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I was on a train from London to Lancaster c1990. As we passed a freight train something must’ve been hanging off it and took out almost every window in two coaches of the train. We stopped at Nuneaton, they remarshalled the train to remove the damaged coaches then we continued. We didn’t even...

I notice the sectional appendix has been updated to show the tunnel out of use until May 2027. I don’t think in this bodes well. I’ve never seen a portion of a line temporarily closed in the sectional appendix like that unless it is some sparsely used freight line. I think what has happened...

About 10-15 y was ago my Dad told me of a couple he knew. They did a day trip to Venice from South Cumbria. IIRC, they got up c1am and drove to Edinburgh for an early flight. Flew to Venice, had a few hours look round and flew back getting back home within 24hrs. I always found it a quite...

A little off topic but still regarding user worked crossings. Where I worked UWCs with gates were bad at silaging time. Often numerous tractors are working an area as quickly as possible and with 10-20 minute block sections on absolute block would often leave the gates open and come and go all...

The TPE isn’t timed 17 mins slower though even if it did take that long in this situation. The difference in timings for an Avanti running with all stops to Carlisle and a TPE with the same plus a Lockerbie call is c10mins between Carlisle and Carstairs. Between Preston and Carlisle TPE can...

I used to play a mod on GTAIV and V that allowed you to play as cops. You could get al sorts of police vehicles with working light bars and do traffic stops, respond to calls and various other stuff.

I wonder if the seats reserved but not taken is down to people booking a train giving them leeway but then finding they’re at the station in time for an earlier one if for example their flight it lands early and they get through baggage reclaim quickly. While I agree that any customer with a...

First up, apologies for a long post. But I hope it is of help to anyone who would like to understand signalling. I apologise to anyone who finds it simplistic. I’ve tried to pitch it to anyone. As mentioned. If you are a driver it’s important to learn each move. Because the railway is...

The problem with safety advice is what level to pitch it at. You don’t want to terrify a child but you can also plan for so many eventualities that you may never experience. I’m going to give my personal tips for most eventualities. Day to day most people will never have to think of some of...

I get it is a big issue especially for those with health conditions to not have access to a toilet. But for those saying the train should’ve been cancelled or open access got rid of. If we extend that logic to most other things we’d hardly ever run everything. I used to guard trains with a...

I’ve just looked that up as I’d never heard of the term. I think you are correct. I have always just assumed any wire running along the cess side of the structure was a return conductor but I’ve just seen a diagram showing both one over the other. Return conductor and what is marked “earth...

I’d like to ask a question of those knowledgeable in electrification. Put simply how dangerous is the “Along track conductor” wire and what does it actually do. I have always known it as the ‘return conductor’ as that was what it was called when I first started my career. In the rule book...

That is the kind of thing that concerns me as well. Some of the things I’m seeing that concern me….. -Local Multi Spad list is the highest it’s been in my career. -Most Spad bulletins seem to be “first recorded spad at this signal. -A lot of other signals that do have previous spad history...

The thing is that approaching on a yellow means that TPWS grids (where provided) are armed so some degree of caution over normal is required but I see your point in that a driver could then in their mindset be approaching a “red” rather than “a station” and if that red steps up they could power...

While we can say things such as ‘the railway is on an upward safety trend’ or ‘constant improvements are being made’ and we can see statistics seemingly backing that up. I think there may be small things lurking in the background that suggest all is not well and perhaps things aren’t constantly...

I know I’ll get shot down for this. But I think we have a hyper focus on scientific, statistical explanations for everything these days. I posted a lengthy reply in another thread but removed it as it wasn’t strictly related to that thread but was answering a very similar question to this one...

I remember struggling with this concept in training school where the crossing is independent of signals and asked a lot about AHB Crossings. As a green trainee I was caught in the thought of “what if it fails and the signals are green”. I understood the concept of failing safe and regardless of...

Ive edited this as my original post included the possibility of missing an AWS magnet but from what I’ve seen the 810 seemed to be on greens so unless any temporary equipment was present that is unlikely. The 810 driver may have been surprised by a right side ‘horn instead of bell’ and missed...

I have heard this at another TOC. The idea being a lot of stations have a signal on the end so if you mess up the approach to the station you could pass a signal at danger. I agree that with a signal you get a yellow as a warning but there may be some merit to the argument with regard to, for...

I’d say they’re both great examples of rural railways not, as many believe, simply carrying fresh air.