BANG !! I was rudely awoken from my torporous state by that and someone shouting 'Fire'! I immediately dropped the button and stopped the train. Opening the middle cab door to the passenger saloon I saw a gent in a trembly state standing at the far end. I say 'saw' reservedly as the car was filled with a semi haze of dust and smoke and all the lights had gone out. I hollered to the guy 'go through into the next car' which he obeyed with alacrity. The next thing was someone shouting down the tunnel 'driver?, driver?. The train was about 2 car lengths into the tunnel and it seemed to have exploded! I dashed back into the cab and bawled down the phone to my mate at the back 'Open the doors Pete' and he replying 'But you're in the tunnel!' which got rude words from me and the instruction to 'do as you're told'

Let us go back a little and describe the scene. It was not long after 9 in the morning going south on the Bakerloo with a 7 car 1938 stock. No problems so far just the usual 'auto-pilot' driving on early turn. Came to a stand at Charing Cross [now Embankment] platform and waited while the station duties took place. Heard the doors rumble closed and got the 'ding' of the bell and wound up. Tick, tick, tick, BANG!.................... Oh dear not your normal PCM sounds at all is that. The events above then took place so we'll carry on from there.

I walked through the shot, shit and shell to the next car with my handlamp to see my way. As I did so the doors opened and I hear shouts of 'Driver' again and when I get into the second car a figure in a large hat looms up in front of me. It's the station Inspector come down from upstairs in a near panic as the bang had been heard on the District line platforms and they thought an I.R.A. bomb had gone off. I said to him 'I'm all right mate' and he visibly deflated. 'What's happened' were his first words which got the usual cockney response of 'FIIKC'. I told him I had got the bell and wound up and the next thing came the aformentioned 'loud report' to put it in officialese. Sudeenly the car lights came back on as current was restored by the sub operator. He, not having heard the reason for the current discharging had waited the prescribed seven minutes and recharged as per rule.

Now we had a bit of light and could see things we asked the bloke who had been in the leading car who was now sitting down puffing away on a cigarette, what he had seen. He told us that he had been sitting in the centre transverse seat on the left and as the train started to move there came an enormous red/blue flash from under the seat on the other side of the car at the same time as the bang. We asked to show us which seat and he came with us and did so. Upon lifting the seat cushion and peering underneath it was obvious that whatever it was it was electrical as the metal work of the floor and inside car side panels was severely burned with evidence of a massive arc. We could not, obviously see the outside of the panels at the car was in the tunnel but later on when we could get a look we saw all the paint was burned off the metal.

'Gawd' said the inspector 'What are you going to do'?...... Do? said I. 'Whatever I have to to get this old cart out of the way mate.' By now my Guard and some station staff were all in attendance at the scene of the crime and the first decision was to get all members of the public out of the way. This was done in short order and once thay had gone me and my mate set about isolation things to prevent a recurrence. The inspector, poor chap, had not a clue as he had come up through the booking office grades so we packed him off to tell the controller what was afoot. Once he was gone I made sure that my mate had his heater button switched off as per instruction. Then I dived under a couple of seats and cut out the CON:Cos and the COM:Cos as they are described on the cant rail in the car. These key controlled switches prevent the PCM mechanism from working and stop the compressor under it's car from pumping. Having done that I went to the middle cab and tripped out the motor generators then also tempoarily cut out the Fault Isolating Switch and so cut the control lines in half. On the rear unit I reset the MG's so that at least one half of the train had auxiliary power. I then cut in the F.I.S. again.

The train is now effectively two trains coupled together with leading half having battery power only and no 630v equipment operative at all. 'Now comes the hard part' I tell my mate. With instructions to return to the back and make sure no-one is on board he was to shut the train doors and check his tail lights were working. While he did that I returned to the front cab and charged up the train line pipe and cut out the 10 point in that cab. The charging of the air took a little longer than normal but eventually the magic 65Lb was reached. I have now got to get the disabled wagons to London Road depot to get it mended. But I have do it with battery power for the control line and reduced brake pressure as I have to isolate the EP as well. I give my mate a call over the phone ask him if everything is ok and if it is to give me a bell. A reassuring 'ding' is heard and with a little prayer I wind up expecting more arcs and sparks. Wonder of wonders the train moves and we start our journey to salvation.

Now as I only have reduce brake pressure I am taking it very gingerly and go through Waterloo at about 10mph and once past there I expect to approach Lambeth North and get signalled toward the depot. But no, I get the platform signal. I make a rapid stop and get on the phone to Bobby. 'Ere mate I'm a dud. can't I go in the depot? I tell him. 'Sorry Buster' comes the reply. 'The old man has the fitter and the D.I. waiting at the Elephant for yer so you gotta go down there' He says. 'Beside that I got a train on the depot outlet road waiting for you to get past so you can't get in there anyway' With a silent curse I climb back in the cab and tell my mate of the dastardly plan. So we resume our funereal pace onward unto the almighty ones waiting at the line end. We reach said Heaven without further mishap and see the gentelmen in question waiting along with the SM on the southbound platform.

'You've been a gone and blown up a Met at Finchley Road' was the first utterances of the man with the big hat. 'I don't care a f*ck about Finchley Road' says I. 'I'm only concerned about this old crap heap here' This brings a grin from the great one and I am instucted to draw the train down to the crossover between the sidings so that the hammer and string merchant can have a gape underneath. I do as I am bid and Mr Fitter duly climbs out with his big torch and trolls alongside the train. His head disappears downwards from view like he was submerging and almost immediately pops up again with his mouth wide open as if he were drowning. This we have observed form inside the dimly lit car. This impressionist of a goldfish beckons to us to come outside to him and we do so. The sight that met our eyes nearly made them pop. There, under the car, was a mass of twisted metal, hanging wires and bits of porcelain insulator all in a nice monkey puzzle.

'I know what that is' says Mr Green Uniform [fitter] 'That's collapsed resistances, that is' 'Really'? says the big hat. 'Collapsed you say?.......more like f*cking disappeared to me' he elaborates. The only thing to do is get it to Neasden ASAP says the train mender. So the set of broken railway carriages is taken back into the southbound platform while sir consults with the bigger sir at Baker Street. He duly returns to say that 'Bakerman' is not happy and can we get the pile of old junk out of it so he can have his railway back. Now with at least being on the end of the train that has some power. I and my mate drag the poor old thing all the way out to Neasden so that she can be cured of her ailments. This was done as she re-appeared about 3 weeks later bright and shiny and as fit as a fiddle.

Me and my mate had to write out full reports at Baker Street in the canteen and also we had chance to chat with the Met driver who's 'A'; stock we had so nicely blown fuses on, for which he was grateful as he had a real 'bastard' of a turn. We got a bit of overtime for our efforts so all-in-all it was an eventful day.
« Last Edit: Dec 8, 2005, 4:45pm by q8 »