears the equipment may have still been in use in 1989.
Its not easy to find much footage of the site that includes the phones, so this is great!
Great, I’m glad you enjoyed the video. And thank you for taking the time to comment 👍
Now that the electrified London Overground seems to be expanding exponentially, maybe it's time to consider merging it with the Underground surface lines? They're compatible in terms of loading gauge and traction voltage (especially with dual-standard stock), and it could enable reopening pre-WW2 routes (e.g. from the District/H&C lines down to south London via a reinstated Whitechapel curve or even out into Essex over a reinstated link with the present C2C network). The loading gauge compatibility of deep level tube lines with surface lines has always unsatisfactory, so these could continue as a separate 'Underground' network.
This sounds like a fantastic idea 👍 thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
I heard that the power supply actually became a lot more reliable after Lots Road was closed because it was getting old and unreliable. Id like to have seen the Greenwich gas turbine plant in action. I wonder what engines it used? Industrial Rolls Royce Speys or RB211s? Interesting use of the word 'pressure' at 2:02.
Thank you for your comments, I find the comments very interesting and informative 👍
Was Neasden power station ever linked with the old London Underground generally, or was that exclusively for the Met line? It still functioned on into the 1970s at least, I think. I do also recall seeing some photos of a real Frankenstein-laboratory-looking setup near Leicester Square, I think, where the power was centrally controlled in the 1920s. Many open frame knife switches, and the like.
I must say that the comments are very interesting. 👍
Consider the sheer number of tube journeys daily and how many millions of farts are trapped underground over the year.
@@deathpod1975 Good point, even I hadn’t considered it; presumably the huge extractor fans built into vertical shafts take care of farts.
Enough to power a power station 👍
@@FART-REPELLENT I expect this is the case, I would have loved to have been at meeting when discussing how to get rid of farts from the system.
People follow through a lot also so sometimes you got big steaming ones right there on platform
6:40All that's all very well in this demonstration where he can see what he's doing, but in the pitch dark it mightn't be so easy, I dare say
Yes, a bit different in the dark, but it would not make good tv if they were fumbling around in the dark.
Old Deep Tube and Sub-Surface divisions highlighted (before the current cars)
Start at the beginning then work up I guess?
Hello, I live in Brussels - Belgium and have already been to London many times with many trips by tube. What I have never understood is why there is a negative rail. In our metro there are 3 rails, 2 to ride on and 1 for the positive. The negative is done by the rails to ride on. Why this difference ? Thank you.
Perhaps someone more knowledgeable will respond? Thank you for your comment. 👍
I think main benifit now is that most of the tunnels are iron and having current run through them could corrode it and also utility pipes. It also sperated signaling paths as well. There are other reasons as well would imagine
What is wrong with that first train ( the special ), it is all over the place.
I see a central line train at Stratford wobbling around like that. At the time I thought what’s up with that? Must be normal?
Considering that farts are pre-filled with highly pressurised air and gas, imagine what would happen if a swollen fart landed on the live rail?; presumably the fart would explode like a bomb 😂
Maybe? Maybe not. If a train did go by and there was a massive spark then there might be a bit of a problem. 👍
@@kingwolfgaming4774 How about the seats having absorbent foam, then returning the farts to the boilers at the power stations. LMAO
This video is somewhat outdated now, since the underground now runs at 720 volts. You also did not explain the reasons for the floating 4th rail, rather than return grounded via the traction rails.
Their are also sections where a duel system is used. This is where BR stock shares the track. One example is the district line between east putney and wimbledon. Out of service BR trains use this sector to access the wimbledon park maintenance and cleaning depot. The sector is unde BR signalling, which causes endless problems.
Lots road has now gone and supply at 11kv delta is now part of the national grid.
Their is also a lot of misinformation about Lots rd, due to errors in TFL documentation, As far as I know, it generated DC directly. It was modified several times, so it may have generated AC, but unlikely, since the generators ran at 10,000 rpm. that would have provided 167hz wild from the grid.
The specification also shows generators, not alternators.
Isn't it 750VDC following the uplift from 630VDC (FOI reply from TfL 6 February 2024) With +500VDC on the outside pos rail and -250VDC on the centre neg rail?
Wow people’s knowledge on here is fantastic, I love to read the comments. Thank you 👍
@@heckelphon You cannot simply split DC, the electrons have to pass through the entire load.
The actual voltage is 720, Consolidating this reduced the additional cost of different motors. The main reason was to allow the underground to use the inverter technology developed by Siemens. Inverters coupled with regenerative braking have reduced the electricity costs in the central area (where stations are closer together) by up to 60%. The problem is that stock cannot be mixed when regenerative braking is used, since regeneration returns around 900 volts to the track. With another train in the sector, it is immediately absorbed, but if their is not, the track voltage goes high making the regeneration ineffective and the mechanical baking cuts in.
The problem was, that if an old style train was sitting in a station and not absorbing the power, exposure to 900 volts was tripping all the breakers out.
With the new trains costing around 8 million each, the changeover will take place line by line over a couple of decades. The new trains can be mixed during the changeover, but their regenerative braking has to be switched off until the whole line is running them.
Yes, we know the video is outdated now because it says it's from 1989. It's not intended to be a current instructional video, it's of historical interest. Amy erroneous statements should be taken up with London Underground by means of time Portal
@@wilsjane I was, as I said, referring to a FOI answer from TfL. I just repeated their data. If they are wrong because they don't possess your greater insight, then tell them!