Bluebell Railway General Discussion

I wonder what working with technology sometimes going back to Victorian days does to influence heritage railways incident rate?

Bryan

 

I think you've caught the wrong end of the stick with that statistic. You're stating it like there has to be 10 accidents per year in each scenario and so it looks worse on the heritage movement because that's a greater proportion of the total movements. It's less in important in that scenario, because that quantity of accidents 'have' to exist in the total number of movements.

What matters is the probability. I know your numbers are just placeholders but in your scenario, if both heritage and mainline had the same probability of a movement resulting in an accident there would be 1,000 incidents on the mainline for their 10,000 movements.

I don't think anyone should be surprised the probability is higher on a heritage railway; someone who is doing a task a few times a month is naturally going to be less familiar with the hazards than somebody interacting with them everyday. Plus there are the additional hazards of vintage equipment, aging volunteers and sight lines obscured by steam among others.

The Bluebell isn't unique in having a reportable incident and in this scenario it is very fortunate that no one was injured. Other railways have not been so lucky. It's not something I would like to accept just occasionally happens.

 

The RAIB info from the link in post #8250 says the person was coupling up the two locos. Difficult to see how you can achieve that without being between them.

 

True. When the RAIB report comes out we will know why there was movement while coupling. 'Til then ... ...
Pat

 

You're quite right, post edited.

 

Visiting on Sunday, anything special to keep an eye out for.... ?

 

Is that an "I've never visited, what should I look out for?" or an "I've visited lots, is there anything unusual happening?"

If the former, I'd suggest

- at Kingscote take a look round the station. There is a trail that takes in various places of interest that can be completed comfortably in the time it takes a service train to go from Kingscote to East Grinstead and back. (In other words, if you catch an up train, get out at Kingscote and then catch the same train when it comes back from East Grinstead). (See https://www.bluebell-railway.com/the-stations/kingscote-station/kingscote-station-heritage-trail/)

- At Horsted Keynes, take a look inside the carriage works on Platform 5.

- At Sheffield Park, take in the small exhibits museum on platform 2 (and the loco shed behind platform 1).

The second "A" trip (2:10 from East Grinstead) has a thirty minute layover at Horsted on the down journey, which would allow time to look in the carriage works and also see the Golden Arrow arrive. (Arrives at Horsted at 2:33 and continues at 3:05).

I think if I had all day, wanted to see as much as possible, and was starting from Sheffield Park, I'd do something like the following:

- Arrive as early as convenient, and look round the loco shed first
- Take the 10:30 service as far as Kingscote (arr. 11:02)
- Look round Kingscote and catch the same train when it returned at 11:37
- Return to Sheffield Park (arr. 12:20) and have lunch in the Bessemer Arms.
- Take the 13:00 service to East Grinstead (arr. 13:51)
- Return immediately to Horsted Keynes (arr 14:33)
- Look round the Carriage works and see the arrival of the Golden Arrow service at 15:00
- Catch the 15:05 and return to Sheffield Park (arr 15:20)
- Look round the museum on Platform 2 to end the day.

Tom

 

I think a few railways would benefit from that!

 

visited once a decade ago and will have time for an out and back from E Grinstead, but that is a useful heads up thanks !

 

OK, in that case bear in mind this Sunday that the 11:30 and 2:10 services from East Grinstead are steam (scheduled to be 34059); and the 12:45 is the Hastings Diesel Unit.

Tom

 

Do we know if a weekly roundup-up email was issued last week? I’ve not received one and last time I contacted customer services over a non-arriving round-up email I got no reply from them!