The wires are lower under the bridge, and it has been suggested elsewhere that there was too much coal in the tender which effectively meant it was out of gauge.
Why does this not surprise me.
That may just have been wind hitting the microphone, although obviously can’t be 100% certain on that.
I forgot to add it the video was released on the 21st November just over a week ago, so it's possible it was recent. However for anyone who hasn't gone into the video via YouTube, comments have been turned off so it's not possible to ask exactly when, while the video description doesn't give a date.
Playing it frame by frame, you can quite clearly see the moment the arcing starts and it is indeed at the top of the coal. You can also see a large quantity of, presumably now pulversied, coal being ejected out over both sides of the tender.
Electricity doing a bit more decarbonising!
Having been brought up on the Southern Region when there was still steam about, it doesn't seem to have been a problem. Saw it happening frequently and nothing appeared to happen. But your query has made me wonder! I assume the much lower voltage meant a much lower leakage current through the water to the earthed loco compared to the current taken by an EMU.
Has there ever been a fire in the tender coal?
I would imagine the intense heat at flashover does the cable no good, even if only weakening it a little. Probably not noticed in the scheme of things, but I consider it a major safety failure in that a flashover like this could cause knock-on effects with flying coal, and touching lumps of coal which, if rain-soaked, could then create a connection with the tender, and so on. This would be especially dangerous at very low speed where the contact could be much longer. Do not load the coal into an Egyptian pyramid formation - the rule is there for a reason. I recall also the incident at Bradford on Avon where a man of the platform had his arm broken by a large lump of coal flying off the pile on 'Tangmere' (I believe) passing at speed. I doubt if the crew were aware of anything happening in the din and flashing firelight of a footplate.
It's called pre-heating the coal! Seriously, I haven't heard of one but I'd be surprised if it's never happened (pre-1968 I mean).
I think you're right - I saw it not long ago with 35018 at West Byfleet. The cheerful waves from the crew did not suggest they were being fried!
Well, unless the crew somehow interposed themselves between the injector pipes and the 3rd rail, there isn't anywhere for then to get a shock. The other instance would be the whole loco raised to 750VDC, but that's very unlikely as all of it's wheels are firmly grounded on the running rails which will at least be grounded back at the feed point.
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think that was to do with normal ride height (some protruding part like a whistle or safety valve) rather than how high the tender can load.
Only certain ex LMS classes were yellow banded, the BR Standards and Stanier Class Fives were not. IIRC it was total (chimney) height that was the factor, as sections of the WCML south of Crewe (Nuneaton-Rugby) had a more restrictive loading gauge to avoid rebuilding certain bridges and tunnels.
Don’t touch this of Sutherland?
Duchess of Under Lines?
