Train derailment at Paddington - 20 Aug 17

[whole diary]

[stuving]

The guy on the platform with the backpack wearing the blue safety helmet doesn't look to me if he is wearing safety boots.

Network Rail photographer?

UN observer?

Do you mean someone unobservant? (Like 'cos he's looking down at some gadget?)

[IndustryInsider]

I wonder if it was the guard who pulled the communition chord to stop the train?  Otherwise the driver might not have realised anything was wrong and there would be no quick way of informing them.

[JayMac]

I strongly suspect the TM^‡(resolve), or both TM and dispatcher, quickly did the necessary procedure to stop the train. TM would normally be window hanging at rear most carriage door on departure, right next to the errant power car.

[IndustryInsider]

Indeed I expect you're right.  In the case of a DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) or DCO^▸ (Driver Controlled Operation) operated service that might well not be so easy to do.  An example where having a guard on the train provides an additional level of safety?

[broadgage]

The guy on the platform with the backpack wearing the blue safety helmet doesn't look to me if he is wearing safety boots.

Network Rail photographer?

UN observer?

Pigeon welfare officer ? (prevention of sudden death by explosion dept.)

[Electric train]

The guy on the platform with the backpack wearing the blue safety helmet doesn't look to me if he is wearing safety boots.

Network Rail photographer?

UN observer?

Blue hard hat normally indicates someone who does not hold Personal Track Safety (PTS^▸ (Personal Track Safety)) or is still under observation.   The other cardinal sin is the rucksack obscuring the HiVi.

I wonder if it was the guard who pulled the communition chord to stop the train?  Otherwise the driver might not have realised anything was wrong and there would be no quick way of informing them.

The Drive would also be aware something was not right but I expect it was the Guard / Train Manager who stopped the train.
Pigeon welfare officer ? (prevention of sudden death by explosion dept.)

[broadgage]

I doubt that either Hi Viz or safety boots are required if the person pictured remains on the platform.
AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) platform 1 remains open and most of the passengers wont be wearing PPE.

[IndustryInsider]

The Drive would also be aware something was not right but I expect it was the Guard / Train Manager who stopped the train.

Quite possibly, but not guaranteed as if one bogie is off but upright and both power cars are powering up the difference in acceleration would be minimal, the driver would probably feel the train snatch a little bit, but that's not uncommon when departing with a HST^▸ (High Speed Train).   Obviously if the brake pipe was broken then an emergency brake application would be made, but the train could have potentially travelled quite a bit further before being stopped.

[stuving]

You can buy a sensor that detects a derailment, and applies the brakes, from Knorr-Bremse (the EDT101 derailment detector). It's clearly aimed at the American market, with its huge length of track that's very rough (by our standards) but still used for freight.

And Micro-Epsilon say they are making bogie-mounted sensors for high-speed trains (in Saudi Arabia) to monitor ride quality so as to prevent derailment (by prompting inspection or maintenance). They even claim it's compulsory in the EU^» (European Union - about) for high-speed trains, though I can find no evidence this is true.

I'm sure such a sensor (basically an accelerometer) could reliably detect an actual derailment, even at very low speed, if you wanted it to. However, it isn't one of the numerous infrastructure-monitoring features required of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.).

[Bmblbzzz]

Indeed I expect you're right.  In the case of a DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) or DCO^▸ (Driver Controlled Operation) operated service that might well not be so easy to do.  An example where having a guard on the train provides an additional level of safety?

What is DCO?

[IndustryInsider]

Driver Controlled Operation.  That, along with DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) means the driver is solely responsible for despatch.  Most people refer to DCO^▸ (Driver Controlled Operation) when there is guaranteed to be a second member of staff on the train (who plays no role in despatch), and DOO when there is not, though the two terms are sometimes used to mean the same thing.

[chrisr_75]

You can buy a sensor that detects a derailment, and applies the brakes, from Knorr-Bremse (the EDT101 derailment detector). It's clearly aimed at the American market, with its huge length of track that's very rough (by our standards) but still used for freight.

I'm sure it has something to do with the length of the trains (currently up to 4200m in Canada) and the motive power available to the driver/engineer ad the fact there are often remotely operated locomotives distributed throughout the train. These factors would make it nigh on impossible to detect a bogie off from the front of the train until a potentially huge amount of damage had occurred, unless you had some sensors assisting.

[onthecushions]

Not the first derailment of this type in the platforms.  Probably caused by road-spread.  Look at the number of tie-bars holding the rails to gauge

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), the rails here are laid, not too long ago, on longitudinal sleepers, Brunel style, hence the tie-bars, with a brick lined sump in-between, now with plastic sheeting. The other type of Sleeper also visits these platform roads, dropping lots of unmentionable solids and fluids. Even vacuum treated timbers might succumb early to this horrid brew.

I feel sorry for the re-railing orange jobs having to work (and lie down) amongst the brown jobs. All credit to them.

OTC

[bobm]

The Night Rivera sleeper has retention toilets.  It's the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) which are the problem. 

[Bmblbzzz]

Driver Controlled Operation.  That, along with DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) means the driver is solely responsible for despatch.  Most people refer to DCO^▸ (Driver Controlled Operation) when there is guaranteed to be a second member of staff on the train (who plays no role in despatch), and DOO when there is not, though the two terms are sometimes used to mean the same thing.

Thanks. I was aware of DOO but not DCO.

Admin: Perhaps these terms could be added to the Acronyms list?