Cow on the line

[matchmaker]

Trains disrupted this morning between Stirling and Dunblane because of a cow on the line. Yesterday was 35 years since the Polmont disaster - caused by a cow on the line.

 

[ComUtoR]

No doubt it was mooved quickly.

 

[Highlandspring]

No doubt it was mooved quickly.

It was struck by a train and killed.

 

[AlistairCowell]

What a coincidence, DBSO having struck a cow and caused an accident 35 years ago yesterday, and today another train killed a cow.
Thats why, as a direct result, DBSO coaches were fitted with obstacle deflectors to avoid a repeat of another accident caused by a cow.

Class 156s, 158s, 170s and 380s also have obstacle deflectors for that same reason, as well as Class 385s having its low front fairings.
Image a Class 318 unit strucking a cow!

 

[syorksdeano]

What was my ex doing in Scotland?

 

[Saperstein]

Seems to be happening a lot just lately, though there’s not usually a collision.

But only last month near Colchester a 360 hit a cow on the line.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ollision-near-colchester.184550/#post-4065967

Saperstein.

PS - I cannot get it to link to the start of the Colchester thread.

 

[LAX54]

Seems to be happening a lot just lately, though there’s not usually a collision.

But only last month near Colchester a 360 hit a cow on the line.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ollision-near-colchester.184550/#post-4065967

Saperstein.

PS - I cannot get it to link to the start of the Colchester thread.

More recent than that, a couple of days ago a hauled set hit a cow near Stowmarket, ended up wedged under the 4th coach !

 

[a_c_skinner]

Polmont was really unlucky as the cow's large pelvis wedged under a wheel and caused the de-railment. At least it gave the lie to George Stephenson's reply, quizzed by a Parliamentary Committee about animal trespass, who replied “very unfortunate, for the coo!”

 

[47271]

That area seems to be bad for escaped livestock, I've been held up twice in the past few years by wayward cattle in the vicinity of Greenloaning, although that's probably just the box that's halted us.

Me just posting about it here probably makes it the most exciting thing that's ever happened in Greenloaning.

 

[edwin_m]

Polmont was really unlucky as the cow's large pelvis wedged under a wheel and caused the de-railment. At least it gave the lie to George Stephenson's reply, quizzed by a Parliamentary Committee about animal trespass, who replied “very unfortunate, for the coo!”

Also I suspect the dynamics of a lightweight train with a heavy loco at the back would have exacerbated the derailment compared with a lightweight MU or a train with loco leading. The DBSOs were also ballasted up after Polmont to make them less likely to lift off the track.

 

[a_c_skinner]

Yes, ballast in addition to the deflectors fitted and a moratorium on passengers in leading light coaches over 100 mph IIRC which wasted platform space on the WCML and still does on the ECML (for a while). Don't know when this changed, but it obviously has.

 

[Edders23]

sounds like someone has been neglecting lineside fencing or vegetation clearance cows only stray if it looks very tasty

 

[Chris M]

Yes, ballast in addition to the deflectors fitted and a moratorium on passengers in leading light coaches over 100 mph IIRC which wasted platform space on the WCML and still does on the ECML (for a while). Don't know when this changed, but it obviously has.

I believe Virgin (for the Pedolinos/Voyagers) were the instigators of removing the ban on passengers travelling in leading vehicles above 100mph.

 

[hwl]

Also I suspect the dynamics of a lightweight train with a heavy loco at the back would have exacerbated the derailment compared with a lightweight MU or a train with loco leading. The DBSOs were also ballasted up after Polmont to make them less likely to lift off the track.

Wasn't the recommendation minimum 12.5tonnes axle load on the leading vehicle to make sure of winning an argument with a bull?

 

[380101]

Class 156s, 158s, 170s and 380s also have obstacle deflectors for that same reason, as well as Class 385s having its low front fairings.
Image a Class 318 unit strucking a cow!

The 385 has a deflector tucked in behind the fairings.