Dutch steam tram pulls stranded EMU on main line

[Densha]

Today a truck running across a railway crossing damaged the overhead wires between Enkhuizen and Hoorn in the Netherlands. The truck driver decided to get away from the scene ASAP instead of calling the emergency number so when the next intercity train approached the pantographs of the EMU were damaged and obviously no electric train traffic was possible after that. In this region all lines are electrified so usually there are no diesels anywhere close to the place where the overhead wires were pulled down.

 

The station of Hoorn is also the terminus of a steam tram heritage line and has a connection with the main line. The steam tram being at that time and place the only vehicle available that could run without overhead wires, the NS (Dutch Railways) asked the heritage organization whether they could tow the EMU from the place of the incident to Hoorn. And yes they did! :P

 

Due to copyright I won't post pictures here, so take a look at these links (hopefully they all work in other countries):

http://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/opmerkelijk/video-rijdend-museum-sleept-ns-trein-weg

http://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/stadstreek/enkhuizen-westfriesland/article27447055.ece/Nostalgie-bij-een-ongeluk-gestrande-intercity-weggesleept-door-stoomloc (click the black button "Bekijk Fotoserie" for more pics)

https://www.facebook.com/Museumstoomtram/posts/957998860929470

https://www.facebook.com/Museumstoomtram/videos/958085570920799/

https://www.facebook.com/dieter.dejong/videos/755875354523755/

 

Arrival at Hoorn:

 

Steam locos rescuing electric trains is something you already barely see, if at all, but a steam tram running on a main line is something that was obviously not even done in the long past when these were still running around in daily service.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Densha

[katoftw]

And a small diesel loco?

[Densha]

Yep, an old NS diesel shunter Class 200. I read that most traction was delivered by the steam tram and that the diesel was apparently only used for coupling purposes; steam locos don't have facilities to couple with Scharfenberg couplers but these old diesel shunters did also pull EMUs in depots long ago. ;) The steam tram was actually originally built to run through hilly terrain in the very southernmost part of the Netherlands so it has plenty of traction power. I reckon it would have taken a much longer time to tow the EMU with only the diesel shunter because of the lower traction power needed in depots.

[velotrain]

Did they catch the truck driver?  Hopefully they'll make him pay for all of the clean-up and repair.

[Nick_Burman]

And a small diesel loco?

 

Taken along as a coupler adaptor vehicle.

 

Cheers NB

[Kiha_120]

A total reliance on modern traction in most nations rail transport, is,  I believe, dangerously short sighted especially regards electric locos/emu's.

The very uncertain world we find ourselves in, where total world war is not only a possibility, but seemingly inevitable, the use of EMP weapons ( almost a certainty ) would immediately render electric trains unusable and possibly most, if not all diesels too.  Steam traction conversely,  would not be affected in any way, so I believe it a wise policy to keep any steam locos in good working order - just in case ! 

Of course, there would still remain the problems of modern signalling and points to contend with !  But at least, service of some kind could be restored for emergency rail movement - even though it would be at a very slow speed.  That is just a hypothetical reason for preserving reliable tried and trusted 'old' technology, but of course, this Dutch instance would not be the first, and I suspect, far from the last incident where steam 'saves the day' !

[Densha]

Well, actually in this case all electricity was shut down on the entire stretch of track, which meant ATB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatische_treinbe%C3%AFnvloeding) didn't work either so the steam tram could run on the tracks without having any usually mandatory safety system equipment.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Densha

[kvp]

 

The very uncertain world we find ourselves in, where total world war is not only a possibility, but seemingly inevitable,

The problem is, that in case of a full scale war, there won't be any rails to run on or any people left. Although this was planned with in east europe and most of the rail network was built to survive a smaller scale nuclear war and have enough steam/diesel traction for troop movement and even most electrical equipment was designed to survive an explosion if it's outside the blast radius. Around the 1980-ies it was realised that even the smallest scale nuclear war between the two sides would only leave a charred and glassified ground and melted rails. This was the time when the last regular stream trains ran and the remaining ones got mostly plinthed in a conserved state.

 

 

 

The modern solution for catenary damage is to have a diesel or battery storage locomotive ready somewhere near and a self propelled catenary repair unit with enough spare parts. The problem in this case was that the Dutch railways fail to provide proper brakedown tow/repair service for its intercity routes.

 

 

which meant ATB didn't work either so the steam tram could run on the tracks without having any usually mandatory safety system equipment.

If the safety system doesn't have proper backup batteries that could keep it running in case of a total electricity failiure, then this is a problem in itself. However i think the system worked just fine and every signal fell to a stop position. The steam tram (and most brakedown tractors) could ignore this (either by not having a safety system or having an off switch) and move in an occupied block to rescue the stranded train. The fact that the tram locomotive was allowed onto the mainline is interesting, but i think it has more to do with the decision of the local traffic controller than any technology. They could have waited for the official rescue diesel from the next larger station.