Devon TRF Group Forum

jt · Powermonger!!

Biker Killed on Railway

jt · Powermonger!!

If it has lights and or barrier obay them, if it has a gate and phones USE THEM it, if it doesn't have phones then don't take your bike over.......I can't think of a crossing near wellington with no phones that has vech rights - whats the lane number? and you have ridden over sandy lane and survived then your lucky and frankly bonkers.

Having seem the aftermath of many Person, car, tractor, cow, sheep etc etc V train incidents over the years then i can assure you that the 30 ft of 'lane' over the railway just aint worth it hmm

-- Edited by jt on Thursday 4th of October 2012 05:06:37 PM

jt · Powermonger!!

Rich,

Because (you numpty) cars in general don't come round the bend at 100+MPH and don't take a mile to stop.......calling after the bike had got stuck would be sod all use cause time the signaller put the signals back (and if the train had not already passed the one before the crossing) and then the train stops (which at 100+ can take upto a mile) your bike would be in 100 bits and could well derail the train.....

I can show you some pics of remains of folks that had the same stupid bloody attitude as you sometime if you like

-- Edited by jt on Thursday 4th of October 2012 07:27:59 PM

Hoops · Elite

Just read this on the BBC - not sure how a MX bike is involve, unless that's a generic term they've used to describe a dirt bike cry

Simmo · Expert

Hmmmm, sounds like illegal riding to me. Even if not a motox bike and fully road legal they should not have been on a railway line. Could of course be a tragic accident...... confuse

Hoops · Elite

And there's a legal crossing to ride south of Wellington. I say crossing, it's a gate either side of the track disbelief Think I've done the SC one too.

Cubber · Expert

The railway track where BBC News says the biker copped it has no crossings.

Their report gives the line as the main Coventry line passing through Brandon.

The line is higher than roads in that area and can be seen on Google Maps.

Click THIS for a view.

Martyn

Harty · Devon's Best

jt wrote:
If it has lights and or barrier obay them, if it has a gate and phones USE THEM it, if it doesn't have phones then don't take your bike over.......I can't think of a crossing near wellington with no phones that has vech rights - whats the lane number? and you have ridden over sandy lane and survived then your lucky and frankly bonkers.

Grid ST 05732 15155 - End of 181-033

-- Edited by jt on Thursday 4th of October 2012 05:06:37 PM

wain · Clubman B

Hoops wrote:
And there's a legal crossing to ride south of Wellington. I say crossing, it's a gate either side of the track Think I've done the SC one too.

181 033 pugham?

D13dkt · Clubman A

How it happened and weather it was legal or not its always very sad to hear of the loss of a fellow biker.

Hoops · Elite

That's the thing with railways, they get off lightly in terms of regulatory pressure. I doubt much will happen about where the MX guy got killed, whereas in my industry we'd be expected to spend millions to do something about it. It does get my goat that despite all the railway TV ads and stuff about the dangers (and i'm not saying this is wrong), some crossings are little more than two holes in a fence.

jt · Powermonger!!

Hoops wrote:
That's the thing with railways, they get off lightly in terms of regulatory pressure.

Oh my god Hoopsy old boy just how very very wrong you are disbelief

jt · Powermonger!!

wain wrote:
Hoops wrote:
And there's a legal crossing to ride south of Wellington. I say crossing, it's a gate either side of the track Think I've done the SC one too.
181 033 pugham?

Ah the one just up from Tivi.....that makes more sence, I was tying to think of one up near Wellington confuse

RichT4 · Champion

jt wrote:
if it has a gate and phones USE THEM

Why?

I'm happy to cross a road junction without having to phone someone to tell me it's clear. If I can see that it is clear for a fair distance either side then I'd just cross.

If for some reason my bike became stuck on the track (and couldn't be moved) I'd be striaght on the phone.

TTR · Powermonger!!

RichT4 wrote:
jt wrote:
if it has a gate and phones USE THEM
Why?
I'm happy to cross a road junction without having to phone someone to tell me it's clear. If I can see that it is clear for a fair distance either side then I'd just cross.
If for some reason my bike became stuck on the track (and couldn't be moved) I'd be striaght on the phone.

I used the crossing at SC a year or so ago and the speed and suddenness of the approach of a train around the curve of the track scared the cr*p out of me disbelief

It appeared out of nowhere and passed us like it was jet propelled confuse

Not used that lane since!

Nige · Expert

No brakes or stearing 125mph and the nearest place to stop it miles away .
Well you wouldnt know it happened if your lucky! Id use the phone!

RichT4 · Champion

Nah, I'll take your word for it.
I guess I just thought all/most trains just do about 45 mph, the ones I use to take into London barely got above that speed before stopping.

Simmo · Expert

D13dkt wrote:
How it happened and weather it was legal or not its always very sad to hear of the loss of a fellow biker.

True but if illegal at what point do we lose sympathy and think it serves them right?

jt · Powermonger!!

RichT4 wrote:
Nah, I'll take your word for it.
I guess I just thought all/most trains just do about 45 mph

140 on HS1

Pete · Devon's Best

jt wrote:
Having seem the aftermath of many Person, car, tractor, cow, sheep etc etc V train incidents over the years then i can assure you that the 30 ft of 'lane' over the railway just aint worth it

Train versus whatever: the train never loses. Seen lots of photos of the aftermath and it can be very difficult indeed to tell what kind of creature it used to be before the train came along. Scattering the contents of a butchers shop around would look nothing like it, far too clean and tidy.

Stop look and listen. The rails make a very distinctive noise before the train comes along into view. If you can hear it then you do not have time, and remember the train isn't in view yet.....

jt · Powermonger!!

RichT4 wrote:
If for some reason my bike became stuck on the track (and couldn't be moved) I'd be striaght on the phone.

Seen our new ad?

Still think you would have time to call? - and yes it could be on you that quick hmm

delvey91 · Devon's Best

Just seen it on tv !

RichT4 · Champion

Nah, that ad wasn't visually shocking enough to me.
By the sound of that train I'd say it was only going about 45 mph biggrin , in which case it'd be safe for you to judge it's approach without calling. wink

Lath Ktm Holvey · Clubman A

why does EVERYTHING turn into a massive debate on this forum...

Lost · Expert

Like you know I would of been involved with trains vs people its not very nice the incidents I've covered are when folk try and stop a high speed train ,you know the ones that jump out and say boo train norm doesn't stop ! Scary moment TRF run out with Harty crossing the intercity Line although we could see in each direction for miles pushing my bike across the line gave me the ebbe jebbees
Just thinking about a train bearing down on you at over 100 mph /////so I've wrote this and thought all gathered here pass comment and debate subjects but lets hope it doesn't ever happen to one of us or one our own, tends to put a diff perspective when its personal loss so take care everyone

-- Edited by Lost on Friday 12th of October 2012 07:24:47 AM

Pete · Devon's Best

Lath Ktm Holvey wrote:
why does EVERYTHING turn into a massive debate on this forum...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum

Wheely · Expert

Lath Ktm Holvey wrote:
why does EVERYTHING turn into a massive debate on this forum...

..............and what is wrong with a MASS-DEBATE ??? biggrin ............ although to be honest I do generally pick other web sites before I get involved.

Wheely · Expert

And I also think a lot of people wont understand nor appreciate exactly how a train can suddely appear. All very well saying Rich and the likes are a numpty (and I tend to agree that about rich myself

) but I think that would then be true of most of the public in this particular case. If we can stand quietly at a track and look left and look right and listen then most of us would consider that would be enough to determine if we could walk across a few meters of line. It's scarey to think that these things can happen quite as quickly as they do.

Personally if I had good visability and there was no gate I still doubt whether I would pick up the phone (all fool me). But if I had to open/close a gate then I definately would use one.

FBF · Clubman A

Hoops wrote:
That's the thing with railways, they get off lightly in terms of regulatory pressure. I doubt much will happen about where the MX guy got killed, whereas in my industry we'd be expected to spend millions to do something about it. It does get my goat that despite all the railway TV ads and stuff about the dangers (and i'm not saying this is wrong), some crossings are little more than two holes in a fence.

That statement carries some weight.

In this day and age there is no excuse not to have a least some form of train approach warning at all unmanned crossings but I guess as usual it comes down to cost although really the cost is very small and it would be money well spent.

Having made a rare for me train journey I was amazed at the amount of (scrap?) rails laying by the line. Maybe if they flogged the scrap off they could fund some warning systems.

Simply put if railways didn't exist and someone wanted to build one today they would have to put in underpasses, bridges, adequate fencing, gates and warning systems, crossings for wildlife and livestock and adhere to draconian laws and regulations before even a wheel was turned. Because its already there it gets the green light regardless of the carnage it creates.

Railways have always been dangerous places, but the high speeds and low noise approach of trains make crossing a risky business when really there is solution, but I guess a bucket and broom is far cheaper.

Simmo · Expert

There is an argument that railway crossings are a form of natural selection. Think of the money saved by the taxpayer over the lifetime of a corpse.

Nige · Expert

Simmo wrote:
There is an argument that railway crossings are a form of natural selection. Think of the money saved by the taxpayer over the lifetime of a corpse.

You mean the French way all very well. But somone has to do the clean up, mentaly its not a good place to be.

John Leah · Clubman A

Some countries take a more relaxed approach to rail safety:

Cheers,

John

jt · Powermonger!!

FBF wrote:

In this day and age there is no excuse not to have a least some form of train approach warning at all unmanned crossings but I guess as usual it comes down to cost although really the cost is very small and it would be money well spent.

The cost is quite significant actually as if you put something in it needs to be 'failsafe', however the point is that (and Rich makes the point well) that even when 'equipment' is provided people don't use it hmm they don't use the phones, ignore lights and jump barriers.....

Harty · Devon's Best

Eejit!

Cubber · Expert

"Near miss" disbelief my ar5e, that was a Near HIT. confuse

Good job it was too for the eejit that it did "miss". bleh

Martyn

jt · Powermonger!!

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