Earlestown Fire (20/05)

[M60lad]

1> How long is the railway at Earlestown going to be shut for after the fire yesterday?

2> Did the fire damage the railway in anyway and if so how?

 

[J-P_L]

Journey Check showing that it is expected until at least the end of the day depending on how long repairs take.

There has been damage to the overhead lines and some structures. A close inspection is required but obviously not able to until the fire service give the all clear.

Northern are diverting between Huyton and Patricroft with buses running in between. Chester services are running as normal.

TPE are terminating most services at Manchester Victoria with some running Cheshire Lines (where crew route knowledge allows).

 

[John Webb]

This was a major fire on an industrial estate involving plastic crates, a large building and also spread to an adjacent caravan park. Merseyside Fire Service had 20 pumps, two aerial appliances and other support at the scene. See Incident details on their website. Mentions that the adjacent railway was also affected but no details.

 

[weastebusdepot]

Surprised there are crews that sign Ince Moss Junction to Golborne Junction. Can't be a regularly used route with the limited paths available to cross the WCML.

 

[Mathew S]

Surprised there are crews that sign Ince Moss Junction to Golborne Junction. Can't be a regularly used route with the limited paths available to cross the WCML.

There's a regular hourly Northern service that way (Man Air - Barrow/Windermere), plus gets used by Southport & Preston - Manchester services as a diversion fairly often. It's also a diversion route for TPE, with at least one service a day operating that way (rather than via Bolton), presumably to retain route knowledge.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There's a regular hourly Northern service that way (Man Air - Barrow/Windermere), plus gets used by Southport & Preston - Manchester services as a diversion fairly often. It's also a diversion route for TPE, with at least one service a day operating that way (rather than via Bolton), presumably to retain route knowledge.

Never heard of a Southport going that way - when did that happen?

 

[skyhigh]

Some not-insignificant damage to the railway (not my pictures).

 

[Mathew S]

Never heard of a Southport going that way - when did that happen?

Weekends when Bolton & Atherton are both closed. They don't always do it, but usually hourly, non-stop Wallgate - Victoria.

 

[weastebusdepot]

That would involve calling at Wigan though, where as the present diversion crosses all four lines of the WCML without reversing.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Some not-insignificant damage to the railway (not my pictures).

View attachment 78252View attachment 78253

Looks to be mainly confined to linside equipment and a 10 metre or less stretch of the nearside track.

 

[skyhigh]

Looks to be mainly confined to linside equipment and a 10 metre or less stretch of the nearside track.

From what I've seen the fire was quite ferocious near the bridge, so I'm not sure if that's damaged, and I don't know if the overheads were also affected.

 

[John Webb]

Looks to be mainly confined to linside equipment and a 10 metre or less stretch of the nearside track.

From what I've seen the fire was quite ferocious near the bridge, so I'm not sure if that's damaged, and I don't know if the overheads were also affected.

The photos posted by skyhigh show at least two well-scorched OLE masts, so very likely the overheads were affected. Also severe scorching on the bridge and its abutment, so that will need a close examination to confirm it's OK - or not as the case may be.
There also appears to be a damaged Location cabinet - which may affect signalling?
By the way, the black on the track is not fire damage - it's an on/off loading point for road/rail machines used for repairs and maintenance.

 

[AMD]

Surprised there are crews that sign Ince Moss Junction to Golborne Junction. Can't be a regularly used route with the limited paths available to cross the WCML.

It's a paper briefing, if you sign the routes at both ends of the chord it's acceptable to learn the route by this method (Ince Moss to Bamfurlong that is).
The current situation with fewer trains has also helped with being able to run services this way as under a normal timetable it would be trickier.

 

[Bow Fell]

Surprised there are crews that sign Ince Moss Junction to Golborne Junction. Can't be a regularly used route with the limited paths available to cross the WCML.

It's a paper briefing, if you sign the routes at both ends of the chord it's acceptable to learn the route by this method (Ince Moss to Bamfurlong that is).
The current situation with fewer trains has also helped with being able to run services this way as under a normal timetable it would be trickier.

Thankfully, nearly every single Liverpool-Manchester Airport & return service is a Liverpool crew at the moment, and most sign the diversion.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Which section of the line in the Earlestown area is affected?

 

[weastebusdepot]

Which section of the line in the Earlestown area is affected?

The west side towards St Helen's Junction. The Chester services through platforms 4 & 5 are unaffected.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The west side towards St Helen's Junction. The Chester services through platforms 4 & 5 are unaffected.

Thanks. Presumably that's in the vicinity of Sankey Viaduct on the Western side of Earlestown station.

 

[skyhigh]

The photos posted by skyhigh show at least two well-scorched OLE masts, so very likely the overheads were affected. Also severe scorching on the bridge and its abutment, so that will need a close examination to confirm it's OK - or not as the case may be.
There also appears to be a damaged Location cabinet - which may affect signalling?
By the way, the black on the track is not fire damage - it's an on/off loading point for road/rail machines used for repairs and maintenance.

Reported with regards to OLE that around a dozen droppers, an earth clamp and two cantilevers need replacement.

 

[John Webb]

Thanks. Presumably that's in the vicinity of Sankey Viaduct on the Western side of Earlestown station.

The location is about halfway between the station and the viaduct. Photo taken just over 6 years ago as electrification works had just started (click on it to go to the larger original):
Junction Lane bridge, Earlestown railway station

© Copyright El Pollock and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Just under the bridge near the camera can be seen the base of the next bridge along the line (Sankey Street) - the fire was on the left just before that bridge.

 

[Elecman]

Reported with regards to OLE that around a dozen droppers, an earth clamp and two cantilevers need replacement.

Correct

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Correct

Wont the contact wire need re-tensioning too? Must have softened in the heat surely?

 

[Domh245]

Wont the contact wire need re-tensioning too? Must have softened in the heat surely?

It's auto-tensioned isn't it, so it should have maintained the tension?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It's auto-tensioned isn't it, so it should have maintained the tension?

Of course it is - silly me.

 

[furnessvale]

Of course it is - silly me.

Auto tension within ambient limits presumably. Not necessarily working correctly to cover the effects of external heat?

Maybe not so silly you after all.

 

[edwin_m]

Auto tension within ambient limits presumably. Not necessarily working correctly to cover the effects of external heat?

Maybe not so silly you after all.

It's only external heat over a short part of the wire run, so the actual amount of expansion shouldn't be great. Not sure how hot it needs to get before the tension stretches the copper plastically (irreversibly) or introduces some change to the metallurgy.

 

[Statto]

The fire must have been pretty intense, as i could see the smoke from the fire about an hour after the fire started & i live more than 20 miles away.

 

[TheGarner]

The fire must have been pretty intense, as i could see the smoke from the fire about an hour after the fire started & i live more than 20 miles away.

It was pretty bad - Huge black smoke for many hours. It was also a very hot day so that probably didn't help at all in terms of the spread.

Smoke by Matthew Garner, on Flickr

 

[6Gman]

The fire must have been pretty intense, as i could see the smoke from the fire about an hour after the fire started & i live more than 20 miles away.

We were walking on Bickerton Hill in South Cheshire and it was very obvious from there !

 

[Gathursty]

I managed to see a train branch off after Bryn to go south on the WCML. It was about 10 minutes late which meant I clapped in the middle of an empty woodland for key workers. My video is apparently too big to upload but will try again later.

I never expected to ever see such a service but it's a good job we still have this otherwise redundant curve. I think a biomass train also used the curve but was too late to see it actually on those rails.

 

[Bevan Price]

I managed to see a train branch off after Bryn to go south on the WCML. It was about 10 minutes late which meant I clapped in the middle of an empty woodland for key workers. My video is apparently too big to upload but will try again later.

I never expected to ever see such a service but it's a good job we still have this otherwise redundant curve. I think a biomass train also used the curve but was too late to see it actually on those rails.

Ince Moss curve is not redundant. It is used by the Tuebrook to Ashton In Makerfield (Edge Green) stone trains.