I'd like to see the evidence for the amount of fatalities caused by children putting coins on the line. I'd also like to see the evidence of children then going on to putting larger items on the line later on in life, as someone on this topic has also mentioned.
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Pennies on the line (railway myth)
- Thread starter deltic1989
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I'd like to see the evidence for the amount of fatalities caused by children putting coins on the line. I'd also like to see the evidence of children then going on to putting larger items on the line later on in life, as someone on this topic has also mentioned.
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RailUK Forums
It's like the argument that use of cannabis leads to use of heroin. I.e. utter rubbish.
Mods note: The drugs discussion has continued on a new thread.
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Only as 10 year old cars that had nothing wrong with them have been scrapped with people getting £2000 towards a new car.
So you don't think kids messing about on the line offers increased risk of being struck by a train?
danfitz123
Member
Why dont you put something on a model railway to test it? Im quite sure nothing would happen with penny on the line. Maybe the train will bump a bit. 
All we know is that kids put pennies on the line "at a crossing". We do not know how long they spent at the crossing, or what type of crossing it was, so we do not know what the risk was of them being struck by a train. If they paused for a second to drop a penny, then I would say "No, I don't" in answer to your question. If it was a foot crossing with no warnings, and they spent ages there with their backs to oncoming trains, then I would answer "absolutely, it's a huge risk". As we don't know, we can't comment on that particular aspect, so either 12CSVT was there and witnessed it, or is jumping to conclusions.
Anyway I am confident a penny would not be a problem to me riding my bike, therefore I conclude that a penny would not cause a problem for a train!
Depends on where they are doing it. Fair enough if they have tresspassed to do so, but it normally happens at level crossings. I don't remember the last time a fatality was caused by someone who had placed a penny on a line.
The Barlow Boy
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Well there you are then. Even with £2,000 knocked off new cars ain't cheap. The "scrappage" (what a dreadful word) scheme finished some time ago.
deltic1989
Established Member
great input guys thanks for all your debate. it was just somthing that made me think thats all. by the way in my OP i did say it was a foot crossing, however i've no idea how long the kids were there i just saw what they were up to.
90019
Established Member
The impact of it is still there though. I bought my own first car recently, and I had very little choice compared to what there was a couple of years ago, because so many roadworthy cars with years of life in them got scrapped. I was rather sad to see an immaculate Mk1 Polo that I used to see around town sitting in the breakers with no wheels and the grill ripped off it .
TGV
Member
The penny on the rail story is a myth. One that someone earlier mentioned was busted by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman on Mythbusters. My rail vehicle dynamics knowledge only supports this test - it is not possible to derail a train by only placing coins on a rail. Some other much larger influence would be needed - damaged wheels or rails for example.
chuckles1066
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Isn't it the same as the "if you drop a penny from the Clifton Suspension Bridge it'll kill anyone it hits on the head"?
Striker
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OuterDistant
Member
It is possible to derail a train with a coin in Canada, but only if you use this:
hmm, scotsman seems to have not returned to the thread.
Why on Earth would you think it even remotely possible for a coin to derail a train? It's something that's been done by kids for decades (my Grandad did it in the 1920s) and a derailment has never occurred.
What worries me is I seem to recall scotsman being a Uni student in Scotland, who supported the plight of English students re the tuition fee rises. I hope he isn't representative of the average student's understanding of basic Physics. If so, no wonder we don't want to pay for them anymore!
That's tongue in cheek btw
Why on Earth would you think it even remotely possible for a coin to derail a train? It's something that's been done by kids for decades (my Grandad did it in the 1920s) and a derailment has never occurred.
What worries me is I seem to recall scotsman being a Uni student in Scotland, who supported the plight of English students re the tuition fee rises. I hope he isn't representative of the average student's understanding of basic Physics. If so, no wonder we don't want to pay for them anymore!
That's tongue in cheek btw
Striker
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Troll?
ralphchadkirk
Established Member
Not Scotsman, he's been on here a while.
I agree, not a Troll, but maybe hiding somewhere quite embarrassed?
You may have worked with my Dad? (George)
. Back on topic... To derail a train you not only need to lift it up, you also need to push it to the side (a major example of this was at Great Heck, the initial collision with the land rover lifted the leading wheelset of the DVT upwards but it was a smaller piece of metal which pushed the leading wheels away from the rails).
My Grandad said he used to put coins on the line for the trains to flatten then, no harm came from it!!
Dennis
Established Member
My Grandad said he used to put coins on the line for the trains to flatten then, no harm came from it!!
Could have been done for treason though; defacing the sovereigns image used to be considered an offence (might still be?).
Also, don't forget that techinically coins and notes remain the property of the issuing bank. They are merely tokens representing a sum of money.
158747
Member
A detonator which is a lot bigger than a coin won't derail a train and that explodes when the train wheel hits it! so there is no way a coin can derail a train!
Talent Search
Member
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No chance!
kentuckytony
Member
Thanks for reminding me of the detonators. They are a decent size and never derailed a train.
We have those tourist machines that expand and stamp patterns into our pennies over here too. O' course, our coins all have "dead presidents" and the like on them - so no current sovereign to deface.
Even when I lived in Spain under the dictator Franco and his face was on every coin, I don't THINK I woulda gotten nicked for putting his face (on a coin) under a tram wheel. Then again...
We have those tourist machines that expand and stamp patterns into our pennies over here too. O' course, our coins all have "dead presidents" and the like on them - so no current sovereign to deface.
Even when I lived in Spain under the dictator Franco and his face was on every coin, I don't THINK I woulda gotten nicked for putting his face (on a coin) under a tram wheel. Then again...
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