Emergency traction - Moorgate Tunnels

[Mcq]

Always happy to learn - last week's points failure at Moorgate caused me to wonder what emergency traction, presumably electric, is available to service/rescue issues that arise in the tunnel.
For instance how would you transport a new set of points there, had that been required and traction power needed to be turned off.
I remember LU had some battery locos, does NR have anything similar.
There must be other scenarios where traction power has to be either turned off or has failed, where some motive power is needed.

 

[mmh]

Probably a diesel locomotive hauling an open wagon, and a diesel powered railed crane, or similar. There will be many tunnels where, while all normal services are electric, there is no blanket ban on diesel, including through underground stations, particularly if these are closed to the public by virtue of there being no service.

 

[alholmes]

When the Network Rail test train runs down to Moorgate it’s powered by a couple of class 73 locomotives.

 

[mmh]

When the Network Rail test train runs down to Moorgate it’s powered by a couple of class 73 locomotives.

On electric power ordinarily, presumably. It won't be doing that if the power is off though.

 

[4F89]

Class 66's fit nicely into the Liverpool 3rd rail underground, anything is possibly! Bit smoky tho

 

[Nym]

Small note.
LUL don't use their battery locos for rescue and for most fleets and most (all but ten, which can't run anyway) can't rescue anyway.

 

[Mcq]

Ok just thinking that any diesel chucking away in those tunnels can't take long to make it insufferable - better battery or H2.

Secondary question - I believe that the current signalling is not bi-directional - though may be that will be possible once upgrade is finished?
If a train had been in platform 10 and those points were stuck so as not to allow the crossover - would an engine be able to access it and haul it wrong direction out to say Drayton Park?

 

[Lee_Again]

You'll like this....

 

[sharpinf]

Little bit off topic but there's clips of Class 37s being used on test trains in the Heathrow Tunnels. Being newer tunnels they should be able to fan away any emissions but I'm sure the smell would linger for a while!

(not my video)

[Video shows class 37 on a test train pulling out of Heathrow Terminal 5 station]

 

[Mcq]

Oh boy - I certainly did - especially at 2m31s to see the class 73 running 'wrong way' in Moorgate tunnel?
So is there signalling for that or special powers of some sort?
Presumably in all cases the 73 were running on 3rd rail through the tunnels - not on diesel?
Thank you.

 

[alholmes]

Oh boy - I certainly did - especially at 2m31s to see the class 73 running 'wrong way' in Moorgate tunnel?
So is there signalling for that or special powers of some sort?
Presumably in all cases the 73 were running on 3rd rail through the tunnels - not on diesel?
Thank you.

There’s a trailing crossover at each end of Drayton Park, so the southbound move from the northbound platform at Drayton Park would have immediately crossed over to the southbound line. It’s a fully signalled move, though rarely used.

 

[Mcq]

Thank you for that info - I can see it on OpenTrainTimes.
When the new signalling is complete will it allow bi-directional running?

So back to my original scenario - if traction is required in the tunnels and power is off, then diesel would be allowed as there is no battery unit?

 

[CyrusWuff]

According to the Sectional Appendix, the only things cleared to run between Drayton Park and Moorgate are 313s, 73s (on electric) and allegedly 88s(!)

717s aren't mentioned in the route clearance tables at all, but obviously must be cleared or there'd be no service down there!

 

[Mcq]

So presumably that would be class 88 on diesel as they don't gave 3rd rail capability do they?
So if there was a power failure the only traction that can go in the tunnels according to the book is a class 88,
Well that's not what I was expecting.

 

[zwk500]

Is loco gauge cleared through the tunnels?

 

[DanNCL]

According to the Sectional Appendix, the only things cleared to run between Drayton Park and Moorgate are 313s, 73s (on electric) and allegedly 88s(!)

717s aren't mentioned in the route clearance tables at all, but obviously must be cleared or there'd be no service down there!

So presumably that would be class 88 on diesel as they don't gave 3rd rail capability do they?
So if there was a power failure the only traction that can go in the tunnels according to the book is a class 88,
Well that's not what I was expecting.

The Eastern Region sectional appendix also quotes 88s as cleared to operate over the chords that link Network Rail and Nexus infrastructure at Pelaw, which nothing other Metrocars are actually permitted to operate over. As with the example I gave in the North East, this example with Moorgate is likely an error with the sectional appendix.

 

[Mcq]

So with 717s not in the appendix and 88s in but maybe in error - in the event of a real emergency who makes the important decisions?

 

[MikePJ]

One thing to note is that modern diesel engines produce a lot less soot and smoke than the older ones. Eurotunnel's fleet of rescue and maintenance locomotives used to tow scrubber wagons to clean up their exhaust, but this was replaced with a much more compact particulate filter ("HUG Mobiclean", apparently) once the filter technology had improved. I suspect that the rebuilt 73/9s with modern engines (GBRF say they meet the Stage IIIA standard, which isn't quite the latest but is still way better than a 1960s engine!) would prove to be usable in the tunnels without too many issues.

 

[zwk500]

So with 717s not in the appendix and 88s in but maybe in error - in the event of a real emergency who makes the important decisions?

In a real emergency the primary concern is the safety of passengers and staff, so if the train was trapped and nothing able to reach it they would block the line, turn off the 3rd rail (if either/both are needed) and evacuate to the surface. Turning at Drayton Park and redirecting people to the tube at Finsbury Park/King's Cross until the train could be recovered would be better than causing damage to the tunnel or a train, even if it was until the end of service.
In terms of cleared trains, there's other (usually temporary) authorities than the Sectional Appendix. The 717s will have paperwork to go down the tunnel if they're running in service. The Operations Manager would make the decision about which trains are authorised over the line, the Train Running Controller would select the most appropriate option after discussing what is available with NR and the TOCs.

The Eastern Region sectional appendix also quotes 88s as cleared to operate over the chords that link Network Rail and Nexus infrastructure at Pelaw, which nothing other Metrocars are actually permitted to operate over. As with the example I gave in the North East, this example with Moorgate is likely an error with the sectional appendix.

It's extremely unlikely to be an error in the sense that the 88 is actually foul to gauge. If it's shown as cleared, somebody has signed a document that says it fits. As you can imagine, the people authorised to sign such documents tend to be rather careful about doing so. However not every loco is assessed for every line, so locos are often listed as prohibited simply because nobody has ever asked if it's possible to run one over the line.