Stopped 159's

[SJ21]

It has become apparent that a lot of 159's are being stopped, with the West of England in tatters tomorrow according to Journey Check: https://www.journeycheck.com/swr/

Any ideas what has happened?

EDIT: Could be a track fault damaging wheelsets according to this clause: Trains may have to run at reduced speed and due to the single line sections along this route trains may be delayed awaiting to pass a train in the opposite direction.

 

[fgwrich]

It has become apparent that a lot of 159's are being stopped, with the West of England in tatters tomorrow according to Journey Check: https://www.journeycheck.com/swr/

Any ideas what has happened?

I'm not sure, but there does seem to be a sudden increase in sickly 159s at the moment. I travelled back on the 22:25 Exeter to Salisbury the other night (6 car) which ended up heavily delayed on the inbound, and was running with 3.5 engines (2.5 working engines under 003, 1 engine working under 020).

 

[158798]

Just noticed on RTT that 1L53 appears to have been worked by GWR 158959. If I recall, this isn’t the first time GWR have lent a hand to SWR on the WoE. Could also be a knock on impact of the line closure near Basingstoke…

Realtime Trains | 1Z53 1941 Yeovil Junction to Exeter St Davids | 20/04/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z53 1941 departure from Yeovil Junction to Exeter St Davids on 20/04/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Ashley Hill]

I understand SWR have started experimenting with bio-fuel which could be blocking the fuel filters.

 

[fgwrich]

I understand SWR have started experimenting with bio-fuel which could be blocking the fuel filters.

That may well explain the hunting I experienced the other night then. Some very unhappy engines on the fleet at the moment!

 

[Jrocks]

SWR seem to have gone down to a roughly 2 hourly service on the WoE down to Exeter today. Having a chat to the guard of the very delayed 1L61 last night, they seem to think it's down to the bio-fuel. The units didn't sound very healthy when leaving St David's back towards Yeovil!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Just noticed on RTT that 1L53 appears to have been worked by GWR 158959. If I recall, this isn’t the first time GWR have lent a hand to SWR on the WoE. Could also be a knock on impact of the line closure near Basingstoke…

Realtime Trains | 1Z53 1941 Yeovil Junction to Exeter St Davids | 20/04/2023

Real-time train running information for 1Z53 1941 departure from Yeovil Junction to Exeter St Davids on 20/04/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I would have loved to see that working at Yeovil Junction.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

That sounds worrying - these I believe have been pretty reliable (haven't read bad reports about them).

 

[Snow1964]

SWR explanation on its website

What's going on​

Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Basingstoke and Exeter St Davids fewer trains are able to run on all lines. Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

What we're doing about it

Yesterday, we were informed that many of our diesel fleet needed repairs at the same time. Unfortunately this issue has continued into today.

Until further notice, the following service alterations will take place.
- Services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids will run between Salisbury and Exeter St Davids only. Trains may have to run at reduced speed between these stations and due to the single line sections along this route trains may be delayed awaiting to pass a train in the opposite direction.
- A shuttle service will operate between Salisbury and Basingstoke

If you require a train between London Waterloo and Basingstoke, you are advised to board one of our services between London Waterloo and Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth via Eastleigh or a stopping service to Basingstoke.

To assist you with your journey your ticket will be accepted, at no extra cost to yourself, on the following services:
- Great Western Railway services between Exeter St Davids and London Paddington (in both directions)
- Great Western Railway services between Basingstoke and Reading (in both directions)
- London Underground via any reasonable route (for travel between London Waterloo and London Paddington)

For further information or onward travel advice please speak to a member of staff or use a station help point.

We are very sorry for any delay that this may cause to your journey.

So line is split into 3 parts
Exeter-Salisbury, Salisbury-Basingstoke
and use other services Basingstoke-Waterloo

Live Train Times & Travel Information | South Western Railway

Our journey planner provides live train times and train disruption information. Plan your journey and check for changes that might affect your journey

www.southwesternrailway.com

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Apr 2023 ==

Looks like it has spread to other SWR diesel services not previously mentioned as disrupted, eg 08:50 Salisbury-Romsey cancelled due to problem with traction equipment

Realtime Trains | 0850 Salisbury to Romsey | 21/04/2023

Real-time train running information for 0850 departure from Salisbury to Romsey on 21/04/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[WelshBluebird]

Is this of their own doing (one of the posts upthread suggest it may be) or are they the unlucky victim of dodgy fuel?

 

[fgwrich]

Is this of their own doing (one of the posts upthread suggest it may be) or are they the unlucky victim of dodgy fuel?

While Salisburys maintenance was seemingly cut in the first few years of the franchise, lessons do seem to have been learnt and they were back up to being golden spanner winners again recently, so tallying @Ashley Hill s post with my experiences the other night, I would say the Bio Fuel could well be playing havoc with the fuel filters and engines - quite possibly a bad batch causing the engines to hunt, starve themselves and ultimately shut down.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

According to RTT, there were two PAIRS of 158s on the Romsey rounder! I’d have personally scrapped the Romsey rounder to use the 158s to boost Exeter in these circumstances, and used other routes to service the stations on this route, but not even using singles - pairs - while the WoE suffers seems madness.

 

[DanNCL]

According to RTT, there were two PAIRS of 158s on the Romsey rounder! I’d have personally scrapped the Romsey rounder to use the 158s to boost Exeter in these circumstances, and used other routes to service the stations on this route, but not even using singles - pairs - while the WoE suffers seems madness.

Swaythling, Redbridge and Millbrook could have been served by EMUs but there isn't any alternative for Chandlers Ford so binning the Romsey rounder would leave that one unserved.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Swaythling, Redbridge and Millbrook could have been served by EMUs but there isn't any alternative for Chandlers Ford so binning the Romsey rounder would leave that one unserved.

An Eastleigh Romsey shuttle would serve Chandlers Ford while requiring only one 158, not three. (Or more than three if pairs are to be used as they were today)

 

[RichJF]

I understand SWR have started experimenting with bio-fuel which could be blocking the fuel filters.

Wonder if early-90s produced Cummins engines are more susceptible to biofuel than something manufactured post-2000?

Just thinking out loud.

 

[DanNCL]

An Eastleigh Romsey shuttle would serve Chandlers Ford while requiring only one 158, not three. (Or more than three if pairs are to be used as they were today)

Can that be done though or would it cause crewing issues? Not too familiar with the diesel side of SWR so I haven’t got a clue what the crewing situation is down there.

 

[swt_passenger]

According to RTT, there were two PAIRS of 158s on the Romsey rounder! I’d have personally scrapped the Romsey rounder to use the 158s to boost Exeter in these circumstances, and used other routes to service the stations on this route, but not even using singles - pairs - while the WoE suffers seems madness.

They’re cancelling alternate services, so using 4 units on Romseys rather than the normal 3. So it’s not a huge impact. No idea why they’re doing it, but it would help if they are expecting people to travel Waterloo to Salisbury via Southampton.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

They’re cancelling alternate services, so using 4 units on Romseys rather than the normal 3. So it’s not a huge impact. No idea why they’re doing it, but it would help if they are expecting people to travel Waterloo to Salisbury via Southampton.

It just seems odd with that being more than they'd use without the stock shortage.

 

[Dieseldriver]

They’re cancelling alternate services, so using 4 units on Romseys rather than the normal 3. So it’s not a huge impact. No idea why they’re doing it, but it would help if they are expecting people to travel Waterloo to Salisbury via Southampton.

Could be because with potential problems with underpowered engines or engines shutting down, 4 is considered a safer bet than 2?

 

[Big Jumby 74]

I understand SWR have started experimenting with bio-fuel

IIRC this is nothing new. As far as 2016, just about the time of the round of C6 refurbs, there was talk of one unit being run on the stuff as an experiment, although can't now remember the actual unit designated for same, or if the experiment went ahead, and if so what the outcomes were?

 

[fgwrich]

A comment on Paul Clifton’s twitter suggests it may not be a quality issue but a supply and storage issue. He will be speaking to the Salisbury TMD management later on so we’ll likely see a report tonight or tomorrow on BBC South Today / Spotlight.

 

[Mzzzs]

South Western Railway disruption after biofuel clogs engines

South Western Railway will operate a fraction of services on some routes for the next week.

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC have posted an article.

 

[cactustwirly]

Swaythling, Redbridge and Millbrook could have been served by EMUs but there isn't any alternative for Chandlers Ford so binning the Romsey rounder would leave that one unserved.

As well as Dean and Mottisfont

 

[superalbs]

SWR seem to have gone down to a roughly 2 hourly service on the WoE down to Exeter today. Having a chat to the guard of the very delayed 1L61 last night, they seem to think it's down to the bio-fuel. The units didn't sound very healthy when leaving St David's back towards Yeovil!

Tell you what, I did notice both of the two sets I had yesterday struggling to get moving, especially up the hill out of Exeter.

 

[dgl]

Reported as issues with the bio-fuel blocking filters and potentially other parts on Radio Solent earlier.

 

[islandmonkey]

Reported as issues with the bio-fuel blocking filters and potentially other parts on Radio Solent earlier.

Confirmed on Twitter by SWR

 

[Snow1964]

Reported as issues with the bio-fuel blocking filters and potentially other parts on Radio Solent earlier.

Water has an attraction to Biodiesel and easily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. This water then supports microbiological growth in fuel storage tanks. If tanks were not flushed and clean can get a build up of sterol glucosides which can ultimately block diesel fuel filters

 

[D1012]

Surely it would have been checked that the biofuel would work effectively on these units. Really does sum up the railway in general at the moment.

 

[Royston Vasey]

South Western Railway disruption after biofuel clogs engines

South Western Railway will operate a fraction of services on some routes for the next week.

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC have posted an article.

I can't believe my eyes.

A BBC article about trains illustrated by a photo of the right train in the right colours on the right route!

 

[jackot]

Water has an attraction to Biodiesel and easily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. This water then supports microbiological growth in fuel storage tanks. If tanks were not flushed and clean can get a build up of sterol glucosides which can ultimately block diesel fuel filters

I reckon this is exactly what has happened. Biodiesel is formed of Fatty acid methyl esters which are very hydroscopic, so biodiesel absorbs water much more easily than petroleum diesel as you said. Even in just a humid storage environment water can very quickly build up in the fuel when in improper storage. Water in any sort of fuel causes massive problems with all sorts of components in all sorts of powerplants, especially if it freezes or provides for microbial growth as you suggested.

Out of interest, does anyone know what ratio of diesel to biodiesel they likely use? I would have thought it would be the sort of thing they would rave about in sustainability reports etc. if it was a significant percentage.