Level crossing stupidity...

[leopardml2341]

Someone has hit the one in bow brickhill (Milton Keynes) on Tuesday morning

 ............and I bet that's someone else's fault as well. Couldn't possibly be the driver.

[Bernard Lamb]

Someone has hit the one in bow brickhill (Milton Keynes) on Tuesday morning

I wonder what will happen on the other section of this route when they reopen Oxford-Bletchley.

Two closed crossings I use at Steeple Claydon and Launton and there could well be others.

Farm crossing at Verney Junction also comes to mind.

Not very easy locations to convert to under or over bridges.

Far more traffic now than when the line was previously open.

The general population do seem to be rather unaware that trains operate on certain lines.

Aylesbury branch south of Bishopstone being one location where people are surprised to discover that trains still run from time to time.

Friend of mine got the fright of his life the other day when the siren started exactly as he was cycling over the crossing.

He had been using that road for fifteen years or so and had never seen a train before.

Bernard

[Fat Controller]

............and I bet that's someone else's fault as well. Couldn't possibly be the driver.

The gates were obviously made with wood from those 'dangerous trees' one sees in S W France; the ones that can smell the pastis on the breath of the unwary, and leap out in front of their vehicle..

[peach james]

"Dumb ways to die, so many Dumb ways to die..."

 

Dress up like a moose during hunting season
Disturb a nest of wasps for no good reason
Stand on the edge of a train station platform
Drive around the boom gates at a level crossing
Run across the tracks between the platforms
They may not rhyme but they’re quite possibly
 

 

 

 

(the youtube sensation)

 

James

[graham.s.]

Some idiot tried to play Russian Roulette with a HST near Taunton today and lost! Drove round a half-barrier and ended up half a mile down the line.

Yep and I have to go there 5am  friday morning and this weekend for a relaying shift

[Trog]

How do their families eat during that period?

 

Who cares?

 

But realistically the cost will no doubt be met by the same poor saps who pick up the cost of their loved ones driving without insurance etc.

[talisman56]

I've read thru this thread and will offer my experience with an idiot at a level crossing.

 

I was driving down the A217 Reigate Hill from Jct 8 on the M25 towards Reigate, in heavy late rush-hour traffic. The car behind me was being driven fairly closely and sometimes erratically as the driver appeared to be wanting to get to his destination quicker than the car in front of him (me) or the other traffic will allow.

We reached about 1/4 mile from the level crossing at Reigate station and the traffic came to a dead stand, and then went forward about 1-2 cars at a time. I got to the crossing and halted by the line as the car in front only just got across the crossing then had to stop.

Queue moved forward 1 car length, I crossed over and stopped the other side of the crossing. I looked in rearview mirror, chummy behind had decided to follow me across and then got stuck across the westbound line as he could not get off of crossing! He was frantically waving me to move on and short of driving over/through the car in front could not do anything.

Queue moved on a couple of car lengths and he then cleared crossing without further incident. Next thing I knew I got a knock on my window and chummy was there swearing and asking what f****** idiot was I that forced him to stop on the railway. I asked him what idiot he was that he put himself in the position of stopping on the railway... never did get a reply to that.

[multiprinter]

Just some thoughts which are offered for comment:

 

Way  back in the 1970s when I was learning to drive, whilst I had lessons from a professional instructor, most of my practice was with my father. Back and fore to school was the weekday practice. On the weekends I had the 'pleasure' of driving around the Docks roads. My father was Assistant Dockmaster so this was a perk.  As most will know, docks had no shortage of railway lines crossing the roads, rarely signposted, so I learnt equivocably at that stage that a railway line without gates or barriers, means stop and look, even on a sunday. 

 

Forward a few years and I am now a guard sitting in the front end of a northbound parcels. As we reached a half barrier crossing in the North-east of England, we (driver and I), can see cars stopped at the barrier and then a Morris Marina passed  four stopped cars and drove onto the crossing on the wrong side of the road. Do you  need any more information?

Cruuuuuunnnnccchhh. One Marina under the front end of a Class 47 moving at about 90mph.  600 yards or so later we stop and a whole lot of protection of the line etc. duties for the guard.

 

Not one that involved me at all,  but how can any driver be so incompetent as to hit the second coach of a DMU?  Its 57ft long and 12ft plus high. How the blazes couldn't he see it? (Llandybie Crossing, Ammanford in the mid 80's)

[phil-b259]

I've read thru this thread and will offer my experience with an idiot at a level crossing.

 

I was driving down the A217 Reigate Hill from Jct 8 on the M25 towards Reigate, in heavy late rush-hour traffic. The car behind me was being driven fairly closely and sometimes erratically as the driver appeared to be wanting to get to his destination quicker than the car in front of him (me) or the other traffic will allow.

We reached about 1/4 mile from the level crossing at Reigate station and the traffic came to a dead stand, and then went forward about 1-2 cars at a time. I got to the crossing and halted by the line as the car in front only just got across the crossing then had to stop.

Queue moved forward 1 car length, I crossed over and stopped the other side of the crossing. I looked in rearview mirror, chummy behind had decided to follow me across and then got stuck across the westbound line as he could not get off of crossing! He was frantically waving me to move on and short of driving over/through the car in front could not do anything.

Queue moved on a couple of car lengths and he then cleared crossing without further incident. Next thing I knew I got a knock on my window and chummy was there swearing and asking what f****** idiot was I that forced him to stop on the railway. I asked him what idiot he was that he put himself in the position of stopping on the railway... never did get a reply to that.

 

At least Reigate box - which supervises the crossing via traditional methods (the mk1 eyeball looking through the wndow) is at the crossing itself

[The Stationmaster]

This reminds me of a letter in our local 'paper a while back, just after the latest collision at our friendly neighbourhood AOC(L).  Some twit writes in that it's dangerous because you can't see the trains coming from one direction due to buildings next to the crossing but it's alright teh other way because you can see them standing at the station platform.  I decided to respond simply pointing out that there was no need to see the trains - all a motorist etc had to do was to obey the two very well sited and highly visible sets of flashing lights - odd to remark but the dimwit said no more.

[roundhouse]

At least Reigate box - which supervises the crossing via traditional methods (the mk1 eyeball looking through the wndow) is at the crossing itself

 I saw this once in California in the Antelope Valley.  We saw the train coming some distance away so stopped in a lay by before the crossing.

 

The other side of the crossing was a set of trafic lights with a major road running parallel to the railroad. The space between the crossing and lights was full of cars. Along comes a car who obviously could see the train coming a she sped up just before he went onto the crossing then started banging on his horn to get the traffic to move though the red traffic light.

 

Luckily the lights changed and he cleared it just as the barries started coming down.

 

I got a decent shot without a car impaled on the plough of the lead loco!!

 

Ian

[beast66606]

Due to my ongoing Internet issues I am unable to post photographs but...

 

Imagine a conventional user worked level crossing with a separate foot crossing, with separate gates, over a single line.

 

A little old lady, she's in her 80s I would guess, approaches the crossing with her two dogs, she's been over once this morning and the dogs and her are returning home.

In the distance (about 500yds away, stopped at a signal) to her right she sees a bright white headlight (it was a pair of GBRF 66/7s but she probably didn't care), she stops at the gate and looks at the light. (I don't know how good her vision is so I don't know what she can see as such, but she knew there was something there).

She waits, time passes, she waits some more, time passes and she's intently peering at the 66/7s which are not moving.  The dogs are getting restless, they are on their leads and don't like it, she starts to get frustrated, not 100% confident to cross but sensing the locos aren't moving and so she heads for the gate to cross over.

 

Suddenly from behind her (she is still looking towards the 66/7s) a freightliner whistles loudly, startling her but stopping her in her path, and a short while later it passes over the crossing at about 40mph, she lets it pass and then crosses safely behind it and heads back home after her morning walk.

 

What's special ? - well for reasons unknown to me (I could speculate but won't) trains no longer whistle for that crossing, despite the view from one side being very restricted, even for me who knows about track safety it's still very tricky to be 100% sure the line is clear until you are on the crossing - and trains can be travelling at 60 mph, there is no leeway for an error.

 

So why did the train whistle and possibly stop her from crossing into it's path. Yours truly was watching all this from a hundred or so yards away and when the liner came around the corner I waved madly at the driver, giving him the "sound the horn" sign, and pointed at the old lady - he saw her and whistled and gave me a big thumbs up as he passed.

 

She was going to be an example for this thread, due to her preoccupation with one train, forgetting there may be one coming the other way but, without her knowing, she was given a helping hand to stay safe by someone who cares about her safety and the effects it would have had on the driver.

[roundhouse]

Due to my ongoing Internet issues I am unable to post photographs but...

 

Imagine a conventional user worked level crossing with a separate foot crossing, with separate gates, over a single line.

 

A little old lady, she's in her 80s I would guess, approaches the crossing with her two dogs, she's been over once this morning and the dogs and her are returning home.

In the distance (about 500yds away, stopped at a signal) to her right she sees a bright white headlight (it was a pair of GBRF 66/7s but she probably didn't care), she stops at the gate and looks at the light. (I don't know how good her vision is so I don't know what she can see as such, but she knew there was something there).

She waits, time passes, she waits some more, time passes and she's intently peering at the 66/7s which are not moving.  The dogs are getting restless, they are on their leads and don't like it, she starts to get frustrated, not 100% confident to cross but sensing the locos aren't moving and so she heads for the gate to cross over.

 

Suddenly from behind her (she is still looking towards the 66/7s) a freightliner whistles loudly, startling her but stopping her in her path, and a short while later it passes over the crossing at about 40mph, she lets it pass and then crosses safely behind it and heads back home after her morning walk.

 

What's special ? - well for reasons unknown to me (I could speculate but won't) trains no longer whistle for that crossing, despite the view from one side being very restricted, even for me who knows about track safety it's still very tricky to be 100% sure the line is clear until you are on the crossing - and trains can be travelling at 60 mph, there is no leeway for an error.

 

So why did the train whistle and possibly stop her from crossing into it's path. Yours truly was watching all this from a hundred or so yards away and when the liner came around the corner I waved madly at the driver, giving him the "sound the horn" sign, and pointed at the old lady - he saw her and whistled and gave me a big thumbs up as he passed.

 

She was going to be an example for this thread, due to her preoccupation with one train, forgetting there may be one coming the other way but, without her knowing, she was given a helping hand to stay safe by someone who cares about her safety and the effects it would have had on the driver.

One time we were just South of Kngs Street station in Seattle. We didnt see it but did get caught up in the delays.

 

A cyclist was waiting at the crossing for a commuter train (Sounder) to go past and as it went past  he went therough the flashing lights round the barrier behind it only to get hit by one coming the other way!!

 

Ian

[Ohmisterporter]

So why did the train whistle and possibly stop her from crossing into it's path. Yours truly was watching all this from a hundred or so yards away and when the liner came around the corner I waved madly at the driver, giving him the "sound the horn" sign, and pointed at the old lady - he saw her and whistled and gave me a big thumbs up as he passed.

 

What exactly is the "Sound the horn sign" Beast?

[Oldddudders]

One time we were just South of Kngs Street station in Seattle. We didnt see it but did get caught up in the delays.

 

A cyclist was waiting at the crossing for a commuter train (Sounder) to go past and as it went past  he went therough the flashing lights round the barrier behind it only to get hit by one coming the other way!!

I think something similar happened near Cambridge a few years back? A couple of teenage girls got off a down train, walked across the crossing behind it - and were hit by an up train. In their case obviously ignorance not arrogance, but I bet NR have amended the arrangements there since.

[roundhouse]

I think something similar happened near Cambridge a few years back? A couple of teenage girls got off a down train, walked across the crossing behind it - and were hit by an up train. In their case obviously ignorance not arrogance, but I bet NR have amended the arrangements there since.

 

I think it was at Elsenham station.

 

Network Rail got heavily  fined for this if I remember correctly.

[beast66606]

What exactly is the "Sound the horn sign" Beast?

 

Bit hard to describe but the one which most drivers seem to understand is the action a steam driver would follow (I think), imagine a cable running above your head, reach up,  grip it and pull it down. Plenty of enthusiasts use it to try and elicit whistles from drivers, my need was more practical.

[Glorious NSE]

The 'crossing after the first train but before the second' is not new - there's a fatal Metra one on youtube which a railfan was unfortunate enough to film way back in 1991 - and these days with large numbers of commuters using headphones or mobiles the risks are likely just as bad...

[The Stationmaster]

The reason for banning use of horns on the approach to the crossing might be due to complaints from locals about noise.  All it needs is one solitary house near teh site of teh former whistle board and that can be enough in the daft age in which we now live.

[beast66606]

The reason for banning use of horns on the approach to the crossing might be due to complaints from locals about noise.  All it needs is one solitary house near teh site of teh former whistle board and that can be enough in the daft age in which we now live.

 

[Ohmisterporter]

The reason for banning use of horns on the approach to the crossing might be due to complaints from locals about noise.  All it needs is one solitary house near teh site of teh former whistle board and that can be enough in the daft age in which we now live.

Regardless of whether or not the house was built after the railway had been sounding horns and whistles at that location for generations. 

[phil-b259]

Regardless of whether or not the house was built after the railway had been sounding horns and whistles at that location for generations. 

 

That doesn't stop people complaining though. The worst ones are those that get the legal profession involved and claim their human rights (right to a good nights sleep apparently being a popular choice) are being infringed somehow. At least one case has made it as far as the court of human rights I believe and while none have succeeded there is preasure for the railways to mitigate the issue as far as possable - if for no other reason than it makes it easier to throw such cases out because whistling is already cut to a minimum.

 

Preservation is not immune either - the Bluebell suffers from it in that whistling of locomotives is forbidden at Kingscote and East Grinstead the only exception being if workers are trackside or in emergency situations

[Bon Accord]

It happens in all walks of life. A regular thing these days is moneyed 'city folks' moving out to the country and then complaining vehemently to the council about noise pollution, this 'noise' being in the form of farm animals, farm machinery (when Farmers work 24 hours for a few days in the late Summer to harvest as much as they can in a weather window) and things like church bells. The fact that all this had been going on for many (in some cases hundreds) of years beforehand is no defence, and what makes it all worse is that the local Council invariably listens to them and acts on the complaint!

[jamie92208]

It happens in all walks of life. A regular thing these days is moneyed 'city folks' moving out to the country and then complaining vehemently to the council about noise pollution, this 'noise' being in the form of farm animals, farm machinery (when Farmers work 24 hours for a few days in the late Summer to harvest as much as they can in a weather window) and things like church bells. The fact that all this had been going on for many (in some cases hundreds) of years beforehand is no defence, and what makes it all worse is that the local Council invariably listens to them and acts on the complaint!

It's the same with people who buy houses near airports and then complain.  Not long ago there was a couple featured on Look North complaining that nasty Network Rail had clear felled the sides of a cutting that happenned to be at the bottom of their garden and that they could now hear trains. They obviously hadn't realsied that the line was there when they bought the house.   My son who works on tree clearance has often had to stop work because people complain about the noise of the chainsaws and the fact that they don't think that the railway should be allowed to chop down trees that grow on the cutting sides.  I suspect that the same lame brains will then complain about trains being late due to leaves on the line.  As Mike says it's a symptom of the age that we live in. 

 

 

Jamie

[uax6]

Had an interesting one yesterday while I was dealing with a track circuit failure. The next box along phones up to say that he had a failed indication on a set of AHB's. The next driver through confirms one boom off. We do what we can, and about an hour and a half later the motorist comes back to ask how he claims off the railway for the windscreen he broke as he took the boom off! I personally would have got his details (including registration number) on the pretense of helping him with his claim, and then turned round as said 'I would also expect a visit from the police who will be investigating your failure to stop at a road traffic accident, endangering rail users, possible criminal damage and possible insurance fraud' (he was trying to claim the barriers dropped without trains about, and with no red lights or kalxons). I would then have given the details to the BTP.

 

Who that stop him doing it again, who knows, but maybe next time he would stop and report it to us.

 

Andy G