Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2010 9:53:33 GMT
I was at Mile End the other day on the eastbound District Line platform.... Whilst noticing that works have been progressing, at last, upon the refurbishment. I was somewhat astonished to find the District platforms had aquired a new "false" ceiling, clearly a permenant structure, given the vast amount of metal lattice work, cabling and pipes that could be seen above it. Lighting was recessed into this ceiling. ....the problem, ..... the ceiling is only some 7 1/2 feet above the platform surface !!!!! In consequence special miniscule signage has had to be slung under this celing pointing to the way out and to the Central Line platforms, scarcely visible from any distance. Even this was at a level I suspect a particularly tall person could hit their head upon it! However the real absurdity and annoyance, was that the dot matrix destination indicator has had to go into a recess entirely within the false ceiling void (or it would be only some 6 foot above platform height) in consequence it couldn't be seen at all unless you were stood right underneath it!!!!   It's not like space was at a premium here, the "real roof" is almost 20 feet above platform height !! Although the works are not finished I couldn't see how these issues could be overcome without ripping this whole daft ceiling structure down and starting again! Frankly I'd like to know who is responsible for a design of such breathtaking incompetence and what is planned to be done about it?!!!!! |
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Post by auxsetreq on May 12, 2010 10:35:54 GMT
I think it's beginning to look nice. It's an almost impossible task to brighten up that Dickensian dump. Ideally the pillars that separate the two connecting platforms on either side should be removed to make the whole thing one huge open brightly lit space, but seeing that the pillars hold the whole thing up that'd be almost impossible, or a very expensive engineering challenge. I like the idea of a false ceiling as they hide up the gloomy Victorian arches above to make it look more modern. One addition that should be made to the last pillar of the eastbound is a urinal - there's always a puddle there.......
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Post by plasmid on May 12, 2010 12:49:51 GMT
what are those little pipes in the arches for? injecting concrete or draining water into those long tray things underneath? im suspecting drainage...when you head down to the central line eb platform (middle platform staircase), on the left at the bottom of the stairs there is a gutter pipe heading down from those long trays.
signs needs to be sorted, every morning when i arrive at the eb district line platform i have to stand underneath it to see any form of information about the next available trains.
other than that its beginning to take shape and looks good.
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Colin
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My preserved fire engine!
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Post by Colin on May 12, 2010 12:50:54 GMT
That false ceiling has been there for some time now - you not been driving much recently Aspect? ;D ;D
Anyway, the issue I have with Mile End east is the OPO equipment - the false ceiling impinges on the top mirror, which just goes to show how low it is!!
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Post by 21146 on May 12, 2010 14:38:43 GMT
Metronet were asked not to go ahead with the false ceiling by LU but carried on regardless.
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Ben
fotopic... whats that?
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Post by Ben on May 12, 2010 22:10:12 GMT
Any chance they will be removed?
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Post by 21146 on May 14, 2010 21:54:50 GMT
They also seemed to have permanently covered over the open section which allowed daylight onto part of the WB Central Line track.
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Post by 21146 on May 14, 2010 21:55:53 GMT
The ceiling is not at a uniform height either. I can touch it at the east end of the WB but not at the other.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2010 12:05:42 GMT
The ceiling is not at a uniform height either. I can touch it at the east end of the WB but not at the other. I suspect the ceiling is probably level. There is a downhill gradient to the west at Mile End and the platform and track slopes that way. |
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Post by plasmid on May 20, 2010 9:15:16 GMT
They've adjusted some of the next train indicator signs now so they are visible rather than hidden above the false ceiling on the District/Central WB.
There also seems to be a lot more signage around indictating which platform is which along with new next train indicators on the District/Central EB.
It's all taking shape now and dare I say its actually starting to look decent.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2010 17:16:48 GMT
I thought that those dot matrix indicators had been moved too. I'm not sure whether it had actually moved in mid-February, but it certainly seemed to! Anyway, the issue I have with Mile End east is the OPO equipment - the false ceiling impinges on the top mirror, which just goes to show how low it is!! Sorry, but don't most OPO mirrors show part ceiling, part train and platform? What's different about these? Metronet were asked not to go ahead with the false ceiling by LU but carried on regardless. Why am I not surprised at this? They've adjusted some of the next train indicator signs now so they are visible rather than hidden above the false ceiling on the District/Central WB. There also seems to be a lot more signage around indictating which platform is which along with new next train indicators on the District/Central EB. It's all taking shape now and dare I say its actually starting to look decent. So hopefully back to the days of a nice easy, westbound Central to westbound District interchange then? |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2010 20:01:36 GMT
Can't say I have noticed any repositioned indicators!
However, they have fitted two brand new indicators for the two District Line platforms, both are almost touching the westbound headwall. They seem to be double faced, though whether both faces will be illuminated is another matter. If they are only the Train Operator will be able to see them, though this may meet a rule book requirement for T/Ops to check the platform describer displays, after all no others on the e/b can be seen.
Presumably mounted in this daft position as the only way they can be located low enough below the ceiling not to be a head bashing hazard. However most e/b passengers at least use the front of a District train and the boards are not visible from there or for most of the platform length.
On one of the station roof supporting pillars a small vertical dot matrix had been mounted (like the ones at Earls Court) no idea if this is for District or Central, I think it was on a pillar near to the bottom of the stairs close to the location of the obscured ceiling mounted one. Though useless of course to most of the passengers who use Mile End for cross platform interchange. If one is to be mounted on every pillar face this may actually resolve that problem. Though one can't help but feel solutions are having to be found to solve a monumental design flaw in the first place.
On the w/b District some "cross beams" have now been slung up under the ceiling, this has had the effect of obliterating 1/3 of the view of one of the platform monitors, leaving just a wafer thin view of the top area of some doors. No doubt the camera will need lowering and possibly supplemented with an additional camera and monitor to overcome this! <sigh>
(It is not correct to say the top portion of a monitor usually shows ceiling)
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Post by t697 on Jun 5, 2010 12:04:18 GMT
And when the present clutter is all sorted out, there will be a new challenge; incorporating the new cameras for the S stock track to train OPO CCTV, while the existing ones have to stay in place and all of them not obstruct the views.
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bowchurch
The next train on Platform 2 is the District Line to...
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Post by bowchurch on Jun 6, 2010 22:01:53 GMT
When the old suspended ceiling was taken down in Mile End I was hopeing it was gone for good. The old arches would have looked nice with a clean up and some uplighters, it would have given the station a much more airy feel.
Instead we get a nice new ceiling installed 6 inches or so below the previous one, with the sections around the stairs at least another 6 inches below that. The platforms are gradually looking brighter thanks to the new lights that are slowly being slotted in, but it doesn't make up for the fact the ceiling has got lower and the platforms feel smaller.
Maybe it was too much effort to 'tidy up' the ceiling void? Very little of the wiring was in cable trays or conduit, most was just randomly draped over the nearest bracket sticking out of a pillar. If it was all for the kit installed on the platforms (lighting, fire call points, DMIs, CCTV, ETS buttons etc.) then they could have been done as those assets got relocated during the refurbishment, but there seemed a lot of cables up there.
I also agree with the comments about the DMIs, I've lost track how many months they have been unreadable unless standing under them.
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Colin
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My preserved fire engine!
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Post by Colin on Jun 7, 2010 1:11:07 GMT
Sorry, but don't most OPO mirrors show part ceiling, part train and platform? What's different about these? As a picture speaks a thousand words, perhaps this will help....  Not only does the ceiling impinge on the mirror - see what I mean now? - they've actually built the ceiling around it!! You really couldn't make it up Now although this lower ceiling doesn't actually block the view of the train per se, unlike the westbound as Aspect has already mentioned above, surely somebody must have questioned the fact that this clearly didn't look right when they installed it. Did they seriously think "yep, that's a proper professional job is that"? |
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Post by t697 on Jun 7, 2010 18:20:45 GMT
Not only does the ceiling impinge on the mirror - see what I mean now? - they've actually built the ceiling around it!! You really couldn't make it up Now although this lower ceiling doesn't actually block the view of the train per se, unlike the westbound as Aspect has already mentioned above, surely somebody must have questioned the fact that this clearly didn't look right when they installed it. Did they seriously think "yep, that's a proper professional job is that"? When the C and D stock have all been withdrawn, the OPO mirrors and monitors will be removed under the S stock works. I bet that slot in the ceiling will still be there to puzzle travellers for years though. It really is a bonkers scheme isn't it. |
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Post by 21146 on Sept 10, 2010 17:50:57 GMT
Looking at the LTM on-line photo archive, I'm reminded that, as rebuilt in the 1940s, the ceiling over the District Line platforms at Mile End was over twice as high than it is now - some progress!
More bizarrely, the station entrance canopy included reference the the LMS. Was this to reflect the Southend All-Corridor Expresses which, in the event, never served the new station?
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