240124 Redland Turnarounds - Class 165/166 reliability?

[sleepy_hollow]

On the 24th January 2024 I noticed RTT telling us that the afternoon Severn Beach services turned at Redland for a short period. The trouble seems to have started with 2Y35 operated by 165-136 cancelling after Redland 'due to a problem with the traction equipment (MC)', after which partial cancellations seem to be down to 'late arrival of an incoming train'. 2K46 from Redland to Severn Beach was operated by 165-131.

What happened? Were trains already beyond Montpellier turning round at Redland to go back to SVB? Due to a failed unit at Montpellier? If so does Redland allow turnback in a way that Clifton Down does not?

Cancellations, often for traction reasons seem to have been surprisingly common recently. 2K04 (165-130) on the 18th Jan was cancelled 'due to the planned train being replaced with a slower train (MS)'. Later that day 2K20 'due to train operator's request' and later that day 2K48 (165-137) 'This service was cancelled between Lawrence Hill and Avonmouth due to a problem with the doors (M7)'.

There was a 158 on the line about midday on Monday 22, which suggests a failure of a 165-166, and they seem to appear more often than I would expect for an essentially 165/166 operated service. In the autumn I had an open jaw SML to CDU and Yate trip that had a 158 on both SML to BRI sections, a 165 that failed at BRI on the return from Yate, and a short HST that the guard thought should have been a three car 166 for the Worcester train, which seems to represent four 165/166 failures in one day.

And there is my own recent experience of a failure to reach SML from WSM, also with a lot of pushing on doors. (https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-change-but-1-hr-late-100-delay-repay.261185/)


In view of the apparent traction orientation I have put this in Traction rather than any other thread.

 

[D6975]

Redland is single track.
Clifton Down is a double track loop.
I suspect that the signalling may require a trip down to Redland to get from one platform to the other at Clifton.

 

[The exile]

Was that not the day when a freight failed blocking at least 3 lines at Dr Days Jn for about 3 hours?

Have now been able to check - yes it was. I was on 2C17 (14.10 Gloucester - Frome) which eventually terminated at Bath 2 hours and 18 minutes late. RTT also shows that as "a problem with the traction equipment". What it doesn't mention is that the errant traction equipment was whatever was on the front of 4O57 (Wentloog - Southampton freightliner) , which lost 153 minutes round the Rhubarb Curve.

 

[MP393]

Was that not the day when a freight failed blocking at least 3 lines at Dr Days Jn for about 3 hours?

Have now been able to check - yes it was. I was on 2C17 (14.10 Gloucester - Frome) which eventually terminated at Bath 2 hours and 18 minutes late. RTT also shows that as "a problem with the traction equipment". What it doesn't mention is that the errant traction equipment was whatever was on the front of 4O57 (Wentloog - Southampton freightliner) , which lost 153 minutes round the Rhubarb Curve.

The delay/cancellation attribution code used was “MC” which is a diesel locomotive failure/fault so yes appears all of these cancellations on the 24th as first mentioned by the OP have been attributed to the failed freight at Dr Days.

 

[sleepy_hollow]

A lesson in not jumping to conclusions; I suppose even the problem with doors could be doors on a different train.

The turnaround signal at CDN was a favourite project of the Severn Rail Partnership for years, although they were suspected of intending it for a service with planned turnarounds of trains from BRI at that point, a Redland to SVB service was not what they had in mind. I do not know if it was ever installed, or what it would be. I never grasped what prevented a train leaving a section by returning the way it came, at least in abnormal circumstances with proper authorisation, but presumably the problem is that the CDN loop is a complete section so there is no signal controlling entry to the section behind from the 'wrong' side of the loop. Presumably trains running from SVB to Redland and back have been doing so so that when reversed they face signals controlling entry to the CDN loop.

Edited 29/1/24