Re: Incident At Hornsby 11/5/99

[Stuart Ellis <mpp@zipworld.com.au>]

Paul Hogan wrote:

> Can anyone confirm exact details of what happened last night at
> Hornsby? I
> arrived home about 10.30pm, Hornsby station was cordoned off by fire
> brigade
> and Cityrail security, all overhead and station power was off, and all
> 4
> platform roads occupied by suburban sets.



Form the telegram that I saw this morning, a suburban set became welded
to the overhead in the platform, No2, the down shore at approx 8:15 pm.
This causing a high tension fault. The substation protection devices did
not work as it should have tripped out. This caused massive arching from
the overhead, and even melted insulators as the fault became sustained.
It sent massive amounts of voltage through anything and everything on
the platform, guttering, buildings etc. The luggage room on No 4
platform caught on fire as a result and other parts caught alight.   At
approx 9 pm, and the overhead was isolated all the way from Thorneigh to
Berowra, and also to Lindfield. As one would expect this cause major
chaos for several hours. Interurban services were suspended, ( as with
suburban services) with  the 8:17pm right through to the 1:47 am service
the next morning canceled, with busses used to ferry people. NT2
terminated at Gosford at about 9pm, and passengers sent to Sydney via
busses.

I was told that the overhead was re- energized at about 4 am this
morning. I believe the damage was extensive with a fair amount of damage
to the station wiring and caused switchboards to literally melt under
the fault. Anyone else who knows a bit more I would also like to hear
about it.

I am not sure if anyone was hurt, but it amazes me that no one got
killed. I am only speculating in saying that it could have something to
do with the recent works on the overhead, as you mentioned Paul.

I hope this helps

Stuart Ellis