amigacooke
Well-known member
Not very well really.
The next day after a bit more snow and it all grinds to a halt. Where are those steam engines when you need them?
How's UK railway dealing with the snow?
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Not very well really.
The next day after a bit more snow and it all grinds to a halt. Where are those steam engines when you need them?
I think the powers that be in the UK are very complacent about this issue, they're conditioned to say that the cold and snow are 'freak' occurences for us but this is not the case, we seem to be getting more cold snaps and of course, we're totally unprepared. North America and Northern Europe seem to be able to cope better with cold and snow - wait a minute, the UK is part of Northen Europe, so why can't we cope?
It's a case of the UK having had mild winters since the early 80s and everyone has forgotten this fact it seems. There is also the overwhelming urge that everyone absolutely must still carry on as normal.
Certainly in the 70s, the winters were harsh (in Scotland at least) and there were times when the ploughs couldn't cope but people accepted that everything stopped and got on with as much as they could.
I think the councils and transport operators have nowhere near as much snow clearing equipment as they once did and certainly not as much as countries where snow is a certainty for 3 or 4 months a year. They have the capability to clear persistent low level snow or a short, sharp blast but not sustained heavy snowfall.
Still, in Altnaharra they are getting hit with minus 20+ temperatures and the school has still been open. Closed now but that's due to the power getting cut off!
Certainly in the 70s, the winters were harsh (in Scotland at least) and there were times when the ploughs couldn't cope but people accepted that everything stopped and got on with as much as they could.
I think the councils and transport operators have nowhere near as much snow clearing equipment as they once did and certainly not as much as countries where snow is a certainty for 3 or 4 months a year. They have the capability to clear persistent low level snow or a short, sharp blast but not sustained heavy snowfall.
Still, in Altnaharra they are getting hit with minus 20+ temperatures and the school has still been open. Closed now but that's due to the power getting cut off!
mezzoprezzo
Content appreciator
Our local TV channel offered two reasons
Apparently the automatic passenger doors cannot cope with the cold. The technology just fails.
No problem 50 years ago. Just adjust the leather strap to drop the door window, reach out and turn that old brass slammer handle! (Sadly a fair few passengers were lost!)
The second reason they gave was that the new rolling stock freezes underneath. Hard ice forms from the build up of snow, flicks up the ballast at speed and pops the under slung electrics.
Someone needs to design a big heated boiler which can be coupled to the front of the train. That should melt the snow, and heat the train, and be heavy enough to provide traction. You could even harness some of that energy to power some drive wheels and .... Hey, we could be on to something here ..!
Casper
Unfortunately the UK has a rabid media which likes to accentuate the negative, wherever possible. You could be forgiven for thinking that everything was hunky-dorey in mainland Europe, but it isn't the case :
"Some 3,000 rail passengers were stranded overnight in trains in Germany, German railway operator Deutsche Bahn said."
"Significant flight delays were reported at London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin Tegel and Duesseldorf airports."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11895107
"Some 3,000 rail passengers were stranded overnight in trains in Germany, German railway operator Deutsche Bahn said."
"Significant flight delays were reported at London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin Tegel and Duesseldorf airports."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11895107
Closest to the truth. At some point in the past we became a nation of wimps.
Never mind Global Warming will cure it! :hehe:
Wessex_Electric_Nutter
Active member
How are we doing?
Photos of the services from 2 days. Wednesday the 01/12.
12:14 Southern service to Portsmouth & Southsea, pretty much nearly on time, well slightly late, but running well.
Then it went horribly wrong....
Thursday 02/12...
After the last train was suppose to be gone (23:53 off FSB), between 00:00 and 00:20:
Result?
First train of the day (didn't see it, but it ran FGW Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton service)..
Second train of the day:
158955 does the 09:00 Ex-Brighton to Great Malvern service, obviously going fast through Fishbourne. Seen running 15 minutes down (10:04/5, due to leave Chichester at 09:47, but left at 10:03)
Third train of the day....
158769 does the 10:00 Ex-Great Malvern to Brighton service... well it started at Gloucester instead. Seen here at arounf 15:30 or so, running about 10 late.
Fouth train of the day.... 158769 returning to I think.... Gloucester/Wocester (something like that). Believe to of ran but too dark to photo it.
Friday 03/12.. (None yet - didn't get the first or second train of the morning.) 15:22 off Chichester FGW service is now capped to Havant. This is an even bigger joke but I bet Southern are deliberately doing something about it Rumor has it that the reason they will not operate on some of the lines, like Mole Valley and West Coastway, is because from Chichester onwards, they risk intermixing with Desiros, which if one should make it to Havant and fail the 100yards between Havant Station and Havant Junction, they may have to connect a Desiro unit which aparently takes 10 times longer (and it has been done at Brighton), so I think Southern have told them not to bother. If I was First, I'd keep going east to at least Chichester. - Intergrated transport, my a**e.
Note, Thursday and Friday saw absolutely NO Southern trains west of Chihcester where First Great Western had absolutely no trouble in running, the 2 photos proved it. There were a lot of lines with no obstructions as well, that did not see a train service. So I am not best pleased with Southern and for once, I hope this incident does get investigate to a great degree. At one time, Southern were very good at planning ahead for unforseen events, by having road transport ready. Now, there is absolutely nothing, so for 2 days running, there has been no trains between Chichester and Havant, the Arun Valley and plenty of other lines. Agreed, its not wholely Southerns fault, but it would be nice if they thought ahead like they used to do. In the meantime, should I wish to travel to Portsmouth, I have to use the bus (which are also sporadic), pay for a ticket which puts me out of money, or go from here to Chichester station by walking, catch a train to Barnham, change there for a train to East Croydon, then one to Clapham Junction, then one back to Portsmouth, just to avoid that 10 mile gap of no service or catch one of the 3 FGW services I can to get to Portsmouth....
Big joke? I think it is.
Photos of the services from 2 days. Wednesday the 01/12.
12:14 Southern service to Portsmouth & Southsea, pretty much nearly on time, well slightly late, but running well.
Then it went horribly wrong....
Thursday 02/12...
After the last train was suppose to be gone (23:53 off FSB), between 00:00 and 00:20:
Result?
First train of the day (didn't see it, but it ran FGW Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton service)..
Second train of the day:
158955 does the 09:00 Ex-Brighton to Great Malvern service, obviously going fast through Fishbourne. Seen running 15 minutes down (10:04/5, due to leave Chichester at 09:47, but left at 10:03)
Third train of the day....
158769 does the 10:00 Ex-Great Malvern to Brighton service... well it started at Gloucester instead. Seen here at arounf 15:30 or so, running about 10 late.
Fouth train of the day.... 158769 returning to I think.... Gloucester/Wocester (something like that). Believe to of ran but too dark to photo it.
Friday 03/12.. (None yet - didn't get the first or second train of the morning.) 15:22 off Chichester FGW service is now capped to Havant. This is an even bigger joke but I bet Southern are deliberately doing something about it Rumor has it that the reason they will not operate on some of the lines, like Mole Valley and West Coastway, is because from Chichester onwards, they risk intermixing with Desiros, which if one should make it to Havant and fail the 100yards between Havant Station and Havant Junction, they may have to connect a Desiro unit which aparently takes 10 times longer (and it has been done at Brighton), so I think Southern have told them not to bother. If I was First, I'd keep going east to at least Chichester. - Intergrated transport, my a**e.
Note, Thursday and Friday saw absolutely NO Southern trains west of Chihcester where First Great Western had absolutely no trouble in running, the 2 photos proved it. There were a lot of lines with no obstructions as well, that did not see a train service. So I am not best pleased with Southern and for once, I hope this incident does get investigate to a great degree. At one time, Southern were very good at planning ahead for unforseen events, by having road transport ready. Now, there is absolutely nothing, so for 2 days running, there has been no trains between Chichester and Havant, the Arun Valley and plenty of other lines. Agreed, its not wholely Southerns fault, but it would be nice if they thought ahead like they used to do. In the meantime, should I wish to travel to Portsmouth, I have to use the bus (which are also sporadic), pay for a ticket which puts me out of money, or go from here to Chichester station by walking, catch a train to Barnham, change there for a train to East Croydon, then one to Clapham Junction, then one back to Portsmouth, just to avoid that 10 mile gap of no service or catch one of the 3 FGW services I can to get to Portsmouth....
Big joke? I think it is.
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Yes... that snow is a real pain its 4 inch were i am great for sledgeing though 
as of when the snow started i havent seen a single train going trough castle cary exsept today were i saw what i thourt was two class 150s/158s going past heading for castle cary on the yeovil route. (couldent really tell what thay were as one: thay were coupled togeather and two: i was on a hill looking down on the town and the railway goes behind the town.
as of when the snow started i havent seen a single train going trough castle cary exsept today were i saw what i thourt was two class 150s/158s going past heading for castle cary on the yeovil route. (couldent really tell what thay were as one: thay were coupled togeather and two: i was on a hill looking down on the town and the railway goes behind the town.
IsambardKingdomBrunel
Joined June 2001
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Wessex_Electric_Nutter
Active member
Not very well really.
Just wondering, where is that? IS it anywhere near the south coast?
BLACKWATCH
Mechanical Engineer
We've got over foot of the stuff here, with more to come. 
IsambardKingdomBrunel
Joined June 2001
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And can I add that most of mainland Scotland (still part of the Kngdom) got is nationally the worst? I think on referring back to leisner he has a point that at some point we got soft nationally. As a boy I can remember school lavatories being outside with the WC's roofed but the urinals not (more sophisticated these days!). We went to school snow or no snow.
Now in fairness the wilds of the country would be something very different to we town and city dwellers. Again as an adult, some 20 years back, I got stuck on a bus in a snowfall in the west suburbs of Glasgow and got off used my phone to say I would be late for work and walked the 4 miles. The bus never passed me! On another day I put pyjamas under my trousers, wore wellington boots (part of my office job required me to visit homes) and trudged through the snow others gave up but not I. Maybe my ancestors being Covenanters and therefor stubborn had something to do with it?!
Now in fairness the wilds of the country would be something very different to we town and city dwellers. Again as an adult, some 20 years back, I got stuck on a bus in a snowfall in the west suburbs of Glasgow and got off used my phone to say I would be late for work and walked the 4 miles. The bus never passed me! On another day I put pyjamas under my trousers, wore wellington boots (part of my office job required me to visit homes) and trudged through the snow others gave up but not I. Maybe my ancestors being Covenanters and therefor stubborn had something to do with it?!
amigacooke
Well-known member
Whyteleafe South, on the Caterham line.
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