Signal Box Fire: SVR Kidderminster:

Reports elsewhere indicate a fire in the SVR Kidderminster signal box. Further details to follow as extent of damage becomes more clear. SVR trains thought to be not running to Kidderminster at present, with coach service from Bewdley, but will clarify.

One report says considerable damage to signalbox roof.

Bad news indeed at the start of the season.

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From SVR twitter, "We have had a small fire at our signal box in Kidderminster, fire brigade called, minimal damage to structure"

 

Sadly not "minimal" at all. Box out of use. Image seen on facebook shows a large burn hole in the box roof above a stovepipe outlet. Emergency roof repairs to make building watertight, and Sunday's services "may" be operated by handcranking points, and pilotman. Still under consideration and before an examination of the signalling equipment in the box, which has no doubt suffered water damage.

We could have done without this.

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From the BHStation FB: Timeline Photos | Facebook

I'd say it does actually look worse than it is - I suspect a lot of the blackening on the floor is just wet ash from the roof. The paint on the levers, crossbeams and lamps is still intact, which implies there isn't any real heat damage. The main worry seems to be damage to the signalling equipment by firefighting water, and the fact the roof "not being watertight" (!).

Service is planned to continue as normal tomorrow, with pilotman working and points being hand cranked: SVR-Online Forum :: View topic - fire in KR SB

 

Photo of the damage: Timeline Photos | Facebook

It actually looks like the fire damage was quite minimal - none of the paint on the lamps/crossbeams/levers has been damaged, which implies there was very little heat damage, and most of the blackening on the floor seems to be wet ash from the roof.

Service is to continue as planned tomorrow (with the amendments previously published), with pilotman working and points being hand cranked: http://forum.svra.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2775

 

I guess the "unknown quantity" is how the electrics in the locking room have been affected by water ingress.

Still dont call it "minimal" though...!

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True - minimal damage would have been no fire! But definitely a lot less than it could have been; I was worried we might find the interior gutted.

And indeed, water is the main concern from the sounds of it (as well as the box "not being watertight" any more!). S&T are to make an appearance tomorrow to assess the damage.

 

Well minimal or not, lets just hope that the damage to the equipment is minimal, so that operations can be resumed asap.

I guess it could have been worse, a lot worse.

Report elsewhere indicate that the fire took hold shortly after the first down train had left Kidderminster, and the signalman exited the box, shaken, but thankfully uninjured.

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Being looked into tomorrow, but damage to the box is very minimal, restricted to a small area of the roof and some paintwork damage.

 

And where did the water go, Olly? Lots of electrics in the locking room I suspect!

Still, I agree with your sentiment, and hopefully on inspection tomorrow there wont be any water damage to the works, and it is just a cleaning /drying/ testing job.

Could have been much worse.

 

I belive the power was switched off prior to water being poured in, but there was even talk about the box potentially being operational late tomorrow. On that score I'm not so hopefull, but when you look at some of the other challenges the railway has faced in the last few years, this is not as huge as many of them.

 

It's been reported on Bridgnorth station's Facebook page that the equipment has been dried and repaired to the extent the box is operational so pilotmen and handcranking aren't needed.

 

Well done and congratulations to SVRs S&T and all those involved.

 

In fact, all operations today have been normal - it all worked from the off, not without a lot of effort from a lot of people and more today as the cleaning up job begins - people to which a great deal of thanks is due - my own limited involvement (after being collared for handsignalling if required - obviously it wasn't) was to give the block shelf and lever handles a dust and polish!