Steam train collides with coach

[960012]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6764095.stm

A steam train has collided with a single-decker coach at a level-crossing on the Swanage Railway in Dorset.
The crash happened at Quarr crossing at Harman's Cross, south of Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck.

The driver of the coach was "seriously injured" and trapped underneath the wreckage, a spokeswoman for Dorset Fire and Rescue said.

No one else was believed to be on the coach at the time of the crash, which happened at about 1230 BST.

Police, fire and ambulance services were on the scene.


The only details on the site atm, hope its not a train that Nathan was on, as hes on work experience down there!

 

[WessexWarrior]

This is very bad news, I hope that the driver is alright and that they can find out what went wrong.

 

[Oracle]

Injuries are not life-threatening {but are serious} but he was reputedly trapped under the coach wheel and required being cut out. The local radio said that it was a "track" and led to a campsite. I just wondered why a coach was going in there.

 

[Beaker]

The link rider depot is right next to the crossing. It seems that the crossing was working fine...

 

[devon_metro]

Can I suggest a new title: "Coach collides with path of steam train"

 

[Tom B]

Injuries are not life-threatening {but are serious} but he was reputedly trapped under the coach wheel and required being cut out. The local radio said that it was a "track" and led to a campsite. I just wondered why a coach was going in there.

How did he manage to get from his cab (with seatbelt, as it was a coach) to under the wheel?!

 

[paul1609]

How did he manage to get from his cab (with seatbelt, as it was a coach) to under the wheel?!

Steering Wheel?

 

[ChrisCooper]

I won't speculate on the possible causes, but there are a few interesting things from the artical that I've noticed.

"Nick Brown, general manager at the railway, said the train was a 1950s British Rail standard class four tank engine, worth up to half a million pounds."

I doubt he said that, and if he did he shouldn't be managing a preserved railway. A Standard 4 tank is not a train, it was hauling the train.

"He said between 30 and 50 passengers were on board the service from Swanage to Norden, including a party of twenty people with the driver and foreman in the engine room."

Well, firstly, I'd love to see 20 people on the footplate of a Standard 4 (that's what it implies), secondly "engine room"!

I also hope that Mr Browns statement that "the train would have been travelling at a maximum speed of 25mph" doesn't come back to haunt him. I'm sure that will be part of the investigation though.

As for the bit about the coach driver being under the wheel, it probably means the steering wheel, although from the pictures the damage to the coach seems quite minor, or he could have been thrown out (a coach like that would have seatbelts, including one for the driver, but drivers often don't wear them).

 

[paul1609]

I was quite surprised about the 25 mph speed quoted, all the level crossings on the K&ESR have a 10 mph speed limit.

 

[Beaker]

I believe if you read it is implying that the maximum speed it could of been at is 25mph.

 

[WessexWarrior]

There are a number of wider implications of this. Firstly, what of the damage to the train?

I can't make out much from the pictures I've seen:

I seriously doubt that the loco or the carriages will get off with no damage. Also, if the area is under investigation, that means things will have to sit where they are, where they're at risk from damage from... chavs/other morons. It also means the line will have to close until its complete, thus losing the railway money.

I don't want to be a bringer of doom, but they have to be considered.

 

[Nathan]

Was a pain having to refund all of the tickets i had sold in the morning, had to announce the suspension of all trains on the PA at Swanage and the public all came pouring in to enquire! All good fun on my first day of work experiance.

The last four coaches arrived at Swanage later in the day after the 08 shunter, (the only locomotive at the swanage end available after the 33 Stan Sysmes left up the line i think) which then travelled back in at 5mph with the remaining 4 coaches. To my knowledge the locomotive and first carriage were up there, glad i wasnt ticket inspecting.

 

[TheSlash]

Any idea why they decided to leave the loco and 1 coach up there? I've looked at the photos above and i can't even see a scratch on the paint work of the Standard

 

[Coxster]

How did he manage to get from his cab (with seatbelt, as it was a coach) to under the wheel?!

The BBC news video says: "The crossing is on a farm road. As the coach began to go over it, it was hit by the train and pushed along the track. The driver was thrown out and ended up trapped between the coach and train".

 

[Beaker]

Any idea why they decided to leave the loco and 1 coach up there? I've looked at the photos above and i can't even see a scratch on the paint work of the Standard

Probably to do with the investigation that will follow , but don't quote me on that

 

[devon_metro]

The BBC news video says: "The crossing is on a farm road. As the coach began to go over it, it was hit by the train and pushed along the track. The driver was thrown out and ended up trapped between the coach and train".

Why is it always the railways fault.

I hate the BBC

 

[plikma]

Hate to nitpick but shouldn't this be under preservation, not NR?

 

[Nathan]

Hate to nitpick but shouldn't this be under preservation, not NR?

To quote from Tom "I dont care"

Well on my return for work, the first carriage and locomotive was recovered like the papers say last night. From a bit of photting while on lunch break the two Standards were lined up and the only seeable differance by me was that on 80104 the steps were clipped off like shown in the BBCs lineside photo of the coal bunker.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Why is it always the railways fault.

I hate the BBC

I wouldn't say that sentance implies blaim either way, it just states facts. In any accident, who hits who isn't a sign of who was responsible. If your driving along the road and someone pulls out infront an you smash into them, you hit them, but can hardly be blaimed. Anyway, to be quite honest, in situations like this is must be hard for them to know who to blaim, since they are just as harsh on buses and coaches as trains. They are probably also disapointed that no one is dead.
As for the loco and front carriage remaining at the scene, I expect it will be down to the investigation, afterall, they will want to be looking at if the train was in good mechanical order and if it was being driven correctly, just as much as the coach, and of cource checking the crossing was operating correctly along with other things.

 

[Nathan]

As for the loco and front carriage remaining at the scene, I expect it will be down to the investigation, afterall, they will want to be looking at if the train was in good mechanical order and if it was being driven correctly, just as much as the coach, and of cource checking the crossing was operating correctly along with other things.

Quite right, the last 4 coaches were recovered for checking, but i think that the train was being driven very well for the distance that it stopped just after the crossing. Very skilled driver and quick reflexes!

80104 was running again today, nothing wrong with the locomotive at all!

 

[WessexWarrior]

Are there any more pictures of this incident? Also: why no mention on the SR website?

 

[Nathan]

Are there any more pictures of this incident? Also: why no mention on the SR website?

I think its old news now, purely because the accident wasnt the railways fault hence the no show of the RAIB to my knowledge. The media have dismissed it i think if they wanted to sniff around the station for knowledge they would have done so but we didnt exactly know the information accuratly anyway.

I didnt get a chance to take a look at if the steps have been replaced or not on the loco but its in perfect running order as previous.