ok then. so what would happen to the tube if london's power got cut? im
guessing theres no auxillary system in place....is there? i think i
remember
something about them having their own fossil fuel power generators...



Does anyone remember a major power cut on an early weekday morning sometime
in the mid 1990s on the Underground ? If I remember it right it was caused
by a cable failing somewhere near Blackwall which fed the eastern end of the
Central line, and the subsequent surge on other parts of the supply system
caused a domino effect of fuses tripping until the whole system was without
power. Supplies to traction, station lighting, signalling were lost. Most
of the system got going again later in the day (early afternoon?), although
the Central line east of Liverpool Street did not run for a further 5 days
or so.

Andrew

IIRC the stations
are now equipped with battery back up facilities to allow them to stay
running.

Not quite I don't think. I have a feeling that they have battery-fed
emergency lighting to provide enough light to evacuate passengers but that
is all. Generally it is every 3rd or 4th light, you can identify them by
small red enamel plates on the fittings.

Andrew

"Mike Bristow" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Andrew wrote:
Does anyone remember a major power cut on an early weekday morning
sometime
in the mid 1990s on the Underground ? If I remember it right it was
caused
by a cable failing somewhere near Blackwall which fed the eastern end of
the
Central line, and the subsequent surge on other parts of the supply
system
caused a domino effect of fuses tripping until the whole system was
without
power. Supplies to traction, station lighting, signalling were lost.
Most
of the system got going again later in the day (early afternoon?),
although
the Central line east of Liverpool Street did not run for a further 5
days
or so.

CULG (http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/) does not mention any incident
that closed more than a station or three beteen 1957 & the problems
earlier this year.

Either you're missremembering something, or Clive doesn't know about
a 5 day closure east of Liverpool Street.

Personally, my money's on you missremembering (although proof to
the contrary would be most interesting!)

Cheers,
Mike


I remember the incident although am hazy about the dates. If I can find
some old documents relating to purchasing my home in London I may be able to
pinpoint the exact date. Sounds bizarre, but I remember that it happened
the day I collected the keys, hence making an unusual journey from Wapping
to Walthamstow and then to Leyton, and then trying to get into central
London to work. I remember hearing an announcement at Stratford station
saying there was no service on any underground line.

I'll try and find any references to this.

Andrew

Dave wrote:
Roland Perry writes
ok then. so what would happen to the tube if london's power got
cut? im guessing theres no auxillary system in place....is there? i
think i remember something about them having their own fossil fuel
power generators...

They used to have their own power generation, but take it from the
National Grid now.

Indeed they used to generate all their own power - the main power
station was at Lots Road in Chelsea. And as you say, they do take
most
of their power from the National Grid now- but the Greenwich power
station has been kept as a back-up.

Yes but even when they still ran Lots Road it only supplied traction
current, and most of the station platform power would come from local (i.e.
grid) supplies. So in the event of a long grid power cut most of the
underground stations would be closed anyway.

"Peter Smyth" wrote in message
...

"Mike Bristow" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Andrew wrote:
Does anyone remember a major power cut on an early weekday morning
sometime
in the mid 1990s on the Underground ? If I remember it right it was
caused
by a cable failing somewhere near Blackwall which fed the eastern end
of
the
Central line, and the subsequent surge on other parts of the supply
system
caused a domino effect of fuses tripping until the whole system was
without
power. Supplies to traction, station lighting, signalling were lost.
Most
of the system got going again later in the day (early afternoon?),
although
the Central line east of Liverpool Street did not run for a further 5
days
or so.

CULG (http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/) does not mention any incident
that closed more than a station or three beteen 1957 & the problems
earlier this year.

Either you're missremembering something, or Clive doesn't know about
a 5 day closure east of Liverpool Street.

Personally, my money's on you missremembering (although proof to
the contrary would be most interesting!)

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...tival.ed.ac.uk refers
to
a power-cut on the Central Line on 24th November 1993 which sounds like it
could be what the OP is referring to.

Peter Smyth



That would be it I think. The date sounds right. It did actually affect
all lines in some form.

Andrew

On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 09:36:39 +0000 (UTC) Mike Bristow wrote:
} In article ,
} Andrew wrote:
} Does anyone remember a major power cut on an early weekday morning sometime
} in the mid 1990s on the Underground ? If I remember it right it was caused
} by a cable failing somewhere near Blackwall which fed the eastern end of the
} Central line, and the subsequent surge on other parts of the supply system
} caused a domino effect of fuses tripping until the whole system was without
} power. Supplies to traction, station lighting, signalling were lost. Most
} of the system got going again later in the day (early afternoon?), although
} the Central line east of Liverpool Street did not run for a further 5 days
} or so.
}
} CULG (http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/) does not mention any incident
} that closed more than a station or three beteen 1957 & the problems
} earlier this year.
}
} Either you're missremembering something, or Clive doesn't know about
} a 5 day closure east of Liverpool Street.
}
} Personally, my money's on you missremembering (although proof to
} the contrary would be most interesting!)

If he's misremembering then so am I.

Bad cable, short, shorted again when "repaired" and the juioe restored.
And so on for a number of days.

Thing is I can't place *when*, but it certainly happened as te eastern
Central can be part of my commute and whenm it's out the alternative NR
route is hell.

Matthew
--
Il est important d'être un homme ou une femme en colère; le jour où nous
quitte la colère, ou le désir, c'est cuit. - Barbara

http://www.calmeilles.co.uk/

What amazed me was the swarms of people walking.
The last time I was in New York there was a problem on the subway. And
people just left the station and walked down the road. Literally down
the road. Not even on the pavement. Just a swarm of people walking down
the middle of the room.
--
CJG

In message , Robin Mayes
writes
That there arn't any posts about the power cuts in America and the
chaos it caused on the New York subway. Perhaps CJD might have realised
that us knuckle-scraping morons might actually be needed to come and
rescue him one day?

If you mean me. I have been house hunting far away from London
Underground's monkey business. Better things to do than point out the
obvious about London Underground.
So anyway. Say the same happened here and the whole of London and South
East England lost its power. What exactly would happen on the
Underground?
And aren't New York's subway lines a lot nearer the surface. So if they
come to a halt then its a short walk to the surface.
And I can assure you if I was on the underground and the lights and
power went out I would be up in the fresh air way before the station
assistant has found his dusty safety instructions book.
--
CJG

CJG wrote:
In message , Robin Mayes
writes
That there arn't any posts about the power cuts in America and the
chaos it caused on the New York subway. Perhaps CJD might have
realised that us knuckle-scraping morons might actually be needed to
come and rescue him one day?

If you mean me. I have been house hunting far away from London
Underground's monkey business. Better things to do than point out the
obvious about London Underground.
So anyway. Say the same happened here and the whole of London and
South East England lost its power. What exactly would happen on the
Underground?

Well, the theory is that the Greenwich power station (gas-turbine-powered I
believe) would start up and supply traction current, so that trains stuck in
tunnels could at least reach the next station. And emergency lighting in
stations would be powered by batteries for long enough to evacuate everyone
safely.

Two points that I would like answered:
1. Would the signals still work or would trains need to be moved under
emergency manual signalling?
2. Would the escalators and lifts be working, and if not how would
deep-level stations be evacuated?

And aren't New York's subway lines a lot nearer the surface. So if
they come to a halt then its a short walk to the surface.
And I can assure you if I was on the underground and the lights and
power went out I would be up in the fresh air way before the station
assistant has found his dusty safety instructions book.

So how would you do that if you were between stations on a tube train when
the power went off?
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

CJG wrote:
In message ,
Richard J. writes
CJG wrote:
And I can assure you if I was on the underground and the lights and
power went out I would be up in the fresh air way before the station
assistant has found his dusty safety instructions book.

So how would you do that if you were between stations on a tube train
when the power went off?

Me. I would follow the green emergency exit signs which are
(hopefully) lit up by battery powered lights. The same as I would do
during a power cut in any other business place if it was in a station.

That was not my question.

And just to make you feel better and London Underground staff loved.
If the train was in a tunnel and it was well into the tunnel I would
wait for someone from London Underground to come along to make sure
the power really was off for good. As quite frankly I would rather
wait for a station assistant with a flashlight than to be hit by a
train when the power comes on.

Right. So you would in fact rely on LU staff, so why suggest otherwise?
Couldn't you resist the opportunity to denigrate them? Sad.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)