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Post by geriatrix on Oct 19, 2008 12:14:29 GMT
I'm just an ordinary passenger, so forgive me if this is a naive question!
I notice on the Met down from Amersham there are a few boards saying Whistle, but I also notice that very few, if any, trains do actually sound their whistles, and I wondered why not.
Having said that, the heritage day 1938 stock whistled at every notice, certainly on the trip I was on.
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Post by District Dave on Oct 19, 2008 14:16:32 GMT
The quick answer is that they should do - whistle boards are mandatory.
I'm afraid it's simply laziness on the part of the driver.
The norm on LU is that whistles should be used between 07:00 and 19:00; of course if a driver sees a hazard (person about the track etc.) the whistle must be used at any time.
The 38TS driver was simply obeying procedures.
Hope that helps!
(And no need to apologise for the question - I'm sure it's one that many others have been dying to ask but haven't! Please feel free to ask away - it's the reason this forum exists. Dave)
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Oracle
In memoriam
RIP 2012
Writing is such sweet sorrow: like heck it is!
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Post by Oracle on Oct 19, 2008 14:29:48 GMT
We have a ped or farm crossing near here on the Bournemouth main line at Ashurst. It's a compulsory whistel and you can here the trains from here, quite a way away. It must be murder for the houses that back on to the line but there's the crossing and they can use it so it's a small price I feel. However I am certain that not all drivers toot.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2008 20:25:49 GMT
I used to pass over that crossing most days in my EWS period. There is a note in the Network Rail rulebook that states that horns are not to be used between 07.00 and 23.30. There are a couple of places where residents have complained about 'excessive horn use disturbing the peace'. Usually these complaints come from people who have just moved into a new development nearby. My own opinion is simple. IF YOU DON'T LIKE TRAIN NOISE THEN DON'T BUY A HOUSE NEXT TO THE RAILWAY!!! The problem arises when one of the complainents is a local councillor! One such complaint happened recently regarding Woodlesford station south of Leeds. The platforms there are staggered with a boarded crossing for passengers to use in order to access the 'up' platform. The crossing has swing gates and a set of red and green lights to indicate when it is safe to cross. Of course, if they are late for their train and hear one coming, they go for it regardless of whether it is their local to Castleford or a container train bearing down on them at 60mph! Not only that, at night the station is occasionally frequented by the local youth and they take great joy in ignoring the lights. We used to have a turn that passed through northbound en route to Stourton at about 2.30am and there was often someone loitering. These days, our return working is at approx. 6.30 am. See comments above regarding pasengers being late for their trains!
Personally I always blow the horn long and loud during the regulation hours plus anytime I see good reason too. If I ever get a 'please explain' as to why I sounded the horn the reply will be something along the lines of "because 'why did you sound the horn' is a much nicer question to have to answer than 'why didn't you sound the horn!". I am sure that, in the event of an accident, the complainents would be the first to condemn a Driver who didn't blow the horn!
To be blunt, the whistle boards are ignored at the Drivers peril. All trains allowed to run on Network Rail have to fitted with data recorders. From memory, I think the one on Diesel lcomotives is fitted with 171 different sensors. Break wind and it's odds on that the computer will know! Have an incident at a crossing and the computer will know if you blew the horn and for how long!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2008 20:38:08 GMT
There is a note in the Network Rail rulebook that states that horns are not to be used between 07.00 and 23.30. I think you have that the wrong way round! They are only to be used between 07.00 and 23.30 - in fact I thought it was 23.00 but I stand ready to be corrected! Very true.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2008 20:48:09 GMT
:-[Sorry, you are correct. It is only to be used between those times. Why I typed otherwise is beyond me. Ten years on class 66s dulling the brain maybe!
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