HST hits tree at Lavington today - 10 July 2010

[whole diary]

[BBM]

Rumour that another HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) powercar hit an electric cable pole at Hayes & Harlington today too.

Anyone confirm this?

there were reports of an obstruction on the line in that area, and a paddington-plymouth train terminated at Slough, and was restarted from exeter, i initially thought due to the tree incident, but why wouldnt they of terminated it further along such as at reading?

Apparently 43148 was damaged yesterday at Hayes, here's a link to a photo of the damage:

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m325/jhillman_photos/IMG00087-20100711-1334.jpg

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

also does the number of mk 3's include the 7 buffet cars which have just gone into storage?

[Super Guard]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has 118 Class 43s and 53 rakes of MK3s, not all of which are in traffic due to servicing, so if they can't supply enough sets each day out of that lot, even with a number of 43s and this rake needing emergency repairs, one does wonder. And I don't know where they might be getting any more Turbos from, the fleet is flat out already on weekdays and one or two sets at a time are out of traffic for refresh work, so precious little slack there.

I can't remember the source, but someone posted after the Penzance derailment that all power car sets were in traffic, so losing 1 will knock a set out of use.  I guess losing another will not change the number of sets in traffic.

[LiskeardRich]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has 118 Class 43s and 53 rakes of MK3s, not all of which are in traffic due to servicing, so if they can't supply enough sets each day out of that lot, even with a number of 43s and this rake needing emergency repairs, one does wonder. And I don't know where they might be getting any more Turbos from, the fleet is flat out already on weekdays and one or two sets at a time are out of traffic for refresh work, so precious little slack there.

I can't remember the source, but someone posted after the Penzance derailment that all power car sets were in traffic, so losing 1 will knock a set out of use.  I guess losing another will not change the number of sets in traffic.

i have also seen this, and cant remember the source, this leaves at least 3 sets out of action
(pz derailment, tree damaged set, telegraph pole damaged set) any others i'm forgetting? i think i seen there was only 2 spare sets, so this would leave a set down at least, and this is on the basis that the other 2 spare sets were ready to go when these have been withdrawn due to damage!

[woody]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has 118 Class 43s and 53 rakes of MK3s, not all of which are in traffic due to servicing, so if they can't supply enough sets each day out of that lot, even with a number of 43s and this rake needing emergency repairs, one does wonder. And I don't know where they might be getting any more Turbos from, the fleet is flat out already on weekdays and one or two sets at a time are out of traffic for refresh work, so precious little slack there.

I can't remember the source, but someone posted after the Penzance derailment that all power car sets were in traffic, so losing 1 will knock a set out of use.  I guess losing another will not change the number of sets in traffic.

The source was Coombe Stn
Full Member
***
Re: Derailed train at Penzance sidings
^ Reply #51 on: July 03, 2010, 02:39:01 PM ^
   
A quick trawl round FGW maintenace depots reveals.
Spare power cars ..... Nil
4 HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) coaching sets under maintenance.
Class 57...... 3 available
For once the West Sprinter fleet has had 2 spare sets available for service.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=7013.45

[anthony215]

i wonder if there are any dvt's spare that can work hith hst's, class 67's have a top speed of 120 but doubt they are compatible with the hst mk 3's electrics, plenty of mk2 stock around but can this do 125?

on a slightly different subject STOP MOANING ABOUT TURBOS, would you like pacers insted??

I think someone has joked about using pacers to cover some services i know 1 has worked at least as far as Swindon and possibly Reading

As for spare stock i think crosscountry have at least 2 HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) sets out of use which could be used or even hiring the Virgin  loco hauled stock (Maybe to cover London - Cheltenham/Hereford services perhaps?)

[willc]

Well, four HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) sets under maintenance sounds rather like what one would expect from a fleet that size under normal circumstances.

Were any services cancelled/replaced by other stock today? Not that i noticed, which would suggest that there are enough rakes of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stock and Class 43s still serviceable.

[JayMac]

From the Wiltshire Times:

Driver hurt after train hits a tree

Hundreds of rail passengers travelling to Cornwall were left stranded in Wiltshire on Saturday after their train collided with a tree. The incident happened at Crockwood, near West Lavington, at about 2pm. The 13.06 First Great Western train from London Paddington to Penzance was travelling at about 120 mph through Crockwood when it struck a tree that had fallen in front of the train. The train came to a stand still for about two hours while a shunter train pushed the commuter train into Westbury Station at 4mph.

Off-duty station staff returned to work to reopen the cafe to allow the hundreds of stranded passengers to get something to eat and drink.

Passenger Cassandra Nixon, added: ^We certainly felt the tree hit the train. We were very concerned.^

Fellow passenger Marjorie James from Cornwall said she thought the train was going to be derailed.

The train driver, who is from Plymouth, was treated by an ambulance crew at the scene and later taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

[devon_metro]

I somewhat suspect it wasn't doing 120mph!!! Funny time for a commuter train as well, 1306 to Penzance on Saturday 

[dog box]

heard it was 110mph...it all arrived at Bristol overnight. suspect P/C will go to Brush for repairs, all wheelsets of coaches have severe tread damage

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

... all wheelsets of coaches have severe tread damage

Not sure why all the coaches had severe tread damage - I assume we're talking about flats. I thought each wheelset had its own wheelslide slide protection (WSP), so it would be surprising if they all failed at the same time.  But the WSP's on HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) coaches have always been less than perfect - most of us have watched an HST braking sedately into a station and still some of the WSP's are "hissing" as they (wrongly) release the brakes on their axle.  And many coaches have slight flats which don't yet warrant tyre-turning (sorry, re-profiling - HST coaches don't have tyres).

[devon_metro]

... all wheelsets of coaches have severe tread damage

Not sure why all the coaches had severe tread damage - I assume we're talking about flats. I thought each wheelset had its own wheelslide slide protection (WSP), so it would be surprising if they all failed at the same time.  But the WSP's on HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) coaches have always been less than perfect - most of us have watched an HST braking sedately into a station and still some of the WSP's are "hissing" as they (wrongly) release the brakes on their axle.  And many coaches have slight flats which don't yet warrant tyre-turning (sorry, re-profiling - HST coaches don't have tyres).

The electrical control box for the WSP etc on the lead powercar was destroyed by the tree impact

[JayMac]

From The (Plymouth) Herald (13/07/2010):

Plymouth train driver lucky to be alive after crash at almost 100mph

A Plymouth train driver was described as "lucky to be alive" after crashing into a fallen tree at nearly 100mph. The driver, who was taken to hospital with cuts, bruises and two fractures to his wrist, was the only person injured in the high-speed smash.

But shocked passengers said they feared the train was about to derail when it hit the tree at a disused station in Wiltshire.

The 13.06 First Great Western service from London Paddington to Penzance was passing the former Lavington Station when the incident happened on Saturday. The train is understood to have been travelling at about 120mph when the driver noticed an obstruction ahead. He was able to slow to about 90mph before the collision, which shattered the front window of the driver's cab.

Paramedics and police were called to the scene, along with Network Rail staff.

After a two-hour standstill, a shunter train pushed the carriages into nearby Westbury Station, where off-duty staff reopened the cafe for the 200 stranded passengers.

A First Great Western spokesman said the driver was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath after his "lucky escape".

Network Rail, which said the tree belonged to a local landowner, said it was "taking this matter seriously".

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)) has been informed and British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) is investigating.

The incident, which happened at about 2.15pm on Saturday, is not being treated as suspicious, said a BTP spokesman.

Dan Moran, district organiser for train drivers' union Aslef, said he understood the impact "could have killed" the driver, but declined to comment further until the RAIB report was released.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I'm not doubting what you say, devon_metro, but I thought all the WSP's had their own little battery and they powered a solenoid which momentarily released the air pressure on the brake cylinders on that axle, so as to help stop it sliding. How does anything happening on the lead power car affect how each WSP operates on the trailers?

[MrC]

Not sure about HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) but on most if not all modern stock WSP is disabled when the brakes are in emergency.