Never to be repeated 37 378 at Stansted Airport. 1991.
The new 3.5 mile branch from the London to Cambridge mainline terminating at the sub-surface station of Stansted Airport beneath the airport terminal building had only opened a little over a week earlier on the 19/03/1991 when I took this. Pathfinder Railtours payed a visit with two class 37's (37 378 & 37 009). Here 37 378 is seen just short of the stop blocks in platform 1 with the 'Nuclear Flyer' railtour, the first loco hauled passenger train over the new branch.
This train then caused a major incident for the airport authority as the exhaust from the smokey class 37's then set off the airport fire alarm system as the fumes travelled up into the terminal building. It had obviously been seen as a potential problem during the stations construction as a shorter platform 3 was designated for diesel unit trains being located much further back and in the open air, however the length of this train precluded the use of short platform 3. It goes without saying shortly after this date diesel traction was banned from platforms 1 and 2 under the terminal building.
Never to be repeated 37 378 at Stansted Airport. 1991.
The new 3.5 mile branch from the London to Cambridge mainline terminating at the sub-surface station of Stansted Airport beneath the airport terminal building had only opened a little over a week earlier on the 19/03/1991 when I took this. Pathfinder Railtours payed a visit with two class 37's (37 378 & 37 009). Here 37 378 is seen just short of the stop blocks in platform 1 with the 'Nuclear Flyer' railtour, the first loco hauled passenger train over the new branch.
This train then caused a major incident for the airport authority as the exhaust from the smokey class 37's then set off the airport fire alarm system as the fumes travelled up into the terminal building. It had obviously been seen as a potential problem during the stations construction as a shorter platform 3 was designated for diesel unit trains being located much further back and in the open air, however the length of this train precluded the use of short platform 3. It goes without saying shortly after this date diesel traction was banned from platforms 1 and 2 under the terminal building.