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Thread ID: 93002	2008-08-31 05:51:00	Historic (1981) Railway Accident question	Roscoe (6288)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
701589	2008-08-31 05:51:00	Reading a book, "Danger Ahead - NZ Railway Accidents in the Modern Era." One accident happened at the Lindisfarne level crossing near Invercargill on 16th March 1981. A schoolbus collided with a line maintenance machine. The crossing was controlled by warning bells and signal lights but these were not operating at the time the bus approached the crossing, as they were not activated by the machine which had specially insulated wheels. The article did not say why it had specially insulated wheels. Does anyone know why the wheels would be specially insulated? And where would the insulation be? Not on the wheels but somewhere in between, I imagine. I thought that when a railed vehicle was on a section of line, the wheels complete a circuit which lets Train Control know where a vehicle is. Surely insulated wheels would make the vehicle invisible to Train Control and would not operate automatic signals as well as crossing bells and lights? Seems a dangerous practice, so why would the Railways do that?	Roscoe (6288)
701590	2008-08-31 07:31:00	I thought that all busses had to stop a a Rail crossing regardless of the bells being on or not.. Matbe it wan't the case in 1981..	paulw (1826)
701591	2008-08-31 09:10:00	Maintenance vehicles are too light to reliably operate track circuits while vehicle is in motion,this could cause a trap to a road vehicle with the alarms starting and stopping as it approaches. However when stationary will usually trigger a warning which can be a real pain to road traffic if the vehicle is stationary working on the approach warning to FLB's. Hence the insulation.	tutaenui (1724)
701592	2008-08-31 09:40:00	Paul: I thought so as well, which makes me wonder why the bus driver did not stop and check, particularly when he was carrying children. Tutaenui: Thanks for that. Sounds reasonable. I am aware that the railway crosses the road, not the road crosses the railway and therefore the railway has the right-of-way, but I would have thought that the driver of the line maintenance machine must have known that he would not operate the lights and bells and so should have been extra vigilant rather than just crossing expecting everyone to stop. It does sound as though they were both at fault. Thanks for that explanation. When I first read it, it did not make sense. Now it does. I assume that you work for the railways?:thanks	Roscoe (6288)
701593	2008-08-31 10:53:00	Good book that, I have it too.	wratterus (105)
701594	2008-08-31 21:42:00	Amuses me when someone calls an event as recent as 1981 'historic'. Seems like only yesterday to me. Guess I must be getting too old.	Richard (739)
701595	2008-08-31 21:55:00	Good book that, I have it too. I have another, "Tragedy on the Track" - Tangiwai & other NZ Railway Accidents, which has some more accidents but goes into more detail than "Danger Ahead." Do you have that one? Richard: You are right - it was only yesterday, but then we have only had railways in little NZ since the 1860s - not that long ago. The NZ Government Railway built their first locomotive, W192, in 1889. Perhaps you were only a lad then?:D	Roscoe (6288)
701596	2008-08-31 22:35:00	I am aware that the railway crosses the road, not the road crosses the railway and therefore the railway has the right-of-way, Don't you have this reversed? The rail corridor is a right of way by law.	PaulD (232)
701597	2008-08-31 22:54:00	Don't you have this reversed? The rail corridor is a right of way by law. That is what I meant. Not said very well. Sorry about that, chief.:blush: The part of the rail corridor that crosses the road belongs to the railway and not the road and so the road is crossing railway land.	Roscoe (6288)
701598	2008-08-31 23:49:00	I have another, "Tragedy on the Track" - Tangiwai & other NZ Railway Accidents, which has some more accidents but goes into more detail than "Danger Ahead." Do you have that one? Nah, I got given the 'Danger Ahead' book, I don't have a special interest in NZ rail history, but stuff like that is always an interesting read.	wratterus (105)
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