Jump to content
 

Level crossing stupidity...


Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium

I don't recall any road crossings in the Parson Street area, the only footpath crossings seem to be bridges.

 

The only footpath that crosses the line on the level that I can find is about half a mile west of Nailsea and Backwell.

Edited by Richard E
Clarification
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Porkscratching said:

Not sure if this is level crossing related, or indeed a case of stupidity, but it keeps getting flagged up that an elderly male has been killed on the track today between Bristol TM and Worle, (incident near Parson St  i believe) 

 

It was a suicide sadly.

 

Simon

  • Friendly/supportive 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
47 minutes ago, EddieB said:

Not an example of misusing a crossing, tragically being wrongly advised.

No - read it again.  He was not wrongly advised but instead had made an incorrect assumption - for whatever reason - that the train had passed and informed the Signalman(ler) to that effect.  

 

This is basically an unavoidable situation as things presently stand with occupation or accommodation. crossing which have 'phones to the relevant signalbox because all the signalman can do if he/she is aware there is a train about is ask the crossing user to let him know/confirm when the train has passed.  This is a particular problem with long signal sections such as those between Swindon and Standish Jcn and there is - as far as I can see no easy answer to it without massive expenditure in relation to these crossings which tend to have limited road usage.   The ideal answer is to close the crossing  - as happened to one on one of my past areas - but this isn't always as simple as it sounds and the costs can run out of all proportion to the alternative of accepting the limited risk and leaving the crossing open.

  • Agree 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

No - read it again.  He was not wrongly advised but instead had made an incorrect assumption - for whatever reason - that the train had passed and informed the Signalman(ler) to that effect.  

 

 

The user sounded like he was a responsible & experienced person, who sadly made a mistake and paid the ultimate price.

Far too often you read in this very thread, about people who apparently think that road/railway laws, don't apply to them or 'know better', by knowing the timetable or assuming they have 'enough time' to get across.

  • Agree 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Just seen this one, that genuinely had me scared... 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbjE7ZKpHxY

 

Still don't understand what possesses people to stop on the track though rather than drive through the lowered barrier ore reverse through the one that they've already damaged, surely you'd do everything you could to get out of the way, for your own sake if not for others...

  • Agree 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 14/06/2019 at 11:08, The Stationmaster said:

No - read it again.  He was not wrongly advised but instead had made an incorrect assumption - for whatever reason - that the train had passed and informed the Signalman(ler) to that effect.  

 

This is basically an unavoidable situation as things presently stand with occupation or accommodation. crossing which have 'phones to the relevant signalbox because all the signalman can do if he/she is aware there is a train about is ask the crossing user to let him know/confirm when the train has passed.  This is a particular problem with long signal sections such as those between Swindon and Standish Jcn and there is - as far as I can see no easy answer to it without massive expenditure in relation to these crossings which tend to have limited road usage.   The ideal answer is to close the crossing  - as happened to one on one of my past areas - but this isn't always as simple as it sounds and the costs can run out of all proportion to the alternative of accepting the limited risk and leaving the crossing open.

 

One solution could be that the Signaller does not authorise the user to cross until they can see from TC indications that the train has definitely passed the LC, however that would cause (even) longer waiting times and possibly result in more misuse, particularly at busy times if there were minimal intervals between trains in section.

 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, newbryford said:

Two Darwin Award candidates including the guy on the pushbike that goes under the barriers............

 

I think he only went under to talk to the driver of the vehicle. He went and had a look (to see what was coming as from later it was obvious he could have crossed if he'd wanted to?) and then went back. Looks like there was a station to the left hence the driver pulled back to the other line having seen where the train was... Shame if there'd been two! 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
9 hours ago, JDW said:

 

Still don't understand what possesses people to stop on the track though rather than drive through the lowered barrier ore reverse through the one that they've already damaged, surely you'd do everything you could to get out of the way, for your own sake if not for others...

 

Simple.  It's because they are stupid!

 

Hence the title of this thread. 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm wondering if the brakes on the machine were defective. That swing to the left as it comes to a halt may not have been voluntary. Not that it's an excuse, mind. 

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, PatB said:

I'm wondering if the brakes on the machine were defective. That swing to the left as it comes to a halt may not have been voluntary. Not that it's an excuse, mind. 

I think he was driving a bit above the maximum design speed for what looks to be a beet or forage harvester.

 

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
9 hours ago, newbryford said:

Two Darwin Award candidates including the guy on the pushbike that goes under the barriers............

 

 

 

 

If the train was going to hit anything a bicycle would be better than a combine harvester. (Which was fitted for harvesting maize FYO).

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 14/06/2019 at 11:08, The Stationmaster said:

No - read it again.  He was not wrongly advised but instead had made an incorrect assumption - for whatever reason - that the train had passed and informed the Signalman(ler) to that effect.  

 

This is basically an unavoidable situation as things presently stand with occupation or accommodation. crossing which have 'phones to the relevant signalbox because all the signalman can do if he/she is aware there is a train about is ask the crossing user to let him know/confirm when the train has passed.  This is a particular problem with long signal sections such as those between Swindon and Standish Jcn and there is - as far as I can see no easy answer to it without massive expenditure in relation to these crossings which tend to have limited road usage.   The ideal answer is to close the crossing  - as happened to one on one of my past areas - but this isn't always as simple as it sounds and the costs can run out of all proportion to the alternative of accepting the limited risk and leaving the crossing open.

Would it not be possible to create a device that detects a train at / near the crossing ( axle counter technology ) and which the bobby / bobbie can interrogate ( mobile phone technology ) to determine when something last passed that way ? ......... shouldn't cost too many meggabuxxx !

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, PatB said:

I'm wondering if the brakes on the machine were defective. That swing to the left as it comes to a halt may not have been voluntary. Not that it's an excuse, mind. 

 

Agricultural vehicles usually have separate brake pedals for left and right to assist with tight turns in slippery fields. They are supposed to be locked together when on the highway so the brakes work in unison.  Bet he had not bothered to lock the pedals together and stamped on just the one pedal in panic...

  • Agree 5
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
1 minute ago, Titan said:

 

Agricultural vehicles usually have separate brake pedals for left and right to assist with tight turns in slippery fields. They are supposed to be locked together when on the highway so the brakes work in unison.  Bet he had not bothered to lock the pedals together and stamped on just the one pedal in panic...

Not helped by the rear axle lifting off the road due to the braking.

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 14/06/2019 at 11:08, The Stationmaster said:

No - read it again.  He was not wrongly advised but instead had made an incorrect assumption - for whatever reason - that the train had passed and informed the Signalman(ler) to that effect.  

 

One thing that nobody seems to have picked up on is that this is a double line ...... maybe a train had, indeed, 'just' passed in one direction ( maybe five / ten / fifteen minutes before the farmer attempted to cross ) whereas the danger actually lay in the opposite direction !!?!

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
8 hours ago, caradoc said:

 

One solution could be that the Signaller does not authorise the user to cross until they can see from TC indications that the train has definitely passed the LC, however that would cause (even) longer waiting times and possibly result in more misuse, particularly at busy times if there were minimal intervals between trains in section.

 

Which in some cases could mean a wait of 15-20 minutes (althoigh potentially only around 10 minutes at most at this. crossing).  and all it then needs is a train in the opposite direction at a double line crossing and the vehicle driver will get hacked off with waiting and go anyway.

 

The only way you could do it is to split up tc (or axle counter) section indications and - as I said above - you're back into spending a lot of money.

6 hours ago, Wickham Green said:

Would it not be possible to create a device that detects a train at / near the crossing ( axle counter technology ) and which the bobby / bobbie can interrogate ( mobile phone technology ) to determine when something last passed that way ? ......... shouldn't cost too many meggabuxxx !

So as I've already said - the costs could run out of all proportion to the alternative of accepting the limited risk or closing the crossing.  The only way the Signalman/ler can tell where the train is is from having continuous indications or having a TD based interrogation device which is reliable enough to automatically check that each train has passed any particular crossing.   All of which means signalling modifications which takes you tio design office time and ever spiralling costs as ideas and circuitry are assessed and them more costs as the kit is installed and tested.

 

Probably cheaper (considerably) and quicker to close the crossing in many cases.

  • Agree 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
5 hours ago, Wickham Green said:

One thing that nobody seems to have picked up on is that this is a double line ...... maybe a train had, indeed, 'just' passed in one direction ( maybe five / ten / fifteen minutes before the farmer attempted to cross ) whereas the danger actually lay in the opposite direction !!?!

The Signalman would take that into account when asking the user if the train has cleared the crossing.  I've never heard of it being a particular problem and a good many years back my then patch included an accomodation crossing a on a  busy double track main line route. (the big problem there was, as ever, one of the regular users leaving the gates open).

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, JDW said:

Just seen this one, that genuinely had me scared... 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbjE7ZKpHxY

 

Still don't understand what possesses people to stop on the track though rather than drive through the lowered barrier ore reverse through the one that they've already damaged, surely you'd do everything you could to get out of the way, for your own sake if not for others...

 

Please - NEVER - NEVER, attempt to take up teaching!!!!

 

Regards

 

Julian

 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
  • Funny 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...