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Three Bridges fire alarm activated

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (signalling) > Three Bridges fire alarm activated

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 16:40 #44016
Steamer
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BBC article.

I can't tell if there actually was a fire, and in any case it looks like no signalling equipment has been damaged, but it does draw attention to the problem of moving everything into a handful of centres.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
Last edited: 26/04/2013 at 16:40 by Steamer
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 16:41 #44017
jwsetford
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yh I had heard about it not sure if it was a fire
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 16:41 #44018
Rickurd
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" said:
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22306918]BBC article[url].

I can't tell if there actually was a fire, and in any case it looks like no signalling equipment has been damaged, but it does draw attention to the problem of moving everything into a handful of centres.
I can't agree more, I think regional control centers are just asking for trouble.

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 18:14 #44026
pedroathome
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Well, take the GWML mainline now. If something happens at say Swindon, trains can be routed via Westbury and Exeter to reach Bristol, there is still a loop around on most routes that will become eliminated when this happens.

When regional signalling comes in, that will be that gone

Last edited: 26/04/2013 at 18:14 by pedroathome
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 18:23 #44027
Temple Meads
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" said:
Well, take the GWML mainline now. If something happens at say Swindon, trains can be routed via Westbury and Exeter to reach Bristol, there is still a loop around on most routes that will become eliminated when this happens.

When regional signalling comes in, that will be that gone
Trains from London to Bristol would be very unlikely to go via Exeter to reach their destination, though they could go via Westbury, taking the avoider then going via Trowbridge and Bath, however that strategy could delay other trains if it wasn't well planned (would make an interesting TT for the Westbury sim though)

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Last edited: 26/04/2013 at 18:24 by Temple Meads
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 18:28 #44028
jc92
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" said:
" said:
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22306918]BBC article[url].

I can't tell if there actually was a fire, and in any case it looks like no signalling equipment has been damaged, but it does draw attention to the problem of moving everything into a handful of centres.
I can't agree more, I think regional control centers are just asking for trouble.
a good case for installing ARSE

"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 18:37 #44030
Rickurd
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I did hear that once electrification is complete the entire MML from St Pancras to Sheffield, as well as all lines previously controlled by Leicester, Trent, Derby and Sheffield Boxes will be controlled from the East Midlands Signalling center in Derby.

In my view a very bad move

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 18:42 #44031
pedroathome
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" said:
" said:
Well, take the GWML mainline now. If something happens at say Swindon, trains can be routed via Westbury and Exeter to reach Bristol, there is still a loop around on most routes that will become eliminated when this happens.

When regional signalling comes in, that will be that gone
Trains from London to Bristol would be very unlikely to go via Exeter to reach their destination, though they could go via Westbury, taking the avoider then going via Trowbridge and Bath, however that strategy could delay other trains if it wasn't well planned (would make an interesting TT for the Westbury sim though)
I forgot about the Westbury - Trowbridge - Bath route. I was just considering that it is a route that would still allow trains to run, although delayed

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 18:43 #44032
jc92
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it would certainly make for amusing reading of a TRB if a box in an AB area caught fire, and the signaller had the forethought to switch out first, then ring the fire service, maintaining a punctual, if slightly barbecued railway...
"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 21:35 #44048
Danny252
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" said:
it would certainly make for amusing reading of a TRB if a box in an AB area caught fire, and the signaller had the forethought to switch out first, then ring the fire service, maintaining a punctual, if slightly barbecued railway...
I hear that during the recent Kidderminster Box fire, Bewdley South picked up the phone and was told something along the lines of "The roof's on fire, bye!" before the signalman made a beeline for the door!

Last edited: 26/04/2013 at 21:36 by Danny252
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 21:47 #44049
vontrapp
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Here are the proposed SB closures:
http://www.signalbox.org/sectionc.php
Adrian

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 21:49 #44050
Whiterider
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I remember York signalling centre had a power cut. Pretty much all of the North East's train services came to a stand because it's one big building which controls a massive area. There should be backup buildings, or something where they can control signals from a Laptop (a bit like Simsig). At least it can keep things moving albeit slowly. Although I guess things do have to change to keep up and this is just one of them!
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 21:54 #44051
headshot119
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" said:
I remember York signalling centre had a power cut. Pretty much all of the North East's train services came to a stand because it's one big building which controls a massive area. There should be backup buildings, or something where they can control signals from a Laptop (a bit like Simsig). At least it can keep things moving albeit slowly. Although I guess things do have to change to keep up and this is just one of them!
Well they have backup generators, but at the time that failed as well. Wasn't that the day of the meet in Wakefield?

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 21:55 #44052
vontrapp
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Manchester Picc has a backup panel at Slade Lane but no SPT control.
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 22:00 #44053
Hooverman
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I miss all the fun. I should of been early turn today but had to attend a meeting instead. Which in itself was delayed while the management started their debrief on the fire alarms going off. No signalling equipment was damaged nor was the building effected in any way that I know of, but the alarm was a genuine one. The delay minutes on this are going to be a big one.
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 22:17 #44057
GeoffM
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It's very rare to have a full evacuation of a large modern control centre. The costs of shutting down for a couple of hours is probably less than maintaining a backup system elsewhere - a location which would have to be accessible enough to be staffed at short notice, and be able to have everything up and running very quickly. Then how do you ensure everything is switched over correctly? The last thing you want is to be unable to control your railway because the original control centre still has the master control. And no, ARS, ARS+, or ARS enhanced can't control the railway on its own, it has to be supervised by a human.

There was an incident in (I think) CSX's control centre in Jacksonville, Florida which knocked out most of their railroad. The commuters in Chicago were not happy that events over a thousand miles away affected their journey home.

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 26/04/2013 at 23:27 #44060
postal
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" said:
" said:
I remember York signalling centre had a power cut. Pretty much all of the North East's train services came to a stand because it's one big building which controls a massive area. There should be backup buildings, or something where they can control signals from a Laptop (a bit like Simsig). At least it can keep things moving albeit slowly. Although I guess things do have to change to keep up and this is just one of them!
Well they have backup generators, but at the time that failed as well. Wasn't that the day of the meet in Wakefield?
Indeed it was. More details in this topic from 2011.

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 00:43 #44061
vontrapp
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Man Picc tower had a fire-alarm go-off but the SS wasn't evacuated.
Inspector S to the rescue?

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 01:03 #44062
Danny252
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" said:
There was an incident in (I think) CSX's control centre in Jacksonville, Florida which knocked out most of their railroad. The commuters in Chicago were not happy that events over a thousand miles away affected their journey home.
One problem I've heard of is that some traincrews were having trouble understanding the dispatchers - the quality of their radios isn't good at the best of times, which when combined with the fact that crews/dispatchers had completely different accents, made life somewhat difficult.

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 03:40 #44063
GeoffM
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" said:
" said:
There was an incident in (I think) CSX's control centre in Jacksonville, Florida which knocked out most of their railroad. The commuters in Chicago were not happy that events over a thousand miles away affected their journey home.
One problem I've heard of is that some traincrews were having trouble understanding the dispatchers - the quality of their radios isn't good at the best of times, which when combined with the fact that crews/dispatchers had completely different accents, made life somewhat difficult.
Wouldn't surprise me, regarding accents. BNSF's control centre is in Fort Worth, Texas (near Dallas), and they control as far as Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, and (parts of) southern California. It must be strange going to work in shorts and T-shirts in the blazing sun and then having to deal with train crews stuck in snow in the pacific north west in a different timezone!

One wonders whether London-based drivers for East Coast and Virgin Trains get used to accents north of the border.

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 05:57 #44064
Peter Bennet
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Back in 2006 Kings Cross box was closed for 2 days because of a fire in an adjacent building site. The line had to be controlled locally from the interlocking cabins.

Peter

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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 08:54 #44066
Hooverman
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" said:
Back in 2006 Kings Cross box was closed for 2 days because of a fire in an adjacent building site. The line had to be controlled locally from the interlocking cabins.

Peter

We can't use our slave panels in their relay rooms if the ASC has been evacuated as the signaller needs to be at the panel directing all train movements via the telephone. Also as Three Bridges/Crawley/Balcombe Tunnel Junction are direct control from the main panel there is no slave panel for that area.

Also panel 7 which is the Horsham area is locked by Smartlock 400 and there is no slave panel for that area either.

Last edited: 27/04/2013 at 09:30 by Hooverman
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 11:21 #44076
Noisynoel
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Slave panels are only designed to control individual locking areas owing to data link failures where the signal box is unable to communicate with the localalised locking. They are usually manned by MOM's or LOM's, who do not necissarily have the right competency to be an actual signaller. They have to, at all times, work under the signallers direction from the controlling signal box/
Noisynoel
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 11:45 #44078
Copping
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" said:

One wonders whether London-based drivers for East Coast and Virgin Trains get used to accents north of the border.
They don't London Kings Cross drivers don't go past Newcastle and London Euston drivers don't go past Preston.

Going back to the fire, an email at work told that smoke was detected in the relay room at Three Bridges.

Last edited: 27/04/2013 at 11:46 by Copping
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Three Bridges fire alarm activated 27/04/2013 at 12:52 #44082
postal
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" said:
" said:

One wonders whether London-based drivers for East Coast and Virgin Trains get used to accents north of the border.
They don't London Kings Cross drivers don't go past Newcastle and London Euston drivers don't go past Preston.

Going back to the fire, an email at work told that smoke was detected in the relay room at Three Bridges.
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