Level crossing stupidity...

[Hobby]

I mentioned lifts ages ago, at a manned station they are fine, but we were talking about crossings in areas where perhaps they wouldn't be ideal, vandalism, unreliability, etc., though they'd certainly be better looking than the ramps!

 

In fact the more we talk about the more convinced I am that those monstrous bridges are, actually, the best solution to most of the crossings which actually have to be replaced!

[PhilJ W]

As mentioned, some people tend to use lifts as a public urinal. A bascule type bridge would be best but for those lines fitted with OHLE will cause problems. I do have a few ideas on that such as making the bascules three or four part and folding up concertina fashion with one on each platform connecting above the tracks. When folded they could be placed in a container like box for security. If in a box they could be built off site and delivered and installed in a matter of hours (not counting the time to prepare the site).

[corneliuslundie]

Back on helicopters for a moment, though I accept the comments about their being impractical in numerous ways, I did wonder if they local Air Ambulance could be given a contract to provide the service. That would reduce the first cost and provide revenue for the Air Ambulance.

But unfortunately there are still the practical issues which would prevent the proposal getting off the ground.

Anyway, I assume that there have ben no level crossing incidents to distract us, which is good news.

Jonathan

[JDW]

1 hour ago, Hobby said:

In fact the more we talk about the more convinced I am that those monstrous bridges are, actually, the best solution to most of the crossings which actually have to be replaced!

 

As with many things where people look in from the outside and throw around lots of whys and hows and whats and other things with lots of exclamation marks, quite often it actually is the case that the experts whose job it is to assess, design and install such things have done the job they were trained for and are experienced at, and have come up with the best solution possible given the circumstances, situation and parameters presented to them. Of course, that doesn't stop everyone else knowing how to do any job better than someone trained and employed to do it.

 

I worked for a large, national bus operator for many years, and the number of people who knew how to run bus services better than we did was staggering. I could never work out why we only ever employed drivers who didn't know how to drive, schedulers who couldn't schedule, operations managers who couldn't operate bus services,... when there were so many better qualified, knowledgeable and experienced people outside the industry who knew what we really should have been doing...! 

 

I had initially wondered myself why ones such as the huge footbrige couldn't be earth banks, or at least disguised by them, but as others pointed out, often it's just not practical and things have to be how they are.

[JDW]

6 minutes ago, JDW said:

As with many things where people look in from the outside and throw around lots of whys and hows and whats and other things with lots of exclamation marks, quite often it actually is the case that the experts whose job it is to assess, design and install such things have done the job they were trained for and are experienced at, and have come up with the best solution possible given the circumstances, situation and parameters presented to them. Of course, that doesn't stop everyone else knowing how to do any job better than someone trained and employed to do it.

 

Quoting myself, but I should have qualified that by adding that there is no harm is throwing ideas around, discussing alternatives, and why they might or couldn't be used instead.

[SamThomas]

Maybe if you incorporate a parachute for the user (& just to clarify I'm not being serious at all) ;

 

 

[Dunsignalling]

4 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Sorry, I missed your suggestion.

 

I suppose lifts are the other option! (I wonder how that does work out for cost vs long ramps. I suppose they don't have the build-and-forget advantage.)

When they re-doubled through Axminster by installing the dynamic loop, the new footbridge was equipped with lifts. Quite possibly cheaper than a ramped bridge in capital cost, though more expensive to maintain.

 

However, Axminster's platforms only hold six coaches and from where they'd need to start, ramps would place the span well off the end of them. I suspect that might attract a degree of ridicule.

 

(Awaits picture of somewhere it's been done exactly like that). 

 

John

Edited January 5, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[Compound2632]

27 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

When they re-doubled through Axminster by installing the dynamic loop, the new footbridge was equipped with lifts. Quite possibly cheaper than a ramped bridge in capital cost, though more expensive to maintain.

 

However, Axminster's platforms only hold six coaches and from where they'd need to start, ramps would place the span well off the end of them. I suspect that might attract a degree of ridicule.

 

Lifts seem to be usual for renewal of footbridges at staffed stations. But perhaps they're not the solution for footpath crossings out in the country!

[Dunsignalling]

3 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Lifts seem to be usual for renewal of footbridges at staffed stations. But perhaps they're not the solution for footpath crossings out in the country!

True, but many of the stations so equipped are not manned full-time.....

 

In the case of a crossing providing access to only one or two dwellings, with no public right-of-way involved, the cheapest solution would be to purchase (even paying the owners more than market value if necessary) then demolish them and do away with the crossing.

 

John

Edited January 5, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[martin_wynne]

25 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Lifts seem to be usual for renewal of footbridges at staffed stations. But perhaps they're not the solution for footpath crossings out in the country!

 

Here is a simple means to lift a wheelchair to bridge level:

 

 

Only the front bit is needed. To save costs it could perhaps be powered by a points machine, for which the railway already has the infrastructure to provide power and remote controls.

 

Martin.

[Dunsignalling]

9 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

 

Here is a simple means to lift a wheelchair to bridge level:

 

 

Only the front bit is needed. To save costs it could perhaps be powered by a points machine, for which the railway already has the infrastructure to provide power and remote controls.

 

Martin.

Lovely mental images. That's made my day, Martin.

[BoD]

You wouldn’t need one at every location either.

A chinook could be on standby to airlift to wherever  required.
 

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

When they re-doubled through Axminster by installing the dynamic loop, the new footbridge was equipped with lifts. Quite possibly cheaper than a ramped bridge in capital cost, though more expensive to maintain.

A pretty standard design too - the same type has been appearing all over the SWR area, replacing existing step-only footbridges. Not only useful for people with limited mobility of course, but also those with luggage, pushchairs etc.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, martin_wynne said:

 

Here is a simple means to lift a wheelchair to bridge level:

 

 

Only the front bit is needed. To save costs it could perhaps be powered by a points machine, for which the railway already has the infrastructure to provide power and remote controls.

 

Martin.

Your late to the party as it is basically the workings of domestic interior lifts (primarily for the disabled), they use the same/similar mechanism.

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Back on helicopters for a moment, though I accept the comments about their being impractical in numerous ways, I did wonder if they local Air Ambulance could be given a contract to provide the service. That would reduce the first cost and provide revenue for the Air Ambulance.

But unfortunately there are still the practical issues which would prevent the proposal getting off the ground.

Anyway, I assume that there have ben no level crossing incidents to distract us, which is good news.

Jonathan

Our local air ambulance costs a great deal of money. Each time it is called out its a four figure sum before it gets off of the ground. And what happens if it gets an emergency call when its miles away from the emergency ferrying little old ladies from one platform to another?

[SHMD]

If helicopters were put to this purpose, I propose that it would take little Johnny 23 seconds before he was wheeling bed-ridden Gandma out to the nearest applicable station for some free rides, endless entertainment, and local bragging rites!

 

 

Kev.

 

[SamThomas]

5 hours ago, martin_wynne said:

 

Here is a simple means to lift a wheelchair to bridge level:

 

 

Only the front bit is needed. To save costs it could perhaps be powered by a points machine, for which the railway already has the infrastructure to provide power and remote controls.

 

Martin.

Unfortunatly, they are usually operated by physcopaths who are related to the drivers of tugs used in transport depots.

[hmrspaul]

Picked up from another group

 

Fatal accident on level crossing at Gołuchów, PL

"A serious accident happened at an unguarded railway crossing in Gołuchów, in the Pińczów district. A grain truck collided with a passing train. The truck driver is dead and the train driver was injured."

https://www.radio.kielce.pl/wiadomosci/zderzenie-tir-a-z-pociagiem-nie-zyje-kierowca,151399

 

A considerable mess - there is video and a lot of photos although looking through them I didn't find easy - ah an arrow for going from photo to photo finally emerged.  

 

Paul

Edited January 6, 2022 by hmrspaul

[martin_wynne]

17 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Fatal accident on level crossing at Gołuchów, PL

 

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

A propos of getting wheeled items across crossings, bridges etc, there are some lovely examples in the new thread by ruggedpeak started a few days ago:

Fancy getting a wheelchair through that tunnel?

And I notice that on one of the level foot crossings the boarding just stops about a foot beyond the rail.

Jonathan

[Hobby]

7 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

Fancy getting a wheelchair through that tunnel?

 

The steps down to it would certainly be a challenge!

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Picked up from another group

 

Fatal accident on level crossing at Gołuchów, PL

"A serious accident happened at an unguarded railway crossing in Gołuchów, in the Pińczów district. A grain truck collided with a passing train. The truck driver is dead and the train driver was injured."

https://www.radio.kielce.pl/wiadomosci/zderzenie-tir-a-z-pociagiem-nie-zyje-kierowca,151399

 

A considerable mess - there is video and a lot of photos although looking through them I didn't find easy - are an arrow for going from photo to photo finally emerged.  

 

Paul

I notice that the tyres on the truck look a bit dodgy. A couple on the drive axle are as bald as Kojak.

[kevinlms]

Back to crashes on level crossings!

 

As always the Americans have to be better than everyone else. So they have a train hitting a light plane at one of theirs!

 

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/01/09/plane-goes-down-near-whiteman-airport-in-pacoima-pilot-pulled-from-wreckage-by-bystanders-2/

 

My main question is what were the rescue authorities doing, rescuing the pilot, BEFORE securing the area? I thought that was the key thing for professional rescuers to do, before risking their own lives wherever possible.

The train coming through at high speed, 20 minutes AFTER the crash, sounds like either they made no real effort to stop the trains, or they were very badly misled.

[jamie92208]

19 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Back to crashes on level crossings!

 

As always the Americans have to be better than everyone else. So they have a train hitting a light plane at one of theirs!

 

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/01/09/plane-goes-down-near-whiteman-airport-in-pacoima-pilot-pulled-from-wreckage-by-bystanders-2/

 

My main question is what were the rescue authorities doing, rescuing the pilot, BEFORE securing the area? I thought that was the key thing for professional rescuers to do, before risking their own lives wherever possible.

The train coming through at high speed, 20 minutes AFTER the crash, sounds like either they made no real effort to stop the trains, or they were very badly misled.

From what I've seen in the USA all crossings have an emergency number displayed on the equimpment case next to the crossing with the owning railroad named and the contact number someone should have been able to contact the despatching centre.

 

Jamie

[Titan]

On 06/01/2022 at 13:29, PhilJ W said:

I notice that the tyres on the truck look a bit dodgy. A couple on the drive axle are as bald as Kojak.

 

There is plenty of tread on those tyres, it is just that the grooves have a lot of mud in them making them look worse than they are. No where near bald.