Rerailing a HST power car. Luxulyan, Cornwall 1991.

[bnm]

In May 1991 a Newquay to Paddington Summer Saturday service derailed at low speed near Luxulyan station on the Newquay branch. Only the front power car hit the deck, deflecting to the left by a few feet.

No injuries to passengers or crew, but the evacuation was hampered by the remote location. It was decided to uncouple the rear power car and use that to transport the handful of passenger back to Luxulyan station.

http://www.luxsoft.demon.co.uk/village/hst.html

I've recently discovered video footage of the operation to rerail power car 43035. Top work from Laira depot staff and the Par Pway team. Fascinating watch.

[youtube]idB1X7XGEew[/youtube]

 

[Ash Bridge]

It would be interesting to learn if that type of rescue operation would be permitted on today's railway system.(fascinating video by the way)

 

[Crossover]

Just skipped through bits - very interesting

As to whether it would be permitted today, it looks very similar to a Voyager rerailment videoed a few months back, though in a slightly more remote location

 

[yorksrob]

Fascinating video. I've often wondered how they get em back on !

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Fascinating video. I've often wondered how they get em back on !

Depends on whether Yoda is available or not....

 

[Benno]

Nothing wrong with that method of recovery.


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[bishdunster]

and not an R.A.I.B. High vis to be seen , "you ain't seen this right" !!!

 

[yorksrob]

Depends on whether Yoda is available or not....

Hmm, to me, tricky this seems !

 

[bnm]

and not an R.A.I.B. High vis to be seen , "you ain't seen this right" !!!

RAIB weren't around in 1991.

Such an incident would unlikely have even appeared on Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate's radar.

Now, had that power car toppled down the embankment and taken a few Mk3s with it then, yes, there would have been HMRI involvement.

 

[David Barrett]

A jacking and traversing operation by the look of it and quite a common and well rehearsed function executed by re-railing gangs up and down the country carried out with no fuss at the time.

Further disruption from this derailment followed with the ban imposed on the type from using the line pending review which lasted for a while during that summer during which a DMU shuttle ran between Par and Newquay on Saturdays connecting with what would have been through trains from elsewhere around the country.

Poor old Par seemed to dip into chaos from time to time.

 

[Busaholic]

There were several incidents on the Newquay branch around that time, mostly involving trains striking cars at level crossings (one in particular) and, of course, the bridge over the A30 on Goss Moor being struck by HGVs with monotonous regularity. The A30 has long been diverted so no longer a problem.