Shock! Horror! Class 58 hits buffers!!

Electricfox · Post by **Electricfox** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 5:20 pm

oh god, here we go again.
A class 58 on a enthusiasts tour hit the buffers at Walton on the Naze and 15 people (I think it was 15) were injured.
Then it works its way to the news.
TRAIN CRASH
Crash? Crash!? surely it should be Bump, but then again TRAIN BUMP wouldn't make good headlines would it?
When will the press get off the railways back and stop hyping up everything thing that happens, ok, admittedly it could have been serious if the train was travelling at 40-50mph but according to a Railtrack spokesman the loco was travelling slower than 10 mph.
Now if it was the same speed as the incident in 1987 (40-50mph) I'd understand the hype, but there you go.

Sorry about the rant, it just gets my back up when the press is constantly discouraging people to travel by train.

Electricfox · Post by **Electricfox** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 5:21 pm

Oh, and heres the link to the article on the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2217509.stm

delticbob · Post by **delticbob** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 6:34 pm

Yep. It was an enthusiats tour, aptly named the 'Bone Breaker'. Some will remember this trip for months to come.

This was Pathfinder Tours 'farewell' passenger trip for the humble 'Bone' as its time is now measured in weeks, not months.

Bob

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 6:36 pm

I haven't laughed so much for ages...I get the impression it was one of those' tongue-in-cheek' news stories because it was a train load of spotters. Mark my words, there will be a lot of piss taking to come, especially as the train was called 'Bone Breaker'. LOL

Good old 58s eh!

I remember the crash in 1987, and it made a right mess.

MikeM7044T · Post by **MikeM7044T** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 6:50 pm

Well, look at this, are you sure it was a 58?
Looks like a 205 to me

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 7:57 pm

Yes, that's a library picture!

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3 ... 89,00.html

Not called the Bone Breaker for nothing. Run by pathfinder tours...Where's Basil I wonder...wasn't he going on that? Maybe he could report live from the scene for UKtrainsim! he he

JohnEyres · Post by **JohnEyres** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 8:10 pm

The name 'bonebreaker' is funny in two ways but it isn't a laughing matter really. I bet you wouldn't be laughing if you were one of those taken to Hospital.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 8:14 pm

Do you know what, I probably would laugh...never been one to feel sorry for myself.

Sounds like there was a p***-up after anyhow...

markw · Post by **markw** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:41 pm

Mmm.

This comes just as the HMRI are considering an application for a derogation from the Mk1 withdrawal deadline for charter stock. Not exactly good timing to have one of the first accidents I remember for an enthusiast charter - although fortunately no telescoping occured.

More to the point 31 people injured, one with broken ribs another with a broken leg? In a 10 mph shunt? Too many people trying to get off early to get that all important unobstructed photo perhaps? And will we see a campaign to install energy-absorbing sliding buffer stops at all existing bay platforms similar to what is now mandatory at new build dead-end passenger platforms?

I have some serious misgivings about this - it could be the beginning of the end of "rare traction" tours into odd destinations. It could just be the excuse Railtrack (who hate these one off tours) and EWS (who have a nightmare getting things organised) have been looking for.

CaldRail · Post by **CaldRail** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:58 pm

Something similar happens in aviation. Every time a light plane has a problem and for whatever reason can't make a perfect touch down in a totally empty field in the middle of nowhere, it makes the news. Worst still, the reporting is usually slanted to suggest that hundreds of bystanders were at risk of death or injury. Campaigns to close airfields gain strength( which actually increase the risk!) Fair enough, sometimes there is such a risk. I remember a light aircraft landed on an occupied beach just lately. However its quite clear that in aviation and railways any accident is news, and the reporting is such that it will try to make best (worst?) of the story. The facts are sometimes not such interesting reading.

markw · Post by **markw** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 10:12 pm

I agree with the press coverage. I suspect the HMRI will take an objective decision on the safety case derogations in favour of the tour operators, with the proviso of fitting door locking, marshalling mk2 or non-passenger stock at the ends, etc. However, the sliding buffers issue is one that should be pursued if it's not already being implemented.

I do think though that the problems of finding trained drivers knowledgeable on routes and traction, in this fragmented railway, will lead to the end of spin and win tours, or even exotic traction off route. it's already beginning to happen, and despite I assume a conductor driver/trained driver being on board today, in the Railtrack official's eyes a type of train not normally used on that type of stock in that location led to a misjudgement, despite the crew arrangements, which injured 31. It wasn't a core business/regular passenger service operation and is therfore avoidable. Given the pressure for paths, stock, drivers and the pain of organising these tours, it might just be the last straw.

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 11:28 pm

goingnorth wrote:Yes, that's a library picture!

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3 ... 89,00.html

Not called the Bone Breaker for nothing. Run by pathfinder tours...Where's Basil I wonder...wasn't he going on that? Maybe he could report live from the scene for UKtrainsim! he he

If I had known they were painting the 58 in NSE livery I would have made more of an effort!

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 12:24 am

markw wrote:I agree with the press coverage. I suspect the HMRI will take an objective decision on the safety case derogations in favour of the tour operators, with the proviso of fitting door locking, marshalling mk2 or non-passenger stock at the ends, etc. However, the sliding buffers issue is one that should be pursued if it's not already being implemented.

I do think though that the problems of finding trained drivers knowledgeable on routes and traction, in this fragmented railway, will lead to the end of spin and win tours, or even exotic traction off route. it's already beginning to happen, and despite I assume a conductor driver/trained driver being on board today, in the Railtrack official's eyes a type of train not normally used on that type of stock in that location led to a misjudgement, despite the crew arrangements, which injured 31. It wasn't a core business/regular passenger service operation and is therfore avoidable. Given the pressure for paths, stock, drivers and the pain of organising these tours, it might just be the last straw.

Wise words.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 12:56 am

CaldRail wrote:Something similar happens in aviation. Every time a light plane has a problem and for whatever reason can't make a perfect touch down in a totally empty field in the middle of nowhere, it makes the news. Worst still, the reporting is usually slanted to suggest that hundreds of bystanders were at risk of death or injury. Campaigns to close airfields gain strength( which actually increase the risk!) Fair enough, sometimes there is such a risk. I remember a light aircraft landed on an occupied beach just lately. However its quite clear that in aviation and railways any accident is news, and the reporting is such that it will try to make best (worst?) of the story. The facts are sometimes not such interesting reading.

It's all about perception. Despite the 20,000 trains that are run each day carrying 3m people safely to their destination, as you say the slightest incident makes headlines. Most trains run on time usually between 80 and 95% Many days terminals have a 100% punctuality rating. The railways are one the most maligned industries in existence. A combination of ignorance, mis-information, mis-understanding, image, management and much more. It's a shame. Railways need pride more than anything else. Paradoxically rail bashing in the press keen talented people away sometimes and de-moralises staff...never does anything to 'help' the situation.

Road statistics:

http://www.rospa.org.uk/cms/STORE/Road% ... _sheet.htm

316,000 inquired each year - that’s 3 times the population of Oxford!

3,409 killed that’s 117.5 Ladbroke Groves per year...one every three days.

Britain’s worst roads are shown here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/roadsafety/

There is a lot of fuss in my area right now about the proposed complete dualing of the A66 between Scotch corner and Penrith to reduce the accident rate. In the last 10 years 70 people have died on it! It goes through some very wild countryside and environmentalist are worried about the damage further expansion would do. Is it dangerous? Quite. According to the list it’s the 5th most dangerous road in...the NE!

And what kills 33,000 each year in the UK....?

Alcohol.

oh and Drug related deaths make interesting reading..

Heroin 754
Methadone 298
Cocaine 87
Cannabis 7...yes 7
Diazepam 112

and wait for it

Paracetamol 267