HST power car on fire at Penzance

[alex17595]

Just seen this video on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/mark.m.hall/posts/1919259188107817

I believe it is 43 138 but I can't find the photograph.

Can't find any news sources but it looks like nothing has arrived into Penzance for a while.


Edit: News source

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/penzance-railway-station-fire-smoke-1469988

"Fire crews are at the scene of a fire at Penzance railway station this evening after clouds of smoke came billowing from the building.

Passersby and passengers on the platform stood back as clouds of smoke were seen pouring from under the canopy.

Three fire engines immediately arrived at the scene after the fire, at around 8.15pm.

Reports from the scene show that the fire is from a train inside the station.

Keith Lesser who was passing the station at the time, said: “There were two fire engines in the parking area with hoses out and firemen running about. A third engine was racing towards the station with its sirens blaring."

 

[ModernRailways]

Photo below. Not my photo, was found on Twitter.
https://i.imgur.com/m6MJRns.png

 

[Master29]

Thankfully no one hurt. Looked pretty serious on FB earlier though

 

[83G/84D]

An HST power car has caught fire at Penzance after arriving from Paddington tonight. I don’t have details of which one or extent of damage however fire brigade attended and station was evacuated.

 

[Busaholic]

Thankfully no one hurt. Looked pretty serious on FB earlier though

That's because the lack of ventilation in the roof means the only places the smoke can escape are where the roof ends and, to only a limited degree since doors were installed, the passenger entrance, just to the right of where you see the fire engines on that video.

 

[co-tr-paul]

B exam loco 57604 used to move stock to depot. Guess Riviera running from St Erth but can't confirm.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Update, left PZ 52 late.

 

[XCTurbostar]

I guess it’s not going to Scotland after all!

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Good evening all. Just to keep people up to date, smoke was reported coming from one of the power cars at Penzance this evening. Looking at the picture on a Cornwall News article I think, it was a GWR HST.

I'm not sure how the fire started. It wasn't in passenger use and nobody was hurt!

 

[dk1]

I'm just glad it didn't take the station roof with it as that would be far more serious.

 

[GW43125]

From looking at the pictures, was there actually a fire? It looks like a lot of the smoke could be from the extinguishant boiling on the hot engine

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Someone stated on Twitter that the engine ran away with itself in that it started consuming the engine oil in much the same way that a diesel car can.

While I am aware that happens quite frequently with cars, I have never heard of it happening to a locomotive before?

 

[nat67]

I'm assuming it not the exhaust problems, more like an electrical fault, that's probably the fourth power car to go up as 43164 did and one at Burnham in July last year. 43004 caught fire at Swindon last year

 

[AM9]

I'm assuming it its the exhaust problems, more like an electrical fault, that's probably the fourth power car to go up as 43164 did and one at Burnham in July last year. 43004 caught fire at Swindon last year

This must surely be influencing decisions on their withdrawl in addtion to PRM deadlines.

 

[nat67]

This must surely be influencing decisions on their withdrawl in addtion to PRM deadlines.

I would guess so, if its electrical they can always try to rectify the problem as I don't believe its happened before to any other power cars. And Scotrail will still wont all 52? power cars. But with the exhaust fires it was just a case of maintenance being neglected.

 

[AM9]

I would guess so, if its electrical they can always try to rectify the problem as I don't believe its happened before to any other power cars. And Scotrail will still wont all 52? power cars. But with the exhaust fires it was just a case of maintenance being neglected.

But with serious fires occuring, there may be a succession of BER* decisions. The oldest have been in service for 43 years and even the youngest are 36 years old. That is pretty old for any diesel rail vehicle. Given that the class 43s have spent all their lives in intensive passenger service, and the inexorable reduction of diesel motive power, (especially less clean-engined stock), their demise must be fast approaching. Just because some much older class 08s and 37s are still in active commercial use, their considerably easier life has meant that failure in service has less of an impact than an HST full of passengers on a trunk route.
* Beyond Economical Repair

 

[richw]

Someone stated on Twitter that the engine ran away with itself in that it started consuming the engine oil in much the same way that a diesel car can.

While I am aware that happens quite frequently with cars, I have never heard of it happening to a locomotive before?

That was my suspicion. It was all smoke which had nowhere to go.
The set is now on Long Rock depot and externally no damage visible

 

[nat67]

But with serious fires occuring, there may be a succession of BER* decisions. The oldest have been in service for 43 years and even the youngest are 36 years old. That is pretty old for any diesel rail vehicle. Given that the class 43s have spent all their lives in intensive passenger service, and the inexorable reduction of diesel motive power, (especially less clean-engined stock), their demise must be fast approaching. Just because some much older class 08s and 37s are still in active commercial use, their considerably easier life has meant that failure in service has less of an impact than an HST full of passengers on a trunk route.
* Beyond Economical Repair

Well they still need to go back to their leasing companies intact, that's why GWR has bought 43195 as it would cost a lot if they sent it back to Porterbrook/Angel trains I know it may be slightly of topic. And from the post above they say its not that bad as 43160 was out for a while after the Plymouth collision occurred. I do also understand that they are over 40 years old and they are one of most favourite trains.

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

But with serious fires occuring, there may be a succession of BER* decisions. The oldest have been in service for 43 years and even the youngest are 36 years old. That is pretty old for any diesel rail vehicle. Given that the class 43s have spent all their lives in intensive passenger service, and the inexorable reduction of diesel motive power, (especially less clean-engined stock), their demise must be fast approaching. Just because some much older class 08s and 37s are still in active commercial use, their considerably easier life has meant that failure in service has less of an impact than an HST full of passengers on a trunk route.
* Beyond Economical Repair

Agreed. I think some of the recent costmetic refurbishments on a few TOCs have done a good job in hiding the fact that a lot of the HST rolling stock really is knackered. I'm fortunate enough to travel in a fair few HST cabs for work, and you really do get an idea of how battered the stock actually is in the non-public areas.

 

[nat67]

Agreed. I think some of the recent costmetic refurbishments on a few TOCs have done a good job in hiding the fact that a lot of the HST rolling stock really is knackered. I'm fortunate enough to travel in a fair few HST cabs for work, and you really do get an idea of how battered the stock actually is in the non-public areas.

Also don't you find they smell musty in the cabs. Even just opening the door you get a smell of hot cabs in the summer and damp in the winter. Some of GWR's Mk3's are going rusty on the outer ends near the gangway and the bays of 4 are cordoned of with tape.

 

[CC 72100]

Are you suggesting that cordoning off parts of a carriage ("bays of 4") is something to do with the structual integrity/ rust?

No train would be sent into service in a condition like that - the only structural reason for blocking off seats would be roof or window seal leaks, which can affect traction of all ages.

 

[341o2]

But with serious fires occuring, there may be a succession of BER* decisions. The oldest have been in service for 43 years and even the youngest are 36 years old. That is pretty old for any diesel rail vehicle. Given that the class 43s have spent all their lives in intensive passenger service, and the inexorable reduction of diesel motive power, (especially less clean-engined stock), their demise must be fast approaching. Just because some much older class 08s and 37s are still in active commercial use, their considerably easier life has meant that failure in service has less of an impact than an HST full of passengers on a trunk route.
* Beyond Economical Repair

I would like to travel to Penzance on a HST before they are finally withdrawn, has any announcement been made regarding proposed withdrawal dates?

 

[DimTim]

Whilst the body may be 40 years old wasn’t the power cars re engined?
How old is the internals?

 

[nat67]

Are you suggesting that cordoning off parts of a carriage ("bays of 4") is something to do with the structual integrity/ rust?

No train would be sent into service in a condition like that - the only structural reason for blocking off seats would be roof or window seal leaks, which can affect traction of all ages.

Yes, I ways implying that the end gangways are getting rust patches not the bays of 4.

 

[nat67]

I would like to travel to Penzance on a HST before they are finally withdrawn, has any announcement been made regarding proposed withdrawal dates?

I hope not, this was more of a one of incident I think, they should be still going to PZ by June at the least.

 

[nat67]

Whilst the body may be 40 years old wasn’t the power cars re engined?
How old is the internals?

I would imagine that they were done up inside when they were at Brush for the MTU engines.

 

[CC 72100]

Yes, I ways implying that the end gangways are getting rust patches not the bays of 4.

Ok, but the way it is worded you made it sound like the cordoning off of certain seats was permanent and/or structure related. I've given 1 example where this would be the case, but the majority of time it will be due to 'passenger action' which no TOC can control.

 

[cactustwirly]

I would like to travel to Penzance on a HST before they are finally withdrawn, has any announcement been made regarding proposed withdrawal dates?

The Penzance route will be the last to go over to 802 operation, so HSTs are going to be around well into 2019

 

[whhistle]

I'm assuming it its the exhaust problems, more like an electrical fault, that's probably the fourth power car to go up as 43164 did and one at Burnham in July last year. 43004 caught fire at Swindon last year

Wonder if this relates to them going, so it doesn't matter.

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

Also don't you find they smell musty in the cabs. Even just opening the door you get a smell of hot cabs in the summer and damp in the winter. Some of GWR's Mk3's are going rusty on the outer ends near the gangway and the bays of 4 are cordoned of with tape.

I find the roofs are a good indication of condition. Some of the Mk 3s are more patching than original steel on the roof!