Just reading through the EC forums (one held late this afternoon), and came across this
http://www.talk.eastcoast.co.uk/
(post 724)
" Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:48 pm
Re: 3hr delays today due to breakdown at Huntingdon
Thank you for the comment -
The issue with the set failure today was related to power on the locomotive which prevented any traction power being gained over 5MPH. All efforts where made by our Control and the driver to get the set working under its own power which involved the driver changing ends and attempting to drive back from the southend.
Unfortunately this proved fruitless and altenrtaive contingent arrangements had to be deployed with a rescue locomotive being taken from a freight train at Biggleswade to go and assist (as this was considered to be a quicker option than to wait for the rescue loco from Kings Cross) at the same time a rescue loco was run from Doncaster to assist from the North end. This action ensured that all eventuality was covered in rescue arrangements.
The additonal time is then taken to attach the rescue locomotive and wait for the air to build up throughout the train so that the brakes can be released and the added complication was that a set of points had to be secured as it was a wrong directional movement to Huntingdon to finally move the set clear.
So in essence the response was effective and the correct fault finding proceedures where applied to try and avoid the need for a rescue locomotive, unfortunately due to the location and the fact that Network Rail staff had just finished responding to a major signalling failure at Grantham earlier made recovery slightly more difficult that it would normally have been.
Kind Regards
Danny Williams
Operations Director
"