A Driver's Plea

If you are inside the fence on a preserved railway, taking photos, shooting video, trespassing, whatever, please acknowledge the Driver's whistle. I don't really care if you have a lineside pass because I can't tell if you have one or not from the footplate but if I whistle at you please raise an arm in acknowledgement. That way I know that you can see me coming and are probably unlikely to wander across the track in front of my loco and ruin my day. That includes the long haired, blond chap on the K&ESR on Sunday who studiously ignored me a number of times.

 

Common sense, but this is not always a feature of the dedicated photter's mentality.

 

This is where PTS training comes in.

Regards
Chris:

 

Surely it is the sort of behaviour of this photographers that is likely to result in blanket bans being enforced?

 

Which raises the question of how they would be enforced. Personally I don't go lineside anymore, but I can understand 'Howard's' plea.

Regards

 

Working line side every weekend there are a large group of photographers that aren't rail enthusiast and have no idea how to conduct them self's around a railway line. They have seen 60163 Tornado on the main line and have now got a minded interest in steam locos. These are the type of people that will cause an accident. I don’t think you could ever stop these people from trespassing. They don’t understand or just ignore railway safety rules.

 

Ralph I have worked on the basis of acknowledging the driver if they sound horn or whistle when in vicinity of the line for many years including on platforms - at least they know that you have seen them and aware they are there DH

 

That's an interesting philosophy. I certainly wouldn't bother. If you're behind the yellow line and not down the ramp I'm not sure why the driver would be whistling. Likewise when I'm out linesiding on the mainline, so far, I've never been near a foot crossing so if the driver whistles while I'm standing behind a fence I'd wonder why he's bothering.

When I've been over on the GCR and the SVR, which I hold lineside permits for, I always plan my shot with the visibility of the train in mind and make sure I can respond to the driver's whistle (they don't always on the SVR whistle for you) without ruining my photograph.

 

At Cholsey (100mph main line across the platform from our bay) I was taught to acknowledge mainline trains from the platform, and I still generally do so; however, it is only required in non-public areas.

If you do acknowledge from the platform, remember that doing so is not an excuse for standing too close to the edge: it means "I've seen you and will move/stay clear until you've passed".

 

If I'm on a Network platform with narrower platforms and trains passing at speed I often wave to the driver before he uses the horn to advise him that I'm aware of his train and am standing in a - hopefully - safe place. Drivers often acknowledge this by a wave that indicates they appreciate the gesture so I continue to wave where I feel that drivers may have some concern regarding my possible actions / reactions.

 

I would like to add that people should not walk off the ends of platforms unless it is a proper public walkway. On Monday I had to tell someone to get back, their excuse was the sun was better from there than else where and they did not cross the tracks, neither of those are valid excuses for walking round barriers at the end of a platform!

 

I'm always very careful not to go beyond any signs or barriers - but if they are at the bottom of the ramp, I consider the ramp accessible for photography. Do we think that's acceptable?

 

I've been shouted at (in my younger days!) for standing on the ramp, although well away from the edge.

Not too OT I hope, but a notice saying that 'passengers must not pass this point' brings out the pedant in me - how can a passenger physically walk off the end of a platform?

 

I would say that is acceptable, in the case I mentioned is a barrier near the end of the ramp and so wide that you have to almost go off the platform to get round, going beyond that is not acceptable.

 

Just out of interest,... yesterday I was working out on the track (I work for Network Rail) for an hour and a half mid morning. I acknowledged 23 trains passing in that time. It's a requirement in our rule books (if you're really up to date, our hand books) for ALL staff working on or about the line, to acknowledge drivers warnings.

It is also now a national requirement for all persons working on or about the line to wear full orange and hard hats, not just the tabbard / vest type. The only exceptions are drivers or train crew if they have to climb out of a loco/unit or where local arrangements & walking routes permit otherwise. Drivers are perfectly at liberty to report anyone not complying, and with CSR and mobile phones it's so easy to contact the controlling signal box these days. BT Police then get involved. Have you ever heard the announcements that the train was delayed by tresspassers? Photographers beware, out on the real railway your old HV tabbard now makes you stand out even more as someone who shouldn't be there because you're dressed incorrectly!

Lets just hope the ORR don't enforce similar on preserved lines. For now, I guess it's down to us to try and pass on what is common sence. If you raise your hand, the driver knows you've seen him, and can concentrate on looking ahead and not wondering what you're up to.

Finally, I know a LUL driver who said the first person he ran over really up-set him. Now he's got to No12, it doesn't bother him. He knows he always does his best to stop and what happens,... happens. As a preserved steam driver, I hope to never be in that position, so if I whistle at you, please let me know, that you know I'm comming, and raise your hand.

 

as a rule, if a driver sounds his horn or whistle, its to warn you to get clear ,or to stay clear, remember this even at 25 mph, an engine with a heavy train will not be able to stop if your daft enough to be to close to the running line.

during my time in preservation ive seen it all from people using the four foot as a foot path to families having a picnic on the trackside only inches from the rail head but i still cant understand why at galas etc photograthers get shirty when you ask them to stand back from the platform edge, recently i witnessed a man holding his son out beyond the platform edge just as a train was entering the station, an totally stupid action just to get a better look

 

Should be ingrained into any linesider's brains, this one. It takes little time and shows the driver that you're aware of his presence and will, hopefully, stay out of the way.

This last paragraph says it all - I, too have seen all these things in my time and sometimes wonder if these people have a death wish!!!!!