241P17 Severe Accident

A yahoo group has reported via Nick Lera / John Bennett + others that 241P17 suffered a blowback on Sunday on a trip from Le Creusot-?Chambery. 3 people with severe burns airlifted + 5 others burned. My french is limited,however.
241P17 is a massive loco+some N P members will know the loco +the crew from trips. I travelled for 3 days with them to Basle via Geneva + felt like friends at the end of a very tiring trip. 241P17 got a lot of local support.

Clearly we wish the injured speedy recovery. A v sad day for French mainline steam.

 

terrible!I'm a french and this horrific new sign, in my opinion, the end of steam on the SNCF
no informations about in the french medias
I feel very sad!!!!!!!!!
regards
noel

 

http://alpes.france3.fr/info/savoie--explosion-d-un-train-de-collection-70166468.html

http://www.creusot-infos.com/article.php?sid=30031&mode=&order=0

Does not sound like a blowback to me.

 

thanks a lot for infos
TEN people on the platform!!!!!!unbelievable!irresponsible!
regards
*noel

 

No news (yet) on their own website:

http://www.241p17.com/

Platform or footplate?

Ten people on the platform is nothing strange
Ten people on the footplate is not impossible / unlikely if you allow people to have a look at the footplate while at the platform. This may sound strange in "UK-mindset", but is not unheard off on the continent.

Although I would think that 10 is a bit much even on most mainline loco's, but not impossible on some of the larger German loco's. I do not know the cab lay-out of this particular engine.

Best wait for some more detailed (and accurate) news

 

Some photo's:

http://share.newslink.fr/index.php?...e=7C291A6C-390A-4B3B-9B56-BCC8ADB2D3E0#galery

 

Trouble with translating from one language to another is that the terminology can be different. The first report is saying a boiler explosion but the photos show everything complete. The other talks of an explosion of vapour - which I presume to mean steam. With some lateral thinking both could be explained by a blowback but on the other hand a steam connection in the cab could have had a massive failure and thus caused an "explosion of vapour." I hope the injured parties make a full recovery.

 

sorry! footplate of course! I was so troubled by this sad new!
reghards
noel

 

all still in French (with thanks to Hans Boshuyzen):

http://www.ledauphine.com/savoie/20...-une-locomotive-a-vapeur-trois-blesses-graves

http://www.lejsl.com/faits-divers/2011/08/29/deux-brules-graves-dans-la-locomotive-241p17

 

241P17 website now stating that the planned trip to Strasboug/Marseille now canc with monies refunded.

The most ambitious steam tour of France for several years from Toulouse - Longueville takes place in Sept using 141R s 231K8 etc. 241P17 was not involved,however.

I think the various reports seem to indicate the line was shut for several hours.

Much of the French mainline steam seems to be run by serving or retired loco-crews. On many hundreds of kms of steam tours I have been struck by the very professional crews. Oh,yes, quite a few cabrides...........The 241P cab is "roomy" by UK standards

 

Update via a yahoo
Driver + SNCF "technician"airlifted to hospital in Lyons from Chamberay where the accident took place.
Suggested that the cab filled with steam+v hot water - perhaps from a fractured steam pipe
Anyone interested maybe use the 241P17.com site or google

 

That does'nt sound good........

 

Video interview.

http://share.newslink.fr/index.php?...-une-locomotive-a-vapeur-trois-blesses-graves

In French - test for A2 students etc.

 

Not good at all. A real shame, like Ray says, it's a wonderful machine. The double header in Switzerland from Geneva to Basel with 241 A 65 was a brilliant tour.

Ray, are you going to Longueville? All being well I'll be out there for a few days. Do you know what 231 K 8 is doing? Their website says it's still out for overhaul, though I've heard it's working Paris to Calais on the Monday after the event.

 

Hope you have a good time at Longueville,Nigel,as its the best French event for some time. I'm catching up in the UK in 2011 so very reluctantly will not go even tho'141TB is "required". Mr Dobbing spoke with the 231K lads in the last few days as it happens......!! But I have no inside info as I dont want to be tempted. Orig 231K8 was to join the Toulouse spl on the last section. I suspect it will be prominent-lets hope so--it looks "just right"at Calais.
241P17 was very much NOT going and the owning group has always seemed seperate from the other groups in France with strong links to their home town--home OF the 241P s I think (I'm no historian) IIRC they funded the overhaul+the loco has always been part of a tourist promotion. Maybe that will be their salvation as I think they had strong local political backing---they may need it. I so hope the crew recover fully.

 

More information on what happened has been published here:

http://www.creusot-infos.com/article.php?sid=30045&mode&order=0#.TluwO5gZoys.facebook

and

http://www.creusot-infos.com/article.php?sid=30075&mode=&order=0

 

231K8 is booked to join the special at Paris Bercy on Friday (where the train reverses and may be split in two due to its length) up to Gare de l'Est before reversing and going on to Longueville. The three 141R's are all involved at this point so its not clear what will work which section, whether there will be top and tail/light engine movements etc.

Also booked to work shuttles to Romilly on Saturday and Sunday with 141R1126. If it's not available, perhaps the 231G will substitute?

I'm on the Railtrail trip which seems to have it all covered.

Regards

JP

 

A friend who lives in France informs me that it blew a boiler tube.

 

Would that cause a high pressure steam escape onto the footplate?

I was reading it as being a fracture in a steam pipe that vented onto the footplate.

 

Catastrophic faliure of a tube could eject a jet of flashing water/steam onto the footplate if it happened to be in line with the doors I guess, could also throw out fire too. Superheater flue would be worse of course.