Level crossing stupidity...

[jcredfer]

1 hour ago, eastglosmog said:

Group stupidity like this worries me when I lead walks over a foot crossing, so I try and avoid them wherever possible.

 

I took a very small group of Year 11 pupils on a small walk around the local fields.  There was a dateless foot crossing, crossed with care and explanations, during which one of them stood on a line and - then - asked, "Are they electric trains?"

 

Julian

 

[martin_wynne]

RAIB report today on incident in June:

 

 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-digest-072020-worlingham/near-miss-at-worlingham-user-worked-crossing-suffolk-8-june-2020

 

Martin.

 

[PhilJ W]

Looks as if he stalled on the crossing. Roemond, Netherlands.

 

[RJS1977]

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!

[PhilJ W]

Very lucky, only two passengers slightly injured.

[martin_wynne]

That link not working here. Try this:

 

 https://www.facebook.com/rudy.janssen.5/videos/3011111035665639

 

Martin.

[Dagworth]

Camera operator has no clue that there could well be another train approaching from the other direction!

 

Andi

[boxbrownie]

And the drivers first instinct was to get out and wave to the train in order for it to stop, as if a 38 ton trailer sitting on the track would not be spotted by the train driver, but as I said, first instinct.

 

Everyone was lucky.. 

[boxbrownie]

9 hours ago, Dagworth said:

Camera operator has no clue that there could well be another train approaching from the other direction!

 

Andi

Certainly made me cringe watching him wandering over the line like that.

[RJS1977]

28 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

And the drivers first instinct was to get out and wave to the train in order for it to stop, as if a 38 ton trailer sitting on the track would not be spotted by the train driver, but as I said, first instinct.

 

Everyone was lucky.. 

 

Unfortunately he didn't have any scarlet petticoats to hand....

[PhilJ W]

9 hours ago, Dagworth said:

Camera operator has no clue that there could well be another train approaching from the other direction!

 

Andi

And no thought of checking that everyone on the train was OK.

[jcredfer]

It seems the driver must be used to such incidents, given the size of the massive toilet rolls he takes with him!!

 

Julian

 

[LMS2968]

2 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

 

Unfortunately he didn't have any scarlet petticoats to hand....

Not Friday night, then!

[Sabato]

I'm impressed by the strength of the barrier. Still attached to the operating mechanism and it levered the whole of the mech and "wig-wag" post around. 

[PatB]

10 hours ago, Sabato said:

I'm impressed by the strength of the barrier. Still attached to the operating mechanism and it levered the whole of the mech and "wig-wag" post around. 

I suspect they may be designed that way. A while ago I was present at a more complex, but ultimately less destructive or dangerous incident, during which a small truck rolled into a barrier, and the whole assembly just twiddled round without suffering any significant damage, requiring only twiddling back afterwards.

[martin_wynne]

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.

 

[Reorte]

11 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

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?

 

Could it be due to the other crossing further along, right next to the road junction? One way on the way given means that queuing traffic there isn't going to be fouling the main road.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Reorte

[martin_wynne]

7 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Could it be due to the other crossing further along, right next to the road junction? One way on the way given means that queuing traffic there isn't going to be fouling the main road.

 

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. 

[martin_wynne]

p.s. found this 2017 dashcam pic of the road junction:

 

© Copyright Alex McGregor and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5367214

 

[martin_wynne]

p.p.s. The reason for the one-way seems to be that the historic bridges at Lolham are too narrow, and nothing to do with the railway:

 

 https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/87493

 

Martin.

[PhilJ W]

If there was ever a need for a replacing bridge that is it. A bridge avoiding both the rail and river crossings would not be difficult.

[RJS1977]

1 hour 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.)

 

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.

 

 

As someone who lives on a one way street, I could be forgiven for thinking that one way streets and no entry signs don't apply to cyclists anyway, given the number I see go past the wrong way.....

[melmerby]

On 05/09/2020 at 02:32, Dagworth said:

Camera operator has no clue that there could well be another train approaching from the other direction!

 

Andi

Also has no idea about perspective.

Like most idiotic phone users holds it in portrait mode when we see the world in landscape mode.

 

[Reorte]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

Also has no idea about perspective.

Like most idiotic phone users holds it in portrait mode when we see the world in landscape mode.

 

Portrait video - there's one of my (vast number of) pet hates!

[62613]

On 20/08/2020 at 18:37, 96701 said:

Some walkers close to not finishing their stroll.

 

 

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/video-near-miss-with-group-of-walkers-in-kent-sparks-network-rail-appeal-to-crossing-users-as-summer-hots-up

Why is it that, every time I scroll past this post, I mistake the third letter in the second word for a different one?