Major Disruption Thursday 16 December

[whole diary]

[willc]

I gather from John Stanley of the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) that live departures was showing the 18.22 to Hereford finally limping into Moreton-in-Marsh about the time the coach driver was dropping me off at the other end of town, so that's a delay of something like 100 minutes.

[coachflyer]

Was talking to a driver today who stated that control at Swindon totally lost the plot.

Phones were ringing with nobody answering. Staff were offering to run stopping services to Reading but for some reason Swindon control wouldn't let anything leave Pad!

The AOM grade is a nothing grade as they have to get Swindon's permission before they can do anything! At Reading we don't even have one !!

And once again all the managers did there normal disappearing act leaving staff to face the brunt of passengers anger. I know of two who were physically assaulted.

As for the train arriving on platform 4 at Maidenhead this was to allow a speedy transfer to the Marlow train that had been held 25 minutes.

 

[adc82140]

Heads need to roll for this one. My season ticket expires today, and I'm not renewing it (would like to say this was due to incompetence by FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but it's really due to the fact I'm starting a new job in January). I presume that Thursday will be treated as a void day, but how do I get a refund?

[Electric train]

Was the "power blip" in the new Center at Didcot or out on the existing equipment.   
As an electrical engineer I do laugh when "power blip" or "surge" is used usually means that someone who is not technical is fobbing everyone off

The computer centres I've visited all have UPS systems. Also, sitting next to Didcot PS with its 4x500MW turbo alternators plus gas turbines, ought to keep the fairy lights twinkling through anything.
Safety critical control systems have triple processing so that one (rare) failure doesn't stop everything.
Anyone know what's in the Didcot signalling/IECC^▸ (Integrated Electronic Control Centre)/control Centre?
OTC

I have a couple of times seen the smoldering remains of UPS at signaling centers the BR^▸ (British Rail(ways))/RT/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) standards rely on single (with a back up) UPS and not a number of smaller ones hence when they go pete tong they do it in style.

The Didcot area has always been prone to lightning strikes (no not the Bob Crow type    ) the type SSI^▸ (Solid State Interlocking) (solid state interlocking) used in the area can have reset problems if the power dips briefly

[eightf48544]

I find it very astonishing that having used electricity in railway signalling systems for over 100 years modern equipment is not capable of withstanding lightning strikes.

Has lightning never struck railway signals sometime in those 100 years?

Or is it in the clear out of experienced railway engineers with privatisation that somebody forgot to tell the bright new kids about lightning.

Or looking out the window this am,  taught them the phrase "During Fog or Falling Snow"

[Electric train]

I find it very astonishing that having used electricity in railway signalling systems for over 100 years modern equipment is not capable of withstanding lightning strikes.

Has lightning never struck railway signals sometime in those 100 years?

Or is it in the clear out of experienced railway engineers with privatisation that somebody forgot to tell the bright new kids about lightning.

 
The "privatisation clear out" of experience would not have effected SSI^▸ (Solid State Interlocking) signaling this was developed by BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) in the 1980's  The biggest problem today is the lack of vertical integration in old money one system of management and not all the inter company relationships there is now at least currently with NR^» (Network Rail - home page) Ops & customer services (traffic) and asset management (maintenance) are all in one company so there is no contractual hurdles to jump.  What is lacking are the local teams on the ground which means when things go wrong staff have to get to the problem area which they may not be fully conversant with especially out of hours.

Or looking out the window this am,  taught them the phrase "During Fog or Falling Snow"

Into the PWay cabin you must go

[Steve Bray]

Will, to answer your question about my Mum, Yes she did get home OK. She left Dorking at 4.25pm, and got to Great Malvern at about 1040pm. She took a rail replacement bus from Reading to Oxford, then another one from Oxford to Foregate Street which arrived just as the 1822 from Paddington pulled in. The bus driver said he was returning to Heathrow, so quite a journey for him!