Model Railway Forum

I hope the car driver has to add in any loco repair cost too. Darned idiot for jumping the lights!
I really hope in addition he is charged with Driving without due care and attention.

There is a crossing on the Heart of Wales line which has had many close shaves. I dont believe the issue is always the motorists fault as at this one crossing, when I have passed as a motorist, when the sun starts to go down one has no hope of actually seeing the crossing lights. It is during these times that accidents can occur.
One dangerous crossing is an open crossing where trains are instructed to stop, sound the horn ad then go. Why? As motorists, cycists and pedestrians are not aware of this. They see the train slowing down to a stop and assume that the driver is slowing to allow them to cross. If the train just went slowly passed, the visual movement would show that the train is going to cross, so road users would have an idea as what is going on, so a motorist could easily make the wrong decision. (There is no indication for the motorist that trains will stop and then move on).

I find it difficult to accept that the sun could be part of the issue. In this case at least, they’re were two sets of lights on his side plus there is always,in my experience, an alarm sounding.

We can all assume what might have happened, but looking at Google Maps, the golf course, which the police assumed the car and passengers were heading to, is almost immediately on the other side of the crossing. Again, assuming the car never made it over the crossing, looking at the picture the police posted, the shadows lead one to think the sun was behind the car. I would find it hard to believe the sun was so bright in cancelled out the flashing lights on the crossing. There are buildings either side of the approach to the crossing, but the car should not have been travelling at any speed, unless they were in a hurry? In fact as you turn off the A149 you actually enter the entrance to the golf club before you go over the level crossing. We will probably never know?

It is such a real blessing that no one was hurt. We can rebuild or replace mechanical things. We cant replace people. Look after them. They are all we have.