71000 Incident: ELR 26th February

Its taken 20 odd posts but finally some sort of basic confirmation of the rough details, and people wonder why rumours and distruths are rife.

If there is such a dreadful fear that people will discuss something that happened why don't we just lock the thread rather than have further discussion with all hint and no detail.

 

Well you see, its an internet forum - so we are not supposed to discuss anything more important than paint colour or we get banned by the sense of humour, you don't read the Daily Wail police ! (says he fresh out of just such a ban for fronting up to all but fascist views being expressed on another thread) :tape::tape::tape:

 

Hey Frank - who said you could discuss paint colour on here! lol Welcome back. Looking forward to more debate.

Ben

 

Some people just haven't cottoned on. Its the internet age - if you don't put out the facts straight away you place yourself in the hands of rumour. Its entirely possible to do a press release that just contains the information, lets face it many organisations have to do it constantly. Not to do so simply begs for ill-informed speculation.

 

That's where there is a misconception of the RAIB. As stated on the front of their website:

"RAIB's Role - Our purpose for investigating an accident or incident is to improve the safety of the railways, and to prevent further accidents from occurring.

We achieve this by identifying the causes of accidents and other aspects that made the outcome worse.

Our investigations are entirely independent and are focused solely on safety improvement - we do not apportion blame or liability, nor do we enforce law or carry out prosecutions."

With the pre-conceptions that they are the CSI of the rail network, it's a wonder any reports can be concluded.

P.S. I'm as guilty as anyone. When I had dealings with them a couple of years ago, I tended to put a guard up when talking to them. And I was only the Incident Officer and had nothing to do with the incident concerned at the time of it happening!

 

However they do pass information on to those organizations who do. I think you had every right tom be guarded in your replies, the rail unions usually arrange legal representation for any of their members who are to be interviewed by RAIB.

 

I think it is only fair to look at how things have been managed since the change.

If the RAIB experience had been a discovery and learn culture, rather than an amass evidence and both learn - and pass it forward for enforcement, than there may be a whole lot more appreciation of their role.

 

Another shunting incident with damage to loco at the ELR?

 

A little bit here in the Herald's 'extended Free Trial':

http://www.railwayherald.com/magazine/download/304/PDF

Will

 

How often are these incidents out of interest?

 

Not the first time with the Duke, can't recall the exact date but around 2004 there was a shunting incident at Rawtenstall.

Happy to stand corrected, though I think there was also another incident with a locomotive of Great Western origin too.

 

I don't know how many on the ELR. I have no evidence to show they are better or worse than the rest of us, but what worries me is that this is the third incident on a heritage railway this year. We didn't have a great year last year either as an industry, and I know that the ORR was getting twitchy then. As a movement we need to get a grip of this apparently growing problem. Heritage railways 10 years ago were hailed by the HMRI (in HSE days I think) as an example. We aren't running all that many more trains now (are we??) but our record is slipping. Why I wonder?

 

I don't know enough about the incident to reach a conclusion but, if it is at Buckley Wells, then it is arguably outside the scope of an RAIB enquiry and, unless it comes under RIDDOR, outside the scope of HMRI.

 

The incident is believed to have taken place in the yard at Bury.

 

Could there be argument to say we need less loco crews on preserved railway and the remaining crews work more turns giving them more experience? I wonder what the average turns a driver works in a year. Are they working enough driving turns to keep there driving skills up. I'm sure there are drivers that take a challenge of drving a steam loco like a duck to water but on the other hand there must be some driver that could do with more driving turns to keep their skill up to scratch.

 

And so the speculation starts...

 

and people wonder why most of the well informed and educated people don't really post on here anymore