Heating duct smell (West coast route)

[ScottGallagher]

Back in the day with the mk3 stock on West Coast I always remember that random strong rubber burning smell that would randomly infiltrate the carriages , What was the reason for this? Up there with the stinky pendolino toilet smell!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Back in the day with the mk3 stock on West Coast I always remember that random strong rubber burning smell that would randomly infiltrate the carriages , What was the reason for this? Up there with the stinky pendolino toilet smell!

Brake linings. There was a design flaw in the Mk3 that put the air intake too near the brakes. There was a design change later that closed the intakes if the brakes were on, but you still got it.

 

[Mag_seven]

The only smell as such that I can remember was when the train braked too sharply and you got the smell of burning brake blocks.

 

[ScottGallagher]

The only smell as such that I can remember was when the train braked too sharply and you got the smell of burning brake blocks.

Thats what i thought at first it was pretty vile!

 

[30907]

Thats what i thought at first it was pretty vile!

And a feature of HSTs too!

 

[randyrippley]

ABS disk brake pads
There was a rumour that they were originally asbestos and had to be rapidly replaced when it was realised dust was entering the cabin from them.
If I remember correctly the supposed design flaw was intentional in that hot air from the brakes was deliberately routed to the cabin as a free source of heat. But no-one thought through the dust and fumes issue

 

[Grumpy Git]

ABS disk brake pads
There was a rumour that they were originally asbestos and had to be rapidly replaced when it was realised dust was entering the cabin from them.
If I remember correctly the supposed design flaw was intentional in that hot air from the brakes was deliberately routed to the cabin as a free source of heat. But no-one thought through the dust and fumes issue

The "black" faces of 50s/60s racing drivers was due mainly to brake dust

 

[Sad Sprinter]

You can still smell this on Northern Line trains sometimes.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Isn't this the "Tube" smell as well?

 

[hexagon789]

There was a rumour that they were originally asbestos and had to be rapidly replaced when it was realised dust was entering the cabin from them.

They did originally contain asbestos, they were changed to non-absbestos ones at the same time as many other modifications were made to the braking system.

 

[hexagon789]

Brake linings. There was a design flaw in the Mk3 that put the air intake too near the brakes. There was a design change later that closed the intakes if the brakes were on, but you still got it.

As I understand it if, as recommended in the braking instructions, an initial brake application was made to commence retardation of the train this was sufficient to close the vents and then a heavier brake application as required little or no smell would be evident as the vents would be closed before the heavier application was made.

Presumably many drivers just stuck the brake straight in though, or the vent mechanism wasn't always reliable at closing to atmosphere under brake applications.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Isn't this the "Tube" smell as well?

No it's definitely the smell the OP mentions, I remember them strongly on childhood runs on 125s when the trains would break sharply before Didcot-or at a signal check somewhere in the middle of a field in Whiltshire. Always hated that smell. On the Northern Line, I notice you tend to smell it most northbound at Stockwell. I wonder if its got something to do with the strange hump in the rails the train goes over just before braking into the station.

 

[Trackman]

It was one of the Living Carpets for those who saw the original series of Vic Reeve's Big Night out. Sadly there is not a you tube clip. It went something like 'You know that horrible burning smell on a train? Well that's me that is'

 

[coppercapped]

ABS disk brake pads
There was a rumour that they were originally asbestos and had to be rapidly replaced when it was realised dust was entering the cabin from them.
If I remember correctly the supposed design flaw was intentional in that hot air from the brakes was deliberately routed to the cabin as a free source of heat. But no-one thought through the dust and fumes issue

As I understood it at the time the air intakes were placed low down to avoid sucking in diesel engine exhaust fumes which tend to attach to the air flow along the top of the trains when moving at speed.

It seemed to me to be the right call - a bit of a pong every so often instead of having trainloads of carbon monoxide poisoned passengers.

 

[DLJ]

No it's definitely the smell the OP mentions, I remember them strongly on childhood runs on 125s when the trains would break sharply before Didcot-or at a signal check somewhere in the middle of a field in Whiltshire. Always hated that smell.

That's how I remember it - 'Anchors on' at Didcot East, always.