West Malling train fire (02/02/2023)

[realemil]

https://twitter.com/ajuk29/status/1621196442294444032?s=46&t=K5cc3_0guux719VsxE_d4Q

Video posted of a train coming to a halt at West Malling whilst a fire onboard from what it appears.

Very scary situation but glad everyone got off safe.

 

[birchesgreen]

I like the bloke who gets off with his bags and wanders off fairly chilled while all around him are running about.

 

[william.martin]

Wow, any word on the cause of the fire?

 

[Darandio]

I like the bloke who gets off with his bags and wanders off fairly chilled while all around him are running about.

Looks cannily like (to me) the bloke in the infamous video who nearly got hit by that railtour on the platform edge all those years ago. Obviously nothing fazes him now.

There's also Captain Bravery in the brown trousers who legged it off with a suitcase then got back on later to retrieve what seems to be a coat.

 

[birchesgreen]

Always fascinating to see how varied people can react in a stressed situation.

 

[Bald Rick]

Fire was in / underneath the bogie. Looks electrical to me.

 

[william.martin]

Fire was in / underneath the bogie. Looks electrical to me.

Another F1 car bites the dust?

 

[43066]

Fire was in / underneath the bogie. Looks electrical to me.

It certainly isn’t the first! A very similar looking fire occurred at Bromley North a few years back.

 

[Edsmith]

The train involved has been moved to Maidstone East and is blocking platform 2 meaning Ashford bound trains running non stop through the centre track.

 

[dk1]

The train involved has been moved to Maidstone East and is blocking platform 2 meaning Ashford bound trains running non stop through the centre track.

Ah some rare track for some. Every cloud & all that.

 

[millemille]

Shoe gear burn up. A relatively common occurrence in 3rd rail land, impact damage/shorting from track debris or could be a build up of dirt on the shoe gear and beam which shorts across the shoe beam to vehicle body and sets fire to the beam and cables.

 

[william.martin]

Shoe gear burn up. A relatively common occurrence in 3rd rail land, impact damage/shorting from track debris or could be a build up of dirt on the shoe gear and beam which shorts across the shoe beam to vehicle body and sets fire to the beam and cables.

Lucky we have an F1 engineer to hand, is the damage particularly severe?

 

[Bald Rick]

Shoe gear burn up. A relatively common occurrence in 3rd rail land, impact damage/shorting from track debris or could be a build up of dirt on the shoe gear and beam which shorts across the shoe beam to vehicle body and sets fire to the beam and cables.

But the third rail system is much more reliable, according to some!

 

[4-SUB 4732]

But the third rail system is much more reliable, according to some!

At least in the heat it doesn't sag, causing everything to effectively stop. And a carrier bag won't kill it, nor will a bit of bouncing bring it all down and ruin the day...

 

[Bald Rick]

At least in the heat it doesn't sag, causing everything to effectively stop.

Actually, it does (buckle and displace, rather than sag). Happens frequently. In the cold too. Several times this year, quite disruptively, too.

And a carrier bag won't kill it,

it can do, and does.

nor will a bit of bouncing bring it all down and ruin the day...

it can do, and does, happened last week (displacement again…)

 

[43066]

it can do, and does.

Ironically a GTR service caused big problems last week in my bit of OHLE land due to a carrier bag getting wrapped around its shoe gear! Very sensibly it was terminated before entering the core.

 

[Chris M]

At least in the heat it doesn't sag, causing everything to effectively stop. And a carrier bag won't kill it, nor will a bit of bouncing bring it all down and ruin the day...

Actually, it does (buckle and displace, rather than sag). Happens frequently. In the cold too. Several times this year, quite disruptively, too.

it can do, and does.

pit can do, and does (displacement again…)

The only circumstances in which third rail is always unambiguously better that OLE are:

1. Very high winds (although both are equally likely to be disrupted by flying trampolines, etc)
2. Tunnels/bridges with extremely limited overhead clearance

 

[Bald Rick]

3. Killing Badgers

 

[XCTurbostar]

466028

 

[Peter Mugridge]

466028

Yes - 466 028 was the one affected; I believe it was coupled to 465 923 which was undamaged?


Edited to correct the number of the 465/9 involved.

 

[507020]

The only circumstances in which third rail is always unambiguously better that OLE are:

1. Very high winds (although both are equally likely to be disrupted by flying trampolines, etc)
2. Tunnels/bridges with extremely limited overhead clearance

Despite the constant occurrence of “this train is cancelled due to damage to the overhead wires” I have never once in my life seen a train cancelled due to damage to the third rail. The only circumstance I’ve seen where the third rail fails is ice and that is unavoidable.

 

[brad465]

3. Killing Badgers

Brian May will be demanding all 3rd rail gets scrapped now

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What a terrifying racket, the bangs. Glad everyone is safe.

 

[365 Networker]

Looks like the fire went out fairly quickly - I assume a new bogie will be required?

 

[Craig1122]

Despite the constant occurrence of “this train is cancelled due to damage to the overhead wires” I have never once in my life seen a train cancelled due to damage to the third rail. The only circumstance I’ve seen where the third rail fails is ice and that is unavoidable.

Definitely does happen on third rail as well. I'd be interested to see the relative figures for delay minutes between the two though.

 

[Bald Rick]

Despite the constant occurrence of “this train is cancelled due to damage to the overhead wires” I have never once in my life seen a train cancelled due to damage to the third rail. The only circumstance I’ve seen where the third rail fails is ice and that is unavoidable.

You probably haven’t been looking in the right place. Numerous incidents this year alone.

 

[Horizon22]

At least in the heat it doesn't sag, causing everything to effectively stop. And a carrier bag won't kill it, nor will a bit of bouncing bring it all down and ruin the day...

But ice, snow, flooding all will. In fact heat can have problems, and obstructions during wind are not unknown; trampolines welding themselves to the 3rd rail a personal favourite of mine... And let's not talk about the difference in incident management when it comes to trespassers.

Nobody is saying retrofit it all obviously because a few thousand bridges and tunnels across South East England and London might have something to say about it!

Despite the constant occurrence of “this train is cancelled due to damage to the overhead wires” I have never once in my life seen a train cancelled due to damage to the third rail. The only circumstance I’ve seen where the third rail fails is ice and that is unavoidable.

Probably heard something different like "failure of the electricity supply". Just in the last month or so there have been reports on Southeastern of shoe-gear faults / issues.

 

[zwk500]

You probably haven’t been looking in the right place. Numerous incidents this year alone.

Anybody been able to work out how to do a per passenger-km analysis between the two systems yet?

 

[tbwbear]

What time yesterday afternoon / what service was this ?

 

[Fincra5]

Lets not turn this into a pointless AC vs DC debate. The Electrification is in place... not changing anytime soon.

I heard the Airbag burst too?