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Trespassers

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by ralphchadkirk, May 31, 2009.

  1. ralphchadkirk

    ralphchadkirk New Member Account Suspended

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    Does any other railway have this problem? I'm saying this because over the Diesel Gala we seemed to have 50 or 60 trespassers out on the line (admittidley they had brought their own HVV) all spread out. There were a group of four by Alresford outer home (one of whom was wearing a red t-shirt, and from a distance looked like a handsignal! The driver blew up at them 5 or 6 times until one of them bothered to acknowledge.
     
  2. Forevagrey

    Forevagrey New Member

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    Its a shame people are so desperate these days #-o
     
  3. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    As i understand it so i apologise if i'm wrong but the behaviour of those lineside on a diesel gala , although issues had been had with steam gala's led to the withdrawal of the lineside permit facility at the mid hants . So if 50-60 to quote ralph went lineside in complete disregard of the rules what does it say about the enthusiast fraternity ?
     
  4. Pewsey Beaste

    Pewsey Beaste Part of the furniture

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    Reflected too in some of the postings here (and similar forum) the attitude of I am right and you are not - never consider yourself wrong,.
     
  5. ralphchadkirk

    ralphchadkirk New Member Account Suspended

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    50-60 over the days
     
  6. shredder1

    shredder1 Member

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    Tresspass is always a problems at many preserved railways, although many now issue lineside passes, some just for event days. I`ve always though annual lineside passes with health and saftey training and membership would possibly be a way forward, alternatively policing the lines at events and taking action against those who tresspass, although I can see this line possibly not being the best way to attract customers. Railways however are dangerous places, even when running at 25mph and I`ve always felt it unwise to allow all en sundrie to unlimited access to wonder around freely, although some railways appear to turn a blind eye to it. Safety must come first however, both for the visiting customer and the longevity of the railway and even with lineside passes and health and safety training, some areas like tunnels and between platforms ect should alway be out of bounds.
     
  7. Beaker

    Beaker Well-Known Member

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    This isn't meant to sound rude, but perhaps it shows their is a market for line side photographers. I've been out photographing (from the right side of the fence, I must add ) and met numerous different photographers at my line who said they were willing to spend £30 on a line side pass, but if you have 50 doing this, that's £1500 you wouldn't have made before. If the railway in question couldn't you get the official photographer(s) to also help control the trespassers as they are most likely to be line side anyway ?
    With £1500 you could bribe other people to help enforce it anyway. And if the railway has some volunteers who are photographers,but not necessarily the official photographer, surely they can be called upon to help it, I can't see why anybody would turn down that sort of request for help ?


    I don't know how feasible it is, and please don't shoot me down if its a stupid idea. But if there is a market to make money which is doing so at the moment, surely its for the best to try and exploit it ?
     
  8. steamingyorkshire

    steamingyorkshire Well-Known Member

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    It's not just diesel enthusiasts i'm sorry to say, at the KWVR during their February Steam gala I come across numerous amounts of people on the trackside without Hi-vis etc... although when you ask them to remove themselves you're the one in the wrong and get shouted at. One thing that i've suggested before is the Great Central procedure of having a railway logo wrote on the back of the hi-viz also with the 'lineside permit holder' statement, last year when I visited for the Mail By Rail gala i never saw anyone on the trackside without one of these Hi-vis's, ok it's not an answer to the problem but it makes it far more easier to pin-point the people who are tresspassing.
     
  9. dace83

    dace83 Well-Known Member

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  10. David

    David Member

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    That photo shows just how stupid some photters are and gives us responsible photters a bad image. The problem the Mid-Hants has is that there are at least 2 Public Right of Way Crossings along the lineside which photters can stand on to take lineside pictures. OK the Crossing is there for crossing the lineside and not standing on but technically I not sure the powers that be can stop anyone from photting in these areas. I use these 2 areas a lot during the steam galas because you can get some really good lineside shots and these 2 small areas cannot be classed as "trespassing". But I still make sure I'm wearing a high-viz vest, standing at least 2 metres away from the track and give an acknowledge hand wave when the loco whistles. I do agree with a previous comment though that if 50-60 photters were on the linesde then the Mid-Hants should bring back day-lineside photography passes at around £15-20 because the railway could have made some serious profit at the gala. I guess maybe 10% of these photters might end up being freeloaders and not pay anyway but I'd like to think the majority would do and be happy to put money into the Mid-Hants coffers.
     
  11. shredder1

    shredder1 Member

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    I`ve always though a national health and saftey rail qualification on preserved railways would be a way forward, the customer arranges these and pays for them to obtain the qualification, only then can he apply for a lineside pass from the railways which operate them. Some p[reserved railways however are unable to offer lineside passes because of legislation which may be imposed by councils and other such bodies who perhaps own the trackbed.
     
  12. ralphchadkirk

    ralphchadkirk New Member Account Suspended

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    We did once have lineside passes, but we took them away because if our staff have to do a PTS course to go on the track, why should someone pay 5 quid a pop and be able to do it with no training at all.

    This is no dig at anyone, but I (personally, and some other people I've spoken too) find it worse when people wear the hi-viz! It makes it hard for us to differentiate tresspassers and staff, and then the driver blows up and nobody acknowledges so that gets reported even though it is not our staff. Also if (god forbid) something went wrong, having a load of untrained people running around looking like staff and generally putting the proverbial foot in it, is not good at all.
     
  13. ralphchadkirk

    ralphchadkirk New Member Account Suspended

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  14. shredder1

    shredder1 Member

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    yes, I couldnt agree more Ralph
     
  15. cct man

    cct man Part of the furniture

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    Sawthe trespass"photters" on the letters page of the Mid-Hants web site, I suspect there are a few worried and guilty people out threre.

    Regards
    Chris
     
  16. OltonHall

    OltonHall New Member

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  17. Beaker

    Beaker Well-Known Member

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    Surely a politley worded letter saying ''We've seen you been lineside, any chance you could donate to allow the galas to continue'' instead of taking them to court which to be honest is a waste of time & money. ?

    And it shows there is a market for line side passes like the GCR system, which seems to be the best method.
     
  18. ralphchadkirk

    ralphchadkirk New Member Account Suspended

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    Because it's not safe and illegal.,If he had stayed the other side, then that would be reasonable but he didn't.
     
  19. Beaker

    Beaker Well-Known Member

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    Did I disagree with that ?

    You don't have to act with force on every situation, diplomacy goes a long way.
    Seeing as you are being ambassadors for your railway, acting with some degree of rudeness before gala, and with it after doesn't give the best impression ?

    I only offered a suggestion which would likely get the railway some money, and give them a telling off. Attempting to take them to court is a waste of time & money, you aren't going to get anywhere, its a few blokes who have hopped over a fence and taken a phot. They haven't broke anything.

    I'm not agreeing with their actions, but I'm not agreeing with yours either.
     
  20. David

    David Member

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    Yes must agree with your comment, lessons need to be learnt from both us photters and the Mid-Hants board. If these photos were taken from the Public Right of Way Crossings there's not much the powers that be can do in terms of legal action as it's not trespassing. However it looks like they weren't taken from these areas so the photographer is trespassing and the powers that be have every right to pursue whatever actions they see fit to do.

    Perhaps if the Mid-Hants are going to continue with the lineside ban then they ought to start policing the lineside on major gala events. If they can't do that then bring back day lineside passes or see if they can get a "warden" to stand at these popular lineside positions so when photographers turn up they can kindly ask to donate money to the railway in return for allowing them to photograph from the lineside area with the warden watching over them.

    The current lineside ban is clearly not working and something like the above idea should be looked into.
     

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