VT 221 Train Fault

[voyagerdude220]

Hi all,

Just a quick question regarding something i've noticed on NRES:

Today's 1A48 13:58 Holyhead to Euston started its journey 52 minutes late today, due to a "train fault". Subsqeuently, It has been terminated at Milton Keynes Central.

Its previous working 1D83 09:10 Euston to Holyhead arrived into Holyhead on time/ a few minutes early.

My question, is what went so badly wrong with the I assume Super Voyager, which took almost an hour to fix?

What are the most common issues to go wrong with Virgin's 221/390 fleet?

I know train crew have said to me before that the tilt sometimes causes problems, but Holyhead isn't in a tilt enabled area/the train would've been at a stand between workings (unless something went wrong when the crew prepared the train for its return working?).

1A53 16:35 Chester to Euston also delayed due to "an earlier train fault"- Possibly because 1A48 stole its path south of Chester?

1F24 18:07 Euston to Liverpool has been given a Special Stop Order (SSO) for Milton Keynes Central, to allow passengers wanting the 18:10 to transfer to it at MKC.

Thanks.

 

[DarloRich]

Hi all,

Just a quick question regarding something i've noticed on NRES:

Today's 1A48 13:58 Holyhead to Euston started its journey 52 minutes late today, due to a "train fault". Subsqeuently, It has been terminated at Milton Keynes Central.

Its previous working 1D83 09:10 Euston to Holyhead arrived into Holyhead on time/ a few minutes early.

My question, is what went so badly wrong with the I assume Super Voyager, which took almost an hour to fix?

What are the most common issues to go wrong with Virgin's 221/390 fleet?

I know train crew have said to me before that the tilt sometimes causes problems, but Holyhead isn't in a tilt enabled area/the train would've been at a stand between workings (unless something went wrong when the crew prepared the train for its return working?).

1A53 16:35 Chester to Euston also delayed due to "an earlier train fault"- Possibly because 1A48 stole its path south of Chester?

1F24 18:07 Euston to Liverpool has been given a Special Stop Order (SSO) for Milton Keynes Central, to allow passengers wanting the 18:10 to transfer to it at MKC.

Thanks.

Is that the 17:0X from MKC? It was nearly an hour down when i left at MK17:15. It is a busy train so i assume the SSO was to uplift the large number of passengers milling about.

I assumed it to have filed en route rather than at the point of origin.

 

[voyagerdude220]

18:10 Euston to Holyhead/Wrexham General calls at Milton Keynes Central at 18:40.

18:07 Euston to Liverpool had to call additionally at Milton Keynes, to allow passengers wanting the 18:10 to use it by changing at Milton Keynes.

13:58 Holyhead to Euston would usually depart MKC for Euston at 17:02.

 

[DarloRich]

It was the 17:02 that was most late. i assume the others were caught up in ensuing the mess

 

[transmanche]

My question, is what went so badly wrong with the I assume Super Voyager, which took almost an hour to fix?

Possibly a SNAFU with the TMS?

As an aside, I was at Chester at 16:30 on 4 Oct, waiting to catch the 16:35 VT service - which is formed of one unit arriving from Holyhead joining up with a unit already there.

It was obvious they were having problems joining the train. It looked physically connected, but the doors were locked shut and people in uniforms and hi-viz were scratching heads and looking on in concern. So I'm guessing either the connections weren;t being properly made, or the TMS refused to believe they were properly made. After 30 mins I bailed and got the ATW service to Crewe... no idea how long it took to get sorted.

 

[dvboy]

1358 Holyhead - Euston terminated at Milton Keynes
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C56144/2012-10-16/

1807 Euston - Holyhead started from Milton Keynes
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C58416/2012-10-16/

 

[voyagerdude220]

Thanks alot for the info transmanche.

dvboy- I don't know why, but when I view the links you've posted, I can't see the left hand side of the page properly.

 

[Geezertronic]

From what I have read from other posts on the subject on here, if tilt is inactive or not working on either 221s or 390s, the sets are restricted to 110mph on the 125mph enabled sections of the WCML.

 

[sprinterguy]

The 07:30 Birmingham to Euston "sat down" on the main line yesterday morning just south of Kilsby tunnel, as well. That's the first train I've been on that has performed what I presume was an emergency stop, I've certainly not come down from 100mph plus to zero that quickly before!

This was due to an unspecified "technical fault". The solution? Switch it off and on again, to reboot the computer systems! We were on our way again within ten minutes of coming to a halt after that had been done.

 

[voyagerdude220]

A few weeks ago I was on the 05:33 Preston to Euston, which lost time pretty much throughout its journey. I thought we were going somewhat slower than normal, and it was the first time I was on a 11-coach Pendolino- 390155.

Talking to the crew, they stated that the tilt was "knackered". We arrived into Euston around 13 mins late, so not a huge delay, but the reduction in speed was definately apparent.

 

[merlodlliw]

18:10 Euston to Holyhead/Wrexham General calls at Milton Keynes Central at 18:40.

18:07 Euston to Liverpool had to call additionally at Milton Keynes, to allow passengers wanting the 18:10 to use it by changing at Milton Keynes.

13:58 Holyhead to Euston would usually depart MKC for Euston at 17:02.

Its a ten car 0915? Euston to Holyhead & return, so something went wrong at Holyhead, staff perhaps?

Bob

 

[mullin]

From what I have read from other posts on the subject on here, if tilt is inactive or not working on either 221s or 390s, the sets are restricted to 110mph on the 125mph enabled sections of the WCML.

If the tilt fails on a 390, it's 40mph to the next station and then taken out of service. Been there, done it, got the t-shirt earlier this year

 

[Simon11]

The 07:30 Birmingham to Euston "sat down" on the main line yesterday morning just south of Kilsby tunnel, as well. That's the first train I've been on that has performed what I presume was an emergency stop, I've certainly not come down from 100mph plus to zero that quickly before!

This was due to an unspecified "technical fault". The solution? Switch it off and on again, to reboot the computer systems! We were on our way again within ten minutes of coming to a halt after that had been done.

Today I caught the 8.30 birmingham to euston service and due to 3 doors not closing at birmingham, they had to reboot the whole train. A 16min delay which was quite frustrating!

 

[driver_m]

If the tilt fails on a 390, it's 40mph to the next station and then taken out of service. Been there, done it, got the t-shirt earlier this year

Unless I'm falling for a joke or something, it definitely is not 40mph and out of service. It is PS speeds and can run round all day non tilt. Sounds more like a tpws fault what your describing.

 

[mullin]

Unless I'm falling for a joke or something, it definitely is not 40mph and out of service. It is PS speeds and can run round all day non tilt. Sounds more like a tpws fault what your describing.

Well that's what happened to the train I was on that day, we were going round a bend, came to a sudden stop and were told the tilt had failed in the rear carridge and that the carriage was leaning in the wrong direction. I've no idea what a tpws fault is...

 

[Geezertronic]

Well that's what happened to the train I was on that day, we were going round a bend, came to a sudden stop and were told the tilt had failed in the rear carridge and that the carriage was leaning in the wrong direction. I've no idea what a tpws fault is...

That sounds more like a mechanical issue causing a fault in one particular carriage rather than a tilt isolation or complete failure. Obvioulsy if one carriage is tilted and the rest are not, I guess there could be collision issues on straight track couldn't there?

 

[Wikipedia]

Well that's what happened to the train I was on that day, we were going round a bend, came to a sudden stop and were told the tilt had failed in the rear carridge and that the carriage was leaning in the wrong direction. I've no idea what a tpws fault is...

If the tilt fails tilted over then I can understand that. TPWS is the Train Protection and Warning System, it is a safety system to help reduce SPADs and/or the consequences of a SPAD

 

[Welshman]

The 07:30 Birmingham to Euston "sat down" on the main line yesterday morning just south of Kilsby tunnel, as well. That's the first train I've been on that has performed what I presume was an emergency stop, I've certainly not come down from 100mph plus to zero that quickly before!

This was due to an unspecified "technical fault". The solution? Switch it off and on again, to reboot the computer systems! We were on our way again within ten minutes of coming to a halt after that had been done.

Interesting that what usually works with my 6 year-old PC will also do the trick with a super-voyager!

 

[driver_m]

Well that's what happened to the train I was on that day, we were going round a bend, came to a sudden stop and were told the tilt had failed in the rear carridge and that the carriage was leaning in the wrong direction. I've no idea what a tpws fault is...

You'd gone out of gauge, bit of a toe curler for the driver and signaller dealing with that. The speed you left at is what threw me as it covers the tpws failure speed, (not the hard tilt fail speed) Very rare thankfully.

 

[sprinterguy]

Interesting that what usually works with my 6 year-old PC will also do the trick with a super-voyager!

Not a Super Voyager in this instance, but a Pendolino: Same principle applies though, from laptop or PC to 500 tonne train!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'm not saying this is what happened at MKC, but sometimes late-running Voyagers are reversed to recover the timetable (eg at Crewe northbound, rather than running to Chester and back).
Unlike Pendolinos there are too few of them to step up another set at Euston, especially in the peak.
As merlodlliw says, this is a double unit and it seems odd that both were out of action.
I've been on Voyagers before with tilt disabled and therefore 110mph max.