www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13686924
There have been a number of fatalities on main-line crossings in Porthmadog over the years - they've just commissioned this narrow gauge crossing on the main road/street - a case of two many signs in my opinion..
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You can't cure stupidity. If its confusion should they have a licence?
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Well I'm confused by the picture. Perhaps if I was familiar with the actual location it would be clearer.
It looks as if the railway at that point is like a tram - ie the rails are set in the road and cars drive along the same carriageway as the train. The picture shows a red light, with the train and car well the other side of the light. So who was meant to have stopped - the train or the car?
Did the train jump the light and the car follow through? Or was it actually green but changed to red after they had both gone through? Do some signals apply only to trains and some only to cars, although they appear to share the same lane at that point?
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The photo does not show the layout very well. Maybe someone can sort out a better photo.
>>Do some signals apply only to trains and some only to cars, although they appear to share the same lane at that point?
The red lights to the right of the track are a standard level crossing arrangement for cars.
The train will have been obeying the signal to the left of the track (on the same pole as the footway/cycleway sign)
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It is a bit of an odd layout. The railway crosses the road at a slew running along the carriageway before exiting to the right out of the picture. IIRC it took some time for the Rail Inspectorate to sign off.
The signals/signage in the picture look pretty clear to me. The level crossing is barrier less and controlled by lights. These are in the picture and comprise the usual amber warning light and red 'wig wags'. The white and blue signs immediately below the lights contain the usual instructions/warnings about use of the crossing.
Don't think there's any question of the train having run a red. On main line the rail signals would be interlocked so that they cannot show proceed until the l/c has operated. but I don't know if a narrow gauge line would need that level of complexity.
I suspect the steam engine pictogram on the lower sign is rail rather than road infrastructure. The only other signs are ped/cyclist oriented.
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we got a streetview link to this?
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>> we got a streetview link to this?
Here or hereabouts tinyurl.com/6k24824
The track is in place but appears to be obstructed and not yet in use. I was there around 2 years ago and I thonk the SV picture is probasbly around 2009. The subsequent provision of full L/C equipment may refelct discussions with the Rail Inspectorate. The rail in road stuff caused some angst to my fellow cyclists as well.
PU can probably fill in more details of other shenanigans around the Welsh highland Railway and its relationship with the FR.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 8 Jun 11 at 12:52
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So although it has the signage consistant with it being a level crossing, in appearance it looks just like a section of tramway. The point about trams is that they integrate with other road traffic, and travel at a similar sort of speed. If that had been called a tramway rather than a level crossing, there would have been nothing unusual or dangerous about the car following the tram.
It's hardly as if the train was thundering through at 100 mph - I image they trundle along at about tractor speed.
Also, looking at Streetview, there appears to be nothing to indicate at the point where the rails branch off to the right that it is for trains only. I wonder how many people think it is a road?
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Red light jumpers. - Old Navy
