The letter from W H Diment (July 1) on the relative merits of the overhead line electrification system into Liverpool Street station, compared with that used on the c2c line, rather oversimplifies a dilemma that has faced electrical engineers since 1883.
Ever since the opening of Volk’s Electric Railway on Brighton seafront, the question of what was best and what was safest has raged, whether it was overhead lines, third or fourth rail, AC or DC.
History has shown no decision was ever the right one, particularly when it comes to setting the results against the lives lost in the process of reaching that decision. In the case of the system operated into Liverpool Street, this was based on decisions made as early as 1933, if not before.
John Bathurst
Mellow Purgess Close
Basildon
...The letter from Mr Diment about overhead line equipment is not entirely correct.
The equipment between London Liverpool Street, Chelmsford and Southend Victoria stations was designed for 15,000 volts DC operation, which required heavy cables.
In 1960 it was converted to 25,000 volts AC, after which lighter cables could be used.
The problem with the original cables was that they were set for average temperatures and not tensioned by lineside weights to accommodate excessive changes in temperature.
All this old equipment is in the process of being renewed, which will allow even lighter cables than those on the c2c line.
David Barratt
Southbourne Grove
Westcliff
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