Level crossing stupidity...

[Ken.W]

12 hours ago, martin_wynne said:

Not a stupidity post, but this seems a suitable place to ask this.

 

At Lolham Bridges, NW of Peterborough, there is a level crossing over the ECML:

 

 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/52.64910/-0.35873

 

(It's an old Roman Road, known as King Street.)

 

However, the present situation seems to be that for motor vehicles the road is now one-way only, north to south, but cyclists can go both ways:

 

What's the thinking behind this? Was abuse of the crossing more prevalent in one direction? Is this a busy route for cyclists? How are the signage and barriers affected for cyclists on one side only?

 

thanks,

 

Martin.

 

 

As I recall, the road over Lolham LC (ECML) has a single track river bridge almost immediately to the east side of the crossing (about a couple of car lengths), so that if there was a queue of traffic both ways over the crossing eastbound traffic couldn't clear the crossing until westbound had cleared the bridge unless someone westbound gave way.

This situation  could, obviously, cause delay to closing the crossing, thus delaying trains.

Not actually dangerous though, as the crossing's controlled via CCTV so the signals aren't cleared until the crossing's closed and confirmed clear.

[talisman56]

On 05/09/2020 at 00:23, RJS1977 said:

Looks as if the barrier came down between the cab and trailer and snagged him.

 

I'm not sure how one of the catenary masts wound up going through the trailer roof though!

 

I think it's more like the side split and the roof wrapped around the mast...

[Richard E]

On 06/09/2020 at 11:11, martin_wynne said:

Not a stupidity post, but this seems a suitable place to ask this.

 

At Lolham Bridges, NW of Peterborough, there is a level crossing over the ECML:

 

 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/52.64910/-0.35873

 

(It's an old Roman Road, known as King Street.)

 

In 2015 there was a proposal to close the level crossing to vehicles and build a new cycle bridge a little way to the SE, also replacing a now-closed foot crossing:

 

 https://democracy.peterborough.gov.uk/documents/s23052/4.%20Appendix%201%20-%20Plan%203%20level%20crossing%20closures.pdf

 

However, the present situation seems to be that for motor vehicles the road is now one-way only, north to south, but cyclists can go both ways:

 

© Copyright Michael Trolove and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5458097

 

What's the thinking behind this? Was abuse of the crossing more prevalent in one direction? Is this a busy route for cyclists? How are the signage and barriers affected for cyclists on one side only?

 

thanks,

 

Martin.

 

 

On 06/09/2020 at 11:43, martin_wynne said:

 

Thanks, that seems possible. This is the 2009 view of that first level crossing:

 

 https://goo.gl/maps/EwugxZxVbjVP5vwy8

 

But that level crossing is over the Stamford-Oakham line, so presumably not as busy as the ECML? The road sign in the photo is north of that crossing, and seems unnecessary if there is another one further back at the road junction.

 

Martin. 

 

The reason for the second sign is to, in theory, stop vehicles leaving the fishery on the western side of the road just north of the Stamford line turning north and creating issues at Lolham Crossing.

[talisman56]

21 hours ago, Richard E said:

 

 

The reason for the second sign is to, in theory, stop vehicles leaving the fishery on the western side of the road just north of the Stamford line turning north and creating issues at Lolham Crossing.

 

...and they've obviously had issues with this, hence the additional two signs in the Queen's English...

[Nick C]

A rather more amusing one from France...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54234207

[boxbrownie]

40 minutes ago, Nick C said:

A rather more amusing one from France...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54234207

And he ran in the Presidential election in 2017? 

[Fat Controller]

6 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

And he ran in the Presidential election in 2017? 

You should have seen some of the other candidates...

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, Nick C said:

A rather more amusing one from France...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54234207

 

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

And he ran in the Presidential election in 2017? 

 

1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

You should have seen some of the other candidates...

For a minute I thought you meant a different Presidential election. Oh hang on......

[boxbrownie]

1 minute ago, PhilJ W said:

 

 

For a minute I thought you meant a different Presidential election. Oh hang on......

Trump was found still sitting in the passenger seat.......

[LMS2968]

2 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Trump was found still sitting in the passenger seat.......

...with Boris in the back!

[PhilJ W]

1 minute ago, LMS2968 said:

...with Boris in the back!

https://newsthump.com/2020/09/20/boris-johnson-insists-he-can-hold-back-the-second-wave-like-a-right-cnut/?utm_source=NewsThump+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c8f9e6e303-RSS_EMAIL_DAILYBRIEFING1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7d11245827-c8f9e6e303-435921077&mc_cid=c8f9e6e303&mc_eid=53df6e2043

[Wickham Green too]

On 21/09/2020 at 19:19, PhilJ W said:

https://newsthump.com/2020/09/20/boris-johnson-insists-he-can-hold-back-the-second-wave-like-a-right-cnut/?utm_source=NewsThump+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c8f9e6e303-RSS_EMAIL_DAILYBRIEFING1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7d11245827-c8f9e6e303-435921077&mc_cid=c8f9e6e303&mc_eid=53df6e2043

Wasn't it Cnut tried - and failed - to hold back a different sort of tide !!?!

[62613]

1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said:

Wasn't it Cnut tried - and failed - to hold back a different sort of tide !!?!

Except that, in Cnut's case, he was trying to show his housecarles that he wasn't the supreme being. Now, Mr Johnson, on the other hand...........

[Dagworth]

Black Bank level crossing 

 https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4445416,0.2539956,3a,75y,208.2h,84.99t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqzLXlFpLLk3DQ2MKRVpUHA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DqzLXlFpLLk3DQ2MKRVpUHA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D302.06033%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Edited September 25, 2020 by Dagworth

[melmerby]

Whoever put the temporary lights there is a bit of a plonker.

As most these days are radio controlled, why not this side of the barrier?

 

In reality inappropriately placed temporary lights are quite common.

Edited September 25, 2020 by melmerby
spelling

[Robert Shrives]

20 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Whoever put the temporary lights their is a bit of a plonker.

As most these days are radio controlled, why not this side of the barrier?

 

In reality inappropriately placed temporary lights are quite common.

 A while back i asked a gent working for LUX about safety foot wear as he was wearing ratty trainers - He said no provision from LUX and it was a minimum wage job, he could not afford his own.  I wonder if that and your last sentence  are connected.  Things might have change now ... and cows leap moons .Robert 

[melmerby]

2 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

 A while back i asked a gent working for LUX about safety foot wear as he was wearing ratty trainers - He said no provision from LUX and it was a minimum wage job, he could not afford his own.  I wonder if that and your last sentence  are connected.  Things might have change now ... and cows leap moons .Robert 

I've seen them on roads where there is a side road entering half way along the works and there is no provision for them.

So you can enter from the side road into the road works area, when there isn't a queue for the lights so you can't tell their state, go in either direction and are confronted by angry motorists coming towards you. (I've had that happen)

[Welly]

A fail at every level! https://old.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCars/comments/izhppd/happened_in_my_town_yesterday_trucks_arent/

[EddieB]

Not the place you want road works and a lane closure, so a problem before you set up the lights..

 

But, in fairness, maybe photographed selectively?  There is no "when red light shows wait here" sign visible - which may be ahead of the crossing.

 

Edit: To add that the light probably has a trailing cable connection - which surely can't be laid over the level crossing.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by EddieB

[Dagworth]

2 minutes ago, EddieB said:

Not the place you want road works and a lane closure, so a problem before you set up the lights..

 

But, in fairness, maybe photographed selectively?  There is no "when red light shows wait here" sign visible - which may be ahead of the crossing.

 

 

If you click on the photo in the tweet is opens up a much deeper picture showing more of the road. No sign seems to be present. 

 

Comments on the tweet suggest that the Council put the roadworks in the wrong place 

 

 

This is interesting and shows what *should* have happened 

 

[Hobby]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

I've seen them on roads where there is a side road entering half way along the works and there is no provision for them.

So you can enter from the side road into the road works area, when there isn't a queue for the lights so you can't tell their state, go in either direction and are confronted by angry motorists coming towards you. (I've had that happen)

 

Of course the common sense answer to that is see which way the traffic is coming and just tag on the end if its going your way rather than guess... The alternative is a three or four way set of lights which can really delay things for the main road... But, hey, who does common sense any more when driving... 

Edited September 25, 2020 by Hobby

[EddieB]

I take your point, but the area of road/verge where the sign ought to be expected is still not shown.

[melmerby]

9 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

Of course the common sense answer to that is see which way the traffic is coming

Not if the traffic hasn't been queuing and isn't coming past in alternate lines.

If there are just odd vehicles passing in each direction you don't know whether they entered at the start of the light sequence or the end and are amber gambler.

And if the works are on a bend it is a nightmare.

[beast66606]

Black Bank is a high speed crossing for road users and trains alike, it's between Ely and March so aside from several passenger trains per hour in each direction it has stone and box ('liners) trains too. The road traffic can include heavy agricultural machinery and big tractors - dread to think what might have happened if the ducks had lined up.

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Welly said:

A fail at every level! https://old.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCars/comments/izhppd/happened_in_my_town_yesterday_trucks_arent/

Retribution coming for the driver as well, with a cop there able to witness it all.