RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted September 23, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 23, 2014 Liverpool Echo 21.25 overhead cables have come down onto the track just outside of Runcorn. The driver managed to stop the train before hitting the cables. He got off the train to see if everything was okay and to look for identifying markers to report back to head office. During this, he has received quite severe electric shock and is currently on his way to hospital. Best wishes to the driver - hopefully he will be OK and make a full recovery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted September 23, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 23, 2014 Further information http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/major-rail-disruption--virgin-7821680 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Poor b****r; 25 kV burns are very nasty. I've heard an emergency call when someone was reporting that his colleague was getting them (he'd gone to try and move a third person who'd caught the full force, and was already probably dead) and the screams will stay with me for a long time. 'Just 'cos it's down, doesn't mean it's dead' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I sincerely hope he has not been electrocuted and will make a recovery, but as said above the burns can be very nasty. It seems that the incident would have been in the dark - I guess the marker he was looking for was the OLE structure number. Very unlucky man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Scott Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Hopefully the driver will not have got the full 25kV but a lower induced voltage. When a HV conductor touches the ground there is often a resistive path to earth meaning that there is a voltage gradient between the conductor and the most solidly earthed structure. You dont need to touch the live conductor to get a belt and even 240Vcan kill. Always assume a conductor is live until proved otherwise Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 ....it was raining at the time and the juice may have 'jumped'. All in all a particularly crap day on the rails....just thankful that I could head from a warm, well lit office to my car at home time and not be trying to detrain in the darkness, in the middle of nowhere due to one of todays issues. Best wishes to the dvr affected in this incident. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Bad day. Seems a Mother killed herself and murdered her son on the mainline at Slough station. Driver is reported as “devastated". I got this from a US news site but it seems accurate, crosschecking with the BBC site. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Hopefully the driver will not have got the full 25kV but a lower induced voltage. When a HV conductor touches the ground there is often a resistive path to earth meaning that there is a voltage gradient between the conductor and the most solidly earthed structure. You dont need to touch the live conductor to get a belt and even 240Vcan kill. Always assume a conductor is live until proved otherwise This was something I did not appreciate until I saw a training video about what to do if your plant/machinery strikes a high voltage overhead power cable - was not specifically OLE. First, don't get out, stay in the vehicle as its metal structure will protect you. If you have to get out, e.g. vehicle is on fire - not an unlikely scenario in that situation - you jump well clear with both feet together. You then continue to jump away with both feet together, the reason being that the voltage gradient along the ground can be sufficiently high that if you take steps, the difference in voltage between both feet could be enough to shock and injure you if not kill. This driver could have got a shock simply by stepping off the train whilst holding the handrails. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Bad day. Seems a Mother killed herself and murdered her son on the mainline at Slough station. Driver is reported as “devastated". I got this from a US news site but it seems accurate, crosschecking with the BBC site. Best, Pete. This is very sad and caused major disruption to services a good part of the day with passengers from Maidenhead using a shuttle service to Reading and passengers transferring to the SWT Waterloo service. If only the Bourne End - High Wycombe line was still in place then a shuttle to High Wycombe for onward services to Marylebone would have been a far better option! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 24, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 24, 2014 Bad day. Seems a Mother killed herself and murdered her son on the mainline at Slough station. Driver is reported as “devastated". I got this from a US news site but it seems accurate, crosschecking with the BBC site. Best, Pete. Sadly, as XF has said, you are correct, Pete. There was also another suicide at Gloucester station at around the same time yesterday morning, unfortunately, although in this case, the driver of the train didn't see the incident, which must have happened after the cab of the loco had passed the site.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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