First Generation DMU Fires!

[Falcon1200]

Based off that, I assume the freightliners were piloted by diesels between Polmadie & Coatbridge Terminal for as long as the diversion was in place?

Yes, that would have been the case; I'm afraid I can't recall whether the electrics were detached at Polmadie or went through to Coatbridge.

 

[Richard Scott]

Next along for fire loss must be the earlier Class 81-86 electric locos. Quite why electric vehicles, with no flammable fuel on board, should be so susceptible is a puzzle. I understand that a couple of generations ago, in cities that had both diesel buses and trolleybuses, of the same body construction, the latter were also more commonly lost to fire.

Would have thought poor maintenance with oil in transformer catching fire as mercury-arc rectifiers were not used in 85s and 86s (being solid state) and I thought were replaced with solid state in at least the 81s and possibly others?
SNCF 25500s seemed very prone to fires in their latter years, probably for same reason.
A bit off topic, though!

 

[randyrippley]

Would have thought poor maintenance with oil in transformer catching fire as mercury-arc rectifiers were not used in 85s and 86s (being solid state) and I thought were replaced with solid state in at least the 81s and possibly others?
SNCF 25500s seemed very prone to fires in their latter years, probably for same reason.
A bit off topic, though!

81s were supposedly refitted to make the electricals the same as the 85. Apparently they tried as far as possible to make them a homogenous fleet (electrically)

 

[Elecman]

At the high levels of energy discharged in any electrical fault especially at the high fault current levels associated with 25kV supplies any arcing fault will result in a fire

 

[edwin_m]

At the high levels of energy discharged in any electrical fault especially at the high fault current levels associated with 25kV supplies any arcing fault will result in a fire

There have been plenty of fires in 750V equipment too, as a short circuit with some resistance may not draw enough current to trigger an overload.

 

[43096]

There have been plenty of fires in 750V equipment too, as a short circuit with some resistance may not draw enough current to trigger an overload.

Including the incident at Windsor and Eton Riverside in 2015. RAIB report is here: https://www.gov.uk/raib-reports/arcing-and-fire-at-windsor-eaton-riverside