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Got this off a friends blog, so yeah it didn't happened to me, I dont' work with/on trains BUT I do think it's a GREAT example of how people are willing to complain about something but when there is a chance they can do the right thing and prevent a problem...they won't!
"Was working a train from Penrith to the city. Tangara, just after midday, about 300 passengers on board, everything on-time.
Until we get to Westmead.
Opened the doors - no worries so far. Passengers in and out. Still all good - we're early, so I hold things for a minute. Close the doors, about to bell the driver -
and there are about three rail employees up near the drivers compartment giving me the emergency stop signal.
Oookay. Open the doors. Contact the driver. Whats up?
Turns out our front pantograph has been just about demolished. A pantograph is the thing on top of the train which touches the 1500 volt overhead wires. Damaging one can be pretty catastrophic - remember the major delays a few weeks ago on the illawarra line? They have a nasty habit of getting caught in the overhead wires and pulling them down.
Anyway. Made an announcement that we had damage to our power supply and we were currently receiving instructions as to what to do about it. Predictably, a whole heap of passengers alight from the train and crowd around the drivers and guards compartments. At least the station staff were on the ball - they saw me reopen the doors and not close them, and came down pretty quick. On seeing the pantograph at the front (which looked more like a bowl of spaghetti), they got the idea pretty quickly.
Making things worse was the fact that the other citybound track was closed for the afternoon for minor trackwork (happens a couple of times a week, regular inspection/repair). So only one track was available for city trains - and we had no idea if the overhead power supply had been damaged by our dodgy pantograph.
We sat there for 20 minutes. Got a call from train control - empty the train, close the doors, go empty to Hornsby at reduced speed. How long, I ask, until the next train? I got the answer . . .
So, I turn on my external PA - and I just know what the reaction will be.
"Attention passengers" - as expected, passengers go quiet.
"Due to the damage sustained to our power supply, this train is terminating here at Westmead" - a collective "oooo", sighs, grumbles, but general acceptance so far.
Now the fun part.
"Passengers are advised that because due to concerns that this train may have damaged the overhead wires, the next train is expected to arrive in approximately 25-30 minutes"
And as one, the crowd looked incredulous, cries of "no way" rent the air, and seemingly everyone reached for their mobile phones.
After making their day, I then had to walk down the still-kinda-crowded platform to check the train for any passengers who had not yet alighted. Miracle - I wasnt abused. But I did have one lady come up to me:
"I just wanted to let you know, I caught this train at Mt Druitt, and when it arrived I noticed there was a lot of sparks and fire coming from the front of the train".
I was stunned. She saw a train that was basically on fire (pantograph failures are pretty spectacular) - and rather than tell the guard or driver, rather than ring the fire department, rather than miss the train - she boarded it! Others would have seen it too, so we travelled 5 stops at least (and skipped another 3) over 20km reaching speeds of 115km/h with 300 people on board and despite all those people on the platforms, noone reported it!!! Train crew cant see that sort of fault from where we sit, the first clue we had was when the electric brake didnt operate on the approach to Westmead (though some passengers also told me at Westmead that the lights had gone out for a while after leaving seven hills).
What an idiot!
Anyway. Job done. There were a few trains delayed by 30 minutes and a couple cancelled, but all was basically ok for the afternoon peak. Be interesting to know if there are any irate calls to the media
"
"Was working a train from Penrith to the city. Tangara, just after midday, about 300 passengers on board, everything on-time.
Until we get to Westmead.
Opened the doors - no worries so far. Passengers in and out. Still all good - we're early, so I hold things for a minute. Close the doors, about to bell the driver -
and there are about three rail employees up near the drivers compartment giving me the emergency stop signal.
Oookay. Open the doors. Contact the driver. Whats up?
Turns out our front pantograph has been just about demolished. A pantograph is the thing on top of the train which touches the 1500 volt overhead wires. Damaging one can be pretty catastrophic - remember the major delays a few weeks ago on the illawarra line? They have a nasty habit of getting caught in the overhead wires and pulling them down.
Anyway. Made an announcement that we had damage to our power supply and we were currently receiving instructions as to what to do about it. Predictably, a whole heap of passengers alight from the train and crowd around the drivers and guards compartments. At least the station staff were on the ball - they saw me reopen the doors and not close them, and came down pretty quick. On seeing the pantograph at the front (which looked more like a bowl of spaghetti), they got the idea pretty quickly.
Making things worse was the fact that the other citybound track was closed for the afternoon for minor trackwork (happens a couple of times a week, regular inspection/repair). So only one track was available for city trains - and we had no idea if the overhead power supply had been damaged by our dodgy pantograph.
We sat there for 20 minutes. Got a call from train control - empty the train, close the doors, go empty to Hornsby at reduced speed. How long, I ask, until the next train? I got the answer . . .
So, I turn on my external PA - and I just know what the reaction will be.
"Attention passengers" - as expected, passengers go quiet.
"Due to the damage sustained to our power supply, this train is terminating here at Westmead" - a collective "oooo", sighs, grumbles, but general acceptance so far.
Now the fun part.
"Passengers are advised that because due to concerns that this train may have damaged the overhead wires, the next train is expected to arrive in approximately 25-30 minutes"
And as one, the crowd looked incredulous, cries of "no way" rent the air, and seemingly everyone reached for their mobile phones.
After making their day, I then had to walk down the still-kinda-crowded platform to check the train for any passengers who had not yet alighted. Miracle - I wasnt abused. But I did have one lady come up to me:
"I just wanted to let you know, I caught this train at Mt Druitt, and when it arrived I noticed there was a lot of sparks and fire coming from the front of the train".
I was stunned. She saw a train that was basically on fire (pantograph failures are pretty spectacular) - and rather than tell the guard or driver, rather than ring the fire department, rather than miss the train - she boarded it! Others would have seen it too, so we travelled 5 stops at least (and skipped another 3) over 20km reaching speeds of 115km/h with 300 people on board and despite all those people on the platforms, noone reported it!!! Train crew cant see that sort of fault from where we sit, the first clue we had was when the electric brake didnt operate on the approach to Westmead (though some passengers also told me at Westmead that the lights had gone out for a while after leaving seven hills).
What an idiot!
Anyway. Job done. There were a few trains delayed by 30 minutes and a couple cancelled, but all was basically ok for the afternoon peak. Be interesting to know if there are any irate calls to the media
"
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