Danger, evil nuclear trains will kill us all - media story

[S19]

Then please tell me what form of accident will lead to a breach of the container ?

Some years back I was the BR representative on one of the Regional Emergency Planning Committees, and I can tell you now that a rail nuclear incident was not even listed as a remote being of likelihood.

All I am saying is that I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

I'm not questioning whether or not the flask would leak. I know it's unlikely it would.

The public perception of nuclear is poor in general too.

If a stupid Politician can create a report like the one at the beginning of this thread, then if a flask was seen to be involved in any form of rail accident, imagine the media outcry if shoulders were just shrugged and it craned back onto a different carriage and sent back on it's way.

 

[Old Timer]

All I am saying is that it is better to be safe than sorry.

I'm not questioning whether or not the flask would leak. I know it's unlikely it would.

The public perception of nuclear is poor in general too.

If a stupid Politician can create a report like the one at the beginning of this thread, then if a flask was seen to be involved in any form of rail accident, imagine the media outcry if shoulders were just shrugged and it craned back onto a different carriage and sent back on it's way.

But dont you see the way you have answered is the cause of the problem ?

There IS no problem. Transportation by Rail is incredibly safe. There is far more risk from living in areas of Cornwall where the very ground is radioactive compared to a lifetime of nuclear train derailments or even collisions with the flasks, which would never cause a leak to happen.

 

[scotsman]

All I am saying is that I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

And safe it is!

There is a bigger risk from a dragging brake on a tanker with fuel in it.

You are exposed to more radiation from the sun in a day, than a lifetime of flasks passing your house.

Some Standard Grade Physics for you (I got a 1 for the record)

There are 3 types of radiation emitted by radioactive particles
Ranked in order of most powerful:

Alpha (Stopped by 5cm or air or a sheet of paper)

Beta (Stopped by a few cm of aluminium)

Gamma (stopped by a few cm of lead).

Now, with this in mind - think of this: these flasks are cast in a single ingot of iron and their walls are 14 inches thick. The lids are bolted down with drills and the entire flask is monitored for radiation prior to departure.

 

[S19]

And safe it is!

There is a bigger risk from a dragging brake on a tanker with fuel in it.

You are exposed to more radiation from the sun in a day, than a lifetime of flasks passing your house.

Some Standard Grade Physics for you (I got a 1 for the record)

There are 3 types of radiation emitted by radioactive particles
Ranked in order of most powerful:

Alpha (Stopped by 5cm or air or a sheet of paper)

Beta (Stopped by a few cm of aluminium)

Gamma (stopped by a few cm of lead).

Now, with this in mind - think of this: these flasks are cast in a single ingot of iron and their walls are 14 inches thick. The lids are bolted down with drills and the entire flask is monitored for radiation prior to departure.

I never once said anywhere that I thought flask travel was any risk at all or unsafe!

I should've worded my first two posts better I think, instead of being on the laptop and watching TV at the same time!

I know there is minimal risk with flask travel.

All I said was that the industry is a bit 'special' (which it is, it's not like you're burning some coal)

My post was in return to the comment that the responses in what is an unlikely event are too overkill. To the general public who know nothing about this it wouldn't be seen as overkill at all, hence my 'Better to be safer than sorry' comment!

 

[YorkshireBear]

I never once said anywhere that I thought flask travel was any risk at all or unsafe!

I should've worded my first two posts better I think, instead of being on the laptop and watching TV at the same time!

I know there is minimal risk with flask travel.

All I said was that the industry is a bit 'special' (which it is, it's not like you're burning some coal)

My post was in return to the comment that the responses in what is an unlikely event are too overkill. To the general public who know nothing about this it wouldn't be seen as overkill at all, hence my 'Better to be safer than sorry' comment!

thats the impression i got from your post, if your seen by public to be careful rather than just going it will never happen you will get a better respsonse

 

[ungreat]

Well done that man..........the trains are run in 'secret' (i.e. you can't get the running times from anyone) to protect them.

Yes you can..traincrew can find out where they are all the time

 

[jp4712]

Yes I did sign the Acts (1910 and 1939) and no, I haven't broken any law. Everything I said in my post is in the public domain. The flask drop test was shown in the full-length version of the video that featured the crash test (most people have only seen the train crash bit), as was the information that the flask was aligned to be hit at its most vulnerable point. Oh, and ownership of the Magnox flasks wasn't too difficult to work out - it was on a metal plate on the side...