Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 08:15 19 Mar 2024
- Potholes leave nations' roads at 'breaking point'
- The US Navy's relentless battle against Houthi attacks
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 tomorrow - WWRUG AGM
23/03/24 - Trains restart - Minehead
02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber

No 'On This Day' events reported for 19th Mar

Train RunningCancelled
06:30 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
08:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
08:43 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
08:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
09:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
10:41 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
Short Run
06:18 Yeovil Pen Mill to Filton Abbey Wood
07:12 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
07:24 Taunton to London Paddington
07:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington
07:28 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
08:32 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
Delayed
05:23 Hereford to London Paddington
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 25/03 16:00 Easter Escape - to where?
Closed 2024-03-16 Should our rail network go cashless
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 19, 2024, 08:19:41 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[159] A daily picture from my recent travels
[78] Where would you recommend for an Easter Escape?
[68] More travels ... more looking at how others do it ...
[66] M25 motorway issue: a most illuminating Twitter thread.
[55] Briefing on forthcoming changes - from GWR on 14.3.2024
[35] Europeran Rail Timetable
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 ... 267 268 [269] 270 271 ... 302
  Print  
Author Topic: Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014  (Read 1240566 times)
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10080


View Profile
« Reply #4020 on: March 29, 2023, 10:56:57 »

Yes, definite damage to S&T (Signalling and Telegraph) cables, hence the ‘disruption to the end of the day’ as it will take time to replace them.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
Mark A
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1287


View Profile
« Reply #4021 on: March 29, 2023, 11:58:04 »

I'm wondering what this was as from the blackening to the OHLE supports this looks to have been big enough to start roasting anything stabled alongside.

Mark
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #4022 on: March 29, 2023, 18:21:08 »

Seriously, unless you have absolutely no alternative, don't go anywhere near Paddington tonight.....I took one look at the masses, turned around, went to Waterloo and boarded a train to Windsor where Mrs TG kindly collected me.
Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7148


View Profile
« Reply #4023 on: March 29, 2023, 19:57:34 »

From the position of the fire, along the fence between the main line and the sidings, it can only be the railway's own fire (see pictures from the Chron). And, since it seems to be at the foot of the masts that carry traction power connections from the east side of the section break to the Maidenhead MPATS (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification), presumably the traction power cables were the source of the fire.
Logged
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4348


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #4024 on: March 29, 2023, 20:16:17 »

Seriously, unless you have absolutely no alternative, don't go anywhere near Paddington tonight.....I took one look at the masses, turned around, went to Waterloo and boarded a train to Windsor where Mrs TG kindly collected me.

I used the Elizabeth Line, but it did not stop at Burnham or Taplow, it crossed on the DN Main at Salt Hill.  I did not even attempt to look at the Main Line Station for fasts to Maidenhead.

On the way in this morning I was on the 07:02 from Maidenhead it came to a  stop at Southall for about 15 / 20 mins, the Drive kept us informed that the power was off due to a line side fire at Maidenhead; we reached Padd where I picked up the Elizabeth Line the West bound were terminating, East bound Shenfield's were ok but the Abbey Wood's were MIA.

Heard reports that signalling cables have been damaged in the area.



Photo on Twitter  suggests that the fire is perhaps an electrical fire? So cables will have been damaged. 

The fire does look a bit odd, being in 2 places.  The flames seem to be where a raised GRP trough route dives down to the OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") structures.   Could it have been a Traction Power (25kV) fault, these tend to clear very quickly (mili Seconds) and do not generally cause a fire.  A Traction Return Current fault that is a possibly but on modern AC Traction systems are extremely rare.  Other options low Voltage systems (signalling power, lighting etc) but these systems will clear a fault before a fire starts or vandalism or other non electrical cause
Logged

Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
ChrisB
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 12330


View Profile Email
« Reply #4025 on: March 29, 2023, 20:43:19 »

Letter arroving from NR» (Network Rail - home page) & GWR (Great Western Railway) to say both overhead power & Signalling going to be kaput into at least tomorrow mornng. So check before leaving home
Logged
DaveHarries
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 259



View Profile
« Reply #4026 on: March 30, 2023, 00:43:42 »

And, since it seems to be at the foot of the masts that carry traction power connections from the east side of the section break to the Maidenhead MPATS (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification), presumably the traction power cables were the source of the fire.
Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

Dave
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #4027 on: March 30, 2023, 06:45:46 »

Letter arroving from NR» (Network Rail - home page) & GWR (Great Western Railway) to say both overhead power & Signalling going to be kaput into at least tomorrow mornng. So check before leaving home

Certainly looks that way, more of the same.

Logged
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4348


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #4028 on: March 30, 2023, 08:52:18 »

And, since it seems to be at the foot of the masts that carry traction power connections from the east side of the section break to the Maidenhead MPATS (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification), presumably the traction power cables were the source of the fire.
Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

Dave

The suspected cause is known within NR» (Network Rail - home page), I'm not at liberty to say what the suspected cause is, it is still subject of a live investigation.
Logged

Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7148


View Profile
« Reply #4029 on: March 30, 2023, 10:34:11 »

Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

If by "cable" you mean the vertical black line, then no - that's the actuating rod for the isolating switch sitting on the side arm. Compare it with the identical stanchion to the left of the portal. Each of those tall stanchions has a pair on the far side of the running lines, and there are four such pairs providing the traction connections for the four lines. There is an insulated cable going halfway up the near stanchion, then a bare wire on via that switch, up to the top, and across to the far side. Partway across there is an insulator and a wire drops down to connect to the catenary and contact wires. There are four of those, one for each line, each side of the midpoint section break.

A lot of the switchgear you see sitting on poles, or corralled by the lineside, and even more lurking in sheds, exists to prevent traction circuit currents getting high enough to cause damage. As ET says, big fault currents must be removed in a fraction of a second, before enough energy has been dumped into the wires to overheat them. If that happened, then evidently "something went wrong". Traction supplies can cope with hundreds of amps, and if that sort of current at 25 kV gets into other cables they can get very hot without tripping anything. Obviously that's still something going wrong. So, several possibilities!
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #4030 on: March 30, 2023, 10:47:07 »

And, since it seems to be at the foot of the masts that carry traction power connections from the east side of the section break to the Maidenhead MPATS (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification), presumably the traction power cables were the source of the fire.
Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

Dave

The suspected cause is known within NR» (Network Rail - home page), I'm not at liberty to say what the suspected cause is, it is still subject of a live investigation.

Oooooh how intriguing? Sabotage?
Logged
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4348


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #4031 on: March 30, 2023, 10:49:14 »

And, since it seems to be at the foot of the masts that carry traction power connections from the east side of the section break to the Maidenhead MPATS (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification), presumably the traction power cables were the source of the fire.
Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

Dave

The suspected cause is known within NR» (Network Rail - home page), I'm not at liberty to say what the suspected cause is, it is still subject of a live investigation.

Oooooh how intriguing? Sabotage?

No

Might have contractual implications though

The cables were not the cause of the fire but a victim.
Logged

Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7148


View Profile
« Reply #4032 on: March 30, 2023, 10:51:07 »

Might have contractual implications though

It'll be embarrassing for someone, too.
Logged
GBM
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1454


View Profile Email
« Reply #4033 on: March 30, 2023, 15:12:29 »


The suspected cause is known within NR» (Network Rail - home page), I'm not at liberty to say what the suspected cause is, it is still subject of a live investigation.

Hopefully earthed  Grin Grin
Logged

Personal opinion only.  Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........)
1st fan
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 402


View Profile
« Reply #4034 on: March 31, 2023, 01:25:20 »

And, since it seems to be at the foot of the masts that carry traction power connections from the east side of the section break to the Maidenhead MPATS (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification), presumably the traction power cables were the source of the fire.
Yes it looks as if that had previously been something larger because of the gap in the troughing. Also I can't help wondering if that is a cable hanging down from the extension on that very blackened middle support and perhaps that made contact with something. Saying that the cable, if that is what it is, in question could be hanging down from there as part of the correct workings of OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"): I don't know.

Dave

The suspected cause is known within NR» (Network Rail - home page), I'm not at liberty to say what the suspected cause is, it is still subject of a live investigation.

Oooooh how intriguing? Sabotage?

No

Might have contractual implications though
Quote

The cables were not the cause of the fire but a victim.

Nice reply from Network Rail to someone who said fixing the damage had taken too long.

https://twitter.com/David__Brunt/status/1641007491470315520



Quote
Network Rail Western
@networkrailwest


29 Mar
⚠️We're sorry for any disruption to your journey this morning as a result of a lineside fire in Maidenhead.

David Brunt
@David__Brunt

Replying to
@networkrailwest
It really took two hours to put out that small fire?
9:20 am · 29 Mar 2023


Network Rail Western
@networkrailwest


16h
Replying to
@David__Brunt
Hi David, at its peak the fire hit 600C. After the fire service put out the flames, the temperature started rising again. Only by 9pm last night had it reduced to a temp that our teams could assess the damage and start repairing/replacing cabling. I hope this helps explain.

Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 ... 267 268 [269] 270 271 ... 302
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page