West Somerset Railway General Discussion

A regular 'target' in my area is the bridge over the B3108 just to the north of the former Limpley Stoke station - usually about one strike a month!

Ironically I drove under it this morning and noticed the first height restriction road sign as you approached the bridge from the Bath direction is well and truly hidden in the hedge!! It's only when you turn the corner just before the bridge that you actually see the bridge and the height sign on the bridge girders only a few yards ahead :-(

 

The GWSR got so tired of drivers striking the Broadway bridge that they gave up and implemented the Hitchhiker's Guide heavy metal beam solution. ("Mr. Prosser: Do you know how much damage this bulldozer would sustain if I just let it roll over you? ... None at all.") It collects about one vehicle a month.

Noel

 

Unsurprisingly, the bridge was damaged. It has been examined and is now safe for trains to pass over. [BJ]

 

For those of us who choose to use maps, this is an increasing problem - road signs buried in the overgrowth. I suppose when a council faces budget cuts, keeping signs clear goes in the bin - perhaps thinking "well, everybody's got satnav now, haven't they?"

 

Satnav is often a contributory cause of bridge strikes, when drivers rely on it instead of planning their routes. There is a long discussion on railforums.co.uk following the recent strike near Bedworth on the WCML.

 

People turning their own brains off, and relying blindly on computers, is a common fault in this age, especially where vehicle navigation is concerned. Some of the more memorable ones there include the person who went for a shortish local drive, but wound up in Italy (couldn't find that one, it was about a decade ago), and the person who drove their car into the sea (that was recent). But it kills people too; there's even a term for that now: Death by GPS. 'Think of it as evolution in action.'

Noel

 

Re Broadway Bridge incidents: someone told me about 40% of hgv drivers don’t check the height of their vehicle.

 

It is definitely a hazard,

My driving habits have changed with sat nav.
I tend to have it running in the background but muted so I can glance at it if I need it, but it will also ping alerts for traffic.

HGV ones I have come across do have settings you can set for limited clearance.

Chris

 

The problem is that lorry owners wont pay for specialist HGV sat navs so drivers use their own phones

 

There are specific satnav systems for lorries that take into account the height of the vehicle and route accordingly. It's when a car system - or worse still, a smartphone - are used.

 

Changing the subject, does anyone know what's likely to be hauling the Quantock Belle Saturday week?

 

Or as happened here in Dorset when the signs that were too dirty to read were started to be cleaned by locals, not allowed under H & S.

 

Near me, there are still idiots who like to black out the metric measurements on height restriction signs.

 

From the DEPG:.

''Services between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe Heathfield had to be suspended all day on Thursday 18th June after a digger being carried on a low loader struck Watersmeet Bridge, causing the digger to be displaced from the vehicle and causing damage to the bridge – which had only been inspected and repainted the week before. Luckily, no-one was hurt and the steam-hauled 10:15 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service that was approaching the bridge at the time was quickly flagged down by members of the public and came to a gentle stand in advance of the bridge''.

It has to be said, the driver of the HGV must have been pretty stupid. <BJ>

 

Punishing ignorance or forgetfulness has no benefit for anyone. We all make mistakes and punishment of perceived offences will not prevent them.

 

Have you not heard of responsibility? Thank goodness that you're not an airline pilot <BJ>

 

Up to a point. Personally, I think both driver and employer need to be aware that not taking it seriously will lead to consequences.

30-odd years ago my wife was at a sealed unit glass factory when the haulier turned up with a normal flat bed despite a low trailer being ordered. The driver just went “but the load is within the motorway limit” (it was, by 1 inch) and didn’t care about the consequences of breaking the load (economic or safety - it would explode). The customer insisted and he was sent back to depot for the ordered trailer.

The same applies to both satnav and load heights - the employer has a duty to provide the right tools, and the driver to use them properly. And they need to feel that, if they don’t, they will both be accountable.

Living somewhere with 2 of the 10 most hit bridges in the country may be sensitising me to this.

 

So as an engineer, you were such a paragon that you never made a mistake with a calculation or forgot a design factor that required consideration?

 

I wonder what consequences they, and their employer, will face? (If there are none, look for it to keep happening.)

Noel