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(a) The number in the sheds at any one time varies considerably, the
number under steam or getting up steam varying from 3 to 50
engines. There are generally more engines on the sidings during
the end of the week.
(iii) The method of lighting fires in the engines (the chief cause of smoke
nuisance) is by means of some dozen fire lighters and coal. The fuel
is reasonably good, but they have to use what is sent; no Welsh
steam coal is used. The fires are lighted in the engines at all times
night or day. The American method of firing suggested by Dr.
Owens is not the one used.
(tv) No coke is used in firing owing to the excessive time required by
such method to get up steam.
(v) The time required for an engine to get up steam is four hours.
Independent blast is not used except in an emergency owing to the
possibility of damage to boiler pipes.
(vi) The number of engines fired from cold varies considerably and
although each engine boiler is filled with warm water after cleansing,
an engine may stand so long before being fired that the water in the
boiler becomes cold.
(vii) It appears that since the coalhopper was built there has been a
considerable reduction in the dust nuisance which has been a cause
of complaint in the past. The recommendation of Dr. Owens regarding
an ash-pit for receiving ashes from the fire boxes has been
adopted but not all firemen use it. Engines which are on the siding
some distance from the ash-pits are not always shunted to the ashpits
because of the delay this would cause, and the ashes are emptied
on to the permanent way. These ashes are loaded periodically by
hand on to a railway waggon thus spreading a considerable amount
of dust which can be observed from the bridge.
It is almost impossible to eliminate all smoke from these sidings during
shunting operations, but it could be minimised if firemen exercised care
and intelligence when feeding the fires so that each engine consumed its
own smoke, as far as practicable, and in addition if some other means
could be devised of preventing the emission of volumes of smoke when
steam is being raised.
A series of smoke observations on the engines and engine sheds were
carried out by the sanitary inspectors during January and February, 1951.
The results of these were reported to the Health Committee in March
and the Committee recommended that in order to carry out a more
scientific survey of the atmospheric pollution in the North Haringey area,
three deposit gauges be installed in selected positions and monthly
examinations of deposit matter submitted for analysis.
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