Deltic Ghosts

crepello · Post by **crepello** » Thu Jun 06, 2002 10:25 pm

Suicides are very much tragedies too. In most cases they are "permanent solutions to temporary problems". The best definition I've come across, and worth bearing in mind throughout life.

Stuart

nwallace · Post by **nwallace** » Thu Jun 06, 2002 11:03 pm

hm, and if you failed the legal system used to finish of the job.

Thinking about it:

Jackie Oliver said in a column for classic and sports car (i think)

back then we were loosing 2 drivers every year (out of about 20) thats worse odds than roulette. Of course it wasn't all in F1 it was in other races too. But there were 3 types of drivers, the first accepted it as a hazard of the job, peopel liek denis jenkinson woudl call us nambie pambies by being worries abotu the dangers. then there was the 2nd group, the one i was in, those who thoguh it won't happen to me, as as it happened it did, i was in lots of fires but it allways happened to someone else...

I suppose there isn't much choice for train drivers, your obviously lucky if it never happens and you can't do much about it (the 3rd group is jackie stewart & co)
2 groups those who can accept it and take it and those who can't.

At least when i am standing in the forests i know that if there is a car heading towards me to run like f*ck and hope the tree it's about to hit doesn't fall on me.

Permenant solution to a temporary problem.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nwallace on 2002-06-07 00:57 ]</font>

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 12:14 am

Yes just for those budding train drivers and signallers:

1. You will be involved in 'incidents'.
2. You will get involved in suicides
3. You will get involved in railway politics

If you're not keen on f***-ups, death or arguing then don't apply.

simuk · Post by **simuk** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 1:14 am

On 2002-06-07 01:14, goingnorth wrote:
Yes just for those budding train drivers and signallers:

1. You will be involved in 'incidents'.
2. You will get involved in suicides
3. You will get involved in railway politics

If you're not keen on f***-ups, death or arguing then don't apply.

hence why I no longer want to be a train driver, like I always thought I did want to be.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 10:00 am

Yes, stick to MSTS, at least it gives you a taste of the good bits.

bvecrazy · Post by **bvecrazy** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 11:46 am

I'm still going to work for LUL (you can start at 16 yes?) i'm 15 and will work. But why does the tube have less crashes that National rail does? are the LUL more organized than Railtrak??

James.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 12:14 pm

It's a very good question. LUL has an excellent safety record - even taking the dreadful fire at King's cross into account.

Others may have opinions about this but I think it's down to the following reasons:

1. The tripcock system - If the driver passes a red light then a track-side trip open up the brake valve and applies the brakes. So you won't get too many SPADs causing crashes.

2. It's relatively simply compared to main line railways. The layouts are very straight forward in most cases. There is less 'potential'.

3. It's a passenger only railway. It can be shut at night for maintenance.

4. Most of the signalling is relatively modern. Many of the lines are controlled from signalling panels situated in 'offices' in the big LUL building at Baker street. There is a big (although very out of date) centre at Earls court and the new White city control centre which makes IECCs look ancient. Although it doesn't work half the time.

5. Some lines are effectively 'driverless' such as the Victoria line. The motorman only pressing close/open doors and start. The rest is automatic and dates from the 1960s!

6. Speeds are quite low.

bvecrazy · Post by **bvecrazy** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 2:36 pm

Yes, I've been for a cabride in a Victoria line train, top speed is 40-45mph as for the Jubilee extension, 55mph.
There are signal failures everyday but don't cause crashes.

James.

jadefalcon · Post by **jadefalcon** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 8:46 pm

Early last December, on my way home from the university, I disembarked from the subway at Hauptwache in Frankfurt, just as almost every day. Climbed the stair to the S-Bahn (rapid passenger service) platform and was surprised to find it chock-full with people. I swear I have NEVER seen ANY platform as crowded as that day. The next thing I noticed was that the next few trains that were announced were running up to 30 minutes or so late, which is FAR from common, too. Moreover I found it strange that on *each* departure the platform supervisors in their cabin would expressly ask people to stand back from the departing train - normally the train drivers themselves tell people to hold back via a microphone linked by radio (I think) into the platform speakers.
It was only when I heard other people talk that I leaned what had happened. Early in the afternoon a man had fallen off the platform - whether by accident or in an attempt to commit suicide I never found out - and right in front of an incoming train. No chance for him at all

. Anyway, when I arrived there it was after 1600 hours already, and still trains were delayed up to 30 minutes or cancelled altogether.
I then caught the next train going roughly in my direction, though I would have to switch trains en route. And it was at that station on the route that I saw a security advice poster pinned up in one of those viewboxes. Among other things it said that a typical S-Bahn train made up of two three-part EMUs required between 700 and 900 metres to come to a halt from the max permissible speed of 120 kph. Talk about an odd coincidence

...

blackfour · Post by **blackfour** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 8:58 pm

A fave of mine is this: A group of hikerin South Wales went walking one evening (surprise, surprise!)they reached the railway line (can't remember which one...) and watched the last train of the day go past, they then walked on down the line, safe in the knowledge there were no more trains...Suddenly one of them heard a train coming...so they stepped off the line to let it pass, the train passed at high speed and dissapeared into the tunnel, nothing ghostly there you may think, but that tunnel had been blocked up by a landslide 100 years ago, and a train had run into that landslide...You can work the rest out yourself. I don't hold with this time-slipping theory, but i do believe that if there is a collision, the things involved in that collision will try again and again until they get it right...Bit deep, i know, but there you are...

eddief · Post by **eddief** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 9:09 pm

That is what I believe ghost trains are trains from the past trying to get ot their destination (often failing once again like they did all those years ago), all they need is to get their and somehow I think they will disappear.

jadefalcon · Post by **jadefalcon** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 9:41 pm

Kind of like that STTNG episode where the good ship Enterprise is caught in a "causality loop" and destroyed over and over again in a collision with a second starship from 80 years earlier - until our heroes find a solution to break free

.

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Sat Jun 08, 2002 8:37 am

This thread beats 'Whats your favourite route / loco / colour' or 'my level crossing activity won't work'hands down! I am in danger of becoming a forum addict!

blackfour · Post by **blackfour** » Sat Jun 08, 2002 9:09 am

Exactly what i believe, Eddie! Makes you wonder what ever happened to the trains involved in the Hawes Junction collision...

eddief · Post by **eddief** » Sat Jun 08, 2002 10:19 am

On 2002-06-08 10:09, blackfour wrote:
Makes you wonder what ever happened to the trains involved in the Hawes Junction collision...

They are probably still there trying to finish there journey.