• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

How did this man not get electrocuted?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

SPADTrap

Established Member
Joined
15 Oct 2012
Messages
2,352
Happened in 2011 for those who can't open the article. My phone won't let me quote it.
 

class 9

Member
Joined
18 Nov 2010
Messages
948
Yes the footage is from 2011, but is being used in a new Anti trespassing campaign by Network Rail.
 

455driver

Veteran Member
Joined
10 May 2010
Messages
11,332
If you look at the speed the fat git lifts his belly off the 3rd rail I would hazard a guess that he did get electrocuted and that caused his stomach muscles to contract which would have lifted his not inconsiderable midriff off the rails.

DC makes your muscles contract which is why, if you touch the 3rd rail with your open hand, it makes you grab hold of it, please do not try this, you will probably die eventually!
 

mbreckers

Member
Joined
20 Jan 2015
Messages
365
My question is why?

What was he hoping to achieve? He left his bike on the other platform and it wasn't as if he was rushing for the train cause it wasn't stopping anyway
 

ASharpe

Member
Joined
4 Feb 2013
Messages
999
Location
West Yorkshire
From the Telegraph
Dramatic CCTV footage has been released showing a reckless cyclist narrowly escaping death by just five seconds as he runs across a train track.

The man can be seen cycling on the platform before jumping off his bike to quickly dash across the track - but stumbles and falls in front of an oncoming train.

He then struggles to get up and has to frantically crawl across the track to hide under the platform - missing the train by a matter of seconds.
Seconds later a second train then passes on the adjacent track, heading in the other direction.

The incident at Littlehaven Station in Horsham, West Sussex, was filmed in 2011 and the man was prosecuted for malicious intention as he caused trains to be delayed.

He was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

The dramatic video was today released by Network Rail as they begin a new campaign to stop people trespassing on railway lines.
It was released by Network Rail to promote a new film called 'No going back'; which is targeted at school children aged 12 years old and older.

They hope to highlight how seemingly harmless pranks or jokes with friends can lead to fatal consequences.

Nicola Dooris, who is part of the team who created of the film, said: "Films like these are a great way to engage school children and really bring home how dangerous the railway can be.

"Many schools are located close to the railway track so we believe the behaviour shown in the film is something all children can identify with.

"We hope that everyone who sees this film will be able to put themselves in the character's shoes and realise that messing around near the track can have very dire consequences."

In the last five years 142 people have lost their lives on the railways, many of them teenagers, and a further 254 have been injured.
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
It's likely that his clothes insulated him from the juice rail. Their 'resistance' was good enough and their conductivity was not.
 

rebmcr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Messages
3,845
Location
St Neots
Probably just a dare seeing as he timed it for two approaching trains. I imagine he was trying to dash from platform to platform in-between the two, but tripped.
 

bengley

Established Member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,840
Despite his stupidity it has to be said he did a mighty good job at getting out of the way of the train!
 

Mutant Lemming

Established Member
Joined
8 Aug 2011
Messages
3,194
Location
London
With regard to electric rails, in the past I've watched people walk on them, have tripped over them inadvertently myself (got a jolt) and I trailed a dog which just kept in line with the track all the way from Moor Park to Harrow and got about 10 to 15 belts from the juice rail yet lived to tell the tale (the controller wanted me to run the poor mutt over as the service was being delayed).
P-Way staff often used to show off by walking on juice rails - a mix of bravado, having insulated boots and jumping on and off the rails and not providing an earth route. All instances of course of complete stupidity from a different era (we used to smoke and eat asbestos for breakfast too).

In a modern context I would say the point is if someone DOES end up on an electric rail don't assume that's it and they are pure Hovis - quick action (getting the current switched off, using non conducting material to move them off the rails - only if safe to do so) can save them. Death by Conductor Rail is not as absolute as death by OHLE

Where OHLE is concerned keep well away -

(link below not for the faint hearted, age restricted, may not be suitable for the site so understand if is deleted BUT hopefully a deterrent to anyone considering graffiti/cable theft/trespass for fun or any other bizarre reason folk may have for climbing on the roof of a train.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNSXJQ5Xs0
 

Mutant Lemming

Established Member
Joined
8 Aug 2011
Messages
3,194
Location
London
? When did i say id just watch them?

People who come in to contact with electrified rails on the whole don't just 'cook' - the implication being (and forgive if I have got you totally wrong) is that there is nothing you can do. The majority of people (including myself) who have come in to contact with conductor rails don't cook usually because it is in a casual or sometimes calculated nature (avoiding earthing).
In those instances where people do create an earth prompt action can save them - don't assume someone on a conductor rail will 'cook'.
 

SouthStand

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2010
Messages
263
Where OHLE is concerned keep well away -

(link below not for the faint hearted, age restricted, may not be suitable for the site so understand if is deleted BUT hopefully a deterrent to anyone considering graffiti/cable theft/trespass for fun or any other bizarre reason folk may have for climbing on the roof of a train.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNSXJQ5Xs0

I disagree. We should be showing this to all 14+ aged school pupils if parents consent.
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
People who come in to contact with electrified rails on the whole don't just 'cook' - the implication being (and forgive if I have got you totally wrong) is that there is nothing you can do. The majority of people (including myself) who have come in to contact with conductor rails don't cook usually because it is in a casual or sometimes calculated nature (avoiding earthing).
In those instances where people do create an earth prompt action can save them - don't assume someone on a conductor rail will 'cook'.

you misunderstand me, im just saying that if you get electrocuted by conductor rail the way it kills you is you most likely have fallen on it and just stay there and cook, whereas OHLE just throws you and kills you in one big hit... virtually instantly.

Of course if you are insulated or are not earthed you will basically be ok.

Im not saying give up hope on someone who has come into contact with one. Got a short circuit bar in my cab!
 

asylumxl

Established Member
Joined
12 Feb 2009
Messages
4,260
Location
Hiding in your shadow
If you look at the speed the fat git lifts his belly off the 3rd rail I would hazard a guess that he did get electrocuted and that caused his stomach muscles to contract which would have lifted his not inconsiderable midriff off the rails.

DC makes your muscles contract which is why, if you touch the 3rd rail with your open hand, it makes you grab hold of it, please do not try this, you will probably die eventually!

Just to be pedantic, he didn't get electrocuted. Electrocution is short for electro-execution and since he's still alive, I'd hazard a guess that he got an electric shock.
 

Mutant Lemming

Established Member
Joined
8 Aug 2011
Messages
3,194
Location
London
you misunderstand me, im just saying that if you get electrocuted by conductor rail the way it kills you is you most likely have fallen on it and just stay there and cook, whereas OHLE just throws you and kills you in one big hit... virtually instantly.

Of course if you are insulated or are not earthed you will basically be ok.

Im not saying give up hope on someone who has come into contact with one. Got a short circuit bar in my cab!

I know we are in a different world from the past. There was a whole myriad of things we used to do that are total no-no s now (generally for the better). It's just that sometimes I think the modern rules are in place for the modern CYOA (Cover Your Own Arse) mentality rather than an over riding duty to passengers and colleagues. There were wooden paddles to shore up defective shoe gear AND to move people off conductor rails. The CYOA element would not have you using them for the latter these days.
 

carriageline

Established Member
Joined
11 Jan 2012
Messages
1,897
I saw FFCCTV stills of a man falling in front of a train, the immediate reaction is arms out Infront, and he grabbed the juice rail. Somehow he wasn't earthed, and thus got up and survived completely unscathed
 

TOCDriver

Member
Joined
24 Jan 2013
Messages
609
If the electricity couldn't find an easier way to earth itself, it's obvious that the man wasn't the easiest way to earth. Lucky for him
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top