London Midland unit fire 08/09/15

[SPADTrap]

London Midland train evacuated as smoke billows from carriage, Birmingham services blocked

8 September 2015 8:21am
by Catherine Neilan

Smoke was seen billowing around the train during rush hour (Source: Jonathan Jardine/Twitter)

Commuters using a London Midland train were evacuated at the peak of rush hour this morning, after a carriage caught on fire.

Smoke was seen rising from a train at Warwick Parkway station shortly after 8am this morning. Services between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford are currently suspended, with some trains being terminated at other stations.

Passengers posted images of the incident online.

London Midland said: "Due to a fire on a train between Leamington Spa and Birmingham Snow Hill some lines are blocked.

"Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. All stations between Leamington Spa and Dorridge will not be served. Disruption is expected until 11am."

The operator told passengers to use alternative routes run by other providers including Chiltern Railways.

"Arrangements have been made for London Midland rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

"Rail replacement coaches are conveying passengers from Hatton via Lapworth and Dorridge in that direction only until further notice. Arrangements have been made for London Midland rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys," it said.

However the impact is already being felt on other lines and services run by other train operators - including Chiltern

http://www.cityam.com/223841/london-midland-train-evacuated-smoke-billows-carriage

 

[grumblingalong]

That's just a turbostar starting up isn't it??

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Looks fine to me... then again, I do live in the North so its probably normal to a Northerner by seeing smoke emitting from a unit.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

That's just a turbostar starting up isn't it??

It's a 172, photo on the attached link:cry:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-34183935

 

[XCTurbostar]

Anyone got the unit number of this one?

Thanks,
Ross

 

[misterredmist]

That'll be the Smoking Carriage then ?

 

[bearhugger]

Anyone got the unit number of this one?

Thanks,
Ross

I believe the double DMU setup to be:
Set No: 172342 (Vehicles: 50342, 56342, 79342) & Set No: 172338 (Vehicles: 50338, 56338, 79338).

 

[grumblingalong]

It's a 172, photo on the attached link:cry:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-34183935

Yes? 172's are also members of the Turbostar family!

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Any guesses as to what the actual bit smoking or on fire might have been? Hot axle box? Overheated brakes?

 

[bitmadmax]

Any guesses as to what the actual bit smoking or on fire might have been? Hot axle box? Overheated brakes?

My thoughts too.. or cooling system?

Does seem a bit extreme though (on the photo, anyway)

Oh, just seen the picture at the bottom of that page, yep looks pretty black

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Any guesses as to what the actual bit smoking or on fire might have been? Hot axle box? Overheated brakes?

Possibly a dragging brake, but I wouldn't expect that much smoke unless it spread to something else as well?

 

[Domh245]

Looks to be between the doors, so very unlikely to have been axles or brakes.

Class 172: 172333 56333 London Midland Kidderminster by emdjt42, on Flickr

So it looks like it was either what I think is the fuel tank at the far end, or possibly (and more likely judging by the location of the exhaust in the photo) one of what appear to be radiators at the near door.

 

[455driver]

I think the auxiliary heater needs adjusting, I have seen worse on a 143 !

Seriously though, it's quite unusual for a fire to get hold like that so I wonder if something has dropped onto the exhaust/ turbocharger?

 

[sprinterguy]

The temporary loss of a three car 172 has resulted in short formations across the Snow Hill lines, affecting three diagrams today and I think the same ones yesterday. Unfortunately for me this seems to be affecting my regular trains both to and from work, but at least London Midland are publishing the information in advance so that I and others have the opportunity to change our travel times.

One all day diagram has been reduced from 5 cars to 3 and another two diagrams have been reduced from 3 cars to 2.

 

[wellwhatitis]

For anybody interested, 172338 has now returned to service as a 2 car. I have no idea if this is permanent or not but the centre car has been removed. Unfortunately for LM as quickly as they were returning it to service, the roving graffiti gang were hard at work in Leamington obliterating a different 2 car which is now unserviceable.

 

[sn1975]

Not sure if it's the same unit but London Midland have just been on BBC Midlands Today with a Class 172 unit in the depot awaiting repair after a fire and they think it could be out of service for 9 months.

 

[Bungle965]

Not sure if it's the same unit but London Midland have just been on BBC Midlands Today with a Class 172 unit in the depot awaiting repair after a fire and they think it could be out of service for 9 months.

That`s a long time!!
Sam

 

[PHILIPE]

172338 was involved in a fire on that date and the offending car was removed allowing it to run as a 2 Car. More, recently, on 26/11/15 the 2 Car was involved in a fire at Lapwoth. Details here:-

www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=123641

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Not sure if it's the same unit but London Midland have just been on BBC Midlands Today with a Class 172 unit in the depot awaiting repair after a fire and they think it could be out of service for 9 months.

Is it the same unit that had a fire less then a month ago or a different unit? Would a 9 month repair time suggest some sort of fairly major structural repair needed?

 

[TH172341]

I believe it was 172333 that was involved in the second fire; 172338 was certainly the first unit to have a fire.

 

[superkev]

I believe it was 172333 that was involved in the second fire; 172338 was certainly the first unit to have a fire.

I'm surprised the raib don't appear so fsr to have shown an interest. Nothing on there website.
K

 

[sprinterguy]

Is it the same unit that had a fire less then a month ago or a different unit? Would a 9 month repair time suggest some sort of fairly major structural repair needed?

It was two different units involved in the two incidents, as TH172341 has since stated. 172338 is still in service as a two car unit. Recently a loose LM 172 vehicle has appeared sat outside the factory at Tyseley, however as it is a non-driving end facing towards the running lines I cannot say, as I pass on the train, whether it is a centre car from either one of the units or a driving car from 172333 following the second fire.

From the reports I have seen the damage caused was extensive, and more complex to resolve than swapping out the engine raft, itself not a small job as I understand it.

 

[172218]

172338 was cannibalised shortly after 172333's fire, and by this I mean 333 received one of 338's driving cars. This is still evident today as the final '3' on 172333's transplanted driving car's exterior fleetnumbers is wonky, where the '8' was replaced, whilst the interior fleetnumbers still end in 338. Whether the fire-damaged units from 333 and 338 will see service in the near future remains to be seen.....

 

[fgwrich]

172338 was cannibalised shortly after 172333's fire, and by this I mean 333 received one of 338's driving cars. This is still evident today as the final '3' on 172333's transplanted driving car's exterior fleetnumbers is wonky, where the '8' was replaced, whilst the interior fleetnumbers still end in 338. Whether the fire-damaged units from 333 and 338 will see service in the near future remains to be seen.....

Picture here. Seems the 3 is from a 153 by that typeface!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77667...xjX-H3nBZ9-H4ua8H-H3AHLc-GXuoxW-GQXP9y-GM1Qo5