Big Electrical Arc with a bang! - Class 73/9 Swap to Diesel Power - 73964 Jeanette and 73963 Janice

Wednesday 8th March 2023. 73964 Jeanette pulls into Margate platform 4 with the 1Q77 Network Rail Test Train. As the loco pulls into the station under electrical power with use of the 3rd rail, a huge electrical arc occurred under the loco with a mighty bang. It was suspected to happen because of the low shoe gear on that particular loco aw well as rivets near the track. Due to this, 73963 Janice had to switch to diesel power to avoid the bang happening again.
I was surprised that the service was still able to work because after the bang I thought they'd probably have to call in a rescue loco. Luckily that wasn't the case and the service continued as planned on time to it's schedule.
I hope you enjoy the video! Thanks For Watching!
#train #trains #railway #railways #trainspotting #trainhorn #diesel #diesellocomotive #trainspotting #networkrail #publictransport

[@Transport_Around_Kent]

Timestamps: 0:27 1 tone from 73 964 0:53 massive spark from 73 964 4:58 1 tone from 73 963 6:21 outro

[@System6VideoProductions]

3:28 locomotive fires up

[@stevehales3225]

Worked with these locos for years. Nothing to worry about. You should have seen a 4 rep sparkle! 3200 hp.

[@photographerjamie]

It did turn out to be nothing wrong, just a large gap in the 3rd rail which caused the arc, they just took precaution and switched to diesel power. They are definitely great locos and certainly get the job done! :) Anyway, thanks for watching!

[@EM-yk1dw]

Indeed this is normal. I believe that the Class 74 were worse for arcing on section gaps.

[@herbypumpkin1256]

I reckon I could smell the burning after watching your video. I must be going mad.

[@photographerjamie]

I'd give a thorough check around your place, just in case 😂 Anyway, tha is for watching! :)

[@12crepello]

Arcing perfectly normal on 3rd rail. Large currents involved. May have been working back over non-electrified route?

[@photographerjamie]

Apparently it was just a really large gap in the 3rd rail which cause it to Arc :) Thanks for watching! 😁

[@allansheldrake4832]

completely normal for these units to arc like that they normally do that in section gaps

[@photographerjamie]

Pretty much what happened, large gap in the 3rd rail. Thanks for watching!

[@weeardguy]

@@photographerjamie Aren't drivers required to stop traction current from flowing when approaching such gaps? We don't have third rail trains in The Netherlands (just metro's use them) but section insulators on the catenary also require the driver to cut traction current momentarily, to prevent huge arcs (which are a real risk at just 1,8 kVDC)

[@photographerjamie]

I'm not sure about stopping traction, here the third rail is always live with 750-850V DC. So the train is always picking up power as long as the Shoegear is down. I think the same story for our overhead gantries which is 25,000V AC. As long as the pantograph is up it gets power, it's always live unless its isolated. Sorry I can't be of much help, I'll try and ask around, but anyway, thanks for watching!

[@weeardguy]

@@photographerjamie No worries ;) With cutting traction I meant temporarily stopping power going to the motors, as they usually draw the most current of anything on a train. Here, bridges and section isolators in the overhead wiring usually require the driver to stop 'giving traction' to avoid huge currents flowing at the moment the pantograph leaves the wire, creating huge arcs in return that damage the carbon strips on the pantograph. Though section isolators are tested to be driven under with traction current flowing, it is not recommended. As regular Dutch trains run on 1,8kVDC only, the currents (3,6 kA if I remember it right) are substantial. I can understand arcing is far less of a problem at 25kVAC as the current is much lower.

[@photographerjamie]

Ah I see what you mean now. I think it comes down to driver preference to be honest, I don't recall anything saying you have to cut power at certain sections. If you go to like London Victoria you'll see trains Arcing and sparking all the time just not as bad as it did in this video haha We only get small flashes so it's not really much of a problem with our voltage compared to yours over there. Anyway, hope that helps a little :)

[@matthew0605]

It's so great to see the 73s still about and working trains , goes to show you that allbeit the Southern Region of British Rail got it right with the selection of loco classes to work trains in the post modernisation plan . The class 33 crompton and the class 73 EDs , still going strong in 2024.LOVERLY .

[@photographerjamie]

They're quite the workhorse still to this day :)

[@SSccaanniiaa]

0:53 And I thought Network Rail test trains were safe! 🤣

[@photographerjamie]

Well they are it, might just be electricity that isn't haha Thanks for watching!

[@TimothyLucas62]

The known MTU 16V4000 R41 on european locomotive

[@JJthrashing]

Massive Arc there certainly made you jump 😁 thanks for sharing 👍

[@photographerjamie]

Yes it's definitely something I won't forget haha Thanks for watching!

[@4vepvik781]

73s old n rebuilt always were/are big flashers arcing wise..😅

[@photographerjamie]

Indeed!

[@stephenpowell5912]

Omg That looked deadly 😮

[@photographerjamie]

It certainly gave me a jump as you could see 😂 And as the title says, they had to switch to diesel power to prevent it happening on departure! Anywho, thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! ☺️

[@Transport_Around_Kent]

0:53 made you jump didn't it haha

[@photographerjamie]

I was looking the other way with my Nikon so when I heard that, "jump" was an understatement 😂

[@seanbrackstone7092]

4:50 looking pretty fine 👀

[@InverhavonRailways]

Looks like the first ED bridged out 2 sections of live rail, not an uncommon event. It may have caused it to blow it's shoe fuses and/or tripped the supply current, hence the switch to diesel power. It's not unknown for pickup shoes to weld themselves to the live rail on these occasions, so they were lucky.

[@photographerjamie]

From what I heard the locos were unscathed as they were able to draw power still but they switched to diesel as a precaution as that platform has become infamous for causing fires to start on the canopies as the arcs get as big as that. I believe they've sorted the issue for the most part as they did shut the platform for a while but has since reopened. Thanks for your interesting comment and thanks for watching! :)

[@owenrhodes3936]

boy i bit that made you jump , great steady film work 10*

[@photographerjamie]

I was looking the other way when it happened and I nearly had a heart attack when I heard that behind me 😂 I appreciate the comment on my filming, means a lot Thanks for watching and have a lovely day :)

[@stephenpowell5912]

Yikes that spark looked a bit concerning,Great video though.

[@photographerjamie]

Thank you, the arcing there is quite common but that's the biggest I've seen happen haha. Thanks for watching!

[@photography94]

Absolutely brilliant footage mate jeez that was seriously voltage hope not to much damage done certainly made some bang that

[@photographerjamie]

Thank you! Luckily no damage was present, but it has been a reoccurring issue with arcing in that platform with the other commuter trains and caused it to be shut for a little bit as it was causing arcs big enough to burn the platform canopy! However it's now back open and operating again! Thanks for watching! :)

[@pjeaton58]

Big arc - yes but not much bang considering the power in the 3rd rail ?

[@hoagy_ytfc]

Archaic old fossils!

[@photographerjamie]

You gotta love it! :) Thanks for watching!

[@captainboing]

yeah, that was a big splat! Nice to catch the shoes being retracted - seldom witnessed. Good catch

[@photographerjamie]

Thank you! It gave me quite the jump! 😂