BS: Oh Bugger!

Subject: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: sapper82
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:06 AM

Not a good day at work yesterday, in fact a total disaster all round! What ought to have been a simple overhead wire inspection run between Cambridge and Hitchin & return became a bit of a mess!

First, timed with a 05:45 start off Derby, which meant in at 4:30 to get the train and test kit ready. Left home at 3:45!

The backup power supply for the test kit, keeps it running if the generator drops dead, decided to throw the main breaker whenever I tried starting the bloody thing!! Eventually it decided to do what I wanted.

Then I got a phone call from the boss saying he would be joining us for the run with a guest. This meant that I was not able to get my head down for part of the transit run to Cambridge.

Presence of a Tech Support weenie also mean we were a little bit overcrowded with extra bodies!

Said transit run also included a 1h wait at Peterborough for the relief driver. It's about time the timers who timetable these trains came out on these flaming runs!

Got to Cambridge and put the test pantograph up and did the run to Hitchin. At Hitchin the driver had to shut down one of the locos, both of them somewhat venerable Class 31s, because it was chucking oil out of the exhaust, so we continued with one loco.

That loco then shut its self down a couple of miles from Royston and we coasted into the station there. Driver unable to restart, so decision was made to start up the oil chucker and draw back into the siding to clear the main line.

As we were obviously going to be there for a while, manager and Tech Support bailed out to head back to Derby.

Then things got worse. During the reverse into the siding the pantograph alarm went off. Looking into the video monitor I saw the pantograph hooked on the return conductor, smach into the next OHLE support structure with a bloody big 25kV flash and then bang down on top of the coach. We hadn't realised the siding we were reversing into was unwired!

Oh well, as the Yanks say, Shit happens!

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:10 AM

I know the feeling, I ran out of black ink this morning!

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:32 AM

Yikes! Time to go back to bed, pull the covers over your head and wait for another day!

(LOL...Paco!)

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:36 AM

Ever hear of the film "Push the Boss from the train"?

Being a boss, that's why I don't ride trains.

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 12:00 PM

Cheer up, they said, things could be worse. So I cheered up, and things were worse...


Nevr mind Sap, at least you didn't do this
!

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 12:02 PM

I meant this!

link fixed

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 12:15 PM

Or this.

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: sapper82
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 12:24 PM

Better one here!

Subject: RE: BS: Oh Bugger!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 12:34 PM

or this

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