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If a train goes over something
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theironroad
Established Member
It would really depend what the object was.
If it was a person, then sure stop. If the train is technically able to continue then it's often easier to deal with it in or near a station where passengers can detrain and by the time the train has stoppd it's likely to well past the object.
However, whatever the object, I'd advise the signalled so that they can caution/inspect following or opposite direction trains to find out the issue.
If it was a person, then sure stop. If the train is technically able to continue then it's often easier to deal with it in or near a station where passengers can detrain and by the time the train has stoppd it's likely to well past the object.
However, whatever the object, I'd advise the signalled so that they can caution/inspect following or opposite direction trains to find out the issue.
Fincra5
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theironroad
Established Member
99% of the time its a Pigeon or a Pheasant.
Haha, funny you say that. A month or so ago I knew I'd hit a pheasant and shortly after heard some air leak. At next station I had a look and by some magical contortion the pheasant had partially moved an isolation cock and hot its head stuck behind , with neck drooping over the IC. Fair to say as I pulled on its feathers , it came apart in lots of pieces......looked fresh!
Fincra5
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Dinner! Haha. I've only seen them break windows so far!
323 Class
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Many years ago when Central trains operated the 170's in to Man Picc, I noted a pheasant sticking out of the horn pipes with just tail and feet showing.
185
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Theres no magic light that directly indicates somethings been hit, but often other things light up, for example the wheelslip sensor or main air reservoir lamps have come on indicating somethings not quite right - often the dashboard is lit up like a Christmas tree.
I remember a cracking story from an old instructor of his 333 slamming on and coming to a stand with a dead desk, turns out a pigeon went into the coupler and put the unit into couple-mode, hell of a shot to get a pigeon in a pigeon-sized hole at 90mph.
To be fair a good instructor will get your attention and make learning interesting so you learn. The more implausible or interesting the story the better you remember it
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westcoaster
Established Member
Hit a pheasant in a 377 (90mph), caved in the window screen on the second man's side.
43096
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All these ways of stopping a pigeon using a train. If only Dick Dastardly and Vulture Squadron had known!
I remember 50002 hit a poor dog that wondered into the track near Tisbury and one of the poor things bones went through a brake pipe underneath and caused the brakes to jam on, pretty sure it wasnt put back into service after that and was farmed out to pres at Paington
trainmananthon
Member
On the Settle Carlisle we regularly seem to hit sheep and deer that have wandered onto the line, but not once have we stopped afterwards. You know you've hit something thought because of the noise it makes underneath the train!
SteelWeelApeal
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Was on a train the other week between Swindon and Didcot. Travelling at 125, then suddenly emergency brakes come on and heard ballast hitting side of train. Apparently we hit a deer, so the driver got out and inspected the train to check all was in order, and ten minutes later we were off.
Objects bouncing beneath trains can take out all sorts of systems, often in ways that are hard to comprehend. The strangest but without any consequence has to be a space hopper that wedged itself inside a bogie between frame and bolster.... additional suspension!
As mentioned WSP faults are common due to impact damage, more so on a 350 than a 185 due to the routing of the cables. Axle earth cables are also in a vulnerable position, if detached can be potentially dangerous especially if it's the traction return!
AWS / TPWS receivers are in prime position which I imagine will be common to any kind of stock.
As mentioned WSP faults are common due to impact damage, more so on a 350 than a 185 due to the routing of the cables. Axle earth cables are also in a vulnerable position, if detached can be potentially dangerous especially if it's the traction return!
AWS / TPWS receivers are in prime position which I imagine will be common to any kind of stock.
It was verified by many others, but thanks for yourTo be fair a good instructor will get your attention and make learning interesting so you learn. The more implausible or interesting the story the better you remember it
once saw a swan land on the WCML at Tamworth. Then fly off in the wrong direction as a Pendolino approached. Hell of a thud!!
Apologies if it came across in other than an informative way i never do condescending on purpose yes i do realize i am human and make mistakes but spend my life trying to be helpful to others and try never to be judgemental or condescending
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61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
I remember seeing what had once been some sort of bird (probably a pigeon, but there wasn't much to go on!) which was pancaked to the sharp end of a 91 at Leeds.
themiller
Member
rogercov
Member
I'm not sure if this was serious enough to get reported at the time, but I thought I'd share this experience.
I was on a (class 50) loco hauled service from Coventry to Birmingham sometime in the 80s when I was aware of a lot of loud clunking under the coach. This was in the cutting near Adderley Park (a well-known vandalism trouble spot). The driver immediately applied the brakes. It was dark at the time. Some young lads at the end of the coach leant out of the window and reported that "the engine is on fire". I took a look and could see a red glow below the locomotive as it was braking. This could have been leaking diesel oil on hot brake blocks, as when the train had come to a stop, there was no longer a glow.
I saw the driver get out and phone the signalman. Remarkably, after only a few minutes, the train limped into Birmingham New Street. I went up to see the locomotive. There was a strong small of diesel and there was diesel oil gushing onto the trackbed from broken pipes underneath. The driver said that some kids had put concrete sleepers on the line.
Fortunately the train did not derail. If it had been a lightweight EMU things may have been very different. I'm sure that if a similar thing happened today, the train would not be allowed to continue into New Street after such a short delay. There would probably be a much longer delay and services would be cancelled.
I didn't bother to make a note of the loco name/number other than that it was a class 50. It was one of the early evening services from Paddington, Brighton or Poole to the North West via Birmingham (forerunner of Cross Country). It left Coventry around 18:30 and it was dark, so it was probably winter time. It may have been around 1985.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the incident or which loco it was?
I was on a (class 50) loco hauled service from Coventry to Birmingham sometime in the 80s when I was aware of a lot of loud clunking under the coach. This was in the cutting near Adderley Park (a well-known vandalism trouble spot). The driver immediately applied the brakes. It was dark at the time. Some young lads at the end of the coach leant out of the window and reported that "the engine is on fire". I took a look and could see a red glow below the locomotive as it was braking. This could have been leaking diesel oil on hot brake blocks, as when the train had come to a stop, there was no longer a glow.
I saw the driver get out and phone the signalman. Remarkably, after only a few minutes, the train limped into Birmingham New Street. I went up to see the locomotive. There was a strong small of diesel and there was diesel oil gushing onto the trackbed from broken pipes underneath. The driver said that some kids had put concrete sleepers on the line.
Fortunately the train did not derail. If it had been a lightweight EMU things may have been very different. I'm sure that if a similar thing happened today, the train would not be allowed to continue into New Street after such a short delay. There would probably be a much longer delay and services would be cancelled.
I didn't bother to make a note of the loco name/number other than that it was a class 50. It was one of the early evening services from Paddington, Brighton or Poole to the North West via Birmingham (forerunner of Cross Country). It left Coventry around 18:30 and it was dark, so it was probably winter time. It may have been around 1985.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the incident or which loco it was?
Similar story, I remember being on a WCML loco hauled service late 80s/early 90s that hit a sleeper across the track. No major damage but a significant stop while it was checked out.
Terrifying really.
When 50025 hit that bit of rail left on the track at West Ealing by vandals in 1989 it was a miracle that no one was seriously injured.
Wilts Wanderer
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I was on a VTXC HST in the early 2000s that hit a cast-iron manhole cover that had been jammed into the pointwork at Perry Barr on the Aston-Bescot line, at 70ish mph in the dark. We were stopped for more than an hour while the brakes were being isolated on one coach - the mangled ironwork had been flung upwards between two vehicles severing some of the (luckily twin-pipe) air brake hoses. That made a hell of a racket and we proceeded at a somewhat reduced speed, very late - I remember clearly the staff at our destination had to remain on duty to keep the station open for our delayed arrival.
In the early 1980s I arrested a 17 year old who placed a sleeper on the line between Doncaster and Wakefield. He did so he could watch a train crash. It was hit in the dark by a passenger train with a 47 on the front. Fortunately it stayed on the track but did a lot of damage.
The youth recieved three years custody for his trouble
The youth recieved three years custody for his trouble
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Looking at the undergubbins of a GA Flirt there seemed to be quite a few bits and pieces held in place by flimsy-looking brackets and I suspect these units may be especially prone to damage when hitting something. Perhaps in Switzerland they don't worry about such things, as every piece of ballast is individually manicured and the social cohesion means they don't have vandals?
I seem to recall that the test for the lifeguards fitted ahead of the wheels is that they must deflect a concrete sleeper placed across the rails. If they hit an object too large to be deflected, they must fail in such a way that they don't themselves present a derailment risk. The accident at St Helens that I think someone mentioned above was when a lifeguard had been bent down below rail level by a previous impact derailed the train at a set of points. Most unfortunately the overbridge immediately beyond had a central pier and the driver was killed when the train hit it.
themiller
Member
They do, however, have many 'unfall' when road vehicles end up on the track in front of trains as reported in the Swiss rail media.
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