Could (should) this ever happen in the uk?

[NJTom]

Kinda torn on this one.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/06/07/mbta-workers-rescue-girls-beloved-stuffed-bunny/

BOSTON (CBS) – MBTA workers sprung into action on Wednesday to rescue a little girl’s close friend, who had fallen onto the tracks.

Casey and Michelle Carey-Brown’s 3-year-old daughter Roozle said her beloved stuffed animal bunny, Nummy, was nervous about riding the T.

While on their journey Wednesday, the four all rode one stop on the Orange Line from Stony Brook to Green Street. While getting off the train, Nummy’s worst fears were realized when the bunny fell out of Roozle’s stroller and onto the tracks between the platform and train.

Roozle immediately screamed for her friend.

“My friend! Nummy! She fell on the tracks and now a train is going to run her over! She will be squished by the train! On the tracks! I NEED MY FRIEND!!!” said Roozle.

Casey rushed to find an MBTA worker for help while her wife Michelle waited with an anxious Roozle.

The worker then radioed ahead to the conductor of the next train.



If you follow the link their is audio of the radio interaction.

 

[GB]

Pretty standard procedure to retrieve dropped belongings from the track in the UK. Only it involves a call to the signaller rather than the conductor/driver.

 

[Yew]

Generally litter picking equipment turns out quite useful for retrieving lost belongings

 

[NJTom]

It caught my attention because I remember a tragic story a few years back involving a father and child alighting from a HST, and the child realising they had left a toy onboard, which resulted in the father attempting to reboard the train while departing and his subsequent death. I forget where it was

 

[Temple Meads]

Seems fine to me

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I dropped a coat when alighting at Dorchester South about 10 years ago. After the train left the conductor walked round, got the coat and brought it back up.
So yes, this scenario can, will and has happened.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

It caught my attention because I remember a tragic story a few years back involving a father and child alighting from a HST, and the child realising they had left a toy onboard, which resulted in the father attempting to reboard the train while departing and his subsequent death. I forget where it was

I think it might have been Prestatyn/Rhyl, something big involving a child and toy happened there a few years back.

 

[sbt]

When, way back in 1984, I was assaulted on a LU platform my glasses ended up on the track. They were recovered quite swiftly.

 

[thelem]

I clearly don't have a heart as I was going to say it would have to be a lesson learnt the hard way.

If they can retrieve it without too much disruption though then there's no harm in being helpful.

 

[Michael.Y]

Stuff dropped on the tracks can be easily recovered without the need for humans to enter the permanent way unnecessarily.

 

[GadgetMan]

It happens regularly....
.
.
.
.
when some of us clumsy staff drop T keys or bardit lamps etc onto the track


On a more serious note, it is a regular occurrence retrieving passengers belongings when they've dropped onto the track. If it's a manned station then a litter picker is normally utilised. If it's an unmanned station then then the uncoupling bar (similar to a 'hook a duck' stick)can be pretty handy as long as the dropped item has something to hook on to. Failing that it's draw the unit forward, jump on to the track (no need for protection or signalman involvement as the train on the platform is providing it), retrieve item and then climb back on to the platform (trying not to make it look too embarassing) and continue with journey.

 

[causton]

retrieve item and then climb back on to the platform (trying not to make it look too embarassing) and continue with journey.

Drive a new train with detrainment steps built into the vestibule end door... then just fold down the steps and walk up and down easily, making it look a breeze

I did not realise that drivers/other train staff did it themselves for passengers when the station is not staffed though!

 

[GadgetMan]

I did not realise that drivers/other train staff did it themselves for passengers when the station is not staffed though!

I don't think there is anything official in the rules, but it is good practice as it avoids the passengers putting themselves/others in danger trying to retrieve items after the train has pulled out.

 

[southerner2174]

Drive a new train with detrainment steps built into the vestibule end door... then just fold down the steps and walk up and down easily, making it look a breeze

Only possible on a 378 if your carrying a fitter to put everything back together again, otherwise ur stuck!!!!!

 

[Smethwickian]

I don't think there is anything official in the rules, but it is good practice as it avoids the passengers putting themselves/others in danger trying to retrieve items after the train has pulled out.

Absolutely true.

Was on a train which stopped at Hagley a few months back, detraining scores of pupils for the large high school there from various parts of the Black Country. A girl dropped her bag down the side of the train when alighting and, very distressed, sought assistance from the train staff (the booking office appeared to be closed at the station that morning). It looked like the conductor made a quick call to the signaller or other person in authority on his mobile before getting the driver to draw the train forward a few feet, hopping down and retrieving the item. Job done, tearful girl relieved, train on its way after four or five minutes.

Now, had the train staff said 'tough luck, should be more careful' or went on their way leaving it in the hands of control or the signaller to summon assistance, what do you think might have happened with a platform full of unsupervised youngsters as soon as the train had departed? Yep, my dreadful thought too.

 

[AlexS]

We never leave property on the track if it is requested to be recovered - however there may be a wait involved for a convenient time to do it - unless it's going to risk the safety of trains by it's presence a gap in traffic is required. The litter picker is the preferred method but it's a simple matter to call the 'box and go down and get it under protection should that be unsuccessful, doesn't even require a PTS.

 

[tsr]

Only possible on a 378 if your carrying a fitter to put everything back together again, otherwise ur stuck!!!!!

Just like the emergency ventilation windows and probably most other emergency equipment on the 378s, it seems. :roll:

 

[trentside]

Before I started school in 1994, my Grandma used to take me to Lincoln Central to watch the trains while we waited for my Mum to finish work. One day I managed to drop my little toy rabbit on the track, and one of the station workers immediately put on his orange jacket and jumped down to get it. I still remember it now, as I was quite upset about losing it.

There was an episode of the original Tube series where the Station Supervisor at Victoria has to collect some jewellery boxes off the track on the District and Circle platforms - the woman then offered him one as a thankyou, but he declined. Given the service frequency along that section, he had quite a task avoiding the trains with his litter picker. Talking of LU, I'm always amazed when I seen an unrecovered shoe on the track - how did the person manage to get through the day with one shoe?

 

[tsr]

Talking of LU, I'm always amazed when I seen an unrecovered shoe on the track - how did the person manage to get through the day with one shoe?

My mother once lost a shoe alighting from a train on one of London Bridge's NR (or BR as they were then - this was a long time ago) platforms. A litter picker was used. Fortunately, the train was terminating and the shoe was easily retrievable.

I have seen similar things done. I concur with the other posters on here who say it is a well-known task.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

My mother once lost a shoe alighting from a train on one of London Bridge's NR (or BR as they were then - this was a long time ago) platforms. A litter picker was used. Fortunately, the train was terminating and the shoe was easily retrievable.

I have seen similar things done. I concur with the other posters on here who say it is a well-known task.

I lost a shoe between the train and the platform while boarding a train at Schiphol Airport station a few days ago.

After going into Amsterdam, buying a new pair of shoes (69 euros - ouch!) and going to an appointment I eventually made my way back to Schiphol, en route to Bruges where I was eventually headed. I made a couple of enquiries and eventually a member of the station staff armed with a handlamp got down on the track, having first radioed through to prevent any trains entering the section. (At least, I presume so as the conversation was all in Dutch).

He eventually retrieved my shoe after a couple of minutes' searching a few years away from where I thought it was and I was able to catch the next train to Antwerp and eventually Bruges.

So all credit to NS for handling the incident with minimum fuss. I'd had visions of the operation having to wait until after the end of traffic and then having to to retrieve my shoe from some obscure lost property office.

 

[CC 72100]

There was an episode of the original Tube series where the Station Supervisor at Victoria has to collect some jewellery boxes off the track on the District and Circle platforms - the woman then offered him one as a thankyou, but he declined. Given the service frequency along that section, he had quite a task avoiding the trains with his litter picker. Talking of LU, I'm always amazed when I seen an unrecovered shoe on the track - how did the person manage to get through the day with one shoe?

I remember that episode well. After getting them back, those rings didn't seem too impressive but one cannot underestimate sentimental value in these sorts of things.

And yes, to go through the day with one shoe could get some strange looks!

 

[EM2]

I was once at Paddington waiting for a District Line train. The describer showed the next one as a Circle service, so I was at the back of the platform, leaning against the wall.
As the doors on the Circle service closed, a guy came charging down the stairs across the platform and leapt onto the train. Unfortunately, he wasn't *quite* quick enough, and the doors closed on his trailing shoe.
He then decided to pull his foot free, rather than waiting for the doors to open, but only managed to pull his foot out of his shoe.
At this point, the doors re-opened, (you're ahead of me here, aren't you?) and his shoe, no longer constrained by having his foot in it, dropped, hit the edge of the platform and bounced under the train.
The doors closed, and off he went, with one shoe

 

[Harbon 1]

There is a video on YouTube somewhere, where a passenger drops a bottle down the side of a chiltern silver or Wrexham and shropshire stock, and the driver climbs down between the Mk3 and the platform to collects the bottle

 

[DavyCrocket]

Before I started school in 1994, my Grandma used to take me to Lincoln Central to watch the trains while we waited for my Mum to finish work. One day I managed to drop my little toy rabbit on the track, and one of the station workers immediately put on his orange jacket and jumped down to get it. I still remember it now, as I was quite upset about losing it.

There was an episode of the original Tube series where the Station Supervisor at Victoria has to collect some jewellery boxes off the track on the District and Circle platforms - the woman then offered him one as a thankyou, but he declined. Given the service frequency along that section, he had quite a task avoiding the trains with his litter picker. Talking of LU, I'm always amazed when I seen an unrecovered shoe on the track - how did the person manage to get through the day with one shoe?

Shame that the supervisor failed to use the correc procedure to do so. The method should be get Service Controller to instruct a train Operator to stop at the supervisor then the supervisor will use that train (taking the key) as protection) they will also at the initial conversation ask if they wish traction current to be switched off.

And on a recent course I was told that litter pickers and such are not to be used as they are not certified for track use!

 

[185]

Makes a change from picking up gravity-defying drunken passengers from the line which I seem to do more and more these days. :roll:

 

[Rogercas]

Back in 1980 I worked near to Earlsfield station and we had a senior staff member who was overfond of drink and who used to commute daily from Brighton changing at Clapham Junction.

We were amazed one morning to see him appear wearing one shoe and a slipper. It transpired that on boarding a late train at Earlsfield he had lost one shoe. He travelled home, but having no other shoes in good repair, returned with a slipper as substitute.

Later in the day, staff at Earlsfield recovered the errant shoe and reunited it with its owner.

 

[ex-railwayman]

What about 3rd rail trackage though, surely, not even staff are allowed to wander around rolling stock without the power being cut off first, or, go fly fishing with litter picking up tools that come into contact with live rails directly from platforms, which would necessitate in a bit of head scratching for signallers and controllers regarding health & safety and the operational shut down of power on that line forcing any trains to come to a complete standstill subsequently delaying the system.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[DavyCrocket]

What about 3rd rail trackage though, surely, not even staff are allowed to wander around rolling stock without the power being cut off first, or, go fly fishing with litter picking up tools that come into contact with live rails directly from platforms, which would necessitate in a bit of head scratching for signallers and controllers regarding health & safety and the operational shut down of power on that line forcing any trains to come to a complete standstill subsequently delaying the system.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

If you are working near live rails then the Electricity At Work Act leaves it up to the person doing the work (staff on the track to collect something not connected to rails). If you work directly with current (such as opening section switches or putting gap jumper leads in or out of trains) then it must be switched off.