EMT Meridian Dropped Gearbox at East Langton

[Old Timer]

Hearing word over here, that 1F48 1455 St Pancras to Sheffield (222 005) lost a gearbox at East Langton, not clear if derailed or not - differing reports.

Apparantly following 1D49 to run slow line and pull alongside to receive passengers off 1F48

 

[ralphchadkirk]

According to CCL, journeys delayed by approximately 60 minutes, though it is unclear whether these are linked.

Is it not 1F45, a StP - Sheff train departed at 1455?

 

[route:oxford]

Apparantly following 1D49 to run slow line and pull alongside to receive passengers off 1F48

What is the process in these circumstances?

Is it quite literally draw alongside and passengers step across?

 

[mumrar]

What is the process in these circumstances?

Is it quite literally draw alongside and passengers step across?

I don't think people with a sufficiently wide enough stride exist to step across. Depending on the location, trains aren't of course always the same distance apart. I'd imagine they'd detrain via emergency ladders and board the other train the same way. I don't think there's a tried and tested piece of equipment that could be used as a 'walk the plank' method.

 

[transportphoto]

What about a Wheelchair Ramp laid flatish between the two trains for short distances. One person at a time - but it could be a go'er.

 

[mumrar]

What about a Wheelchair Ramp laid flatish between the two trains for short distances. One person at a time - but it could be a go'er.

I don't think they're approved for this kind of use, if they're long enough for the gap. I wouldn't risk it myself if I worked for EMT, there's going to be enough of a **** storm over whatever caused the acident in the first place.

 

[the sniper]

I'd imagine they'd detrain via emergency ladders and board the other train the same way.

Where would the ladders come from? Would a TOC equivalent of a mobile operations manager have to turn up with them? I presume they're not carried onboard.

Wouldn't it be quicker just to let able bodied passengers climb out of one train and into another via the cabs?

 

[Murph]

What about a Wheelchair Ramp laid flatish between the two trains for short distances. One person at a time - but it could be a go'er.

Nice idea, but I can't see it passing muster with H&S unless it was firmly retained at both ends, and had reasonable side guard rails. A fall from that sort of height might not seem a huge risk, but there's lots of solid things on both trains below platform level, and on the trackbed itself, enough to do serious damage to the skull of someone who impacts the wrong thing while falling. A lesser consequence would be a broken arm or leg.

Using an established and practiced emergency de-training procedure should be a far less risky endeavour for all concerned. As has already been pointed out, the HSE/RAIB spotlights will undoubtably be warming up for the incident, so any well-trained/sensible person involved will be acting very conservatively and not about to risk moving people across a jury-rigged bridge for the sake of saving some time, or a little convenience.

I'm assuming here that the wheelchair ramps have never been designed for anything close to that purpose.

 

[142094]

Where would the ladders come from? Would a TOC equivalent of a mobile operations manager have to turn up with them? I presume they're not carried onboard.

I know that in the 225s ladders are kept in the trailer. Even some 142s have emergency ladders. Wonder if there is space on a 222 for ladders?

 

[ChrisCooper]

Where would the ladders come from? Would a TOC equivalent of a mobile operations manager have to turn up with them? I presume they're not carried onboard.

Wouldn't it be quicker just to let able bodied passengers climb out of one train and into another via the cabs?

All passenger trains do carry at least one ladder onboard for emergency detrainment. They used to be carried in guards vans, but where these are not provided (e.g on most modern units) they might be in the cab, hung from the cealing of the gangway behind the cab (a lot of the Mk3 based EMUs), or in a locker somewhere.

Just to point out, the line at East Langton is 2 track, so the other train would have come alongside by running wrong line. Both tracks are bi-directionally signalled.

 

[starrymarkb]

So that's what the low ceiling bit on mk3 EMUs is?

 

[the sniper]

All passenger trains do carry at least one ladder onboard for emergency detrainment. They used to be carried in guards vans, but where these are not provided (e.g on most modern units) they might be in the cab, hung from the cealing of the gangway behind the cab (a lot of the Mk3 based EMUs), or in a locker somewhere.

Well, I didn't know that. Thanks for the info chap.

 

[royaloak]

Tis 1F45 1455 St Pancras to Sheffield formed of 222005-
60165-60555-60565-60625-60443-60347-60245

coach 60625 lost gearbox/derailed formation

 

[mumrar]

So that's what the low ceiling bit on mk3 EMUs is?

Is that not for the pantograph and associated transformers etc.?

 

[starrymarkb]

I'd say that if it wasn't a class 455

 

[Pumbaa]

coach 60625 lost gearbox/derailed formation

Technically not a gearbox though - final drive? I'm not sure what the term is. But as a DEMU, the 222s, as the 221s and 220s most definitely do not have gearboxes!

Not having a chip at you RO, just questioning the validity of the term being used in this incident as a whole.

 

[Murph]

Technically not a gearbox though - final drive? I'm not sure what the term is. But as a DEMU, the 222s, as the 221s and 220s most definitely do not have gearboxes!

I don't know that much about the mechanicals of the 22x, to be honest, but I'd guess it's either a traction motor, or some sort of final drive gearbox between the traction motor and axles.

 

[royaloak]

Its the final drive gearbox, the traction motor is mounted on the body-shell, a drive shaft then runs to the final drive which is mounted on the axle.

 

[yorkie]

News report here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8526734.stm

It did refer to a "derailed" train originally but this was changed to "broken down".

Up to 200 passengers were forced to leave a train when it broke down and started leaking fuel in Leicestershire.
Fire crews were called by police to assist in transferring the travellers onto another train, near Kibworth, on at about 1730 GMT on Saturday evening.
The 1455 GMT London St Pancras-to-Sheffield train is still blocking the line where it was forced to stop.
It was unable to reach a station so passengers were taken off onto the tracks, East Midlands Trains said.
Trains diverted
There were no reported injuries during the incident and passengers were later able to continue their journey on a different train.
In a statement, East Midlands Trains said: "During this transfer, the safety of our passengers was our top priority, and the fire brigade assisted to ensure that all passengers were transferred safely."
Fire crews also located and dealt with the leak of oil and diesel from the train.
Emergency staff remained at the scene for nearly three hours.
Services from Nottingham and Leicester to London were diverted adding about 45 minutes onto journeys.

 

[No Fault Found]

Allegedly the output bearing in the final drive got so hot it melted into the axle and the axle snapped. The wheel was meant to have been sitting at a 30 degree angle.

 

[Old Timer]

The axle failed, followed by the collapse of the gearbox, leading to the disintegration of the wheel.

The train ran for over 3 miles during this sequence of events, the derailment being discovered when the driver went to investigate a fire alarm activation for which he had stopped the train specially I am told.

 

[No Fault Found]

I was told that the drive failed first, this info came from a Voith technician. I'd be very surprised if the axle failed first.

 

[Murph]

I was told that the drive failed first, this info came from a Voith technician. I'd be very surprised if the axle failed first.

Pure guesswork here, but was it the following sequence of events:

1. Bearing where axle meets final drive overheats to the point of seizing
2. Axle fails due to heat and seized bearing
3. Failing axle removes support for and/or drags final drive from frame

I.e. the first and last part of the overall failure were associated with the final drive.

 

[No Fault Found]

Pure guesswork here, but was it the following sequence of events:

1. Bearing where axle meets final drive overheats to the point of seizing
2. Axle fails due to heat and seized bearing
3. Failing axle removes support for and/or drags final drive from frame

I.e. the first and last part of the overall failure were associated with the final drive.

That was how i understood it. Axle failure on passenger vehicles is a very rare occurence due to the overhaul procedures they undergo, axle design and regular UAT carried out.

 

[Murph]

That was how i understood it. Axle failure on passenger vehicles is a very rare occurence due to the overhaul procedures they undergo, axle design and regular UAT carried out.

In that case, I think the sequence of events I hypothesised above explains why there's a little confusion, as the first part of the failure was with both the final drive and axle (although not a failure of the axle itself). I personally agree with calling it a final drive failure (the bearing being the root cause), but can understand how some would see it as an axle failure.