Trackworkers: What's the weirdest thing you've found on the track?

[nottsnurse]

Did they appear to have been used?

Its hard to tell from up on the platform but they weren't in packaging.

 

[Supercoss]

Got a call to " a pile of rags' in the 4ft just as daylight breaking, walking down to them sure looked like a pile of rags from a distance - sadly a female struck by a train overnight.

 

[philthetube]

I once saw three newish tennis balls in and around the four foot, thought I'll have them on the way back so stopped, nipped out to pick them up and as I did a young voice drifted over the fence, "can we have our balls back please Mister".

 

[507 001]

A blow up doll and then on a separate occasion A really bad blonde wig.

 

[furnessvale]

A blow up doll and then on a separate occasion A really bad blonde wig.

I'll bet you cursed throwing that doll away when you found the matching wig!

 

[Cowley]

I'll bet you cursed throwing that doll away when you found the matching wig!

Excellent.

 

[Dai Corner]

Excellent.

He didn't say whether he'd thrown it away or not

 

[chris_in_salop]

Anyone seen glow worms recently (within the last five years or so)? I've heard of them being seen just north of Church Stretton, but not for a while.

 

[Llanigraham]

Saw them down in Cornwall last year, near St Ives, but not on the railway.

 

[Marklund]

A packet of hen party willy straws.

 

[trainmananthon]

Not something I’ve picked up off the track...my train hit a sheep on the line near Dent last week. It’s rear end is sat in the four foot waiting to be discovered by track workers. The rest of it went down the embankment next to us.

 

[sw1ller]

I'm curious as to what sort of things get found on the track. Unlike streets, railway lines have little to no access to the general public, yet thousands of the general public travel on the railway each day. I have heard of things like dead foxes being found in tunnels, especially Bradway tunnel and I wonder what else, dead dogs that have long been missing? Out of date food packaging? Wedding rings that were flushed on the track in error?

Speaking of which, I nearly hit two today that we’re preoccupied with each other. I blew the horn and they had to run off sideways as they were stuck together!!

 

[bastien]

Speaking of which, I nearly hit two today that we’re preoccupied with each other. I blew the horn and they had to run off sideways as they were stuck together!!

You blew the horn, the foxes had... Oh nevermind.

 

[Cowley]

Speaking of which, I nearly hit two today that we’re preoccupied with each other. I blew the horn and they had to run off sideways as they were stuck together!!

They were lucky not to be hit by a coupling while they were coupling.

 

[furnessvale]

Whilst not strictly "found on the track", when I worked on the Per Way many years ago I quickly learned to stand with my back to passing trains given the number of windows passengers could open.

Even so, one of the lads received a Thermos flask round the back of his head, and one unfortunate felt a slap on the back of his neck only to reach round and peel away a used sanitary towel.

 

[Malcmal]

Speaking of which, I nearly hit two today that we’re preoccupied with each other. I blew the horn and they had to run off sideways as they were stuck together!!

Was it almost something like this?

 

[sw1ller]

Was it almost something like this?

Haha. Pretty much. I’m glad I didn’t hit them though. I’d of felt awful spoiling their fun!

 

[Strat-tastic]

What's all this? Fox News?

 

[NI 271]

Not something I’ve picked up off the track...my train hit a sheep on the line near Dent last week. It’s rear end is sat in the four foot waiting to be discovered by track workers. The rest of it went down the embankment next to us.

There's another sheep almost exactly opposite yours, again cleaved into two parts, one in the four foot, one in the cess. Passed them Thu/Fri/Mon/Tue. Could you possibly have hit two?

 

[trainmananthon]

There's another sheep almost exactly opposite yours, again cleaved into two parts, one in the four foot, one in the cess. Passed them Thu/Fri/Mon/Tue. Could you possibly have hit two?

The driver said that two ran were on the line...one ran across infront that we missed and the other ran up the line ahead which is what we hit. I was sat at the front at the time so heard the bang as it went under.

Which line was it on out of curiousity? We hit it on the down (Carlisle bound) line.

 

[LowLevel]

A heavily inebriated Eastern European gentleman snoozing the morning away face down in a bush having walked half a mile wrong the wrong way from a level crossing.

 

[Trackman]

I'm curious as to what sort of things get found on the track. Unlike streets, railway lines have little to no access to the general public, yet thousands of the general public travel on the railway each day. I have heard of things like dead foxes being found in tunnels, especially Bradway tunnel and I wonder what else, dead dogs that have long been missing? Out of date food packaging? Wedding rings that were flushed on the track in error?

I've seen a few dead foxes, what makes me cringe is when I see them cross a busy 3rd rail section, they take their time and seem not to touch any rails. Reminds me of the story of a station cat that flattened itself to go under the 3rd rail on a daily basis.

 

[yoyothehobo]

I once saw a train on the track at Kirton Lindsey in Lincolnshire. Just after we had been promised that there were no trains for the next 15 hours....