Low Loader carrying 80072 crashes on M5
 

The low loader was taking 80072 home to the Llangollen Railway from the West Somerset Railway. Just ignore the reporter stating that it's a train weighing 20 tonnes (it's a locomotive weighing around 86 tons) - link here:

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/6...l/story.html#1

The report suggests that the crash doesn't appear to have damaged the loco or caused any injuries, thankfully.

Tony

"It crashed into roadworks"? There is no sign of roadworks in the photo. The standards of reporting in UK newspapers makes one despair. The first rule of reporting is; GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT. The second rule is; Check and recheck your spelling. The press appear to have ditched both rules.

Yes it's not obvious from the photos exactly what's happened here!

Tony

How on earth can anyone tell from the photo exactly what happened ?

It is reported that for a as yet unknown reason the tractor unit was in a collision with the stop end of a temporary barrier the Highways Agency erect in order to protect the hard shoulder during roadworks, you can just make it out in the far distance near the blue truck.

80072 arrived safely at Llangollen yesterday and is now undergoing checks to make sure everything is where it should be etc.


Cheers John

Nobody hurt or killed that's the main thing.

Seems curious though. With 86 tonnes on the back I doubt the driver was leathering it! And surely such a load would have been escorted by police outriders?

I don't believe a police escort is required for the load, despite its weight. The length and width are the important things, and for this load they are within normal limits.

How on earth can anyone tell from the photo exactly what happened ?
__________________
Philip.

I think the clue is in the second photograph Philip which shows just where the driver lost his No Claims Bonus.
Stuart

Glad that the old girl didn't come to any harm, as it's one of my most photographed locos, i seem to have seen it everywhere I've been. I wouldn't like to speculate as to what happened, and certainly not from the photos.

I can't help but comment on the level of journalism though..........."This is the moment an historic 60-year-old train crashed"...... It isn't a train and, it wasn't a train crash, it was the truck that was transporting it that crashed and therefore a road traffic accident
The photo caption says "The 20 tonne train, an 80072 locomotive".........need I say more except that it becomes an "86 tonne train, an 80072 locomotive" in the article

Looks like they sent the kid on work experience to do the article KEN. He uses tonnes.
This loco weighed in at 88tons and 10cwt back in 1951 and probably still does.
Stuart.