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FR & WHR & WHHR News

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by AndrewT, Jul 17, 2012.

  1. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    When t'was announced pioneer Garratt K1 was off to Statfold, a few weeks ago, I was among those applauding so suitable a location. Today, the news gets even better .... it seems the loco's going to be back in steam far sooner than the most optimistic amongst our number could have hoped:
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ra...motive-k1-to-return-to-steam-in-2020.html?amp
     
    Mrcow, paullad1984, Goldie and 10 others like this.
  2. andrewshimmin

    andrewshimmin Well-Known Member

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    Absolutely brilliant news.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     
  3. fergusmacg

    fergusmacg Resident of Nat Pres

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    Goldie likes this.
  4. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Given the cause appears to have been a "ticking time bomb" for 18 years, we can count ourselves fortunate the lesson was learned with no injuries or worse. Of interest, were the same mods made to t'other Funkey?
     
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  5. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    As much the question - and I've still to read the report - I'm a little uneasy that this is the 3rd RAIB report or Safety Digest in connection with the Festiniog and Welsh Highland in about as many years, and that the previous one (from 2008) also related to what people had or hadn't done, not something from totally outside.
     
  6. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Two separate questions relate to that 'what people had or hadn't done', contingent on whatever it was being a matter of (a) failure to adhere to existing guidelines - i.e. human error, or (b) no relevant guidelines existing in the first place - i.e. systemic shortcoming.

    The fourth RAIB recommemdation, that the report and it's conclusions be disseminated around the entire heritage rail sector, is quite illuminating, as tbh, I'd expect such a measure to be normal practice under virtually all circumstances in any event.
     
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  7. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    It seems a bit strange to me because Conway Castle used to have a deadman's. This I know because when running light back across the cob the driver let it go to demonstrate how it worked. Apparently it doesn't anymore?

    The stuff with the nicknames is just FR cliquishness.
     
  8. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    That last recommendation is indeed interesting - though too many report recommendations are focused on the organisation(s) involved in the incident, and not a wider audience. But whether the issues identified are (using your classification) human error or systemic in themselves, I do worry that if there are repeated "human error" incidents somewhere in a small organisation, even if in themselves unconnected, it may suggest something more "systemic". I hope I'm being pessimistic.
     
  9. huochemi

    huochemi Part of the furniture

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    Thanks. Perhaps the FR should consult the MoT regulations if they are looking for inspiration on how to write the procedures https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-ins...senger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/1-brakes
    and invest in one of these?
    https://www.bowmonk.com/products/view/tapley-brake-test-meter ;)
     
  10. weltrol

    weltrol Part of the furniture Friend

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    Yes, but if the brakes worked at 100% efficiency, more stock would be out of service with wheel flats after skidding and sliding down those wet Welsh hills.... ;)
     
  11. Robkitchuk

    Robkitchuk Member

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    I am led to believe it still has a dead mans handle. But the adaption to the brakes meant that, even if this was used, the brakes applied insufficiently to make a difference.
     
  12. meeee

    meeee Member

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    I think you're getting confused with Vale of Festiniog there. Conway Castle doesn't even have a cab at the moment never mind a DSD.

    The deadmans system on Conway and Cricceth castles was integrated with the push pull system. As both locos are mainly used at yard shunters these days the electrical system was simplified.

    Tim
     
  13. Robkitchuk

    Robkitchuk Member

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    Glad to be corrected Tim. I thought I'd read it had - somewhere!
     
  14. meeee

    meeee Member

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    The breaking modifications were made to Vale of Festiniog as mentioned in the RAIB report above. This prevented a full application of the loco air brake at certain wear levels.

    All the deadmans device does is take the engine out of gear and apply the same loco air brake. It is mentioned in the report because this was an out of hours lone working. The driver had the loco in shunt mode so the deadmans device wasn't active, and there was some confusion over the rules in this area. The deadmans device wouldn't have prevented the incident, but it is within the scope of the investigation.

    This isn't related to the deadmans device being removed on Conway Castle.

    Tim
     
  15. Robkitchuk

    Robkitchuk Member

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    That's the reason I believed it was still fitted, as I was aware. Even if the dead mans was operational, it wouldn't have applied the brakes in this situation. My knowledge of this loco is minimal.
     
  16. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    From the report's wording, though there's a stated need for improved documentation and understandable concern surrounding the Dead Man's Handle (which, though obviously a key safety sytem, if I'm reading the report correctly, seems unlikely to have had a direct bearing on the outcome of this incident), I remain unclear whether the underlying cause was down to any shortcoming in the modification's concept, it's implementation during the design process, some error in installation, inadequate maintenence, or some combination of all those factors ..... plus the poor rail surface conditions mentioned.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2020
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  17. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Though the event has been listed for some time now, this YouTube clip, promoting the 1870 Fairlie Eventful bash, this coming June, popped up this week and contains something that many will have been waiting a long time to hear:

    It's only a couple of minutes long, but the usual caveat about mobile data limits applies.
     
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  18. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    And one has to keep the sound turned down to avoid the stupid "music", so if there is some commentary at any point I have missed it. What's wrong with the sounds of the trains as a natural soundtrack?
     
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  19. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Not commentary. Just keep it muted and see the screen at 2m00s .... (don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone who's not aware of ■■■■■ ■■■■□■ □□□□□□ □□□□, after all these years. Cryptic, eh?)

    btw I agree about extraneous iffy muzak, though it's hardly rare these days .... my particular pet hates being banjos - where 'perfect pitch' ought to mean slinging it into a khazi, without hitting the seat - and bl**dy barrel organs!
     
  20. 45669

    45669 Part of the furniture

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    So cryptic it gone over my head...
     

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