Incident at Wandsworth Common 07/08/16

[Kentish Paul]

I suppose you've never heard of hopper windows before?

Yes I have but HSTs don't have them. On my last HST journey with aircon failed in 4 packed coaches at 30 deg C I spent the entire journey from Castle Cary to Paddington by the open window of a door.

Very nice cooling at 125mph.

 

[yorksrob]

Only VEPs for East Grinstead electrification. The CIGs got window bars after a later incident IIRC involving Clayton Tunnel. Of course, once fitted, they could work to East Grinstead in their later years.

Southeastern units didn't get bars until the very late stages.

I suppose you've never heard of hopper windows before?

I have, but you'd still have to retrofit them to the existing air conditioned stock, which isn't going to happen.

 

[LeylandLen]

Further to post #223 and the identity of the victim ; this is from today's Evening Standard :
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...lway-fanatic-who-volunteered-on-a3315281.html

Simon Brown, 24, from East Grinstead, Sussex, suffered fatal head injuries when he was struck in the head on Sunday afternoon after he lowered an unlocked window to look outside.

An investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the incident which happened as the Gatwick-bound train approached Wandsworth Common.

It is unclear whether he was hit by an oncoming train or an object at the side of the track as the train came into the station.

Mr Brown’s family today paid tribute to a “railway fanatic” who had recently fulfilled a childhood dream after landing a job as an engineering technician with Hitachi overseeing the introduction of new electric trains on the Great Western mainline.

His father, Mike Brown, a former City worker, said: “As soon as he could toddle, Simon was into trains. At nine he volunteered with the Bluebell (heritage) Railway...

No doubt there will be an inquest in the fullness of time ; maybe more in Septembers Railway Magazine .

 

[theblackwatch]

I see the Bluebell Railway marked the occasion suitably today.
https://www.facebook.com/bluebellrailway/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154576530130967

Both our locomotives today carried wreaths to remember the life of Simon Brown, which was tragically cut short on Sunday.

 

[Nippy]

Unfortunately, the Fail now has a picture of this young chap window hanging that has been lifted off Facebook.

 

[Mag_seven]

I wonder if he was a forum member?

 

[yorkie]

Unfortunately, the Fail now has a picture of this young chap window hanging that has been lifted off Facebook.

Certain media outlets really have been reporting this appallingly, but it is to be expected and is consistent with the way they usually behave, sadly. You can't even see if the person depicted in the photo is the person in question!

 

[TheEdge]

Are we all joining in the popular grief train going on the attack on the papers while blinding ignoring this was no-ones fault but his own? Droplights are not inherently dangerous, today thousands of people today have happily gone around the UK in Mk2 and 3 stock and none have been killed.

Its tragic, for those that know him its horrible, it horrific. Its also entirely self-caused.

As someone who has to work the AGA hauled sets (both big and little) I'll be relieved if this has a decent impact on windowhanging.

 

[bb21]

Surely condemning the gutter quality of journalism shown and acknowledging the responsibility of the victim himself are not mutually exclusive.

 

[Harbornite]

Are we all joining in the popular grief train going on the attack on the papers while blinding ignoring this was no-ones fault but his own? Droplights are not inherently dangerous, today thousands of people today have happily gone around the UK in Mk2 and 3 stock and none have been killed.

Its tragic, for those that know him its horrible, it horrific. Its also entirely self-caused.

As someone who has to work the AGA hauled sets (both big and little) I'll be relieved if this has a decent impact on windowhanging.

Indeed, this is completely true.
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Surely condemning the gutter quality of journalism shown and acknowledging the responsibility of the victim himself are not mutually exclusive.

Speaking of gutter journalism, here's a link to the mail article.

http://dailym.ai/2aIIifY

Simon Brown, 24, from Sussex, was struck by oncoming train on Sunday

Witnesses claim he was 'decapitated' after leaning out of the window

Shocked eyewitness described the moment the man's head 'flew off'

He was described by his family as being a 'railway fanatic' who had recently landed his dream job as a train engineer with Hitachi

A 24-year-old killed when he leaned out of train window on the Gatwick Express has been described as a 'railway fanatic' who had just landed his dream job as a train engineer.

Simon Brown, 24, from East Grinstead, in Sussex, suffered fatal injuries when he was struck in the head by a speeding train on Sunday afternoon.

Chillingly, it emerged today that Mr Brown had been tagged in a Facebook picture five years ago showing a man hanging out of a moving train.

Mr Brown was tagged in an image showing a man with his head and arms stretched out of the window of a 37255 locomotive on the Great Central Railway.

It was accompanied by the caption: 'Toby and Simon behind 37255', although it is not confirmed that it was him who was pictured.

Needless to say, the article meets the aforementioned standards

 

[J-2739]

Are we all joining in the popular grief train going on the attack on the papers while blinding ignoring this was no-ones fault but his own? Droplights are not inherently dangerous, today thousands of people today have happily gone around the UK in Mk2 and 3 stock and none have been killed.

Its tragic, for those that know him its horrible, it horrific. Its also entirely self-caused.

As someone who has to work the AGA hauled sets (both big and little) I'll be relieved if this has a decent impact on windowhanging.

I said something similar (albeit shorter) earlier on but nobody picked it up. I think it's disgusting that some people are not seeing the realistic side of the story. This person didn't deserve to die in such a horrifying way, but he did what was a dangerous act and saw the consequences in the end. I might have come across as insulting on some of my first posts on this thread, but the least we could do is learn from this experience so such a story doesn't become a repeat.

 

[gavin]

The metro have gone and used a photo which has the lad tagged in from 2011

 

[bb21]

I said something similar (albeit shorter) earlier on but nobody picked it up. I think it's disgusting that some people are not seeing the realistic side of the story. This person didn't deserve to die in such a horrifying way, but he did what was a dangerous act and saw the consequences in the end. I might have come across as insulting on some of my first posts on this thread, but the least we could do is learn from this experience so such a story doesn't become a repeat.

I don't think anyone can possibly argue that he deserved it. No one deserves to end up like that. Even if it happened to be that he was being stupid, there were better ways to be "taught a lesson", so to speak.

The only hope is that some good comes out of this and people are reminded of the dangers that exist on the railway network.

 

[najaB]

Personally i think though that they should modify the 442s (and all other locomotive hauled and HST stock) so that the windows are locked shut. It should be fairly easy to modify (they would just need to add a lock to the window and a door handle on the inside).

My understanding is that this would make things more, rather than less dangerous overall. With a handle on the inside it is comparatively easy to force the door open against the central door locking. I believe that this is why the interior handles were plated over in the first place - at least on Mk.3 stock.

 

[theironroad]

What a tragic incident for someone who clearly loved the railway.

Although we'll have to wait a while for the raib report, clearly he must have been a way out of the window to hit an object with such force.

Hopefully, the message willl go around that the extreme leaning out (flailing is it???) Isn't a great idea.

Slightly related, but with a lot of overgrown vegetation around, even sticking your hand out of the window at speed ends up with being whacked by overgrown bushes etc and it is painful.....

Sympathies to his family friends and colleagues and sounds like a loss to the professional and enthusiast railway.

 

[RichmondCommu]

He must have been hanging out a very long way though, as AlterEgo says. I do window hanging occasionally and have never been near a passing train (I just put part of my head out) or lineside infrastructure.

For crying out loud. Speaking as parent have you taken time out to think of the consequences of sticking your head out of the window? Your parents would be distraught beyond belief if anything happened to you.
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Unfortunately, the Fail now has a picture of this young chap window hanging that has been lifted off Facebook.

Just a quick question; what is the "Fail"?

 

[Harbornite]

For crying out loud. Speaking as parent have you taken time out to think of the consequences of sticking your head out of the window? Your parents would be distraught beyond belief if anything happened to you.
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Just a quick question; what is the "Fail"?

Presumably the daily mail.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Presumably the daily mail.

So why not say that and make life easier for everyone else?

 

[sduob]

Was heartened to see a fundraiser doing the rounds on Twitter, and doing very well too. https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/reuben-smith-1?utm_id=66&utm_term=R99XN9y69

 

[dviner]

So why not say that and make life easier for everyone else?

If you do that, you lose the opportunity to poke fun/denigrate the Daily Mail.

(I neither like nor despise the Daily Mail. It is what it is. However, it does supply a lot of pages on a day-to-day basis that can be used to soak up spills and whatever...)

 

[RichmondCommu]

If you do that, you lose the opportunity to poke fun/denigrate the Daily Mail.

(I neither like nor despise the Daily Mail. It is what it is. However, it does supply a lot of pages on a day-to-day basis that can be used to soak up spills and whatever...)

For its worth the Daily Mail is read by a lot of people so it must be doing something right. I don't agree with its politics but some of it's reporting / investigations are of the highest order.

 

[Harbornite]

So why not say that and make life easier for everyone else?

Don't ask me, I didn't bloody say it!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Don't ask me, I didn't bloody say it!

Yes I realise that. My frustration is with 'in jokes' on this forum which are of no use nor ornament to those that are not 'in the know'.

 

[Harbornite]

Yes I realise that. My frustration is with 'in jokes' on this forum which are of no use nor ornament to those that are not 'in the know'.

The daily mail does get a lot of stick on this forum. It publishes the occasional good article but there's plenty of crap which has been spewed by it.

 

[J-2739]

For its worth the Daily Mail is read by a lot of people so it must be doing something right. I don't agree with its politics but some of it's reporting / investigations are of the highest order.

You could say they're 'brainwashed' people. Just because some stronghold has a high following doesn't mean it's perfect...

 

[RichmondCommu]

You could say they're 'brainwashed' people. Just because some stronghold has a high following doesn't mean it's perfect...

I'm sorry to say this but the Daily Mail tends to publish what it's readers are thinking and in terms of sales is only behind the Sun.
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The daily mail does get a lot of stick on this forum. It publishes the occasional good article but there's plenty of crap which has been spewed by it.

If you are referring to it's politics by saying "crap" then yes I'd agree with you. However it does tend to reflect what a large percentage of the population are thinking. Hence it's backing of Brexit.

 

[LowLevel]

Just stop doing it

I hate to say it (and yes, I've had my head out behind preserved locos in the past, have had to do it as a guard, and never really thought it worth the wind blowing my ear drums out on the national network) but it's a calculated risk you take that involves other people. I'm fed up of having to deal with incidents involving other people's miscalculations, whether that be through drink or plain error.

That being said the reason I'm so annoyed is because believe it or not, it hurts - I don't know this person but people I know do and any death on the railway through misadventure causes me to stop and pause, to an extent.

I'm largely unaffected by suicide but the idea of anyone being hurt or killed on the railway when they didn't intend it and the pain it causes to everyone who knows them hurts me deeply as a railwayman.

That also being said, there have been a growing number of references to a group of young enthusiasts from the south who seem to treat preserved railway diesel galas like a night clubbing or a football match, drink far too much and generally irritate everyone else present - something that also needs a rein putting well and truly on it.

 

[Flamingo]

Condolences to the family and friends of the chap in question. May he rest in peace.

The rest of you - STOP PUTTING YOUR HEADS AND ARMS OUT OF WINDOWS!

I've known two cases like this over the years - one very similar, one involving a chap now known as "Stumpy" to his friends.

I lose track of the number of times I tell people (usually "enthusiasts") to get their heads in, that if anything hits them it will hurt, and I'll have paperwork. (Also, they are making the train look like a horse box!)

Most do so grudgingly (I know as soon as I walk away it will be back out), some are downright abusive, because they think I'm a grumpy old jobsworth spoiling their day out.

I'm not, I'm just trying to prevent them having live-changing injuries.

It's dangerous. Stop doing it. Tell your friends to stop doing it.

 

[TheEdge]

And you'd be amazed how hard it is to dispatch a train when you view is periodically obstructed by half a torso and a DSLR...

 

[bnm]

It's dangerous. Stop doing it. Tell your friends to stop doing it.

The victim in this incident was rail staff.

Maybe, before you castigate "enthusiasts", you might consider being a "grumpy old jobsworth" toward those who perhaps should know better.

If there are off duty rail staff setting a poor example...

This is a tragic accident. It could have been anyone. It's also an extremely rare occurrence. There's no need to use it as a stick with which to beat "enthusiasts".

My condolences to Simon Brown's family and friends.