Bridge bashing

[bigherb]

12 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

I Who is responsible for the height restriction sign? Is it National Rail or the local road authority? 

The road authority.

[kevinlms]

3 hours ago, bigherb said:

Because that is the normal Euro truck max height.

It shouldn't be marked 13ft 3in because the bridge is only 13ft/3.9mtr not the 4.1mtr what the sign says.

Thank you. An entire page to get to an answer!

[Chris116]

1 hour ago, bigherb said:

The road authority.

In that case National Rail and the affected TOC's also have a claim. I am not usually keen on lots of litigation but the bridge bashing epidemic has got to be stopped. Hammer those who are at fault until all parties start to take action that will reduce bridge bashes to a once a year, very unusual incident.

 

[Wickham Green too]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

In that case National Rail and the affected TOC's also have a claim. I am not usually keen on lots of litigation but the bridge bashing epidemic has got to be stopped. Hammer those who are at fault until all parties start to take action that will reduce bridge bashes to a once a year, very unusual incident.

 

I fully agree ........... though I don't consider even one a year to be acceptable.

[corneliuslundie]

My wife has discovered it on the web. It was back in June  2015 at Penyffordd, Flintshire (hence the ATW class 150). Initially the driver was fined until the signage was pointed out, She saw it reported somewhere that Flintshire CC was trying to claim that the Community Council was responsible for the signs rather than the county. Surely not?

Jonathan

Edited September 19, 2020 by corneliuslundie

[TheQ]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/motoring/eccles-heath-bridge-snetterton-being-replaced-1-6871137

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/motoring/eccles-heath-bridge-snetterton-being-replaced-1-6871137

Thats going to cost the insurers of the driver/vehicle who damaged the bridge a lot of money.

[Budgie]

I read the article and looked at the pictures, especially the last one. I must say that it looks to me that the bridge was unfit for purpose; it was originally constructed on the cheap, and any vehicle hitting the side of the bridge would destroy it. I don't see why the driver's insurers should pay all the costs of replacing the bridge, but they should pay something for the damage that was done.

[phil-b259]

7 hours ago, Budgie said:

I read the article and looked at the pictures, especially the last one. I must say that it looks to me that the bridge was unfit for purpose; it was originally constructed on the cheap, and any vehicle hitting the side of the bridge would destroy it. I don't see why the driver's insurers should pay all the costs of replacing the bridge, but they should pay something for the damage that was done.

It doesn’t matter how flimsy the original bridge looked - had it been that dangerous NR would have shut it off long before an errant motorist decided to modify the parapets.
 

If you had a driver crash into your garden wall / fence you wouldn’t go round paying for a new one out of your own pocket would you?

 

There are many bridges across the country similar to the one now being replaced - all built in the days before the rise of motorised transport. Provided they are not subjected To loadings / impacts beyond their design - which was done on the basis of horse + cart and not motor vehicles then they remain perfectly adequate for continued use. 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

We all know that insurance companies are the epitome of philanthropy and public spiritedness. No doubt the delay was caused by the insurance company wanting to make sure that everything was just so. I've just woken up after a funny dream. I imagine there must have been a lot of horse trading going on between the insurance company, Network Rail and Norfolk County Council. 

[caradoc]

Yet another bridge strike, this time affecting the heritage Keith & Dufftown Railway in Scotland: 

 

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/moray/2564128/railway-group-left-counting-cost-after-lorry-crashes-into-historic-moray-bridge/

 

Hopefully the lorry driver, who made off without reporting the incident, will be identified, although the report says there is no police investigation ongoing at the moment. 

 

[Wickham Green too]

Hopefully his employers will question him over damage to their vehicle - presumably significant damage if it caused significant damage to a substantial bridge.

[keefer]

I wonder if the distillery has CCTV?

[duncan]

I would be very surprised if the distillery didn't have VERY good cctv, has to be to get Customs & Excise approval to operate, will also be recorded.  We hold ours for a while  & the police are very aware what we hold in our bonded stores - the excise duty alone would run the country for a week or so !

[TheQ]

This poor old bridge has been hit many times since it was built about 1385, this is one of two culprits in the last week. 

There is an air draft marker board the other side of the bridge, 

There will be an air draft requirement plate on the dashboard.. It will lie,  and tell the hirer the boat is about 6 inches taller than it is. 

Hirers are not allowed through that bridge without the pilot from the office by the height marker board. 

For most hire companies use of the pilot is free.

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by TheQ

[corneliuslundie]

Presumably therefore a local who forgot the tide was in(!). I assume there are not many hirers at the moment.

I hit a bridge once in France, hard enough to damage the boat's canopy a little. But that was because it was just around a corner and before the corner a quite fast but inobtrusive stream flowing in which deflected the boat at the crucial moment.  When i looked at the bridge later there were lots of coloured marks where paint had been scraped off boats.

Jonathan

[Budgie]

8 hours ago, TheQ said:

This poor old bridge has been hit many times since it was built about 1385, this is one of two culprits in the last week. 

There is an air draft marker board the other side of the bridge, 

There will be an air draft requirement plate on the dashboard.. It will lie,  and tell the hirer the boat is about 6 inches taller than it is. 

Hirers are not allowed through that bridge without the pilot from the office by the height marker board. 

For most hire companies use of the pilot is free.

 

 

That's not the Margoletta by any chance?

[Dublodad]

Many years ago, a group of us students hire some boats on the Broads. These were mainly sailing boats, but also "Caribbean" a motorised bathtub with accommodation. During the week, we went upstream of Potter Heigham bridge, a notorious challenge. On returning the river was running higher than usual, following a lot of rail. So as instructed, we called the boatyard for a pilot. He decided to remove the roof handrails, but even then the boat was too high. Terefore we went into the town to see if anyone wanted to ride under the bridge. Having sufficient human ballast, the pilot went for the bridge. I still contend that he went too slowly, as he hit the arch of the bridge three time on the way through!!!! This holiday had similarities to "The Art of Coarse Sailing" for those old enough to remember, 

[eastglosmog]

2 hours ago, Dublodad said:

Many years ago, a group of us students hire some boats on the Broads. These were mainly sailing boats, but also "Caribbean" a motorised bathtub with accommodation. During the week, we went upstream of Potter Heigham bridge, a notorious challenge. On returning the river was running higher than usual, following a lot of rail. So as instructed, we called the boatyard for a pilot. He decided to remove the roof handrails, but even then the boat was too high. Terefore we went into the town to see if anyone wanted to ride under the bridge. Having sufficient human ballast, the pilot went for the bridge. I still contend that he went too slowly, as he hit the arch of the bridge three time on the way through!!!! This holiday had similarities to "The Art of Coarse Sailing" for those old enough to remember, 

The Art of Coarse Sailing was very true to life.  I also have memories of a group of us students hiring sailing boats on the broads many years ago.  Didn't have any problem going under Potter Heigham bridge, the trouble we had was whilst tied up lowering the mast to get under, another boat came alongside too fast and scraped us off the wharf!

[melmerby]

A bit of a different bridge bash:

 

[stewartingram]

They don't have a clue. Everyone knows that with a vehicle stuck under a bridge, you let the tyres down before trying to move it - don't they?

[corneliuslundie]

I am interested in the sign on the bridge: "Enola Safety Committee", not the railway company.

Jonathan

[TheQ]

On 17/10/2020 at 19:08, corneliuslundie said:

Presumably therefore a local who forgot the tide was in(!). I assume there are not many hirers at the moment.

I hit a bridge once in France, hard enough to damage the boat's canopy a little. But that was because it was just around a corner and before the corner a quite fast but inobtrusive stream flowing in which deflected the boat at the crucial moment.  When i looked at the bridge later there were lots of coloured marks where paint had been scraped off boats.

Jonathan

Actually there are a lot of hirers around at the moment, after the national lockdown there has been a bumper season for hire, so much so the  boat yards have extended the season available at least to  the end of October. Most are fully booked. Already 2021 bookings are 80% up on a normal year..

[TheQ]

On 18/10/2020 at 10:59, Dublodad said:

Many years ago, a group of us students hire some boats on the Broads. These were mainly sailing boats, but also "Caribbean" a motorised bathtub with accommodation. During the week, we went upstream of Potter Heigham bridge, a notorious challenge. On returning the river was running higher than usual, following a lot of rail. So as instructed, we called the boatyard for a pilot. He decided to remove the roof handrails, but even then the boat was too high. Terefore we went into the town to see if anyone wanted to ride under the bridge. Having sufficient human ballast, the pilot went for the bridge. I still contend that he went too slowly, as he hit the arch of the bridge three time on the way through!!!! This holiday had similarities to "The Art of Coarse Sailing" for those old enough to remember, 

The other notorious low bridge is Wroxham / Hoveton, there the boat yard keeps a set of barrels which they fill with water to lower the boat..

[TheQ]

On 18/10/2020 at 13:43, eastglosmog said:

The Art of Coarse Sailing was very true to life.  I also have memories of a group of us students hiring sailing boats on the broads many years ago.  Didn't have any problem going under Potter Heigham bridge, the trouble we had was whilst tied up lowering the mast to get under, another boat came alongside too fast and scraped us off the wharf!

Wharf!!! WHARF!!! you be calling a railway station a train station next... My dear buoy on the broads that be called a Staithe..