Fat Controller Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 2 minutes ago, Hroth said: The report seems to be more concerned with the effect on road traffic. Is the railway active, and if so, what delays are impacting train services? Silence, as far as the local "news" is concerned. The train service between Tonbridge and Robertsbridge is already suspended following three separate landslips; trains are not expected to run until 20/02/2021. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted February 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2021 32 minutes ago, Fat Controller said: The train service between Tonbridge and Robertsbridge is already suspended following three separate landslips; trains are not expected to run until 20/02/2021. Ah, no trains. That means the height is irrelevant! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dale159 Posted February 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) I think this particular bridge is on the Spa Valley Railway just out of Tunbridge Wells West as the A26 doesn't cross the Hastings - Tonbridge mainline - currently closed between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Dale Edited February 17, 2021 by dale159 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2021 25 minutes ago, dale159 said: I think this particular bridge is on the Spa Valley Railway just out of Tunbridge Wells West as the A26 doesn't cross the Hastings - Tonbridge mainline - currently closed between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Dale Hasn't this bridge been hit before? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted February 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) 27 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: Hasn't this bridge been hit before? Its been hit MANY times in the past! The manager of the spa Valley has posted on Facebook... "How I spend my evenings, watching a recovery after a lorry hit our A26 bridge at the Spa Valley this afternoon. 8th time in 6 months this structure has been hit by over height vehicles. This is the first time I’ve ever known one to topple over. Frustration really doesn’t come close" Its not as though the railway haven't tried to help stop this... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3793152834108094&set=p.3793152834108094&type=3 The Spa Valley being a relatively small and young Heritage Railway really do not need the grief they cause or have a big legal department to keep going after hauliers to recoup repair costs like Network Rail. Edited February 17, 2021 by phil-b259 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 At last we've found a use for those ambulance chasing lawyers! Seriously, though, might it not be an idea for them, I'd have thought one of those companies would be willing to have a go? 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 12 hours ago, phil-b259 said: Its been hit MANY times in the past! The manager of the spa Valley has posted on Facebook... "How I spend my evenings, watching a recovery after a lorry hit our A26 bridge at the Spa Valley this afternoon. 8th time in 6 months this structure has been hit by over height vehicles. This is the first time I’ve ever known one to topple over. Frustration really doesn’t come close" Its not as though the railway haven't tried to help stop this... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3793152834108094&set=p.3793152834108094&type=3 The Spa Valley being a relatively small and young Heritage Railway really do not need the grief they cause or have a big legal department to keep going after hauliers to recoup repair costs like Network Rail. Link to FB doesn't work. I suspect it's a result of the Australian federal government having a war with FB, about making payments to media giants. So many personal FB pages have been hit by FB throwing their toys out of the pram and blocking links. They are having to reinstate many government and medical information sites, because FB blocked them. This obviously affects pages, such as for Covid-19 information - roll out of vaccines is about to start, as well as other medical issues, such as drug abuse & domestic violence. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 (edited) Stonea bridge re-opened at last after the major rebuild from the last strike! But, wait.........Stonea.pdf From our local weekly rag (Fenland Citizen). Edited February 18, 2021 by stewartingram 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 The link doesn't work in the UK either but other links do. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 Surely a car transporter driver SHOULD know the height of his load, or he is not safe out. In a case like this surely a prosecution of both the driver and his employer is called for? And I would have thought he is likely to be a local as Stonea is not exactly a metropolis (but no worse for that). Jonathan 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 All lorry drivers should know their height, I'd suggest that's a given. Though in practice... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 46 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said: In a case like this surely a prosecution of both the driver and his employer is called for? And it will happen, to the driver at least. What bugs me about these incidents is the idea that drivers just swan around hitting bridges with impunity. There ARE consequences, often involving a P45. Why bridge strikes happen so often, is another matter. I await the day trucks are fully autonomous, driverless machines, and still manage to hit low bridges...... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 Probably a self employed local boy. Cheap(ish) small transporter - could even be one of the local scrappies. Stewart 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 With all the modern technology being developed, I'm surprised that they haven't got sensors that measure the height of the load! It could be a unit built into the roof of the cab, which is a known height from the road surface, which could measure the extra the trailer load is, and then have a choice, or combination, of flashing display in the cab, and audible warning, which could be linked to a method of either reading the warning signs, or measuring the bridge using a form of radar/sonar (?), or even have clearances as part of sat-nav information, available to all road users. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2021 44 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said: Why bridge strikes happen so often, is another matter. I await the day trucks are fully autonomous, driverless machines, and still manage to hit low bridges...... "Why bridge strikes happen so often" is just proving that the Drivers: - A/ Are not paying attention, B/ Are driving with their brains having engaged "automatic", C/ Having the wrong information, D/ something has changed since their last passage under the bridge. I think that B/ with a dose of A/ is mainly responsible. As for "autonomous, driverless machines". They will (currently) still hit the bridges because the on-board systems are busy looking at "white lines" and camera images to avoid Toddlers running out in front of them. Whilst the bigger 'strategy', of the journey, is only as good as the map data that is fed into it. (Which, at best, lags reality.) Kev. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 The only excuse I can see for transporter drivers is that different loads will be different heights. Today you have a load of Minis, tomorrow a load of vans. And that height will almost certainly not be on a sign in the cab. Jonathan 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2021 19 minutes ago, jcm@gwr said: With all the modern technology being developed, I'm surprised that they haven't got sensors that measure the height of the load! It could be a unit built into the roof of the cab, which is a known height from the road surface, which could measure the extra the trailer load is, and then have a choice, or combination, of flashing display in the cab, and audible warning, which could be linked to a method of either reading the warning signs, or measuring the bridge using a form of radar/sonar (?), or even have clearances as part of sat-nav information, available to all road users. That wouldn't make any difference - have a look at the 11'8" bridge on several videos in this thread - great big flashing sign saying "Overheight, must turn", and they still plough straight into it... I think the Spa Valley need to invest in a couple of very solid steel girders set a few feet either side of the bridge - won't stop the idiots, but at least will stop the railway bridge getting damaged... 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2021 ...and different vehicles, loaded on the Transporter, will use the various ramps at different heights / positions to get the maximum number of new cars / vans / what evers moved in one journey. Kev. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 34 minutes ago, stewartingram said: Probably a self employed local boy. Cheap(ish) small transporter - could even be one of the local scrappies. Stewart Local boy should know where the low bridges are. But the car is probably going to the scrappie now. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 9 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said: The only excuse I can see for transporter drivers is that different loads will be different heights. Today you have a load of Minis, tomorrow a load of vans. And that height will almost certainly not be on a sign in the cab. Jonathan Car transporters are not allowed on the former A45 through Kimbolton. It's not because of low bridges, they kept banging high walls and buildings with the overhanging bits that project over the cab at a tight 90 degree corner. Other long vehicles don't seem to have this problem. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 Long ago a friend drove a four wheeled Renault car transporter. I sometimes went out with him, partly so I could walk his collie while he made a delivery. His wagon was used for deliveries that the company's artics couldn't get to. He never had a bridge strike but the front overhang made a trip through Dunster very interesting, and slow, due to some of the jettied buildings there. All were avoided safely. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, jcm@gwr said: With all the modern technology being developed, I'm surprised that they haven't got sensors that measure the height of the load! It could be a unit built into the roof of the cab, which is a known height from the road surface, which could measure the extra the trailer load is, and then have a choice, or combination, of flashing display in the cab, and audible warning, which could be linked to a method of either reading the warning signs, or measuring the bridge using a form of radar/sonar (?), or even have clearances as part of sat-nav information, available to all road users. All that lot would need to be fully interlocked with the nut holding the wheel. Plenty of locations have that sort of stuff and STILL bridges get hit. On toll roads in Australia, they have railway style level crossing barriers, protecting the tunnels from amongst other things, over height vehicles. I suspect it is an expensive solution though. But they had too many closures for hours, due to considerable damage. https://www.eastlink.com.au/about-eastlink/eastlink-tunnels Note the height 4.65M and still they hit it! Edited February 18, 2021 by kevinlms More info Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted February 18, 2021 Share Posted February 18, 2021 40 minutes ago, Nick C said: I think the Spa Valley need to invest in a couple of very solid steel girders set a few feet either side of the bridge - won't stop the idiots, but at least will stop the railway bridge getting damaged... I agree, except that the protection should be paid for by the road haulage industry, not the railway. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 44 minutes ago, Nick C said: That wouldn't make any difference - have a look at the 11'8" bridge on several videos in this thread - great big flashing sign saying "Overheight, must turn", and they still plough straight into it... I think the Spa Valley need to invest in a couple of very solid steel girders set a few feet either side of the bridge - won't stop the idiots, but at least will stop the railway bridge getting damaged... Those steel girders would have to be properly designed by the road authorities. You can't have road vehicles hitting them and dislodging them to fall onto other vehicles. The 'cure' would be worse than the problem. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2021 3 hours ago, stewartingram said: Stonea bridge re-opened at last after the major rebuild from the last strike! But, wait.........Stonea.pdf From our local weekly rag (Fenland Citizen). 2 hours ago, corneliuslundie said: Surely a car transporter driver SHOULD know the height of his load, or he is not safe out. In a case like this surely a prosecution of both the driver and his employer is called for? And I would have thought he is likely to be a local as Stonea is not exactly a metropolis (but no worse for that). Jonathan 1 hour ago, stewartingram said: Probably a self employed local boy. Cheap(ish) small transporter - could even be one of the local scrappies. Stewart It looks like a Transit type vehicle, as has been said above the cars being carried were probably for scrap. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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