Does anyone know the cause of the "dewirement" between Reading(?) and Paddington(?)

[High Voltage]

Pretty much as the thread title really - 'twould appear that 2km approx of over head wires have somehow been damaged

Did a train suddenly grow in height or was it . . . "Aliens"

Or some other perfectly understandable cause

One for you rail buffs as I'm a very infrequent train user (and getting caught in this on Monday is enough to make me an even more infrequent train user)

Or am I being "harsh"

 

[Storm Fox]

teuchter said it was due to a Bedwyn to Paddington train

 

[moochedit]

teuchter said it was due to a Bedwyn to Paddington train

On the wrong track? Too high?

 

[Ax^]

this might help

Rail chaos which ruined mourners’ journeys continues for second day

National Rail said the disruption at London Paddington would last all day

www.standard.co.uk

 

[moochedit]

Pretty much as the thread title really - 'twould appear that 2km approx of over head wires have somehow been damaged

Did a train suddenly grow in height or was it . . . "Aliens"

Or some other perfectly understandable cause

One for you rail buffs as I'm a very infrequent train user (and getting caught in this on Monday is enough to make me an even more infrequent train user)

Or am I being "harsh"

Defo aliens

 

[Ax^]

was the lizard people coming down to collect Lizzie's remains

 

[Artaxerxes]

Selfie sticks

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The ghost of Princess Diana.

 

[moochedit]

Yes this happens just after liz's funeral.

It can't be a co-incidence

* goes off to do some research *

 

[skyscraper101]

It just sounds like the connector point of the train somehow got caught up in the overhead wires pulling them apart for 2 miles, rather than just skimming along underneath it as would be standard.

TBH I'm amazed this kind of thing doesn't happen more frequently when I consider the potential for this sort of thing to happen with those two touch points but it seems to be a rare thing.

 

[teuchter]

This kind of thing does happen relatively frequently - it's not really rare.

The East Coast main line (Kings Cross to Edinburgh) is quite well known as being susceptible because of the relatively lightweight system used for the wiring (BR era cost saving measures). Wires can be brought down by the train's pantograph (the bit on the roof that makes contact with the wires) getting tangled due to some fault or damage to the pantograph or the wiring itself. Or, they can be affected by high winds or trees falling.

The Great Western main line out of Paddington has only quite recently been electrified, and the heavily over-engineered overhead wiring supports are an attempt to make sure those same vulnerabilities aren't replicated. If you look at the new wiring that goes out to Reading and beyond, it's quite different from what you can see on the east coast line. The support gantries are much more substantial and the way the wires are strung up is different.

However... I believe this incident occurred somewhere near the junction with the line to Heathrow airport. Some of the lines out of Paddington, the ones that go to Heathrow, were electrified some time ago, long before the more recent electrification, and therefore they are of the older more vulnerable design. It seems that it was in this portion where the incident happened. And because of the way the wires are strung, tangling with the wire above that train meant that 4 parallel tracks had their wiring taken out too. And it seems that about 2 miles were affected. So quite a lot of stuff to repair.

 

[WouldBe]

teuchter said it was due to a Bedwyn to Paddington train

Bloody camels.

 

[teuchter]

Here's a pantograph disaster unfolding.

In this case it's caused by a faulty component in the wiring hanging down, which in turn damages the pantograph, which then gradually disintegrates and starts damaging the wiring further along.

 

[StoneRoad]

There are also the occasions when some numpty dangles something off a bridge, or throws some other thing into / onto / over the wires, resulting in the next pantograph to come along getting tangled up with the OHL.

 

[AverageJoe]

Here's a pantograph disaster unfolding.

In this case it's caused by a faulty component in the wiring hanging down, which in turn damages the pantograph, which then gradually disintegrates and starts damaging the wiring further along.

That looks like me in the morning. Starts off OK and rapidly goes downhill fast.

Even looks like me at the end.

 

[Artaxerxes]

As an aside I love the word Pantograph

 

[DaveCinzano]

As an aside I love the word Pantograph

OH NO YOU DON'T

 

[Supine]

I blame Corbyn

 

[Artaxerxes]

OH NO YOU DON'T

I have ordered a pantograph direct to your door

 

[skyscraper101]

I used to get the train from Kensington Olympia up to Watford and there'd always be this bit somewhere north of Shepherds Bush where the train would stop suddenly and you could hear the pantograph being raised to take advantage of the electric lines. You could also witness the changeover from power as it switched from internal to overhead as everything momentarily switched off and on again.

 

[Yossarian]

If I was on a train and they said there'd been a dewirement I'd wonder if it was Jonathan Ross announcing a derailment.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I have ordered a pantograph direct to your door

And me, with my reputation

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Here's a pantograph disaster unfolding.

In this case it's caused by a faulty component in the wiring hanging down, which in turn damages the pantograph, which then gradually disintegrates and starts damaging the wiring further along.

Nowt that a bit of gaffer tape wouldn't fix.

 

[nottsgirl]

Thread of the year.

 

[Storm Fox]

I used to get the train from Kensington Olympia up to Watford and there'd always be this bit somewhere north of Shepherds Bush where the train would stop suddenly and you could hear the pantograph being raised to take advantage of the electric lines. You could also witness the changeover from power as it switched from internal to overhead as everything momentarily switched off and on again.

Probably about here:

Spoiler: Geeky youtube video

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I used to get the train from Kensington Olympia up to Watford and there'd always be this bit somewhere north of Shepherds Bush where the train would stop suddenly and you could hear the pantograph being raised to take advantage of the electric lines. You could also witness the changeover from power as it switched from internal to overhead as everything momentarily switched off and on again.

Probably about here:

change from southern region style third rail electrification to electric string in the sky, rather than diesel to electric (although think some of the trains on Great Western now do that)

similar 3rd rail / overhead change happens at Farringdon on the Thameslink routes. And Drayton Park on the line in to Moorgate. Think there may be one or two on the 'overground' network but I'm a bit out of touch with it.

 

[existentialist]

Pantographs sometimes get damaged, and can then "catch" the OLE and pull it down. That seems to me the most obvious likelihood.

Here's a pantograph disaster unfolding.

In this case it's caused by a faulty component in the wiring hanging down, which in turn damages the pantograph, which then gradually disintegrates and starts damaging the wiring further along.

Oof, that looks messy.

 

[Elpenor]

I believe it was a marmalade sandwich that caused the issue, planted by a group of republican bears from Peru trying to reclaim their species from their arriviste film star cousin

 

[skyscraper101]

Pantographs are I’ve discovered a bit of genius engineering

(until they go wrong obvs)

 

[T & P]

All of this has reminded me of the splendid footage of the TGV speed record feat a few years ago. 5m 40s mark for those who can’t be bothered with the whole thing