Snowfall hits schools and trains (BBC News)

[RF News]

Snowfall causes a number of difficulties for schools and rail users in Gloucestershire.

More from BBC News...

[Shed Cat]

Can you get snow ploughs to fit Class 66 buffers?

[bramleyman]

I Walked to school and work in deeper snow than they had there. A mere couple of inches and this country now stops.

[Flying Pig]

I'm really surprised at the complete failure of the Railway on this occasion. Down in Tonbridge there are both GBRf and Amec depots. Their specific Winter task is to run Deicers and Ghost Trains 24/7 to keep the conductor rail working.

And yet not a single service train ran through there on the first day of snow - which wasn't even high enough to cover the third rail.

Why did the system fail so badly ?

[chuffchuff]

Ah the joys of the modern railway
Computer controlled trains and AC motors don't like intermittent power
supply, also screw couplings and Delner/ tightlock don't work. So no
sticking a Diesel on the back and giving it a shove.

[Bubblewrap]

I went to school 1954-1965 & only had one day off due to bad weather

[Andy]

If it hadn't have snowed in London and the S.E. I doubt any of this snow would've made the headlines

I remember having to do cross country at school in 1979 and negotiating snow drifts higher than myself. Besides, snowball fights were far better at school ... bet they're banned now as well

[jay]

Originally Posted by Andy

Besides, snowball fights were far better at school ... bet they're banned now as well

Only year 11 where in on monday, had a snowball fight at lunch, and a few teachers joined in!!!!

Was the best day I have ever had at school.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by jay

Only year 11 where in on monday, had a snowball fight at lunch, and a few teachers joined in!!!!

Was the best day I have ever had at school.

Excellent, that's cheered me up Fortunately some things don't change.
cheers,
Andy

[Flying Pig]

Originally Posted by chuffchuff

Ah the joys of the modern railway
Computer controlled trains and AC motors don't like intermittent power
supply,

No traction likes intermittent power, but that's the way it is with Third Rail. It's perfectly normal in winter for a train to be continuously arcing, banging and flashing throughout its journey. If you want to see this take a journey on a damp winter's night and sit over the shoe gear - the flashing will drive you to distraction.

Networkers (AC motors) have been going for 2 decades now, and have operated continuously in far worse conditions than this. 375/7s arc just like other trains, but they don't die. If you looked at trains once they were running, you'd see that their opposite shoe gear was in contact with the snow and actually 'sledging' over it. You'd expect this to be a major problem with shorting the supply current out, but it wasn't. I think you'll find that trains are far more resilient than you give them credit for.

also screw couplings and Delner/ tightlock don't work.

I don't really understand why you say this. The temperature only went down to -6 ish. I've been driving stock this week with Tightlocks on (and no covering bag), and after running at 100 mph for over an hour I've terminated and made attachments/detachments without any problems. I've no idea what the wind-chill was, but it must have beeen pretty cold. I know that there have been instances in the media of tightlocks coming apart occasionally on Networkers, but the design is sound they work fine on other stock.

What I'm really surprised about is the blanket decision not to run trains. We've persevered under much more dificult conditions in the past, and it feels like we've just given up the will to go on. I've heard a whisper that it was Network Rail's decision, but as usual everybody is being very tight-lipped.

I bet the NR directors still get their yearly bonus though !!!