BHM - disruption fire on train 10th July 26

[ValentaFan1974]

1V50 now at Bristol Parkway.

 

[Ashley Hill]

1V50 appears to have been stood for approximately 1hour 40 minutes and counting. I hope air con is working in all carriages.

Driver of train on opposite line reported smoke coming from below solebar.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Driver of train on opposite line reported smoke coming from below solebar.

Thanks. Not good. I've read unconfirmed reports online there may have been a small fire as well.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

Believe there was a small fire, according to Arrakis anyway.

Sets involved were 221140 and 221126. Apparently 221 units don’t have hot axle detectors on board, solely relying on HABD’s on the trackside.

 

[AndrewE]

Quite the extensive data set you have there to launch your Voyager bashing with.

I’ve been in HSTs, pacers, first gen dmus and Tube trains that have failed. That may mean I’m very unlucky compared to you, or it may debunk your not so convincing stats that voyagers are more unreliable than every other fleet of trains since the first gen DMU.

So what? Stick to the point. I didn't say I hadn't been on trains which had failed - but in fact SWMBO and I have just had a think and can't remember being on a train that failed. We might have had to get other trains because our planned train had failed, but have never got stuck in a train in the middle of nowhere.

She says the one thing that sticks in her mind is the Voyager which caught fire at Wolves, so answer the question, how many trains have you been on which have caught fire?

 

[Russel]

So what? Stick to the point. I didn't say I hadn't been on trains which had failed - but in fact SWMBO and I have just had a think and can't remember being on a train that failed. We might have had to get other trains because our planned train had failed, but have never got stuck in a train in the middle of nowhere.

She says the one thing that sticks in her mind is the Voyager which caught fire at Wolves, so answer the question, how many trains have you been on which have caught fire?

Not sure what point you're trying to make with these remarks, you may have been on one Voyager that may or may not have suffered an actual fire or was simply emitting smoke, that doesn't mean there is an inherent problem with the fleet or that other fleets don't suffer a similar, small number of incidents.

 

[GoneSouth]

Not sure what point you're trying to make with these remarks, you may have been on one Voyager that may or may not have suffered an actual fire or was simply emitting smoke, that doesn't mean there is an inherent problem with the fleet or that other fleets don't suffer a similar, small number of incidents.

I wasn’t sure either, but it’s fair to say Voyagers have been very reliable over the years and other classes of train have suffered with more fires.

 

[Russel]

I wasn’t sure either, but it’s fair to say Voyagers have been very reliable over the years and other classes of train have suffered with more fires.

It's not like XC have handled them with care over the last 15 years either!

 

[357]

how many trains have you been on which have caught fire?

Two. Neither were a Voyager.

 

[AndrewE]

Two. Neither were a Voyager.

maybe you have the record then? seriously, I reckon you have been unlucky, although I recognise that there have been classes of e.g. early diesel-hydraulic(?) DMU which were prone to fires.

My initial comment was partly in jest, but it's a fact that an EMU doesn't have loads of pipes carrying pressurised fuel oil, so one of the risks has been engineered out. Transformer oil won't burn very easily and it's not very pressurised either.

 

[Russel]

maybe you have the record then? seriously, I reckon you have been unlucky, although I recognise that there have been classes of e.g. early diesel-hydraulic(?) DMU which were prone to fires.

My initial comment was partly in jest, but it's a fact that an EMU doesn't have loads of pipes carrying pressurised fuel oil, so one of the risks has been engineered out. Transformer oil won't burn very easily and it's not very pressurised either.

The same can be said about all forms of transport that have both ICE and EV models though.

 

[AndrewE]

The same can be said about all forms of transport that have both ICE and EV models though.

Yep. And? It would still be good to get Voyagers off services where they run under the wires for long distances.

 

[357]

maybe you have the record then? seriously, I reckon you have been unlucky, although I recognise that there have been classes of e.g. early diesel-hydraulic(?) DMU which were prone to fires.

My initial comment was partly in jest, but it's a fact that an EMU doesn't have loads of pipes carrying pressurised fuel oil, so one of the risks has been engineered out. Transformer oil won't burn very easily and it's not very pressurised either.

One was an EMU and one was a DMU.

Neither was serious - but both produced an unbelievable amount of smoke. After the second I ended up throwing away the uniform I was wearing as the smell was lingering after multiple washes.

 

[Merle Haggard]

maybe you have the record then? seriously, I reckon you have been unlucky, although I recognise that there have been classes of e.g. early diesel-hydraulic(?) DMU which were prone to fires.

My initial comment was partly in jest, but it's a fact that an EMU doesn't have loads of pipes carrying pressurised fuel oil, so one of the risks has been engineered out. Transformer oil won't burn very easily and it's not very pressurised either.

My bold

But WC AC locos seems to manage to burn out after a transformer overload.

On my commute home once I spent a few hours at Bletchley waiting for the fire brigade to extinguish a transformer fire on E3046 North of the station on an Up express. When we eventually went past it all that remained above the solebars were the two cab ends - the aluminium alloy bodywork had melted away. I think the same demise affected E3055 9another AL2/82) and possibly one of the AL1 (later Cl 81).
In the case I witnessed, the Divisional Maintenance Engineer said afterwards something along the lines of 'only an AL2 would be able to sustain 100 mph all the way South with that load' so assume the driver spent too long with the 'Amps' in the red.

And, as is well remembered, the transformers on the Glasgow 'Blue Electrics' managed to explode in their early days.

 

[Russel]

It would still be good to get Voyagers off services where they run under the wires for long distances.

I agree, it would be far better for the environment, but short of ordering a brand new fleet of bi-mode units, it's not going to happen any time soon.

The diesel vs electric fire risk point is a mute point, frankly.