My train journey home last night took two and a half hours for what is normally a forty minute high-speed dash up the country.
It all started well, but the train came to a halt at Wembley Central and some of the lights went out. About ten minutes later the Train Manager announced that there was a burning freight train just ahead of us and, as the fire brigade were busy spraying water around, the power to overhead lines in the immediate area on both sets of north/south lines had been cut.
A while later the train's backup power supply depleted and the remaining lights went out. All passengers were forced to vacate and wait on the platform for a while, before squeezing into an already overcrowded London Overground train to Watford where another fast train was waiting.
Stopping the trains sounds very sensible - everyone knows that water and electricity don't mix very well (or do, that being the problem).
But ... hang on ... what happens when it rains?
2 comments:
Hello there.
Thinking of leaving a comment?
Going to tell me that I haven't considered that the electricity could travel back down the stream of water from the hose and kill the fire brigade?
I don't believe it :-)
Hi Dave…
First thanks for reminding me of my Commuter Stories Series! LOL
I plead insufficient data…my brother is a partner in an electrical engineering company I’ll email him…however electricity can arc…
Should have ridden the bike that day Dave….
Post a Comment