Re: Big train wreck in England!

["Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>]

David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
YtxK3.24$_u4.373320@news0.optus.net.au">news:YtxK3.24$_u4.373320@news0.optus.net.au...
> Andrew Price (aprice@mail.dotcom.fr) wrote:
> > On Tue, 05 Oct 1999 20:30:31 GMT, "David Ready" <ds_ready@usa.net>
> > wrote:
>
> > >26 confirmed dead now, and still more to come. I'll never know why the
brits
> > >don't have a system like NSW where a train gets derailed if it goes
through
> > >a red light or has its brakes automatically applied.
>
> > Cost.
>
> > Who, in their privatised network, is going to foot the bill for full
> > Automatic Train Protection?
>
> Come on!  The accident was just out of Paddington. The Great Western
> started putting in ATP in 1903!

Not quite right David, GWR started installing ATC which is a very different
animal to the extemely expensive ATP, which was trialled by BR in the late
80 early 90's and found to be cost prohibative system wide. The GWR system
could be over ridden by the Driver by cancelling the alarm as in the case of
the Norton Fitzwarren accident in 1941.

Correct me if I'm wrong, (and I know someone will), don't QR use the British
ATP on their electrified tracks somewhere?

Another thing to remember is that in the UK the track provider (Railtrack)
as well as the operators are privately owned, some thing that we haven't had
to contend with in this country, (yet).

> BR started putting AWS on main lines decades ago. In the case of SPAD it's
> supposed to apply the emergency brake. Two SPAD accidents in the same
> area, both with HSTs. Coincidence or carelessness?

I believe the ASW was not operating in the case of the Southall disaster, it
had been cut out due to a defect.

As a matter of interest, the Southall accident happened right along side the
shed where 4472 Flying Scotsman was being overhauled at the time of the
incident, the un-canny thing was that I had been there less than 24 hours
before photographing train.

Bob.

>
> Cheers
> David