[modeleng] Re: SVR rail crash
- From: "R.L. Roebuck" <rlr20@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 13:46:57 +0000 (GMT)
Hi there Paul,
Surely the automatic crossings only cost 335000 pounds for the type that
the fullsize railways use because of all of the extra safety features that
they use to make sure that barriers don't fail to come down properly.
BUT
In the case of RHDR where you are operating without barriers anyway,
anything would be better than nothing. Surely someone could design
something that would make the situation a bit safer for the loco driver
and passengers for onbly a handful of thousand pounds a time, and these
could be installed on the 'worst' crossings.
OR
Is the 335000 pounds to do with some department of transport related
costs?
Don't get me wrong, I 100% agree with you that we shouldn't have to go
down this route, it is the idiots in the cars who try to jump the lights
that are to blame, but I always like to do my best in life to not let the
idiots have any kind of 'say' as to whether I live or die; and I do have
this fear that our steam 'activities' may one day get severely curtailed
as a knock on effect of the idiots, unless we are incredibly careful.
Yours,
Rich.
On Thu, 16 Dec 2004, Paul Sherriff wrote:
> I used to be involved with the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway a few
> years and having been on the footplate a few times, I can say that when =
> you
> approached the 'notorious' crossings, your heart was in your mouth. One
> crossing in particular was on the approach to Hythe and seemed to be =
> where
> all the recent accidents have been. Don't know why...
>
> I was on the footplate with one well known driver on the railway, Mike
> Jaques, when a landrover shot across the front of us a mere 10-15' =
> away. He
> said there would be a phone call to the office from an angry local =
> resident
> complaining that the lights were not working and he was nearly hit by a
> train.
>
> Crap... The lights come on when the train is about 200yds from the =
> crossing
> and we see a flashing white light from the footplate, a mirror on the =
> lamp
> the motorists see... Along with full sized A4 style (and 2 original A4)
> whistles, blasting away as a matter of course there is no excuse.
>
> The RHDR can't afford barriered crossings, they cost =A335,000 each and =
> the
> railway doesn't make that much spare cash in 2 years...and there are 16
> crossings.
>
> A loco (Black Prince) was taken off the tracks a couple of years ago, =
> no one
> was seriously injured but last year, Kevin Crouch, a lovely lad who was =
> a
> regular signalman at Hythe with me was killed when driving 'Samson'
>
> Would you believe that a woman, impatient to wait behind several cars =
> that
> had parked up waiting for the train to cross, overtook them and =
> collided
> with the loco. She lived, although how she did in a Ford Escort as =
> opposed
> to 22 tons of engine, 32 tons of carriages and 4 or 5 tons of people =
> still
> beggars belief. Kevin was killed in between the 'scissored' engine and
> tender.
>
> I just don't understand the mentality of people like this and the more =
> I
> learn about these people the more I love my dog...
>
> Sorry for sounding off but at least I have delurked now...
>
> Rgds
>
> Paul
> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject
> line.
>
>
MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Other related posts:
