Colchester Signal Box Evacuated

[Antman]

Seems the fire alarm has gone off in the box. Box evacuated and all trains at a stand!

And the 16.30 Liverpool Street to Norwich was apparently cancelled as a result, possibly others too?

 

[GB]

I imagine there were quite a few cancellations!

 

[Dave1987]

And the 16.30 Liverpool Street to Norwich was apparently cancelled as a result, possibly others too?

All trains at a stand for that length of time would throw all the train and crew diagrams out completely. The usual Twitter barrage of abuse came along of with AGA branded a disgrace that they couldn't get everything and everyone back where they should be instantly as soon as the box reopened.

 

[Tio Terry]

Pretty sure the 2-hour fire resistance is to protect the equipment, rather than the people.

No. It's specifically to allow the operations to be closed down in a controlled manner. However, if the operating floor was filled with smoke, as others have said, then yes, it does need immediate evacuation. But that would lead me to question the design of the place. Does the activation of the fire alarm automatically shut down any air conditioning? Were any fire doors blocked open, or did the fire occur within the operating floor itself?

 

[edwin_m]

What do they say about not putting all of your eggs in one basket?

Surely this another reason why putting everything into a regional ROC is a bad idea, whereas you could in the past "lockout" a box and just have long sections.

That might be true for a manual signal box (but even then not always - what if it controls a level crossing?). But it wouldn't be true for somewhere like Colchester which controls a large area. There may be local panels in the remote relay rooms but probably not in the Colchester interlocking itself. And if the relay room burns down there's really no alternative but to build and wire up another one from scratch.

The idea of the ROCs is that firstly by having a small number of them they can be equipped with the most modern security and fire prevention, and secondly it should be possible in principle to transfer control to another centre if the primary one is out of action. This is specifically mentioned in an article in December's Rail Engineer magazine in relation to electrification control which will also be carried out by ROCs. It is of course more difficult in practice, particularly in relation to having staff at the new location with appropriate local knowledge, and may be tricky when older relay-based signalling is re-controlled into a ROC than where interlockings are computer-based.

It is of course too early to say how well this has been implemented and whether it will actually work in the rare situation that a ROC is put out of action.

 

[LAX54]

And the 16.30 Liverpool Street to Norwich was apparently cancelled as a result, possibly others too?

21 Cancelled, 22 Part Cancelled. 202 delayed.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No. It's specifically to allow the operations to be closed down in a controlled manner. However, if the operating floor was filled with smoke, as others have said, then yes, it does need immediate evacuation. But that would lead me to question the design of the place. Does the activation of the fire alarm automatically shut down any air conditioning? Were any fire doors blocked open, or did the fire occur within the operating floor itself?

There is a pre-alarm that indicates zone area and sensor, this enables the Manager on duty to investigate the area to see what is going on, but this time I understand all sensors in about 4 zones went straight to the second (fire) stage, even then there is time normally to advise station control etc.
Alarm was 'silenced' but triggered again staright away, plus 'smoke' was seen from the vents on the Ops Floor, thus no chances taken, luckily the Fire Station is less than a mile away and were on site very quickly, think the actual box was closed for about 35 mins or so, but of course it covers a wide area, so disruptuion was unavoidable, but thankfully rare.

 

[Tio Terry]

Does anybody actually know what the cause of multiple zone alarms were? Fire Panel fault? Unusual symptoms to experience all at the same time.

 

[edwin_m]

Does anybody actually know what the cause of multiple zone alarms were? Fire Panel fault? Unusual symptoms to experience all at the same time.

Maybe a fire in the fire panel?

 

[GB]

AC fault I'm led to believe...

 

[455driver]

What do they say about not putting all of your eggs in one basket?

Surely this another reason why putting everything into a regional ROC is a bad idea, whereas you could in the past "lockout" a box and just have long sections.

I carnt wait for one of those vanity projects to go base over apex!
I hope the computer can sort itself out for a controlled restart of trains otherwise the signaller or whatevertheyarecalledinthesessuperduperboxes is going to be very busy playing with his ball!

I am still waiting for an answer to what will happen on night shed turns, currently we use hand held radios to contact the box which obviously wont work when its all at Didcot! :roll:

 

[Class 170101]

I am still waiting for an answer to what will happen on night shed turns, currently we use hand held radios to contact the box which obviously wont work when its all at Didcot! :roll:

Why not?

 

[Llanigraham]

I carnt wait for one of those vanity projects to go base over apex!
I hope the computer can sort itself out for a controlled restart of trains otherwise the signaller or whatevertheyarecalledinthesessuperduperboxes is going to be very busy playing with his ball!

I am still waiting for an answer to what will happen on night shed turns, currently we use hand held radios to contact the box which obviously wont work when its all at Didcot! :roll:

Why not?
Drivers on the Crewe line manage to talk to Cardiff quite easily by GSM-R, and it even works over the length of the Cambrian with Machy box.

 

[LAX54]

Does anybody actually know what the cause of multiple zone alarms were? Fire Panel fault? Unusual symptoms to experience all at the same time.

I think it was the failure of some water level sensor, which led to something else overheating and failing, this then caused smoke to be drwan into the Air Handling Unit, and of course once there, I assuime into the air ducts ? The sensors I would presume pick up heat and / or smoke, and then off go the klaxons ! Of course once you 'reset' the alarm and it triggers within miliseconds and someone says 'smoke', one does not hang around very long !
All credit to AGA/NR they got the service back to a fair shape by the evening peak, with only a few alterations