Craziest Loco Failure

[Whistler40145]

What has been the craziest loco failure any of you have ever encountered?


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[LE Greys]

A story (which may or may not be true) that I've told here before of a Duchess approaching Euston. It seems that the regulator decided to jam wide open and the reverser would not budge. After doing an emergency stop on the train brakes, the fireman dropped the fire, but there was still sufficent steam to set the wheels spinning madly after burning out the brake blocks. Once they finally stopped rotating, a shunter picked up the coaches and took them to the platform, then went back to collect the Duchess, and she wouldn't budge. The spinning wheels had melted the piece of rail on which they turned, which had now solidified, so the engine was welded to the rails! They had to remove and replace the entire rail sections to get her moved.

Other than that, I'm going for the exploding pigeon and King's Cross Thameslink.

 

[DXMachina]

sounds similar to a story about an A2 at Durham in 1994 that Google will reveal, similar cause or just chinese whisper syndrome?

 

[Schnellzug]

There was the EE Type 4 that swallowed the Fat Controller's hat on the Isle of Sodor one time..

 

[LE Greys]

sounds similar to a story about an A2 at Durham in 1994 that Google will reveal, similar cause or just chinese whisper syndrome?

Yes, I thought of that as well. Trouble is, I got this one from a library book published in the 1980s - can't remember the title, though.

 

[Whistler40145]

I remember going on a tour called The Pheasant Plucker around East Anglia with 37023 freshly painted in Mainline Blue. We arrived back @ Liverpool Street & a pigeon flew straight into the OHLE, disintegrated & shorted out the 25kV, leaving several 86s and units silent!


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[LE Greys]

There was the EE Type 4 that swallowed the Fat Controller's hat on the Isle of Sodor one time..

Funny thing is, that really happened, as did the incident with fish in a water tank (although I have no idea how they got there). There's a website somewhere with the real history of the Thomas stories.

I'll also add the business of snow in junction boxes with Class 91s.

 

[Hydro]

Not a quite a failure, but a train I was working some time ago in the south central countryside was making good progress at about 70mph. Brakes suddenly drop, brake pipe gauge needle goes to zero like nothing else.

Quick confab with driver, passed an off distant, and the associate stop signal was showing danger as we rounded the curve - he bangs the brake into emergency, we sail past about half a train length. Gets onto signalman, confirmed he put the signal back due to a suspicious phone failure at an accommodation crossing ahead of the signal. Without the phone, the crossing has no protection as it must be used prior to use.

Everything sorted out, SPAD reported, forms produced etc etc. Reported to all relevant controls. Proceed at caution over crossing etc etc.

Report comes back from local MOM via control. A curious cow had managed to knock the phone off the hook and call the signalman, who presumably heard some knocking and heavy breathing!

 

[Donny Dave]

I remember reading about a HST test run from Newcastle to Kings Cross non stop (possibly the world record run) where the staff at Heaton were very carefully checking the power cars involved.

1 of them looked to have suffered a flashover and on investigating, found the remains of a golf ball.

The bit I remember most from reading that was 1 of the fitters saying: "I've no idea how it got there, but I've a feeling it was with a 7 iron."

 

[LE Greys]

I remember reading about a HST test run from Newcastle to Kings Cross non stop (possibly the world record run) where the staff at Heaton were very carefully checking the power cars involved.

1 of them looked to have suffered a flashover and on investigating, found the remains of a golf ball.

The bit I remember most from reading that was 1 of the fitters saying: "I've no idea how it got there, but I've a feeling it was with a 7 iron."

Oh, is THAT where it went?

 

[Rich_D3167]

A story (which may or may not be true) that I've told here before of a Duchess approaching Euston. It seems that the regulator decided to jam wide open and the reverser would not budge. After doing an emergency stop on the train brakes, the fireman dropped the fire, but there was still sufficent steam to set the wheels spinning madly after burning out the brake blocks. Once they finally stopped rotating, a shunter picked up the coaches and took them to the platform, then went back to collect the Duchess, and she wouldn't budge. The spinning wheels had melted the piece of rail on which they turned, which had now solidified, so the engine was welded to the rails! They had to remove and replace the entire rail sections to get her moved.

I've heard a similar story with a Class 37 involved at Immingham. One such example coupled up to a heavy train (could have been Lindsey Oil Refinery, but can't remember exactly, somewhere around Immingham), tried to get it moving, ended sitting there spinning it's wheels for quite some time before moving. Once moving, train experiences a rough ride. Turns out there's 12 dents in the rails where the Class 37 was sat with it's wheels spinning, which had dug a few inches into the rails!

 

[142094]

One I heard recently was about testing the first HSTs on the ECML. Going along nicely at whatever speed it was, when a pheasant flew across and was hit directly on the nose cone. At the time it didn't have the steel plate that now is there, so the pheasant exploded and went through the nose cone into the cab (resulting in a lot of mess).

 

[headshot119]

I heard the tale of an amusing loco failure on the once a week Crewe - Holyhead pendolino drag.

The original 57 failed, so a second one was sent to rescue the whole lot. That then failed and a FL 66 was dispatched from penmaenmawr ballast quarry to drag the lot back to Crewe.

 

[O L Leigh]

I've heard a similar story with a Class 37 involved at Immingham. One such example coupled up to a heavy train (could have been Lindsey Oil Refinery, but can't remember exactly, somewhere around Immingham), tried to get it moving, ended sitting there spinning it's wheels for quite some time before moving. Once moving, train experiences a rough ride. Turns out there's 12 dents in the rails where the Class 37 was sat with it's wheels spinning, which had dug a few inches into the rails!

It's known as a "rail burn" and is actually quite common wherever heavy freight trains are required to start away from a stand. I remember being shown a set by the signal at the top of the Channelsea Curve near Stratford where heavy Freightliner trains wait to join the GEML from the NLL.

O L Leigh

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Not a loco failure as such, but I was on a Gatwick Express once very early on after the 73s and Mk 2 stock had been put onto it when the up train, which had been travelling quite normally at linespeed, came to an extremely sharp juddering halt while passing through Clapham Junction.

Turned out a brake pipe had parted...

 

[12CSVT]

It should be remembered that any defect which might affect the safe running of a train is a legitimate reason to fail it (eg broken widscreen wiper, driver's seat not adjusting, cab heating not working, P.A. system on multiple units not working, etc)

 

[Crimson_Quiff]

I wouldn't say this was the craziest loco failure of all time, but hey ho - here goes:

I can't remember the date but it was one wet and miserable evening in 1999 and the 1M89 FO Cardiff Central - Manchester Oxford Road was being hauled by an ailing 37407. The train arrived into Stockport about 30 minutes late and as we departed, 407 was pretty much slipping constantly.
We got out onto the viaduct and I think the driver wasn't too keen on slipping and shut the power off everytime 407 slipped. We came to halt and after much slipping and sanding, 407 gained momentum and arrived into Manchester Piccadilly about 40 down by this time!
The rails were DRENCHED after a down pour of rain earlier in the day (it was still raining at the time, to come think of it!), never the less, the driver was determined to get the train to its' destination! Departing Piccadilly was eventful to say the least! 407 was slipping severely, again with the driver shutting the power off everytime! We got going but the loco was really stuggling to get to grips with the wet rails. This lead to a good 5 minutes of rain-lashed thrash and lots of spinning wheels between Piccadilly and Oxford Road! It was epic!
On arrival at Manchester Oxford Road, the driver could do no more and declaired 407 a failure! The train was left in Platform 1 until a rescue engine arrived to take the ECS round to Crewe, which I'm led to believe was 37521?

Yep, that was certainly one of my most memorable trips behind an EH 37er!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It should be remembered that any defect which might affect the safe running of a train is a legitimate reason to fail it (eg broken widscreen wiper, driver's seat not adjusting, cab heating not working, P.A. system on multiple units not working, etc)

True, but from memory it was one of the pipes along the train itself ( so technically a stock failure? ), not the one between the loco and the train.

 

[Marklund]

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