ECML Blocked - Wires down at Retford

[SpacePhoenix]

Will the ECML eventually have all the OLE retrofitted to use portals?

 

[najaB]

Will the ECML eventually have all the OLE retrofitted to use portals?

Not necessarily all, but work is already in progress to upgrade key locations.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Not necessarily all, but work is already in progress to upgrade key locations.

Yes.

It's getting tedious now, and this is with a Class 91 with the deluxe pantograph. It'll be murder with IEP in pairs with the saver pantograph.

 

[najaB]

It's getting tedious now, and this is with a Class 91 with the deluxe pantograph. It'll be murder with IEP in pairs with the saver pantograph.

Did the pantograph kill the wires today, or the other way around?

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Did the pantograph kill the wires today, or the other way around?

Don't know yet.

In general, the BR/BW high speed pantograph with head mounted aerofoils are seriously reliable and have really good contact behaviour, creating less strain on the catenary. The knuckle mounted variant isn't as good and creates more strain on the catenary. Class 91 has the head mounted aerofoils, IEP doesn't.

 

[MrCub]

Finally, the Hull Trains person at Doncaster was really on the ball. Unfortunately all the trains he was expecting didn't turn up but he was extremely proactive. If anyone knows who he is or can at least tell me how Hull Trains might identify him, please PM me as I'd like to write to his employers.

Travelled from Hull to Kings Cross today; had to change from a local service at Doncaster onto HT. Agree that there was a very helpful HT employee on the platform.

HT staff were excellent throughout; service diverted so a longer journey and they waited for a connection from Hull to ensure all booked passengers made it; the delay didn't really matter because all the efforts by the staff mitigated against it and so the final impression was very positive, despite being over an hour late. Just shows what a difference the staff can make.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

East coast living up to its nickname, Going Nowhere Except Retford!

Wire damage was limited to down line. Coasting arranhements put in place until network rail were able to put a posession on for repairs. Up line unaffected as far as damage was concerned but debry would have blocked the track

 

[goatie]

Wires come down for 2 main reasons. Wind, or trains making the wires swing, panto then looses contact and gets caught up, then pulls it all down.
Or. Panto. Worn or damaged carbon strip, gets caught.
Modern systems should have a panto damage kit, where, when it goes wrong, it drops.

Here is a video of a panto being damaged and then trashing the overhead. (in germany)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgCPPeYmyKw

those are the reasons that the OHLE engineers like to tell you, but they miss off OHLE failure,
OHLE failure can be as simple as too many broken droppers off in a span length, allowing contact wire movement, or snapped dropper getting wrapped in pan head, but don't worry those snapped droppers soon disappear before pan goes back to workshop for checking