Midland Pullman - North Wales Coast Pullman - 13/05/23

[Welshguy1048]

Anyone know what has happened to the Midland Pullman?

It has only got as far as Chester on its return journey from Llandudno to St Albans..

Realtime Trains | 1Z39 1600 Llandudno to St Albans | 13/05/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z39 1600 departure from Llandudno to St Albans on 13/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Thank you.

 

[warric]

Appears to have caught fire... https://twitter.com/AlloTisI/status/1657441202268954626?s=20

 

[Welshguy1048]

Appears to have caught fire... https://twitter.com/AlloTisI/status/1657441202268954626?s=20

Oh no.

Hope everyone is safe.

 

[507020]

Appears to have caught fire...

Is there any chance that this might ground a larger part of the Mk3 fleet?

 

[Welshguy1048]

This from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

ONGOING - Smoke from train investigated in Chester

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service - We work 24 hours a day to keep Cheshire safe from fires and other emergencies.

www.cheshirefire.gov.uk

 

[Trainguy34]

What would happen if it means it has to be taken out of passenger service, what would the replacement train be

Also looks like it won't get to St Albans till 1ish if its not leaving soon or making up time

 

[Welshguy1048]

It is sitting at Platform 3A at Chester now - information from Traksy website.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2023 ==

RTT is now saying it has been cancelled between Chester and St Albans.

 

[fgwrich]

Is there any chance that this might ground a larger part of the Mk3 fleet?

Doubt it. LSL have added a lot of additional ‘trinkets’ into their Mk3s, including multi coloured LED UpLighting and all those table lamps, and only ScotRail operate similar TFs (the TGFBs converted from ex FGW TFs).

 

[Trainguy34]

It is sitting at Platform 3A at Chester now - information from Traksy website.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2023 ==

RTT is now saying it has been cancelled between Chester and St Albans.

What will the passengers for St Albans do now

 

[warric]

Getting approx 250 passengers back to Leicester and beyond on a Saturday night and a strike day is going to be a challenge for the organisers

 

[Trainguy34]

Looks like they've put this on VSTP

Realtime Trains | 5Z39 2030 Chester to Crewe H.S. | 13/05/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Z39 2030 departure from Chester to Crewe H.S. on 13/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Amlag]

It is sitting at Platform 3A at Chester now - information from Traksy website.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2023 ==

RTT is now saying it has been cancelled between Chester and St Albans.

With the extensive Hosking LSL Fleet etc HQ at nearby Crewe it might hopefully be possible to organise a Control Spl ECS from Crewe to Chester to form a Control Spl Chester to St Albans (or start Crewe with passrs by ordinary TFW services from Chester to Crewe )

 

[Trainguy34]

Trains on the move... The passangers aren't though...

 

[Welshguy1048]

How are the passengers being taken onto their destinations?

Has another train come from LSL to finish the return journey?

 

[MiNi]

Trains on the move... The passangers aren't though...

Train has ran empty stock to Crewe heritage centre. No replacement sourced yet. Overnight in Chester ??

 

[fgwrich]

How are the passengers being taken onto their destinations?

Has another train come from LSL to finish the return journey?

Good luck trying to source any replacement buses or replacement taxis on a night like tonight too, what with the strikes / engineering works / football and Eurovision on. At least 120 odd coaches at Wembley today all on football duties alone.

 

[43096]

Doubt it. LSL have added a lot of additional ‘trinkets’ into their Mk3s, including multi coloured LED UpLighting and all those table lamps, and only ScotRail operate similar TFs (the TGFBs converted from ex FGW TFs).

I'm not sure how that is related to a reported battery issue (although from vids it isn't clear if it is batteries or dragging brakes).

 

[driverd]

I'm not sure how that is related to a reported battery issue (although from vids it isn't clear if it is batteries or dragging brakes).

It's reported in the fire service document upthread that it was the batteries. Doesn't specify if its the mk3s or loco - if you've seen videos though you could possibly advise?

 

[43096]

It's reported in the fire service document upthread that it was the batteries. Doesn't specify if its the mk3s or loco - if you've seen videos though you could possibly advise?

It's the second trailer.

 

[Alanko]

I've seen a couple of photos of this running today with a light smoke hovering around the second carriage. Not sure if it was just exhaust smoke, pulled down the sides of the train by wake vortexes, etc.

 

[Killingworth]

According to a post on Facebook it was in the battery box under Coach B. Passengers being put on coaches. Sounds like the damage is relatively minor but they have coaches in reserve if a replacement is needed.

 

[Dougal2345]

Saw this by chance as I came back from Liverpool on the Merseyrail. Took a few photos without realising anything was wrong, only when leaving the station did I notice two fire engines outside with a hose/pipe running into the building...

 

[Welshguy1048]

Any update on how the passengers continued their onward journey home?

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Any update on how the passengers continued their onward journey home?

An LSL member of staff confirmed on Facebook that passengers were transferred to buses.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The incident eventually hit the local North Wales rag.
They seem to think the train really was the original Midland Pullman, rather than a painted-up HST.

MSN

Passengers returning from North Wales were evacuated from their luxury train after smoke was seen billowing from one of its carriages. The Midland Pullman was forced to stop at Chester railway station to allow firefighters on board.
Crews from three fire engines spent more than four hours on the train after over-heating batteries were found to be the source of the problem. Passengers had been promised a “memorable day-out” but a smoky train was not part of the package.

It is thought they were offered replacement buses home. Earlier, they had been treated to a trip through Chester and along the North Wales coast before stopping in Llandudno for an afternoon break.
Providing the ride was a refurbished Midland Pullman, Britain’s first luxury high-speed diesel-electric train from the early 1960s. Noted for their striking Nanking blue livery, the trains provided “impeccable customer service” from white-jacketed stewards.

The routeing for this train was epic:
St Albans-Melton Mowbray-Leicester-Nuneaton-Sutton Park-Walsall-Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury-Crewe-Chester-Llandudno.
The replacement buses from Chester would have to reach 10 passenger stops on the MML via Melton Mowbray.

 

[bleeder4]

Despite the disruption to the planned day, there have been a few 5 star Trip Advisor reviews from passengers praising the way that it was handled. They mention that LSL have given everyone a full refund, which probably helped! Seems to be a case of good customer service saving what could have been quite a negative PR incident. Fair play.

 

[Lost property]

" The incident eventually hit the local North Wales rag.
They seem to think the train really was the original Midland Pullman, rather than a painted-up HST."

To be fair, and MSM routinely mis-report aviation incidents, they can't really be castigated in this instance.

The original "Midland Pullman " was iconic in it's own, albeit brief, existence and being, as defined on here, "normals ", then it's an easy mistake to make given many will still remember the original. Along with using Wiki as a possible reference source.

However, it must have been "interesting " regarding the logistics of returning the stranded passengers back to their embarkation stations.

 

[DarloRich]

An LSL member of staff confirmed on Facebook that passengers were transferred to buses.

that is a journey and a half!

 

[DelW]

" The incident eventually hit the local North Wales rag.
They seem to think the train really was the original Midland Pullman, rather than a painted-up HST."

To be fair, and MSM routinely mis-report aviation incidents, they can't really be castigated in this instance.

The original "Midland Pullman " was iconic in it's own, albeit brief, existence and being, as defined on here, "normals ", then it's an easy mistake to make given many will still remember the original. Along with using Wiki as a possible reference source.

There was a programme featuring a day out on this set on the recent Channel 5 "Luxury Trains of Britain" (or something similar) series.

TBH I only watched a few minutes as it was mostly clips of passengers saying what a wonderful day they were having with all the champagne / salmon / whatever they were eating and drinking. But it did talk a bit about the "iconic 1960s Pullmans", complete with archive film clips, pretty much ignoring that it isn't one of those at all.

However, it must have been "interesting " regarding the logistics of returning the stranded passengers back to their embarkation stations.

The routeing for this train was epic:
St Albans-Melton Mowbray-Leicester-Nuneaton-Sutton Park-Walsall-Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury-Crewe-Chester-Llandudno.
The replacement buses from Chester would have to reach 10 passenger stops on the MML via Melton Mowbray.

At least, using road coaches they wouldn't have needed to visit each one sequentially. Presumably one or two coaches heading directly to each set down point from Chester?