Quote:
Originally Posted by TRP
According to the person who posted the video on youtube, the max speed was 5mph, due to the use of the wheel skates
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Wow, that must have been mind-numbingly tedious.
When using skates it's up to the RST (Rolling Stock Technician) what speed the train runs at, but they usually play safe and stick to 5 mph - especially over points and crossings. The RST usually rides with the train to oversee it.
I once had a to take a pair of 319s from Moorgate to Cricklewood sidings over the Widened Lines like that. A traction motor had seized on one unit (not unusual), so I attached another unit to it and drew the train out into the tunnel so the maintenance crew from Cauldwell could work on it. I took a possession out on the 2 Thameslink platform lines at Moorgate, and they then jacked the affected bogey up so they could slip the skates underneath.
I started off moving at 5 mph as advised, but after 45 minutes we'd only just made it to Clerkenwell No 1 tunnel. The RST buzzed me up from the leading cab of the rear unit and said "stuff this, do 15". I queried it but he said that since the rails on that section of line are bolted onto a concrete raft it would be ok.
So we did, thank goodness.
BW