Close call….

Came across the following picture on the inter web ….. how close to being a serious incident was this?? I am pretty sure its not just camera angle! http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinkplunger/2697926883/in/photostream/

 

Given that the loco is whistling (or blowing off, but I suspect the former is more likely), possibly close enough to make the driver squirm a wee bit.

That said, there's a lot of foreshortening due to the use of a telephoto lens, so the train appears closer to the crossing than it actually is. The Land Rover is all-but off the track and the motion blur shows it's moving.

There's also no way of knowing how fast the train is moving. It could be 25mph, it's much more likely to be far less because of the station this side of the crossing. It could have stopped and be whistling prior to moving again. There's just no way of knowing from that image. It looks like a still from a video clip, it would be interesting to see the original video.

Indeed, if it weren't for the lamp beneath the chimney indicating the front of a stopping passenger train, we wouldn't know which direction the loco was moving in, either. It could conceivably have been a light loco moving away from the camera, as no carriages or wagons are visible.

How close to being a 'serious incident'? Realistically, given all of the above? Probably not that close. I'd certainly say calling it a 'near miss' or 'close call' is rather overstating it on the evidence supplied.

 

Counting the sleepers (not easy I appreciate) it looks like the loco is around 30-40 feet from the crossing and bearing in mind that the vehicle has come from the fireman's side I guess the driver had rather a surprise! It looks like Dunster Station which is approached from Minehead over an open crossing with crossing and give way signs on the road. I would certainly call this a close call and the driver of the vehicle must have known what he was doing at the crossing as this road is a dead end and leads to a few houses, a farm and a small industrial unit.

 

Photo dated 2003..........

 

I don't actually think that is a close call. If it were a road crossroads with a stop sign on the Landrovers side, then he would stop, and make a judgement of the approaching vehicle's speed and distance and proceed if it were safe to do so. I don't see why the procedure should be any different at a rail crossing.

 

From the WSR's point of view, the train will be slowing for a 5mph speed restriction over the crossing, having whistled at the speed restriction sign. The footplate crew will be keeping a strict watch out of both sides. The telephoto lens has greatly reduced the perspective of distance here.

 

It appears someone wearing a white boiler suit is stepping out of or into the loco. Unusual attire for the footplate, but I can't see what else that is. In which case the loco may be stopped....

 

Or sunlight on light coloured, clean overalls? Being on the firemans side. The person is probably looking for the crossing. And having seen the land rover shoot across probably relaying it across to the driver.