Re: Granville Accident 1977

[pierson@gone.enet.dec.com (dave pierson)]

>> timber bodied coaching stock has come up. Can I suggest that safety
>> in railways is far more dependent upon the design and upkeep of the
>> overall infrastructure viz signalling and trackwork etc rather than
>> the design of carriages. Rolling stock is not built like a
>> modern car where samples are crash tested for occupant safety!
	I must beg to differ.
	MODERN rolling stock world wide IS so tested & designed.
	In the US this has been the practice for decades, with specified
	amounts of end load, override intrusion (anti telescope), side load,
	integrity of exits (for safe egress after incident) requirements that
	coaching stock STAY COUPLED [This has been shown to minimize injuries,
	as each stabilizes the next....], etc etc.

	This should not be taken as criticism of, or reason to criticize,
	preservation activities.  (In fact certain sectors of US fandom &
	transit advocacy regard the US standards as extreme, asserting that
	they needlessly raise the costs of rolling stock.)  But it is a simple
	fact that the standards exist, and each one is written in blood...

thanks
dave pierson                        |the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation       |the opinions, my own.
334 South St                        |
Shrewsbury, Mass USA                 pierson@gone.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing."  A J Raffles
"....the net of a million lies...."	Anon