Failed track maintenance

[TheSignalEngineer]

4 hours ago, Trog said:

Mileages are often dubious with real life not matching what is recorded in the Sectional Appendix, there was one junction were the ELR changed and theoretically there was a gap between two red zone working prohibited areas, right at the most dangerous part of the junction. As the RZP areas matched the Sectional Appendix while in reality there was another 60'-0" of track right on the switch diamond that had not been noticed. I assume the junction having moved since the first Sectional Appendix was produced.

There was a derailment, in the Willesden area IIRC, just after privatisation where the ELR mileages at the meeting of two districts didn't match up. There was a section of track effectively in No Man's Land between two maintenance contracts.

 

On the subject of mileage discrepancies when the Weaver Junction to Glasgow electrification was started the WCML was re-surveyed in metres from the stop blocks at Euston. By the time they got to Weaver Junction there was quite a big discrepancy from the chainage in the Sectional Appendix coming mainly from two sources. The station at Euston extended beyond the original 0MP and the line had been diverted round the works at Wolverton.

[96701]

24 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

On the subject of mileage discrepancies when the Weaver Junction to Glasgow electrification was started the WCML was re-surveyed in metres from the stop blocks at Euston. 

The choice of stop blocks can make a difference of metres.

[caradoc]

35 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

There was a derailment, in the Willesden area IIRC, just after privatisation where the ELR mileages at the meeting of two districts didn't match up. There was a section of track effectively in No Man's Land between two maintenance contracts.

 

In a similar vein, some years after privatisation an electric loco derailed in the Up Holding Sidings at Mossend Yard. The investigation found the cause to be gauge spread, but also that the sidings had not been adopted by either Railtrack or any freight operator, and had not therefore been maintained ! 

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by caradoc
Grammar

[Grizz]

10 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

I had previously worked closely with one of the people who ended up in the dock in the wake of Hatfield. A Chartered Engineer, he had not impressed me, or others, most of whom were very senior engineers, in that role. 

It’s a funny old world as the saying goes. For a few years I worked with a extremely knowledgeable and very experienced old ex BR chap on an HMRI compliance project. During one of our many chats he recalled how he was summoned in as a technical expert to review the transcripts from the Police interviews with those persons involved in Hatfield. Privately he had similar thoughts and comments regarding his opinions of the Great and the Good behind the two organisations involved with the Hatfield crash.
There was a well trumpeted view, especially in the media and political circles, that anything BR was bad and that anyone could run the safety critical part of the railways as it was just a job. So we ended up with Bob the builder playing trains when at the very same time it wasn’t in the UK GOVs interest to have its own regulatory body (HMRI or HSE) interfering with the very same large multi national organisations who were paying their party funds. 
 

The most frightening part was, at the time, the lack of experience within the railway law enforcement community of marching into extremely large, financially powerful and most importantly politically backed private companies and arresting people and seizing evidence. They were directly delayed and blocked by powerful and ‘influential’ legal armies. 
 

Not the case nowadays I believe. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by Grizz
Auto correct

[Edwin_m]

4 hours ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

There was a derailment, in the Willesden area IIRC, just after privatisation where the ELR mileages at the meeting of two districts didn't match up. There was a section of track effectively in No Man's Land between two maintenance contracts.

And another one a few years ago at Wimbledon where neither organisation was maintaining the crossover linking LU and NR infrastructure.  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-digest-012018-wimbledon/derailment-of-a-passenger-train-near-wimbledon-south-west-london-6-november-2017

[caradoc]

The alleged failure of Victory AHB LC, featured on Paddington Station 24/7 on Monday 16th and being discussed in the Level Crossing Stupidity topic, is one example of how seriously the railway takes safety; On the word of members of the public, trains were cautioned across the LC for two hours, causing delay, until it was proved that the LC had operated normally all along. 

 

We regularly received such reports in Control, often via the Police, and more frequently if rail safety had been in the news for some reason. One example was Kirknewton AHB LC, where motorists complained of passing over the crossing with no lights flashing and the barriers raised but a train coming towards them, particularly at night (due to the bright train headlight). We investigated each case but the LC was in every case found to be operating correctly; Because Up stopping trains did approach the LC with the road open, the lights etc sequence only being triggered when the Driver pressed a plunger after station duties were complete. (The situation no longer applies as the LC has been upgraded to OD operation.)