Hearts of lifting machines

We continue the “Keyhole” section. In it, an MS correspondent spends one day with a builder, “spying” on his work. This time the hero of the column was Nikolai Timonin, electrician and installer of SMU-4 Mosmetrostroy. He talked about the tricks that come with experience, and about important accidents.


SMU-4 specialists are working on the installation of gates, elevators and escalators at Nizhnyaya Maslovka, an interchange station from the Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line to Bolshaya Koltsevaya. The head of the site, Sergei Burtsev, supervises the installation of all lifting and transport equipment and coordinates the work of employees at the station.

– As of today, the valves are already 80 percent of the total volume ready. On May 16, rigging work began and the first escalator truss was lowered,” says Sergei. – Nikolai Timonin’s team is already in the “E” zone of the first slope.

From the two-story headquarters overlooking Savelovsky Station we head to Butyrskaya Street, pass under the overpass and go to the first slope. The tunnel is completely concreted - everything at the top is clean and ready for the descent of the escalator elements. Two drives hang over the 65-meter abyss - the hearts of the lifting machines. Each weight is 20 tons. Nikolai Timonin comes up to us from the station - it’s easy to distinguish the commander: the letter “T” is emblazoned on his orange helmet, and above it is the inscription “Moskau”.

– I’ve been in SMU-4 since ’88, in August I’ll turn exactly 30 years old. “T” - after the last name - was always written on the helmet: in a change house it can be difficult to find yours out of 15. This helps to speed up, - Timonin shares his little trick. – And “Moscow” is in German, because I learned the language before.

Today Nikolai’s key task is to install the escalator drives. To do this, axial strings are stretched at an angle from a horizontal beam installed above the vestibule. The machines are calibrated using them to level them relative to the tunnel. Soon they will be lowered into the station, and then the opening at the top of the slope will be concreted. Installation of escalators will take place inside in zones “D” and below. There are five people in Nikolai’s management: having risen from the station to zone “E”, he approaches everyone and is interested in their work.

– I know the whole process and understand that there is simply no need to do anything extra. I imagine what lies ahead and how it can be accomplished quickly. “Under my leadership, young colleagues carry out tasks,” says Timonin. – For example, we installed the farm in two hours. And usually this takes three days. I was taught at one time: “You have to do it well right away, bad - it will work out on its own,” so I do.

Nikolai Timonin graduated from the Mytishchi Mechanical Engineering College. I received a technical education - with that in the 80s they didn’t hire me to become mechanics. Nikolai got a job at the ZIL plant, at the gas station, but on the way from the next interview he saw an advertisement for recruiting employees at SMU-4 and was among those who wanted to work on the construction of the metro, but did not have housing in the capital. Thanks to a happy accident, he was appointed to the construction of Tsvetnoy Boulevard and remained at Mosmetrostroy forever.

– I don’t meddle in other people’s tasks, I’m of little interest in politics. And the interaction of departments, in any case, is a political issue,” says Timonin, tightening the bolts on the last drive with a huge wrench. – I can already see from experience where, for example, ventilation is not in the right place. But I don’t make unnecessary comments to anyone. And there have never been any complaints about our work.

The manager has very little time: during the day he has to go down to the station several times, each time climbing 300 steps. According to plans, the first lobby will be commissioned by City Day in September, and installation of the remaining mechanisms will begin in July. First, trusses will be lowered to the station for transfer to Savelovskaya, then for the second vestibule.

HELP

At the beginning of 2018, the first section of the Big Circle Line from Petrovsky Park to the Business Center was opened. The ring will also include the already existing Kakhovskaya metro line. The third interchange circuit will become the longest line in the world, overtaking the existing record holder - the 57 km long Second Ring of the Beijing Metro.