| bdca.org.uk http://bdca.org.uk/forumtwo/ |
|
| Recovery Men ? http://bdca.org.uk/forumtwo/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=256 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | Rob Morel [ 10 Feb 2013, 16:22 ] |
| Post subject: | Recovery Men ? |
An interesting article worth a read, (including comments under main article) http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/ ... -1-2783536 Anything to compare this with, In the steam crane era -, when does recoverable become unrecoverable? (easy to say all that as an Armchair expert, not knee high in mud on the side of a Scottish Loch) |
|
| Author: | Peter Woad [ 10 Feb 2013, 22:37 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Recovery Men ? |
Have read the article, but don't know how the loco is positioned in relation to the track, but I have known recovery of awkward derailed diesels by lifting the power unit out to lighten the load then lift the body off the bogies and put it on temporary bogies then recover the bogies for removal. The telejib cranes are quite capable of doing this job if the ground is stable. |
|
| Author: | Roger Cooke [ 11 Feb 2013, 09:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Recovery Men ? |
I followed this incident and its immediate aftermath with some interest, and I have to say that the article appears to be informed and accurate, and the comments (at least those that had been left at the time I followed the link yesterday) appeared to be highly uninformed and inaccurate! The loco as it lies cannot be recovered by any conventional means. There is no existing road access to the site, there is no water access (Loch Treig is landlocked), there is no road access of any significance to Loch Treig that would allow lifting equipment to be brought to site by a combination of means. The site itself is constricted and unstable, and the current serviceable 75-tonne cranes are prohibited from getting anywhere near the derailment site due to route restrictions. The loco has also come to rest at an angle of approx 45 degrees to the track, and well below track level, on a very steep slope (which is why it has been guyed and anchored whilst its fate is discussed). The further end is well beyond the reach of a 75-tonne rail BDC, even if one could get to site. It cannot be dragged nearer to the track since this would firstly mean dragging it back up the mountain and secondly there are no suitable means of anchoring the pull. So it really is an exceptionally difficult recovery, and the only realistic options would involve massive engineering projects (building 30 miles or more of new road through the mountains, or upgrading miles of railway infrastructure). On cost grounds alone, that loco was doomed the day it derailed! So, in steam days would it have been different? Well, possibly. There would have been a wider range of cranes available, so it probably would have been possible to get lifting equipment to site. Also, it is inherently simpler under field conditions to reduce a steam loco into manageable chunks than a diesel loco. Having said that, it was not by any means unknown for steam locos to be deemed unrecoverable and cut up on site, and I think that it is likely that this is what would have happened. It is however undeniable that the risk of a major and catastophic environmental disaster would be far, far reduced with a steam loco, rather than a diesel with its huge quantities of fuel and lubricants. It must have been a difficult job draining the loco under those conditions. |
|
| Author: | Roger Cooke [ 11 Feb 2013, 09:52 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Recovery Men ? |
Three images which give perhaps a better understanding of the problem:- http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/6 ... dslide.jpg http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/ ... b07f59.jpg http://www.bgs.ac.uk/science/landUseAnd ... G11882.JPG |
|
| Author: | Peter Woad [ 11 Feb 2013, 22:53 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Recovery Men ? |
Having seen the images of this derailment I agree recovery is not possible and cutting it up on site is the only option, though this will be very difficult. As regards my first comment this system of recovery has been known to have been used as the power unit and bogies make up more than two thirds of the loco's weight. |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group https://www.phpbb.com/ |
|
