WCML South Problems

[DarloRich]

I am at [stn]mkc[/stn] and all services are suspended due to OHLE problems between Euston and Watford Junction nothing moving and all boards cleared!

 

[FManc]

No Virgin Trains in or out of London Euston until 17:00
Ouch.

 

[DarloRich]

coaches already lined up at MKC

 

[Matt Taylor]

1H07 0630 Glasgow-Euston lost a pantograph just south of Wembley I believe.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

0630 GLC - EUS lost pan , also damage to xx054 LM train - 3 out of 4 lines affected in the Wembley area.

Severe disruption accordingly.

 

[MCR247]

Thank God I didn't do a Great Escape today!

 

[SS4]

Affected in Birmingham too. Passengers are being advised to use Chiltern (so I did)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The 1355ex [STN]BMO[/STN] is full and standing even before leaving

 

[DarloRich]

LM have gone for "end of the world banner headline typeface" on thier website:

http://www.londonmidland.com/

 

[ushawk]

Southern MKC - South Croydon services are suspended and Bakerloo Line also suspended north of Stonebridge Park due to "Local Power Problems".

Overground doesnt seem to have any problems though, so this would be extremely busy.

 

[ainsworth74]

1H07 0630 Glasgow-Euston lost a pantograph just south of Wembley I believe.

0630 GLC - EUS lost pan , also damage to xx054 LM train - 3 out of 4 lines affected in the Wembley area..

As in the pantograph has been ripped off the train or am I reading too much into 'lost a pan'?

 

[Schnellzug]

it does rather seem to me that the people who enthusastically push for electrification of everything usually seem to rather overlook what seems to be the fact that overhead electrification does seem to be rather fragile, and when it comes down everything stops, not just one individual train, as would be the case with other forms of propulsion. Can we be assured that when (for instance) the Great Western line is electrificated, this problem will not occur?

 

[DarloRich]

it does rather seem to me that the people who enthusastically push for electrification of everything usually seem to rather overlook what seems to be the fact that overhead electrification does seem to be rather fragile, and when it comes down everything stops, not just one individual train, as would be the case with other forms of propulsion. Can we be assured that when (for instance) the Great Western line is electrificated, this problem will not occur?

No - of course not! That is like saying can you guarantee that every time you set out in the car you won’t have a crash?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

As in the pantograph has been ripped off the train or am I reading too much into 'lost a pan'?

Have to wait for todays log - at best the pan head , at worst the whole pan mountings .......either way , a hefty repair bill.

Let alone the disruption.

 

[ushawk]

Could just be me being thick, but how could the whole panto be ripped off ? And what has happened to the train operating 1H07 ?

 

[Michael.Y]

I much prefer third rail. Less visual impact on the surroundings, less railside structure to vandalise / go wrong... it's my preferred system.

 

[Schnellzug]

No - of course not! That is like saying can you guarantee that every time you set out in the car you won’t have a crash?

But people always seem very forgiving of this fragility when they're reciting all the advantages of electrification; it may very well be Clean & Green, but it does have the tendency to cause an awful lot of disruption and inconvenience.

 

[Hydro]

I much prefer third rail. Less visual impact on the surroundings, less railside structure to vandalise / go wrong... it's my preferred system.

Unfortunately it cannot realistically provide the power demand for an intensive 125mph railway.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Could just be me being thick, but how could the whole panto be ripped off ? And what has happened to the train operating 1H07 ?

Not unusual , depending on precise damage and speed , if the OLE parts (or the associated structural equipment such as the hefty insulators and parts of a neutral section come adrift) - a severed contact wire can hook under the pan mountings and literally tear the pan out of the roof based mountings.

I had 3 313 sets damaged in this way in one week - 2 on the West London line on the day it opened for 25kV , and one on the NLL at Acton. (and this was at fairly low speed)

The train will be evacuated in due course , and assisted away - probably suing whatever loco is available locally.

 

[ushawk]

Buses now reported as running between MKC and Euston and between MKC and Luton Airport Parkway, which is good as it doesnt seem FCC are accepting tickets.

Now also 40 minute delays to the Overground.

 

[ainsworth74]

Unfortunately it cannot realistically provide the power demand for an intensive 125mph railway.

Isn't there also issues with the way the conductor rail and the contact shoes interact at those sorts of speeds?

Not that it really matters because there is no way you're going to run something like the ECML or WCML or even the GWML in anything like its present form with third rail. It is also perhaps telling that NR are seriously looking at converting the existing third rail routes to OHLE.

 

[Mike395]

Have been caught up in the disruption - on the 14:30 ex-Marylebone, full and standing, but running to time . Accepted my LM Advance, no issues whatsoever.

 

[Schnellzug]

Isn't there also issues with the way the conductor rail and the contact shoes interact at those sorts of speeds?

Not that it really matters because there is no way you're going to run something like the ECML or WCML or even the GWML in anything like its present form with third rail. It is also perhaps telling that NR are seriously looking at converting the existing third rail routes to OHLE.

yes. Speed is what matters. Never mind reliability, or the thousands who are inconvenienced when modern, efficient, reliable overhead comes down, regularly. As it says just a few posts above,

Not unusual , depending on precise damage and speed , if the OLE parts (or the associated structural equipment such as the hefty insulators and parts of a neutral section come adrift) - a severed contact wire can hook under the pan mountings and literally tear the pan out of the roof based mountings.

I had 3 313 sets damaged in this way in one week - 2 on the West London line on the day it opened for 25kV , and one on the NLL at Acton. (and this was at fairly low speed)

The train will be evacuated in due course , and assisted away - probably suing whatever loco is available locally.

But it's still so preferable in every way to old fashioned third rail, not to even mention stinky Diesels, isn't it.

 

[MCR247]

Tbf you are making it sound like this happens daily on a piece of track used by 2tpd

 

[ushawk]

Overground now suspended between Willesden Jct and Watford Jct, so i make it that all lines through Wembley are now closed. How come they have all had to be shut ?

 

[the sniper]

Overground now suspended between Willesden Jct and Watford Jct, so i make it that all lines through Wembley are now closed. How come they have all had to be shut ?

Seemingly to allow the evacuation of the stricken Pendo.

 

[laphroaig]

I just walked past South Kenton, there was a pendo at the signal on the up fast just north of the station being de-trained, weird to see police and staff plus people carting their luggage all over the tracks, but (rather obviously!) they had isolated the power to the DC lines so people could walk up onto the platform.

 

[callum112233]

How far did they have to walk?

 

[laphroaig]

Fortunately not far, maybe 100m. If the DC isn't back on yet they'll have another 1km walk to the Metropolitan line though.

 

[SS4]

Any updates?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Yeah, due on 1930 Preston tonight, does it look OK?