Great Western Coffee Shop

A Voyager train has caught fire at Banbury station (link below.)
http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2122033.0.train_fire_at_railway_station.php

Fire crews are at the scene and the railway station was evacuated after the train was spotted on fire at around 4.30pm.

It is believed the blaze may be in the train's air conditioning unit.

That's the trouble with Voyargers you've got a a large diesel engine generator and radiators plus air conditioning etc. in a sealed unit under the train where it gets no cooling.

If you want 10 or over hp per ton (diesel) stick it in two power cars with a set of Mark 3 s or better still  an 87 and mark threes with a DVT don't stick it underneath the coach. Unfortunately the 87 solution reuires a lot more wires to slung.

not the first time a voyager has had fire probs.

a few years ago virgin stopped the fleet after an electical cupboard containing 3 phase blew up while being serviced in barton hill

Anyone remember that when Virgin won the XC franchise their franchise proposal was loco + coaches. If I recall, all the other (losing) propositions were DMUs. But sometime in the next year it became the multiple unit proposition which we now have.

What do you expect when the transformers on the roof reach over 400^c when braking?

Voyager..probably the worst train in the world

... all that methane gas from the retention tanks being sucked into the air conditioning unit - bound to be a fire risk ...  ;D

Perhaps the result of an unusally large passenger flow.....

Oooh, er ...!  ;D

Behave yourselves, you two. You'll be giving the Global Moderators a bad name (for bad jokes).  ;)

Four fire crews and an ambulance were called to the fire, involving an Arriva CrossCountry Voyager train to Derby, at 4.25pm (link below.)
http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.2122245.0.train_fire_is_out.php

A small fire was found in the air vents and about 100 passengers were evacuated.

A spokesman for Network Rail said the train was moved from the line by 4.45pm and predicted only minor delays for passengers.

A spokesman for Arriva said all evacuated passengers were put on a replacement train.

... where they all breathed a (fresh air) sigh of relief, hopefully?  ;)

Reminds me of a VWC cancellation...

"1650 London Euston to Birmingham New Street has been cancelled. This is due to an unusually large passenger flow."  ??? ??? ??? ???