XC HST Split - Lawrence Hill (Bristol) - 31/10/16

[voyagerdude220]

Hi all,

Looking on TyrellCheck, Cross Country have said that their 1S51 12:24 Exeter St Davids to Glasgow Central has divided in the Lawrence Hill area.

1S51 has divided in the Lawrence Hill area.
The front power car will be taken to Bristol Parkway, and the rear power car and passenger coaches to return to Temple Meads.

I hope everyone is ok, I'm guessing it must have been a shock to the passengers and train crew on this train.

 

[Sprinter153]

Looks like 1S51 1224 EXD-GLC (set XC03) has split in traffic just outside Lawrence Hill:

1S51 ( 1224 Exeter St Davids to Glasgow) is stood on the up Filton just passed B233 signal Lawrence Hill. Train has divided with l4ft gap between Leading power car & 1st Coach (HST).

GWR have fitters and shunters on route from St Philps Marsh.

Once fitters confirm train safe to move front power car will go forward to Broistol Parkway & remaining train will return to Bristol TM.

Bristol MOM eta 1420.

 

[AndyPJG]

From BBC News Bristol:-

Lawrence Hill
1 incidents
Great Western Railway
Delayed
Delays of up to one hour and cancellations on Great Western Railway Northbound between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway due to broken down train.
SEVERE Updated 40 minutes ago

 

[trolleyman]

From what I've read the front power car divided from
The rest of the train.
Still a nasty shock for everybody involved

 

[Failed Unit]

I suspect many won't have noticed to be honest (apart from the sudden stop) luckily not a connection used by many.

 

[74A]

I suspect many won't have noticed to be honest (apart from the sudden stop) luckily not a connection used by many.

And should be sealed by doors in the coach end as well.

 

[Sprinter153]

And should be sealed by doors in the coach end as well.

And if the TGS vehicle was leading it would be a non-passenger area anyway, due to the guards' office and two doors not protected by CDL being present.

 

[43096]

And if the TGS vehicle was leading it would be a non-passenger area anyway, due to the guards' office and two doors not protected by CDL being present.

TF 41195 is the leading trailer.

 

[34D]

Eeek hope the driver is okay.

 

[fgwrich]

And should be sealed by doors in the coach end as well.

Unlikely to be unless XC have them closed when against the Power Car. Certainly GW used to leave the corridor doors folded back when coupled up to a PC - the PC Door being diffident and locked to stop people entering the former guards van.

As below, TF41195 is the TF that became disconnected from the Power Car. Looking at pictures of it, it looks like it may have received a new Buckeye so it's possible that either that or the Power Cars one has failed.

 

[ainsworth74]

Anyone care to link to these pictures?

 

[richw]

Screen print from a Facebook group attached. I don't know how to link from Facebook app!

 

[HowardGWR]

Screen print from a Facebook group attached. I don't know how to link from Facebook app!

That had me fooled for a second. I thought they had restored 4 tracks through Lawrence Hill on the quiet!

The photo is at TM of course.

 

[richw]

I assumed at first the thread was someone asking about split ticketing!

 

[Ash Bridge]

I assumed at first the thread was someone asking about split ticketing!

You're not on your own!

 

[PHILIPE]

Should normally be a Double Voyager, combining at Bristol TM and, running to Dundee. However, at the moment XC have amended Timetable due to diversions via Kidderminster because of Electrification work. So booked HST at the moment.

 

[brompton rail]

Should normally be a Double Voyager, combining at Bristol TM and, running to Dundee. However, at the moment XC have amended Timetable due to diversions via Kidderminster because of Electrification work. So booked HST at the moment.

The HST was scheduled to depart Birmingham at 16.03 which is its normal departure. The 15.03 departure is the double Voyager, though I don't know if it is during the Bromsgrove diversion. The extra set (BRI - NCL) come into BRI from Manchester.

 

[lewwie123]

how long are the diversions for XC via kiddy as I live next to cradley station and was rather shocked and surprised to see XC trains going through

 

[voyagerdude220]

The HST was scheduled to depart Birmingham at 16.03 which is its normal departure. The 15.03 departure is the double Voyager, though I don't know if it is during the Bromsgrove diversion. The extra set (BRI - NCL) come into BRI from Manchester.

The 15:03 Birmingham New Street to Dundee is still a double set. The only difference being it's a 221 plus a 220, not 2x220. It couples together to form a double set at Bristol Temple M, with the 220 being detached at Newcastle. I'm not sure where the 220 comes from before it strengthens this service though.

 

[eMeS]

Puzzled - I expect this doesn't happen very often. Does it indicate a coupling failure, or incorrect coupling when last coupled?

 

[fgwrich]

Anyone care to link to these pictures?

Sorry, I would but the pictures I've seen at Temple Meads are on Instagram.

This may work.

https://instagram.com/p/BMO4qoPDQNh/

 

[ainsworth74]

Sorry, I would but the pictures I've seen at Temple Meads are on Instagram.

Works here, thanks!

Is that a Bardic I spy playing tail-lamp?

 

[QueensCurve]

Puzzled - I expect this doesn't happen very often. Does it indicate a coupling failure, or incorrect coupling when last coupled?

Not often I don't think. I seem to recall a Glasgow to Euston split going through Rugby about 1985

 

[TheEdge]

Puzzled - I expect this doesn't happen very often. Does it indicate a coupling failure, or incorrect coupling when last coupled?

While this is moving towards speculation I'd expect incorrect coupling would have made itself known fairly rapidly after movement started so I'd lean towards a failure.

 

[43096]

While this is moving towards speculation I'd expect incorrect coupling would have made itself known fairly rapidly after movement started so I'd lean towards a failure.

Industry-wide special check issued for the entire HST fleet tonight to have couplers checked.

 

[PHILIPE]

how long are the diversions for XC via kiddy as I live next to cradley station and was rather shocked and surprised to see XC trains going through

Extract from NRE Website:-
Amended service between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove / Cheltenham Spa from Wednesday 26 October until Friday 4 November
More information on Amended service between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove / Cheltenham Spa from Wednesday 26 October until Friday 4 November
collapse Amended service between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove / Cheltenham Spa from Wednesday 26 October until Friday 4 November panel
Start date
26/10/2016
End date
04/11/2016
Route affected
DownloadMapof route afected
CrossCountry between Scotland and Plymouth / Penzance.

 

[387star]

stupid question maybe but obviously the brakes come on emergency as the train wire is deenergised but with the power car dividing from the coaches does the design allow for the power car and coaches not to collide if they are braking at different speeds

 

[QueensCurve]

stupid question maybe but obviously the brakes come on emergency as the train wire is deenergised but with the power car dividing from the coaches does the design allow for the power car and coaches not to collide if they are braking at different speeds

The main concern surely is that they both stop sharpish.

 

[AndrewE]

The main concern surely is that they both stop sharpish.

The one that I remember making the news was an HST somewhere N of York, it split in the middle of the train and IIRC a railway employee was killed when he fell out of the separated gangway. I think the problem was that with power from the both head and tail ends it kept going until eventually something got stretched too far & the brakes went on...
Lucky this one split at the end of the passenger accomodation so no-one would have needed to walk through.

Train wire? Is the emergency brake on an HST electrically activated or as a consequence of the brake pipe separating? (Or either?) Wikipedia only mentions air brakes, so I assume standard 2-pipe.

 

[Dieseldriver]

On an HST, a train division would split the brake pipe, venting the air out to atmosphere causing an immediate full brake application on both portions.