East Coast train delayed by 8 hours (21/10/2013)

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

Spotted this on Real Time Trains: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y50146/2013/10/21

Stationary south of Grantham for 226 minutes.  Then delayed again at Dunbar by another 175 minutes.  Definitely the largest delay I've seen for a while.

[ChrisB]

Wires are down around Peterborough somewhere.

[readytostart]

1S13 (1100 Kings Cross - Edinburgh) brought the knitting down at Tallington, eventually the Doncaster Thunderbird hauled it north until the Thunderbird loco failed around Dunbar, the Edinburgh Thunderbird then went and rescued the consist. I'm guessing if there was a clear route south available then the train would have been terminated en-route and sent back to Bound's Green.

[Electric train]

Apparently the rip down was close to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") neutral sections at Tallington.   There is a 4 track level crossing with the A1175 which is a busy road

http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/travel/travel-news/delays-for-rail-passengers-after-line-problems-at-tallington-1-5609795

A good example why Headspan is not in favour anymore

[John R]

You do wonder, if NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are serious about reducing delays, whether serious consideration is being given to replacing the more vulnerable sections of headspan (maybe the four track sections?) with one of the more robust designs. Must have been a fair few delay minutes and cancellations yesterday on the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) (and on the few other times a year when it happens.)

[eightf48544]

Notice that a lot of the masts going up at Reading have solid girders.

[stuving]

Notice that a lot of the masts going up at Reading have solid girders.

So far I've seen no more than three in a row before a latticeworkladder* (gantry) upright.

*The single lattice stanchions support lattice cantilever arms. The ladder-braced stanchions in pairs form part of gantries or portals. And the solid I-beam stanchions with a hole at the top, also in pairs, look like they will support headspan - but why just the one hole?

[Brucey]

Is there anywhere I can find information about the different types of OHLE?  "Headspan" and "solid girders" don't really mean much to me!

[Electric train]

Is there anywhere I can find information about the different types of OHLE?  "Headspan" and "solid girders" don't really mean much to me!

Headspan construction is where the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") contact wire is supported across the track by wires spanned between two steel masts,



Portal (or as they have been called here  ) is where the OLE contact wire is supported by a steel beam which is spanned across the tracks between two steel masts




And how it used to be done before the 'elf n safety police got involved

[Brucey]

Wonderful, thank you Electric train.  Explains everything perfectly and I can clearly see why the latter design is far superior.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Portal (or as they have been called here  ) is where the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") contact wire is supported by a steel beam which is spanned across the tracks between two steel masts

Indeed, many thanks for that explanation, Electric train. 

My only puzzlement is over the dimensions quoted - they all seem to be in millimetres, but that just doesn't make sense? 

[stuving]

My only puzzlement is over the dimensions quoted - they all seem to be in millimetres, but that just doesn't make sense? 

OO^▸ ((Double O) - model railway, 4mm to 1 foot scale), I think.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Oh, silly me! 

[JayMac]

25kV on a OO^▸ ((Double O) - model railway, 4mm to 1 foot scale) layout would be overkill though.

And very likely to kill the railway modeller who attempted it. 

[stuving]

25kV on a OO^▸ ((Double O) - model railway, 4mm to 1 foot scale) layout would be overkill though.

And very likely to kill the railway modeller who attempted it. 

Now you're being silly.

At that scale the insulation of air is unable to withstand 25 kV. I'm not sure a vacuum would work, either. So no-one is likely to poke their bare finger in the wrong place.