NSW - SETS Single Deck Tour cancelled

["Ronald BESDANSKY" <ronbest@bigpond.com>]

Assuming the reason for cancellation of this tour was the issue of open
doors, it (re-)raises the issue of the operation in "heritage" service of
trains that formerly operated for many years in regular service under the
same "unsafe" conditions. I would imagine that it ultimately comes down to a
legal/insurance issue - what happens if someone falls out of an open door or
gets their head knocked off  whilst leaning out of one?

What's changed is the much greater tendency for people to sue for negligence
over matters that would formerly have been regarded as "accidents". However,
it's hard to imagine any court being prepared to support a railway
enthusiast, travelling by specific choice in a  vehicle which does not meet
"modern" safety standards, suffering injury as a result of doing something
patently dangerous (e.g. leaning out from, or standing near an open doorway
without holding on). Even an accidental fall could be legitimately
considered to be a "hazard of the game".The only problem I can see is that
of, say, a child running away from its parents (which no doubt happened in
regular service, anyway.) That could be solved by a ban on young children on
such tours.

The SAR/ANR used to insist on passengers travelling in wooden-bodied stock
in special trains signing an indemnity saying that, in the event of an
accident, they wouldn't sue for injuries which wouldn't have occurred had
they been travelling in steel-bodied cars.

What do people think?

Rgds

Ron BESDANSKY