Re: [NSW] Five (in a car) thought dead after train crash

["Alex Pout" <alpout@optusnet.com.au>]

Bradley Torr <truenorth@one.net.au.NOSPAM> wrote in message
3a7d3878_3@news01.one.net.au">news:3a7d3878_3@news01.one.net.au...
>
> Alex Pout wrote in message
> <3a7d32ce$0$16387$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au>...
> >Correct me if I'm wrong, but that crossing has some sort of bumps in the
> road
> >on the approach and departure.  I know that the Olympic Way crossing north
> of
> >Albury has them (is that the crossing here?? My geography around that area
> >isn't all that strong.) as well as running parallel to the rail line on
> both
> >sides of the crossing.
>
> Yes. I know that crossing well. When I last drove along Hwy 41 from Wagga
> Wagga to Albury in July 1997, there were MORE than enough warning signs and
> devices. Leading up to the crossing on either side, there are white painted
> stripes across the road for about 200m on either approach to the RR
> crossing. These painted stripes are used with success throughout Europe in
> situations where it is desired that traffic slows down - if I'm not
> mistaken, as you go forward, the stripes are spaced at ever decreasing
> smaller distances as a psychological reminder to slow down (apparently if
> you travel forward at a constant speed, the stripes will appear to be
> 'speeding up', thus compelling the driver to slow down). Another location
> where they are used is at the northern end of the F3 Sydney to Newcastle
> freeway, where 110km/h traffic must slow down for a roundabout at John
> Renshaw Drive.

I use the F3 everyday, I live right near the northern end of it, and from what
I remember, the bumps on the Olympic Hwy are a lot bigger and harder than the
paint ones here (bit off topic, but the RTA has since painted them across the
shoulders since too many people were just driving around them.. sound
familiar?).  They are also used at Raymond Terrace, southbound on the bypass,
where it's a similar thing, 100km/h to a roundabout.

> I believe that the paint used is reflective heavy-duty road surface paint -
> the paint is quite thick and it does at certain speeds feel like 'bumps' in
> the road. In any case, there is no way that any sober driver could miss
> them, and not realise that the stripes are warning that something is ahead.
> There are numerous signs too, not only warning of the RR tracks, but the 90º
> bends.

Having a totally unbiased judgement, with no real knowledge of the facts, how
about this for a hypothesis?? Car races train, and thinks that they can beat
it across the crossing (car can go faster, and accelerate and brake better
than the train can).  Come flying up, realise how tight the corner is, and hit
the anchors, thus losing all speed to get them across the crossing before the
train, instead of at the same time.  I wonder if they've looked for braking
marks on the road before the crossing.. even a car with ABS will scrub some
rubber off onto the tar.  From what I remember about those corners, doing 40
around them in a racing car would be too fast.

> Both approaches are more or less parallel to the railway, with 90º bends
> immediately either side of the crossing. The bends are quite sharp, but very
> well signed. How one can even think of 'racing' an XPT with such a difficult
> arrangement to negotiate at high speeds, I do not know.
>
> >Methinks I might nominate them for a Darwin Award.

OK, so maybe I was hasty there.  I'll wait for the investigation to publish
its report.

> Yes, the driver was very stupid IMO, but now's not the time for
> recriminations. The blame rests solely with the car driver. We'll never know
> if the passengers 'egged' him on. It's a wasteful tragedy - five young men
> at the prime of their lives going off to see a friend in a rugby game are
> now dead, and a country town is at a complete loss. I sincerely hope that
> the five deaths were not in vain, and the widespread media coverage should
> have served as a wake-up call to people who might not realise that railway
> crossings are NOT to be taken lightly.
>
> Many times I am tempted to blame poorly maintained and constructed roads for
> rural highway accidents, this time is not one of them. The RTA and the
> police have done what it could to make that crossing the safest possible.
>

Indeed, if only more crossings were marked like that one.

As an aside, driving through Newcastle today, I went through the Merewether St
level crossing near Civic station.  I remember when I used to catch the train
home from school that there were old fashioned gates there that had 4 gates,
with swinging arms underneath them. From what I remember, they were pretty
substantial, and completely blocked the road in both directions on both sides
of the crossing.  Then, they disappeared.  I remember thinking at the time,
that seemed to be a retrograde step, cause with the buildings around, and
considering the traffic in that area of the city, sooner or later someone will
go through it.  Opinions anyone??

And if I sound a bit bitter and harsh about accidents like this, it's cause
I'm a volunteer firefighter who's seen too many fatal MVA's (ie 2).

Have a nice night.

Al