ruggedpeak

Have an incident on two wheels and it is largely luck what happens. Separating from the bike and sliding across the centre markings into oncoming traffic or street furniture often doesn't go well for example.

Well if the sea is so safe why is there a 200 year organisation that does nothing but rescue people at sea, many of whom started the day on a beach but ended up not on it? You'd have thought in between chuntering and posting in the DM comments section they'd be watching TV, where there is even a BBC series about the RNLI on repeat during the daytime.

Was in the Torygraph yesterday, good to see DfT giving them two fingers!

In other door related news.... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/12/driverless-dlr-train-london-doors-open/ (paywall) Reportedly the DLR train sped towards Bank apparently. From the passenger comments the train was slow to leave Shadwell then stopped. Then it started again and carried on with the door open. Of course there is no driver or door stewards on the DLR. TfL stated there is a staff member on every train, but as DLR units have no connecting corridor and often work in multiple that's as much use as a chocolate teapot if they are in the other unit. Did anyone push the emergency button, no of course not, they were too busy filming it...... I always liked the DLR towards Bank as the tunnel lights reminded me of when the fighters launched in Battlestar Galactica.....

So an English company trying it on and having p1ssed off a lot of Scots trying to use an infamous day when the English thrashed the Scots on the battlefield to garner support in Scotland? Genius.

The Telegraph has just regurgutated the WCRC line and headlined it "Steam trains face end of the line in Britain after row over slamming doors", https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/04/11/steam-trains-face-end-line-britain-row-over-slamming-doors/ paywall The usual WCRC #stuff but concludes: A Department for Transport spokesman said: “The ORR is the independent rail safety regulator, and it would therefore be inappropriate for the department or ministers to intervene in their decision to refuse a further exemption to West Coast Railways, which was upheld by the High Court.”

I wouldn't worry, they are trolling on behalf of WCRC trying to find ways that is it "hypocritical" etc that WCRC have to fit CDL, all due to the hate crimes and partisan nature of RMWebers! 🤣Apparently Hamish Macbeth is already struggiling with the volume of reports of people criticising WCRC!

The 25 mph limit is irrelevant to the WCRC issue anyway, it relates to the Light Railway regulations for the entire operating environment, used by heritage railways to avoid the cost of full scale compliance. The WHL is not a light railway. Full regulations apply to all aspects, so non-CDL stock is not permitted except by exemption.

Yes, perhaps someone experienced in railway PR work can advise. In relation to your regulation question, the regs you previously linked to https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/rsr-1999-guide-to-operation-of-mark-one-type-and-hinged-door-rolling-stock.pdf are clear IMHO under this section: What is meant by ‘a person operating a train or rolling stock’? 1.8 Regulation 2(3) makes it clear that regulations 3 and 4 apply to persons who operate trains or rolling stock in the course of a business or other undertaking, whether or not for profit. This definition includes a company and in this document the term ‘train operator’ is used to describe someone with obligations under regulation 2(3). 1.9 The regulation includes operations which are run on a voluntary basis, where there is no employment or self-employment and it also makes it clear that a self-employed train driver is not an 'operator' This means the regs apply to anyone operating a train or rolling stock' (i.e. WCRC), 'whether or not for profit' and where there is 'no employment or self-employment'. WCRC Mk1's full of journos is a train comprising rolling stock, being operated for profit or not (you can debate the profit issue either way, PR stunts are to generate profits ultimately, but the issue is irrelevant here since the regs apply irrespective of whether there is a profit motive). So my reading is that to operate Mk1 stock for a PR junket requires full regulatory compliance, so either Mk1's have CDL or an exemption in order to be used for a press trip. There is no leeway under the regs from CDL if someone is using Mk1's as 'rolling stock', which stuffing them full of journos is. If I have missed another clause that provides an exemption do let me know! More interesting is this bit at the end (page 11 & 12) which clarifies the position very clearly for those who think WCRC are being hard done by: 4.5 ORR expects any such application to demonstrate the requirements set out in ORR document (Railway Safety Regulations 1999, Assessment and Guidance Manual for Exemption Applications3) are met by either: (a) Setting out how the means of controlling risks associated with the operation of hinged doors other than the use of CDL as required under regulation 5: I. are in line with the hierarchy of controls within the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; II. provide an alternative engineering solution not relying on individual human action to lock each door, that ensures doors are secondarily locked in position at all times the carriage is in the course of its journey; and III. is supported by a quantified risk assessment to demonstrate as a minimum, equivalence to CDL as a means of risk control; or: where fitment of a form of CDL to rolling stock with hinged doors is not achievable by the 31 March 2023 date; that a time bound programme of work is in hand for such fitment. In such cases a limited period of exemption may be considered to allow the programme to be completed, so long as other methods of secondary door locking are in place and being operated effectively in the meantime. Anyone who has read the various documents and utterances from WCRC and MP's will be aware of how WCRC has not entirely achieved the requirements clearly set out by the ORR and why therefore ORR would be in breach of its own guidance and policy to issue exemptions. We don't need to revisit those. If people want to disagree with ORR guidance documents, based upon statutory regulations, that is probably best done somewhere else by those with the necessary expertise and competence. There are very few on here who have those pre-requisites. It is irrelevant to the main issue of operating a compliant train service. It is just a distraction and howling at the moon. The critical issue is that WCRC have not complied with the documented requirements of the ORR and rather than do this they are trying various routes to not do so. CDL has been known about for 18 years, this guidance was issued in 2021. CDL is affordable and it is technically feasible, a Judge has confirmed so as has the real world experience of other operators.

It was a very long time ago, I was in an RAF Tristar with rear facing seats, but don't recall the details. Looks like it was an earlier version to the L1011, so stand corrected. Didn't like it though, preferred a seat with a rocket attached to it!

a few practical issues to sort out, perhaps slide into the cocoon and then some robotised stacking system on platform. The concourse can become a sorting area bit like airport baggage handling system. Could reduce injuries/deaths in a train crash but might have to concede some loss through robot malfunction etc.

All the seats in RAF passenger aircraft face rearwards for safety (as per adb's experience) but the passengers are not paying for the ride and have to do as they are told without question. Flying backwards is not conducive to relaxing.

the fundamental issue is often even getting a seat, so belts are irrelevant unless like a plane TOC's are guaranteeing a seat for every passenger, which leads to..... as has been said earlier, every train service would effectively be a Pullman, VSOE service then. Not sure that will go down well with the travelling public.... Of course you could make everyone lie in a small protected cocoon chamber and stack them into an upgraded freight wagon (get loads more people in then..) or replace the seats with rollercoaster style seating and restraint systems, would improve things dramatically......

Would a press junket in a train that does not meet current passenger safety requirements be allowed under a competent risk assessment? I would be curious as to whether an insurer would accept that risk. What would be the rationale for assuming the press are any different from fare paying passengers when it comes to behaviour or exposure to risk? They are (or used to be) well documented consumers of alcohol and will take risks to get stories. The car companies know a thing or two about the risks of press launches with written off vehicles, trying to get journo's out of the country before they get arrested, stopping the bad news stories leaking etc. Any risk assessment involving journo's (and even more dangerous, social media types taking risks for their Insta, whilst on the Bernina Express recently a young lady was hanging out the windows repeatedly whilst a chap was filming her...) is going to have to assume they are at least as risky as normal punters. You can also guarantee someone will test the doors whilst the train is moving to make a point on social media....... Push, kick, "See, these doors are perfectly sa.............." None of this actually precludes WCRC running a press train, or maybe one full of supportive MP's......

Trains The use of seat belts in trains has been investigated. Concerns about survival space intrusion in train crashes and increased injuries to unrestrained or incorrectly restrained passengers led researchers to discourage the use of seat belts in trains. "It has been shown that there is no net safety benefit for passengers who choose to wear 3-point restraints on passenger-carrying rail vehicles. Generally, passengers who choose not to wear restraints in a vehicle modified to accept 3-point restraints receive marginally more severe injuries."[127] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt#cite_note-127 A study published the same year by Britain’s Rail Safety and Standards Board {link in the article] reached a somewhat more positive verdict on seatbelts, but did not recommend them. “It was found that injury outcomes for passengers choosing to wear restraints were substantially improved,” the study said. “However, there was a slight general worsening of injury outcomes for passengers choosing not to wear restraints as they impacted the modified (stiffened) seat.” https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/us/amtrak-crash-raises-question-of-seatbelts-on-trains.html Took about 10 seconds of Googling.

"LSL, which operates under the same safety regulations as WCR, have progressively upgraded their trains during annual refurbishments. Its chief engineer says it is about £23,000 to upgrade a carriage to compliance. Jonathan Rawlinson said: “Over the years when we have refurbished our carriages we have made sure they are compliant." A very different approach from James Shuttleworth at WCRC. The world is moving on in railway safety. WCR are the laggards, time for them to make way for those who are forward looking and actually put safety first by investing in it rather than in lawyers and PR to not do it.

I love the mobile substations (Fahrbares Unterwek), they look like the cross between a battleship gun turret on a wagon and some giant mutant Dalek! Found a wiki page about them https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrbares_Unterwerk#Schweiz Firefox has an auto translation function so can translate the page. Essentially these wagons arose during the war when it was realised the substations were the weak link in the railway - track and OHL could be replaced/repaired quickly, but a bombed out substation couldn't, and at the time it was reported much of the steam and diesel motive power was end of life so couldn't replace electric. Post war new versions were acquired as stand-ins during repairs or refurbishment of fixed installations, but over time SBB found that using them was quicker and easier than doing a full fixed installation. SBB run their own power network, plugging into the national grid but operating on 16.7 Hertz. So these wagons allow SBB to connect to the national grid anywhere the grid is near the railway and where there is a siding. Reportedly 17 in use. We know there are ones at Le Day and Romont and I have passed one just north of Roche (VD) on the mainline between Montreux and Martigny (you can see it on Google Maps), so they are around.

Revisited my thread and photos, on 27th October 2023 it was still showing as Broc Fabrique, on both the train and platform indicator. As per my post the other day (2 April 2024) at Romont it is now definitely Chocolaterie! So December fits, really good news the visitor numbers are up. I think there was only one Domino unit in Cailler Chocolat livery originally, but as per my thread there are clearly now at least two, working in tandem. The layout progress is excellent, very impressive and enjoying the posts.

It's like 'Have I Got News for You' odd one out round!! My guess all the English areas mentioned have heritage railways that may have some loose connection to WCRC. The Scottish MP's are a bit less gullible than their English counterparts, know the real story, and are probably as p1ssed off with WCRC as many of their constituents.

Kinda cuts to the chase!

Because I read the letter.

So one assumes that this is WCR's endgame, trying to force ORR into granting an exemption by moving stock and getting MP's to write letters etc. Presumably the next step is get get one of the various rent-a-mobs to lie down on the track or something equally stupid. The MP's letter is a great piece of Comical Ali work - why shoot yourself in the foot when you can do both feet and your head at the same time. Particular genius in spelling out that WCR has had an exemption for 18 years........clearly won't occur to anyone that that is a very long time to be exempt from safety regs and begs the question why could they not fit CDL over that period. Defnitely no one will think of that🤣 The latest letter has shifted the focus away from just the Jacobite (a limited number of coaches) to their entire operation. Have they woken up to the fact that overplaying their hand on the Jacobite and not just getting on with that CDL task has forced them to go "all in" as they have realised the entire business is at risk? Back to the JR potentially being a strategic error. A Judge backed the ORR on their position on the Jacboite CDL, which sets precedent for wider activity. They didn't appeal the JR decision, hardly surprising given the number of grounds they succeeded on.... The question still remains, if the Jacobite was taking in £1m a year profit, and with limited investment as part of a proper plan that cash cow could continue (and why would NR not renew the contract if safety was up to standard etc?) why on earth would you put that at risk to fight the safety regulator and spend a lot of money on lawyers and management time trying to avoid the inevitable? Particularly when anyone with any basic business strategy could see getting it wrong could affect the wider business given their dependence on old rolling stock that does not meet modern safety standards? Fundamentally it does appear WCR have bet the farm on having exemptions in perpetuity.

Tuesday 2nd April 2024 was a trip to Gland and Romont (FR) to explore the sidings that the MBC trains go to and then the rail served Nespresso factory. Not getting out of bed early enough meant not seeing the MBC train at Gland but plenty to explore. Gland: The short branch line leaves the western end of Gland station and heads north into La Ballastière. This is an industrial zone dominated by a cement and aggregate works. It is very close to the existing settlement, and the site is being redeveloped to provide more homes and offices. The western end of the site alsmot reaches the WW2 Toblerone anti-tank defence lines - the first photo is taken stood next to the pillbox in the following photo. There is a huge pile of aggregate and material which is sent by conveyor to the sorting 'shed'. A short video of the site can be download here: NOTE it will download immediately from this link.....it is 23MB. Good views of the site and trains. https://ronchi-graviers.ch/assets/Video-La-Ballastiere/La_Ballastiere.mp4?vid=3 The view towards the station and the OHL isolation. There is access to the sidings from both east and west directions off the mainline, with a short headshunt in the station. Other things of note include OHL poles of some sort Temporary speed restriction sign Upgrade work is ongoing on the lines in the area. The nearest track is on the north side/Lausanne direction and is old timber sleepers, whilst newly laid concrete sleepers and ballast are on the Geneva bound side, with the imprint of the lifted centre line visible. Mixed freight thundering through as I was distracted so missed it arriving! Then on to Romont, via Morges of course. Two consists of the gravel trains, one waiting to depart up the MBC, the other in the sidings on the standard gauge. Re 420 506 in attendance and moving up towards the sidings. Romont is on a hilly plateau between Lake Leman and Lake Neuchatel, on the route to Fribourg, and is where the Broc line south meets the mainline. It is lovely countrside with the Alps in the background. It is towards the northern edge of Romandie. My interest was seeing the Nespresso rail served factory (purple circle). This is located just south of the town, with the Nespresso sidings being a spur off the Broc branch. It is a huge factory and is being extended. Inside there is what appears to be a full double slip. The sidings has no OHL so it is assumed a diesel shunter attends at some point. No sign of George Clooney though... For weathering fans the difference in colours of the Cargowaggons was interesting as they have faded. Handily there is a roundabout over the mainline and siding neck for good views, including of the Broc branch which goes through an S bend as it starts its ascent. Immediately on the Romont side of the roundabout is another transformer station and wagon: A Broc to Romont service is descending. The line uses Domino units. The return service leaving Romont and heading for Broc. As trains back to Geneva were not frequent I decided to walk up to the top of the ridge that has a chateau, towers, ramparts and a church and is the old fortified part of Romont. Beautiful to walk around and explore. Whilst up there the Chocolate Express arrived into Romont from Bern, before departing for Broc: From up on the ridge there is a good view of the branch line and the station. From a distance the train does look like it is some form of military train painted in camouflage.

So if the NR contract is up later in the year are WCRC are trying to stall fitting CDL until they know if the contract is renewed?

And if something goes wrong, instead of just the company being prosecuted, individuals may find themselves gripping the rail.