Eurostars in the cold

[oldrocker]

What's going on here?

Can someone explain the problem or don't we know yet?

[pmyers]

Most reports are citing condensation on electrical equipment on the trains. Temperatures in the Calais area have been as low as -9c in recent days, but the temperature inside the tunnel is as high as 25c. Such a big temperature rise over a few minutes could cause problems. But Eurostars have surely operated in these conditions before? Today shuttle trains have started running so presumably conditions have got better or shuttle locos aren't affected in the same way.

[BR7MT]

I have read reports that this issue has occurred before and that a fix was developed, but that the knowledge was perhaps lost as a result of the move from North Pole to Temple Mills when staff decided not to transfer.

Regards,

Dan

[johncas]

Basicly it was say -10 or -9 and condensation built up in the electrics stoped working and trains broke down hopefully there should be a fix for this and it should not be happening caused travel chaos.

And the news websites say some people spent hours stuck inside the trains in the tunnels was hot and the batteries and power inside the train was turned off no food or water.

[ralph0chadkirk]

Could I correct you Johncas?

It is the rapid change in centigrade from -9 to 25 that cause the condensation to appear in the electrics, that then caused them to fail. I believe this issue has happened before, but it is very hard to replicate the problem so the engineers know what is happening and how it is happening so a fix can be developed.

Part of the problem was that tunnel staff cannot cope with five failed trains needing assistance at any one time. I believe the maximum they trained too was two. The power was turned off so that assistance could be given, but the trains batteries are not built to cope with that amount of "downtime" and may as well been damaged by the temperature.

[gwladok5]

If the car shuttles are working why dont they use the spare loco's to drag the eurostar units through?

Even that little recovery loco would do the job!!

[gwladok5]

& to add:

In the old days you would have whistled up a couple of Pannier tanks & with the aid of a proper fat controller, everyone would have got home hours ago!

[oldrocker]

The guy from Eurostar just said on Radio Five that they 'Winterise the trains' !

I winterise, you winterise, they winterise, she has winterised . . . . I wonder what the subjunctive is ?

[johncas]

Eurostar now say
"we now understand the cause of the disruption over the weekend and have identified the modifications that are required"

They will be running no services on monday due to more heavy snowfall in northern france so we have to wait for the snow to stop do we.

I thought they had already identified the problemb they have ran in the snow last year and years before that so this problemb

What I hate is that there is people stuck on the train old people babys kids and yes celebs and vip's and yes there allowed off the train first why because there vip's someone could be dieing but your a vip super model so your allowed off the train way before others
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -down.html

[Crimpsal]

They reckon it's down to "Fluffy Snow", what a load of testicular round things.
It's down to idiots who think that, because you have a university degree in picking your nose
or some other course that gives you funds to spend in Witherspoons on cheap lager, that
you know about railway engineering.
Brunel never had an "Education" as such, but he knew a damned sight more than the
puffed up, self important, so called modern management.
Bring back the "Hands on" engineers of the past, (there are still some of us left) and
you will get a better product.

Young Uni degree holding idiots ???

I wouldn't give them room to pull their own todgers.

[Ryosuke]

do you suggest to run steam trains through the chunnel?

the trains have been running through the snow, through the cold and through the tunnel before for hundreds of times.
for five sets to get stranded there must have been some extraordinary conditions.

[ralph0chadkirk]

Actually the wrong type of snow does cause problems. What you were saying Crimpsal, was more testicular round things. Fluffy snow is drawn up into the motors and other pieces of electrical equipmentand causes it to burn out/flash over.

I sense you have a rataher large chip on your shoulder to degree holding people. Is it because you don't have one?

[Crimpsal]

Actually the wrong type of snow does cause problems. What you were saying Crimpsal, was more testicular round things. Fluffy snow is drawn up into the motors and other pieces of electrical equipmentand causes it to burn out/flash over.

I sense you have a rataher large chip on your shoulder to degree holding people. Is it because you don't have one?

NO.

I'm a 56 year old engineer (MIMechE) who knows when idiot management is talking . to cover their rear

do you suggest to run steam trains through the chunnel?

No ryosuke, only a backward thinking prat would put that idea forward.

I am just trying to say, that the engineers of today, just "don't cut the mustard", because they
have been brainwashed into thinking, that "THINKING" is not the done thing, you have to do as you
are instructed, by the brainless quango's that call themselves "MANAGEMENT", and they know nothing

Edit by Mod, breaches Rule 5) language

[AlistairW]

I think a lot of it is down to experience. In the past managers would have worked their way up the ranks. British Rail almost certainly promoted on seniority and length of service rather than skills. So when something like this happens they've 'been there done that' and know how to get things moving again.

However there is also a case for employing the best for the job, its a hard balance. Some graduate managers will be very good, others will be lacking somewhat. Common sense probably plays a big role.

Todays management focuses more on personal skills rather than knowledge and experience.

Richard Brown Eurostar Chief Exec has worked in the rail industry for 30 years so probably has a better understanding.
Nicholas Mercer the Commercial Director has only been in the industry in 2003 and probably knows very little about the front line operation. I'm speculating of course but I think this is what Crimpsal is getting at.

Cheers,
Ali

[gwladok5]

Whatever the reasons for the failures, my big gripe is not only the delay in clearing the failed trains, but their inability to think of any way of using the trains while they were investigating the problem.

There must have been spare loco's available either end of the tunnel that could have been used to drag some sets, at least to keep the flow of passengers going, bearing in mind they have over 30 sets available to them, each capable of carrying 750 passengers; more if they are desperate to stand.

Remember, the tunnel wasn't out of action!