Level crossing stupidity...

[Davexoc]

Came here for some 'light' reading, but it seems to have moved on to foreign ambulatory conversation.

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

Came here for some 'light' reading, but it seems to have moved on to foreign ambulatory conversation.

 

Dave

Wait until we get on to replacing its headlamp bulbs.

Edited January 18, 2019 by PhilJ W

[K14]

It's not Taiwan or South Korea.

'Ambulans' is I guess a bahasa word, so I thought about Indonesia but teh gauge is wrong.

 

How about Poland? 

 

Gets my vote as the original video is branded "Bezpieczny Przejazd" which translates as "Safe Passage". Looks to be a Polish public information channel on the dangers of trespass. Their YouTube page blurb states:

 

"The newest spot promoting safety on railway premises implemented as part of the Safe Pass - social campaign - "Stop and Live!". The aim of the production is to draw attention to the problem of passing through the tracks in prohibited places."

 

Uncropped video:

 

 

Pete S.

[pH]

Not, apparently, staged:

 

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/685094/

[Titan]

Well it is certainly snow joke.

[PhilJ W]

Not, apparently, staged:

 

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/685094/

Clean underwear time.

[Edge]

Not, apparently, staged:

 

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/685094/

 

Truly dont understand why someone would do that, particularly with a train which would take all of about twenty seconds to pass...

[Colin_McLeod]

Possibly because they expect a train to take a couple of minutes to pass. Still not an excuse though.

[colin penfold]

I don't understand why a signaller would see a vehicle stuck on a crossing and not reopen the barrier to let it escape. Add to that it's an ambulance on an emergency. Still, I'm sure the signaller would have had a clear conscience if it had ended badly. Rules are rules, after all.

[St. Simon]

I don't understand why a signaller would see a vehicle stuck on a crossing and not reopen the barrier to let it escape. Add to that it's an ambulance on an emergency. Still, I'm sure the signaller would have had a clear conscience if it had ended badly. Rules are rules, after all.

Hi,

 

It depends on the crossing, if it's a straight MCB, then the signaller has little excuse, he can see the vehicle all the time.

 

If it was an MCB-CCTV, the only time the signaller views the crossing is between a train striking in and the crossing clear being pushed (the CCTV images switches off after the Barriers are proved down and the crossing clear button is pushed). If somehow a vehicle (or person) got stuck after the signaller pressed the crossing clear, then the signaller wouldn't have little or no knowledge of it.

 

If it was a MCB-OD, then the signaller doesn't have any view of the crossing (unless he has a 'back up' CCTV image), but the Obstacle Detection would prevent the barriers being fully lowered and signals cleared.

 

But, of course, if the signaller has seen a vehicle or person trapped on the crossing and hasn't done anything about it, then all sorts of questions crop up.

 

Simon

 

EDIT: Added clarification on MCB-CCTV operation

Edited January 24, 2019 by St. Simon

[Colin_McLeod]

the CCTV images switches off after the crossing clear button is pushed.

Why?

 

 

In any event if the motorist got onto the crossing by driving round the lowered barrier, that would mean that not all four barriers were lowered so pressing the "crossing clear" would have been inappropriate if some barriers were still up, and in addition there was a vehicle on the crossing.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Colin_McLeod

[caradoc]

I don't understand why a signaller would see a vehicle stuck on a crossing and not reopen the barrier to let it escape. Add to that it's an ambulance on an emergency. Still, I'm sure the signaller would have had a clear conscience if it had ended badly. Rules are rules, after all.

 

If we're discussiing the incident shown in post #3408, this was not in the UK so I doubt any of us know the method of working at the crossing. The Ambulance driver also clearly ignored both the flashing red lights and the descending barriers, which no-one, whether on an emergency call or not, has the right to do. And finally, having become trapped, the Ambulance could surely just have escaped by forcing a barrier out of the way ?

 

To clarify St.Simon's post, in the UK the Signaller would only view the picture at a CCTV LC once all 4 barriers were down, after which no vehicle or person should be able to trap themselves on the crossing.

[St. Simon]

Why?

In any event if the motorist got onto the crossing by driving round the lowered barrier, that would mean that not all four barriers were lowered so pressing the "crossing clear" would have been inappropriate if some barriers were still up, and in addition there was a vehicle on the crossing.

The Barriers are proved down before pushing the crossing clear button does anything and the signaller wont push the crossing clear button until they have observed all 4 Barriers are down and the crossing is clear.

 

Simon

[Coryton]

I don't understand why a signaller would see a vehicle stuck on a crossing and not reopen the barrier to let it escape. Add to that it's an ambulance on an emergency. Still, I'm sure the signaller would have had a clear conscience if it had ended badly. Rules are rules, after all.

 

I would assume that this happened because there wasn't a signaller who was aware of it.

 

I find the suggestion that a signaller would deliberately leave a vehicle "trapped" in a crossing out of bloody-mindedness somewhat bizarre. (And I would be rather surprised if doing so was in accordance with the rules anyway).

[newbryford]

I don't understand why a signaller would see a vehicle stuck on a crossing and not reopen the barrier to let it escape. Add to that it's an ambulance on an emergency. Still, I'm sure the signaller would have had a clear conscience if it had ended badly. Rules are rules, after all.

 

As Simon says, the CCTV turns off after crossing clear is pressed. There should be no need to observe the crossing after that.

A friend of mine operated such a crossing for a few years. There was a manual override on the system, but it was rarely used. Part of the reason for switching off both camera and monitor was to minimise ghost images as the picture was burnt into the camera and monitor- we are talking pre-CCD and pre-LED devices

From my understanding of this type of crossing is that there are wires built into the barriers, so if anything does get through, a circuit will be broken and put the signals back to danger.

Very little else could probably be done in the timescale from crossing clear to train passing.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[St. Simon]

As Simon says, the CCTV turns off after crossing clear is pressed. There should be no need to observe the crossing after that.

A friend of mine operated such a crossing for a few years. There was a manual override on the system, but it was rarely used. Part of the reason for switching off both camera and monitor was to minimise ghost images as the picture was burnt into the camera and monitor- we are talking pre-CCD and pre-LED devices

From my understanding of this type of crossing is that there are wires built into the barriers, so if anything does get through, a circuit will be broken and put the signals back to danger.

Very little else could probably be done in the timescale from crossing clear to train passing.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Correct, there's a wire that I think runs along inside the boom that proves the Barriers are intact, I believe that even a very minor bend (just someone pushing past the barrier) is enough to replace the protecting signals.

 

Of course, if the train is between the protecting signal and the crossing itself, then there is very little that can be done.

 

Simon

[96701]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/terrifying-moment-woman-walks-across-15728385?fbclid=IwAR1HjpcDkWDIHghwyyRVOy2nm7VsPxM427E2Itapj9Oe_CBRs5n-cPp7qPU 

 

Yhere are some strange people, and NR has to manage them.

[newbryford]

Not quite sure how this one deserves the headline "terrifying" but then papers have to sell.......

 

Daft bat. I would love to have listened into the conversation with the driver............................

[Coryton]

Not quite sure how this one deserves the headline "terrifying" but then papers have to sell.......

 

Daft bat. I would love to have listened into the conversation with the driver............................

 

Or "incredibly reckless", as the BTP was quoted as saying. At such a crossing, doesn't the driver check that the crossing is clear before starting to move?

 

OK I suppose the driver might have not seen her, but if that's incredibly reckless then crossing a lot of roads entirely legally is so reckless we don't have words for it.

 

Not that I'm condoning such behaviour.

[St. Simon]

Or "incredibly reckless", as the BTP was quoted as saying. At such a crossing, doesn't the driver check that the crossing is clear before starting to move?

 

OK I suppose the driver might have not seen her, but if that's incredibly reckless then crossing a lot of roads entirely legally is so reckless we don't have words for it.

 

Not that I'm condoning such behaviour.

Hi,

 

Assuming it’s a TMOB crossing, then yes it is monitored by the driver as they pass over it.

 

Simon

[Coryton]

Hi,

 

Assuming it’s a TMOB crossing, then yes it is monitored by the driver as they pass over it.

 

Simon

 

I couldn't tell you what the acronym for it is, but are there any full barrier crossings where the train stops, the driver reaches out to pull on a rope to activate the barriers, and then doesn't have to make sure the crossing is clear before passing over it?

[96701]

I am beginning to think that some who have contributed recently think it s okay because the driver has stopped the train and operated the barriers but because the train is stationary, it is okay for people to continue to cross?

[St. Simon]

I couldn't tell you what the acronym for it is, but are there any full barrier crossings where the train stops, the driver reaches out to pull on a rope to activate the barriers, and then doesn't have to make sure the crossing is clear before passing over it?

HI,

 

TMOB = Traincrew Manually Operated Barriers

 

There aren’t any TMOBs that don’t require the driver to monitor the crossing. The only way of the driver not having to monitor the crossing and have full barriers is to have a full MCB (in one if it’s guises) and have protecting signals.

 

Simon

[PhilJ W]

Just returned home from an interesting talk on North American railroads by John Jolley (of Mangapps Farm fame). Apparently all American/Canadian railroad engineers are instructed to give three blasts of a specific duration whenever they approach a grade crossing. Those three blasts make up the first three notes of Handels funeral dirge, seems appropiate somehow.

[newbryford]

Just returned home from an interesting talk on North American railroads by John Jolley (of Mangapps Farm fame). Apparently all American/Canadian railroad engineers are instructed to give three blasts of a specific duration whenever they approach a grade crossing. Those three blasts make up the first three notes of Handels funeral dirge, seems appropiate somehow.

 

Two long, one short, one long, with the last one as the enter the crossing.

 

Even when there isn't really a crossing.....!

 

Cheers

Mick