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Fire at Maidstone East (02/08)

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Antman

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A bookshop on platform 1 was alight, seemingly an electrical fault, it's now under control but with the usual H&S over reaction the station is closed and services suspended, even the road outside has been closed
 
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yorksrob

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I do hope the damage isn't too bad. I have always had a soft spot for Maidstone East. One of the better surviving largish stations on the London, Chatham and Dover network.
 

Bald Rick

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but with the usual H&S over reaction the station is closed and services suspended, even the road outside has been closed

The fire service does have a preference for the third rail to be isolated when there is a chance they might have to spray several tonnes of water in the general vicinity.
 

Antman

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I do hope the damage isn't too bad. I have always had a soft spot for Maidstone East. One of the better surviving largish stations on the London, Chatham and Dover network.

No I think it's just internal damage and nothing that can't be repaired
 

455driver

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The fire service does have a preference for the third rail to be isolated when there is a chance they might have to spray several tonnes of water in the general vicinity.

They insist on it being turned off for 3 miles in all directions whether they are going to spray any water or not!
On the one occasion I have seen them in action they then strolled around looking all important for a couple of hours before releasing the site back to the railway staff who then have to sort the disruption out, disruption that was avoidable if they had listened to the staff in the first place who had already dealt with the 'fire' (overheating electrical switch which had melted its plastic cover, no fire)!
 

yorksrob

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No I think it's just internal damage and nothing that can't be repaired

That's good to know.

It survived well enough when a freight train went off the rails there a few years back, so it must be fairly hardy!
 

EM2

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A bookshop on platform 1 was alight, seemingly an electrical fault, it's now under control but with the usual H&S over reaction the station is closed and services suspended, even the road outside has been closed
Wooden buildings, close to the station entrance (at least that's where the kiosk was when I was an MDE regular), third rail as well, so I can't say I'm too surprised.
 

Groningen

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From Twitter; source: Kent Messenger
 

yorksrob

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The skinflint SER and LC&DR put up a lot of clap board buildings on their networks. Unfortunately they have a habit of burning down.
 

Antman

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Yeah I'm going to go with that not being a H&S over-reaction!!

Well my daughters boyfriend who was there and happens to be a fireman reckons evacuating the whole station after the fire was out was a ridiculous over reaction.

Anyway all trains are using platform 2.

No serious damage, once the fire brigade forced an entry to the closed bookstall it was out in seconds.
 
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Darandio

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Well my daughters boyfriend who was there and happens to be a fireman reckons evacuating the whole station after the fire was out was a ridiculous over reaction.

My nieces daughters godmother suggested completely the opposite!
 

Yabbadabba

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They insist on it being turned off for 3 miles in all directions whether they are going to spray any water or not!
On the one occasion I have seen them in action they then strolled around looking all important for a couple of hours before releasing the site back to the railway staff who then have to sort the disruption out, disruption that was avoidable if they had listened to the staff in the first place who had already dealt with the 'fire' (overheating electrical switch which had melted its plastic cover, no fire)!

In general with each traction current section being 1 and a half miles long, an emergency switch off should knock out about 4 and a half miles of railway. That's one reason you end up with most of Croydon shut when something takes place on either the Vicoria or London Bridge routes.
 

Sacro

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The fire service does have a preference for the third rail to be isolated when there is a chance they might have to spray several tonnes of water in the general vicinity.

However in this case, it was requested due to them working close to the edge of the platform. :roll:
 

dave12435

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Crikey I am glad nobody got hurt. Shame about the bookstall though its been empty for a while now so why something electrical was switched on in there is a mystery.
 

Antman

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Crikey I am glad nobody got hurt. Shame about the bookstall though its been empty for a while now so why something electrical was switched on in there is a mystery.

The bookstall is occupied although it was closed at the time of the fire.
 

GatwickDepress

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Not really an overreaction, it's standard procedure. My uncle's a firefighter and he reckons it's a suitable response, so nyeh. My relative trumps your relative. <D

I hope the damage isn't too bad though, I quite like Maidstone East's building.

The skinflint SER and LC&DR put up a lot of clap board buildings on their networks. Unfortunately they have a habit of burning down.
*grumbles at the sodding arsonists at Ore*
 

Antman

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Not really an overreaction, it's standard procedure. My uncle's a firefighter and he reckons it's a suitable response, so nyeh. My relative trumps your relative. <D

I hope the damage isn't too bad though, I quite like Maidstone East's building.


*grumbles at the sodding arsonists at Ore*

The point is that the station wasn't evacuated at the time, hence the photos on social media. No criticism implied obviously the focus of attention was the fire itself. But once the fire was out the decision was taken to belatedly evacuate the station, probably nothing more than a box ticking excercise.

I travelled through there this morning and you wouldn't know there had been a fire although obviously the bookstall is going to be out of action for a while
 

Groningen

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The bookstall is occupied although it was closed at the time of the fire.

Understatement of the year! Whether it is open or it is closed. What other choice is there?
 

bramling

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Not really an overreaction, it's standard procedure. My uncle's a firefighter and he reckons it's a suitable response, so nyeh. My relative trumps your relative. <D

I hope the damage isn't too bad though, I quite like Maidstone East's building.


*grumbles at the sodding arsonists at Ore*

Don't think there's anything remotely burnable left at Ore now! I remember Ore in the 1990s was one of the most run-down stations anywhere, thoroughly vandalised, not a piece of glass left anywhere. Nowadays it's a little better, albeit completely hemmed in with palisade fencing. The former sheds are now a housing estate, with a 1930s SR substation stuck right in the middle!
 

Antman

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When was this reoccupied? last time I went through it was empty and had been for a while
It will be again now

I'm not sure but I think it had been back in business for quite a while
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Understatement of the year! Whether it is open or it is closed. What other choice is there?

Pardon?
 
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