Quote:

Originally Posted by locojoe (Post 52257) Here's a couple of photos of Elsenham station and level crossing. I don't know if the level crossing is manned with crossing keeper and hut. :)

The grey wooden building with the felt roof could be the crossing keepers hut.

yes thats the one and it is still manned untill this day and even as we speak

reason: the local people have put a preservation order on it so network rail cant change it to an auto crossing

it's definitely not fair for the train driver. not only because of the shock. in the film they use a class 31 (correct me if i'm wrong) which has a very high cab and large buffers. but with modern EMUs which have much lower cabs and lack buffers the driver can get quite badly injured if the train hits a big car!

Okay I know that was large-ish tanker and not a family saloon but the proof of the above, as if it were really needed, was there for all to see at Sudbury earlier this month. You just can't take any risks on level crossings of any sort.

I believe the driver of the DMU had exited the cab (into the passenger compartment) by the actual impact point.

Yes, I read somewhere that, having applied the emergency brake, he was in the doorway from the cab to the passenger compartment shouting a warning to the passengers at the time of the collision, and that this accounted for some of his injuries. I don't know the technicalities of driving a train, other than the odd play of Trainz, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of this. However, I understand that once the emergency braking system has been applied there is nothing else the driver can do. I seem to recall similar information being given regarding a HST that suffered serious cab damage in a collision with a tree a month or so ago, there the driver applied the emergency brake and ducked for cover in the nick of time. I'm sure there's someone with more knowledge of train driving here who would know about this.

Won't argue with that :D
I wasn't in the cab when I hit a tree either, wasn't worried about broken bones
more about glass in the eyes

I've banged on a bit on Trainguy.co.uk about level crossings. it amazes me how anyone could rush across when they know a train is coming. Or in the case of Little Cornard, creep across without permission from the signalman. If nobody took chances at level crossings they would be totally safe.

its not network rails fault nor the train driver, it is the driver of the car

I totally agree, I was not blaming Network Rail or the train driver. In the case of Little Cornard, the tanker driver drove across a private level crossing without permission from the signalman.