Whitacre Junction Derailment

[Reorte]

What is shocking is that the line is closed all weekend for recovery and track renewal with consequent disruption to passenger traffic.

 

Recovery access available from Hams Hall and Whitacre PW yard . down line unaffected and yard to main point a mess under the derailed red contrainer but 4days ? - as I said at work good news there is not a war on ..

Not just recovery, looking at the pictures there's been some damage to the track as well, and even if there hadn't been you'd want to be sure that the same thing wasn't going to happen to the next train over it.

[Edwin_m]

One thing of note is that all the containers have stayed  attached to the wagons,albeit only just in one case. Bit of a change from a few years ago when all it took was a strong gust to send containers flying...

That was because the wagon builder hadn't understood the principle of the spigots - a container will always slide before it tips and that will cause it to "hook" into the upwind spigot so preventing the tipping.  By putting the spigot on an inward-hinging plate this hooking action was lost.  At the time it was decided to twistlock containers on the affected wagons, but I'm not sure if this is still the case or if some solution has been found to bring the spigots back into use.  I think the spigots if properly applied would gives some protection in case of derailment but perhaps not as much as the twistlocks.  The twistlocks themselves create some hazard, as someone has to go into the dangerous environment of the loading pad to lock and unlock them, and there may also be hazards if the crane operator attempts to lift a box that is still twistlocked. 

[The Bigbee Line]

That was because the wagon builder hadn't understood the principle of the spigots - a container will always slide before it tips and that will cause it to "hook" into the upwind spigot so preventing the tipping.  By putting the spigot on an inward-hinging plate this hooking action was lost.  At the time it was decided to twistlock containers on the affected wagons, but I'm not sure if this is still the case or if some solution has been found to bring the spigots back into use.  I think the spigots if properly applied would gives some protection in case of derailment but perhaps not as much as the twistlocks.  The twistlocks themselves create some hazard, as someone has to go into the dangerous environment of the loading pad to lock and unlock them, and there may also be hazards if the crane operator attempts to lift a box that is still twistlocked. 

 

The spigot arrangement has been modified, such that the positions for a 20' and 40' permutation are fixed and cannot lift. 

[Glorious NSE]

The lead two derailed wagons (with the bright red CAI box and the rolled over one with two MSCs) are one of the Marcroft-built FEA-A twin sets, the movable spigots on the FEA-A pivot outwards so those don't suffer the same problem.

The next two are Greenbriar built FEA-S, which are the single platform incarnations of the FEA-B twins that had the spigot issues - they were built with inward pivoting spigots and it does look rather like in this case the spigots on the right hand side have unloaded and rolled back into their housings letting the right hand side of the boxes go - the boxes are only still with the wagon because the trees are stopping them going any further I suspect!
 

 

The spigot arrangement has been modified, such that the positions for a 20' and 40' permutation are fixed and cannot lift. 

 

I know Freightliner have been working through their FEA-Bs to fix them, but wasn't sure about their singles, or what GBRF are doing with their twins and singles?

If GBRF's singles are being modified, it's not being done the same way as the Freightliner ones are looking at the first image in the header.


 

[TheSignalEngineer]

What is shocking is that the line is closed all weekend for recovery and track renewal with consequent disruption to passenger traffic.

 

Recovery access available from Hams Hall and Whitacre PW yard . down line unaffected  and yard to main point a mess under the derailed red contrainer but 4days ? - as I said at work good news there is not a war on ..

 

What was good from the drone photo is the lovely Severn Trent water works buildings - quite a Victorian edifice.

 

Robert  

I'm not sure what access would be available for a large road crane from Hams Hall. I suspect that you would need to clear about 250 yards of vegetation and lay a temporary roadway to get to it. That's assuming that the bridges over the Tame and the Cole could take the weight.

From the Whitacre end the Station Road bridge could be an issue so access would have to be through the waterworks.

 

Not just recovery, looking at the pictures there's been some damage to the track as well, and even if there hadn't been you'd want to be sure that the same thing wasn't going to happen to the next train over it.

Not only damage to the points in the yard but those in the main line have been bent out of shape. They have been forcibly pulled about a foot out of line against the resistance of the ballast. There may also be some damage there along with the main line near the crossing nose which is showing signs of misalignment.

[Rugd1022]

What is shocking is that the line is closed all weekend for recovery and track renewal with consequent disruption to passenger traffic.

 

Recovery access available from Hams Hall and Whitacre PW yard . down line unaffected  and yard to main point a mess under the derailed red contrainer but 4days ? - as I said at work good news there is not a war on ..

 

What was good from the drone photo is the lovely Severn Trent water works buildings - quite a Victorian edifice.

 

Robert  

 

Remember though, it's not just passenger traffic being disrupted, a whole load of freight activity is out of kilter at the moment - paths are being missed and diverted traffic is being funnelled down routes with all the other booked traffic. My ballast job at Market Harborough early this morning was booked to return to Bescot via Wigston, Nuneaton and Whitacre but because of the derailment I had to go back via Bedford, Bletchley, Rugby, Coventry and Stetchford, thankfully it was top 'n' tailed but it was actually only booked to have a single loco. With my train being very late it caused a knock on effect to other services too, I was supposed to take the locos back to Crewe but was already on twelve hours when I finally arrived at Bescot, the DB yard man relieved me on the goods to put the train away and I jumped into a waiting taxi. Multiply this scenario several times around the Midlands area and you can see how everything ends up in the wrong place. Another slight spanner in the works (although nothing to do with the derailment) was that the desk key for the rear loco somehow got left behind at Bescot before my train got to Market Harborough, so I had to make sure I carried the key from the front loco with me at all times when swapping ends several times during the shift.

 

Best of luck to the recovery crews!

Edited September 14, 2018 by Rugd1022

[big jim]

I’ve been on site all day, its a lot messier than it looks!

 

Even the logistics of getting the containers off site has been a 6 hour job in itself yet alone the wagons, the whole line is under possession and we are working in a worksite so 5mph max shuttling containers to and from coleshill and into hams hall, unloading then back again for more, then we start on recovering the wagons which can only be moved at walking pace due to the springs falling out

 

It’s certainly not a model railway ‘hand of god’ operation but it is very interesting to be involved

Edited September 14, 2018 by big jim

[TheSignalEngineer]

At least you can still get in through Coleshill.

Did it once when the power station was still in full swing. Inspection Saloon with a Class 45. The Bobby put us inside at Coleshill as he had two trains to pass, so the MI with us got on to the power station shunters and we went right through to the other end. The Bobby at Saltley was surprised when we got on the phone from the exit signal and asked for a margin to gauge the facing points at Whitacre.

[Talltim]

Pic of cranes working at night in the clear up

https://flic.kr/p/MhM4Qg

[Andrew Young]

There’s been some imaginative diagraming at XC during the derailment making use of Derby Drivers having re-learned Castle Donington for the Derby blockade.

 

On the evening standby turn tonight, shall shortly be working the 22:22 New St to Leicester, first stop Leicester via Burton, Castle Donington and Loughborough then set back to Central Rivers the same way. They’ve been running that way all day.

 

Andrew

[TheSignalEngineer]

These pictures from Station Road bridge by Rob McRorie show how much the main line points have been pulled out of alignment.

 

Getting the right way up by robmcrorie, on Flickr

 

Rather him than me at Whitacre Junction by robmcrorie, on Flickr

Edited September 16, 2018 by TheSignalEngineer

[big jim]

I was sat in the EWS 66 while that was going on

[Craig1989]

I was sat in the EWS 66 while that was going on

were gbrf supplying the crew jim?

[big jim]

i just got asked to help as I’m not in the roster til next week but yes we had 2 drivers on site today doing whatever was asked of us

[iands]

Judging by the photos, it seems most of the infrastructure had a lucky escape (barring the obvious track/points damage). The Locs seem undamaged, the signals are errect and working (which suggests the main cable routes escaped serious damage), even the PSRs seem to have survived intact.

 

Regards, Ian.

[Fat Controller]

Reliable sources indicate the derailment point was some distance inside the ABP site, between 100 and 200m from the points on to the main line.

[The Stationmaster]

I've seen some pretty dramatic over riding incidents from sharp stops including one where two standard BR brake vans were being used as barriers on a train of tanks. They ended up in the length of one van. The first lost everything above the solebars and the second everything below.

 

Regading this incident it looks to me from the relative wagon positions and track distortion that either the trailing bogie of the first derailed wagon or the leading bogie of the second may have ridden up the closed switch and gone towards the headshunt, but that's only speculation from available photos.  If that is the case the reason why may have been destroyed in the aftermath.

 

That looks to be a very strong probability on the basis of what we can see in the photos and one of the first I'd be doing is having a very close look at the tip of the closed switch rail together with checking for marks on the rail head through the entire facing point and beyond.  Then make sure the flanges of various wheels are carefully checked for compliance together with a check on the point machine and drives.  

 

I know there have been instances of facing points motoring underneath movements but I would always be more inclined to start from evidence on site rather than leap to conclusions as a derailment ending up like that has far more possible (and in my experience far more likely) causes than points motoring underneath the train.

[russ p]

The derailment at Ely west was attributed to a defective wagon and that rode over the point blade hope it hasn't happened again.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Reliable sources indicate the derailment point was some distance inside the ABP site, between 100 and 200m from the points on to the main line.

That would put it somewhere after crossing the river bridge as I thought because a LH derailment before that would have been in the water. After that was the old line up to Hams Hall Power Station. I'm not sure if that connection still exists on the ground or only on paper. 

[TheSignalEngineer]

Local news reporting line now re-opened.

Not sure if anything will run tonight as all diversions still on.

Edited September 16, 2018 by TheSignalEngineer

[Gordon A]

The Signal Engineer.

 

Thanks for your pictures of the crane at work.

 

Gordon A

[TheSignalEngineer]

The Signal Engineer.

 

Thanks for your pictures of the crane at work.

 

Gordon A

Just dropped lucky when I was looking for something on Flickr. A couple of the local trainfotters had been up to get them.

[Glorious NSE]

That would put it somewhere after crossing the river bridge as I thought because a LH derailment before that would have been in the water. After that was the old line up to Hams Hall Power Station. I'm not sure if that connection still exists on the ground or only on paper. 

Google overheads (which say 2018) shows a trailing connection in place there.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Reliable sources indicate the derailment point was some distance inside the ABP site, between 100 and 200m from the points on to the main line.

 

Interesting. Something I looked at in the Google picture a couple of days ago is ringed in red.

 

[Robert Shrives]

Line open 16.30 ish and two shuttles diverted immediately with SSOs for all stations for the BHM - LEI route in both directions and subsequent shuttles likewise to end of day. The more complex NUN - STD and bus connections NUN - BHI were left in place as these had been widely advertised and while not ideal worked well enough - but of course a connection at NUN into the shuttles running normal route.

 

Some sets taken to TS  pretty quickly as starting to run on fumes, even a voyager got in on the act each day.

 

A big thanks to crews who moved when the scenario became flexible - esp the station staff at BHM, NUN and LEI  . Also thanks to recovery crews of all disciplines, apart from an DBs 66 "disappearing"  - it was found where it had been left and promptly used to clear one of the cranes off site and getting line open.

 

funnily I was sent this link

  https://twitter.com/EduEstates/status/1038115733107036161?s=19