Important Message RE Dangerous working Methods on the Railway.

[avonside1563]

Just to add to my earlier post regarding pieces of paper, the staff at Foxfield are very professional in their approach to operations, on a railway with the gradients it has you cannot be anything but. A piece of paper to say you are competent will not prevent an accident such as this happening in the future on any railway, preserved or national network!
And to respond to the OP's last few comments, the railway has a rule book which was in place at the time of the accident, that some staff had not signed for theirs was an administrative error. Also a competency review was underway at the time for all operating staff and I had done mine a few weeks prior to the incident. All the items highlighted in the report are being, or have been dealt with and the railway will be operating as usual with everyone involved fully assessed and all paperwork up to date.

[62440]

Avonside1563, is it not true to say that the issues raised had been dealt with by late November and indeed the railway was able to operate it's December Santa season as normal?

Regards, 62440.

[HM181]

The reson this incident happened was people playing trains and the report spells that out to the nth degree.
Who gave to tip to the goods train,thats the guards job?
The guard in this instance is very lucky to have walked away from this job.
It all reflects an unsafe attitude from the shed cat to the bosses of this line.

[Barry Of Blackrod]

Its not happened because people were playing at trains.Wheni joined BR in the 70s guards and shunters were regulary being injured running after wagons ect. Drivers got injured getting on and off moving engines. It does not happen the same now as there is very little shunting and no guards on freight trains. But loot at the R.A.I.B. web site to see all the accidents on the so called professional railway.

[avonside1563]

HM181, I suggest you take a long hard look at the national network and tell me that things are any better there? Before you start making sweeping statements as you have done perhaps you should visit the railway and see just how professional the people running it are. It has been operating since 1967 and this is the first such incident in all that time. Could it have been prevented? Yes. Will it happen again? Possibly, who knows? It was a moment's lapse by otherwise very conscientious people.

62440, yes the railway was able to operate its Santa trains having dealt with the issues sufficiently to satisfy the requirements in the report.

[pre65]

May I add, that the people who "play at railways" today are in all probability a lot safer than "real" railways in the steam age.

The safety culture of this modern world is reflected in every business/industry today and we all benefit from that.

[HM181]

Only 3 people matter when shunting a train, those are the Signalman(If there is one) , the driver of the train and the guard /person ic the movement.
Anyone else should not be there as the shunter/guard gives the driver such instructions as required to work the train.
A safety critical job brief should have taken place by the person i/c with the driver of the train so the driver was aware of the moves to be made.
Seems to me there were too many chiefs and not enough indians.

[avonside1563]

HM181, I quite agree with your last comment and this was where there was the communication breakdown that lead to the incident occuring. As you will see in paragraph 27 of the RIAB report they are highlighting this incident to all railways, and I suspect particularly in respect of record keeping reading between the lines. Foxfield have taken the points directly relating to them on board and will be fully compliant before the operating season starts.
In closing, I'm sure that Foxfield won't be the last railway that something like this occurs at, human nature being what it is. Let us hope that it is no more serious.

[62440]

At least this incident was reported, unlike several hundred on network rail.....http://www.rail.co/2011/01/25/indepe...ished-by-rssb/

Regards, 62440.

[wyvern]

Originally Posted by Barry Of Blackrod

Its not happened because people were playing at trains.Wheni joined BR in the 70s guards and shunters were regulary being injured running after wagons ect. Drivers got injured getting on and off moving engines. It does not happen the same now as there is very little shunting and no guards on freight trains. But loot at the R.A.I.B. web site to see all the accidents on the so called professional railway.

Every day all over the railway system in the 70s and years before.