Judge Dread Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I have received this story from a friend in the area and would welcome comments. One of our local Councillors said he had travelled to Reading from Exeter St David's the previous day. The First GW HST was travelling under caution east of Taunton near Athelney. The Somerset Levels have excelled themselves again this year and flooding was everywhere. The line had only just reopened and floodwaters were touching the ballast shoulder when the train came to a stand in the middle of nowhere. The train manager [or whatever they are currently called] came on the address system and announced, whilst trying not to laugh out loud, that a flock of herons were feeding on the line ahead of the train. Apparently some fish had unfortunately for them been stranded by receding floodwaters but it gave the herons an easily caught lunch and First GW perhaps a first in reasons for delay. The HST remained stationary until the herons had finished feasting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted January 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2014 I have received this story from a friend in the area and would welcome comments. One of our local Councillors said he had travelled to Reading from Exeter St David's the previous day. The First GW HST was travelling under caution east of Taunton near Athelney. The Somerset Levels have excelled themselves again this year and flooding was everywhere. The line had only just reopened and floodwaters were touching the ballast shoulder when the train came to a stand in the middle of nowhere. The train manager [or whatever they are currently called] came on the address system and announced, whilst trying not to laugh out loud, that a flock of herons were feeding on the line ahead of the train. Apparently some fish had unfortunately for them been stranded by receding floodwaters but it gave the herons an easily caught lunch and First GW perhaps a first in reasons for delay. The HST remained stationary until the herons had finished feasting. Can you tell me the actual date of the alleged 'incident' and I will do some digging, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Dread Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Can you tell me the actual date of the alleged 'incident' and I will do some digging, thanks. Leave it with me, I'll get on to my source. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Not on that actual route, but when travelling across the Levels from Weston to Taunton it is quite common to see a single heron near the line. Since the recent rains on one journey I noticed a large group (15 plus) of little egrets standing around in one of the newly formed lineside lakes, cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Can you tell me the actual date of the alleged 'incident' and I will do some digging, thanks. Don't you mean fishing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Richard E Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 As we have a couple of folk casting an eye over this perhaps we shouldn't carp on about it until they tell us some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekl Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 This seems slightly odd to me, carping aside. If the train continued at caution speed, the herons, being fairly thick, but not totally so, would have simply flown away, waited for the train to pass and continue feeding. I just cannot see that there would be any risk of injury to the birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 Must be members of the RSPB, I've known a driver stop for ducks in the past the delay goes to the caution anyway and it makes a nice story Had a delay sheet come through before Christmas that gave the reason as FGW cows, Mr G on the Cardiff Pompey route got some ribbing over that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 I wonder if they've fired chickens at the engine like they do to jets to check for bird strikes!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Jonboy Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 This seems slightly odd to me, carping aside. If the train continued at caution speed, the herons, being fairly thick, but not totally so, would have simply flown away, waited for the train to pass and continue feeding. I just cannot see that there would be any risk of injury to the birds. Maybe the birds wouldn't like the garnish of railway grease on their dinner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Pity it was not on Christmas Day !!! Fresh turkey in the dining car !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 If that's what you had for Christmas Apollo, it wasn't turkey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 Never seen a single car emu before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I would imagine if the herons were eating fish on the line and an HST came bearing down on them at 100MPH, they would have definitely had their chips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Vistisen Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 This seems slightly odd to me, carping aside. If the train continued at caution speed, the herons, being fairly thick, but not totally so, would have simply flown away, waited for the train to pass and continue feeding. I just cannot see that there would be any risk of injury to the birds. But then they would have run over the fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Freshly prepared fish fingers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catkins Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I wonder if they've fired chickens at the engine like they do to jets to check for bird strikes!! I did hear that when BR was testing the front screens on the Eurostar sets, they borrowed a 'gun' from BAe, and used it to fire frozen chickens at 180mph - the screens kept breaking, and BR were at a loss about the problem, so they asked BAe about it - BAe said you're supposed to defrost the chickens first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Never seen a single car emu before Off peak Drain from Waterloo to Bank with 1940 stock. Acton Town to South Acton (now ceased). I'll get my coat, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bezzy Oppo Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 John, Heron are a Schedule 1 protected species under the Countryside and Wildlife Act 1981 (as amended). They're in the same nature conservation protection 'bracket' as Great Crested Newts and bats amongst others. If the train had merely ploughed through killing or likely endangering or even disturbing the said protected species the driver would be open to prosecution under the Act. Not good for the birds or the TOC concerned. The driver obviously had an eye for the birds, ahem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 . If the train had merely ploughed through killing or likely endangering or even disturbing the said protected species the driver would be open to prosecution under the Act. Not good for the birds or the TOC concerned. The driver obviously had an eye for the birds, ahem. Sorry but only Swans in the four foot are a no go in the rules. Apart from that we only caution for large animals or a set number of sheep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bezzy Oppo Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Not being a driver I wouldn't know about drivers' rule books, however having been involved in a number of prosecutions I don't recall there being exemptions. But then there's always a but! Or a Mute Swan in this case... Even the MOD tread carefully in this regard, and that's saying something. 'That heron's bang out of order sir'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2014 I don't doubt it but there's nothing in the rules for drivers or signallers except for the definition of large animals, and on Wessex a special instruction on Swans. Edging up to a Swan in the four foot is therefore risky. Another novel fact is Deer generally aren't considered large animals unless specifically reported as large as they are defined as 'flying animals' ,in reality because they're capable of clearing the railway fence so don't get stuck lineside. As usual interpretation is everything and I hope none would callously run over any animal on purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2014 One of the most amusing 'phone calls I ever had asking for a 'Rule Book interpretation' was from a Signalman at Moreton-In-Marsh who wanted to know if a wallaby was a large animal in the meaning of the Rule Book as one had been reported to be on the line and he wished to know if he should caution a train accordingly. So I started by asking if it was a big wallaby or a small wallaby (yes, they do vary in size - not that I had seen one in the wild at that time but I have since). In the lack of more complete information I told him to treat it as a large animal (but it had gone by the time the train reached the site). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 ... (but it had gone by the time the train reached the site). See you resisted the temptation to say that it had hopped off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Wouldn't stopping fairly close and giving a loud blast on the horn be enough to clear away any herons on the line? I was once on a Wessex 158 late at night which was down to walking pace for some time and the guard announced there was a dog running along the four-foot but refusing to go off to one side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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