Another bad evening on WCML South

[Kristofferson]

Broken down train causing delays of 40mins on the slow lines... Any idea what it was?

 

[87015]

Skoda rubbish, green and yellow variety

 

[the sniper]

A Skoda is a Class 90, should anyone be unaware.

 

[Kristofferson]

I thought LM when I read "green and yellow"

 

[tsr]

A rescue loco which was dispatched as 1Z99 is currently recovering the failed 0730 Felixstowe-Crewe.

The 90 has been reported to have a safety systems fault, but I don't know what that would specifically be in this case.

 

[Boodiggy]

90045 failed with a DSD fault on DS north of Harrow. 4L90 was put into Kings Langley Loop then the loco went forward crossing to DS at Watford to Rescue the train. Train on the move 19.15(ish) so about three after the train failed.

 

[Eng274]

I'm on the 1830 euston - Glasgow central, 15 min late start and currently about 35 down, rammed LM service whizzed past us on the slow(?) Line and a extra stop at Crewe. Expecting to arrive into Glasgow after midnight, despite the optimistic NRE site suggesting 12 minute late arrival.

Correction- 55 late at Warrington. Where's my sleeping bag...

 

[High Dyke]

About as good as the farce earlier this week with the Colas loco's on the Boston steels. Initial loco failed at Boston Docks so rescue loco dispatched. That also subsequently failed at Sleaford so a third loco had to be sent...

 

[RAPC]

I'm on the 1830 euston - Glasgow central, 15 min late start and currently about 35 down, rammed LM service whizzed past us on the slow(?) Line and a extra stop at Crewe. Expecting to arrive into Glasgow after midnight, despite the optimistic NRE site suggesting 12 minute late arrival.

Correction- 55 late at Warrington. Where's my sleeping bag...

I was sharing your pain last night on this service. I think we got the worst of it in terms of delays. I did escape at Preston though.

Didn't help that the day before I was stuck in the Macclesfield problems doing Manchester to Euston for a pair of disrupted journeys. Probably bad luck on my part as normally it runs pretty smoothly for my weekly London work jaunts.

 

[oversteer]

In this incident why was the US line closed as well?

 

[WCML]

In this incident why was the US line closed as well?

There was an all line block for some time. Absolutely ridiculous for a failed train. Second evening on the trot the 17:07 ex Euston was delayed by more than 30 minutes. Then there were signalling problems on Mon/Tues morning causing delays into London.

Not a good week for south WCML

 

[Teaboy1]

I say @HIGH DYKE@ why such a display of belligerency .... not like you Lincolnshire lot to be argumentative !! And whats with the odd flag? Saw it all over Louth & Raisen areas. Dont you know we live in England !!
Anyway when the brown-stuff hits the fan, all bets are off and Murphy's Law then applies !!

 

[MK Tom]

While we're talking about the WCML, does anyone know what happened yesterday at around 11.30AM? The 11:47 Virgin to London was delayed due to 'a problem currently under investigation'. Also there seemed to be a TSR and a lot of building work going on at Bradwell between MKC and Wolverton - was there another landslip here? The area seems prone to them.

 

[tsr]

While we're talking about the WCML, does anyone know what happened yesterday at around 11.30AM? The 11:47 Virgin to London was delayed due to 'a problem currently under investigation'. Also there seemed to be a TSR and a lot of building work going on at Bradwell between MKC and Wolverton - was there another landslip here? The area seems prone to them.

With regards to the issue yesterday morning, I understand an obstruction of the overhead line(s) was reported - possibly near Hanslope Jn, but I don't know the specifics. As for Bradwell, a bank slip was mentioned earlier in the week, so the work may have been to do with that.

 

[Eng274]

I noticed on the way down (or rather, 'up') to London, there was a lot of track work going on yesterday.

Also, was there a bridge/bank collapse at Carlisle or is it just routine repairs? Lots of work going on with a stone dyke wall completely demolished in one area, revealing the parallel river running alongside the line.

 

[Beveridges]

Skoda rubbish, green and yellow variety

Why do all 87 fans seemingly hate 90s, really despising them?

Pendolinos should be the real enemy!

 

[Eng274]

I'd have thought trucks would be the common enemy. I can just picture a scania and a class 86 sneering at each other as they run parallel down the M6/WCML

 

[gordonthemoron]

surely the 86 would be somewhat faster than the scania?

 

[Beveridges]

I'd have thought trucks would be the common enemy.

I suppose so because if it wasn't for the trucks, the 87's would have had some freight to go back to when the Pendolinos replaced them from the passenger work!

 

[Boodiggy]

In this incident why was the US line closed as well?

US was closed while the loco was coupled to the failed train. This is to protect staff as they were working on a 'middle line' and the UF would have been open. A one point four lines were blocked as a spare virgin driver was dropped off at site from the DF (16.57). The UF would have needed blocked for him to safely get to the DS.

 

[GB]

US was closed while the loco was coupled to the failed train. This is to protect staff as they were working on a 'middle line' and the UF would have been open. A one point four lines were blocked as a spare virgin driver was dropped off at site from the DF (16.57). The UF would have needed blocked for him to safely get to the DS.

So not quite as ridiculous as some made out.

 

[Boodiggy]

So not quite as ridiculous as some made out.

There would also have been delays on US while the loco to rescue the train was put into Kings Langley Loop to leave its train and then travel to Watford before Crossing to Down Slow.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

While we're talking about the WCML, does anyone know what happened yesterday at around 11.30AM? The 11:47 Virgin to London was delayed due to 'a problem currently under investigation'. Also there seemed to be a TSR and a lot of building work going on at Bradwell between MKC and Wolverton - was there another landslip here? The area seems prone to them.

Bank Slip on US side at Wolverton OHNS.

 

[oversteer]

Thanks Boodiggy. I know there's usually a good reason.

Was a bit frustrating to finally get out of Euston on the fast lines then as we left the Primrose Hill tunnels they reopened the slow... and so I watched at least three LM trains sail past on the DS while we crawled along in a big queue all the way to Wembley!

 

[PermitToTravel]

US was closed while the loco was coupled to the failed train. This is to protect staff as they were working on a 'middle line' and the UF would have been open. A one point four lines were blocked as a spare virgin driver was dropped off at site from the DF (16.57). The UF would have needed blocked for him to safely get to the DS.

[s]Couldn't the spare driver have left the train from the nearside and crossed both the DF and UF when safe to do so?[/s]
Sorry, forgot about the DC lines
Edit: retracting my retraction: looking at Google Maps, there appears to be a ten-foot way between the Up DC and Down Fast lines. Couldn't the driver have been dropped off here, with no requirement for additional blocks?

 

[Boodiggy]

Thanks Boodiggy. I know there's usually a good reason.

Was a bit frustrating to finally get out of Euston on the fast lines then as we left the Primrose Hill tunnels they reopened the slow... and so I watched at least three LM trains sail past on the DS while we crawled along in a big queue all the way to Wembley!

I know how you felt, I was on the 18.43 that left late and Crawled all the way the Hatch End. What made it worse for me was all the updates from control were coming up on my phone so I knew it was going to be an extended journey time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

[s]Couldn't the spare driver have left the train from the nearside and crossed both the DF and UF when safe to do so?[/s]
Sorry, forgot about the DC lines
Edit: retracting my retraction: looking at Google Maps, there appears to be a ten-foot way between the Up DC and Down Fast lines. Couldn't the driver have been dropped off here, with no requirement for additional blocks?

No because the train he needed to get to was on the DS. You can't expect someone to try and climb up into a loco with the possibility of trains approaching them at 125mph and no position of safety. There are rules and procedures that have to be followed and they are there for a reason.

 

[87015]

So not quite as ridiculous as some made out.

Well, it was as a second driver was of absolutely no use! The FL driver had already made it clear an assisting loco was required as the DSD can't be isolated. So dropping off the VT man was of no benefit and massively added to the disruption...