Interesting, although these sort of things still happen too often. Contacting the railway network is the most important thing in this case, as such big movements need at least a 15 minute window to cross over.
I’m not sure how it works in the US, but there should be a number in the permit that you can ring to make sure that it’s clear to cross. Bearing in mind that these sort of movements don’t appear just out of the blue, a proper road survey is done months before the actual movement takes place.
Don’t know if TN still accepts links to Youtube vids, but here’s an excellent Middle-East Dutch film about Leyland Marathons doing the run to Iran in winter, which I haven’t seen before.
Of course I was going to post it on the appropriate M/E thread but because of the idiot three consecutive posts rule I’m left to bung it on any old thread. Any old road-up here’s the link:
ERF-NGC
2 Likes
And to @franglais, the transport company and the installer of the machine, said they did not know about the need for contact but the transporter said they tried to find out but couldn’t get any info. Apparently in the end both of the above fell out accusing the other of negligence in the matter.
But there was a clear metal sign fixed to a post just before the railway line giving the number to contact. Fair enough it did say it was an emergency number but if your wagon is already stuck on the hump it’s a bit late for that! Anyway, I would certainly not have proceeded onto the line without making a call so I make the driver at least lacking in some commonsense myself.
They were very lucky that the train didn’t hit in the middle, otherwise somebody may have been looking at a manslaughter charge. Also in that long document an example was given in another state where a train had hit a wagon with large steel coils on and, as the train ploughed on from the impact, several coils were scooped in through the front and rolled down a considerable distance in the passenger carriages, which did, of course, cause several deaths.
2 Likes
I do not think this could have happened in France. Such an exceptionnal transport is submitted to an authorisation from the administration. The journey, route and timetable, must be planned and certainly the railway operator would have been informed. But, of course, America is another world…
One certainly hopes so.
But accidents do happen everywhere, and anyone saying “It couldn`t happen here” really is tempting fate. Not road accidents but AZF Toulouse, Flixborough and Buncefield, UK?
And in Vosges June 2023
That is news report, but I don’t know what any inquiry has found.
1 Like
This should definitely not have happened if all steps of the protocol had been respected.
More about the inquiry here
Sorry Buzzer but you are going to have to change the name of that farm before somebody gets offended. 
Thanks for that link.
Not conclusions there, but a clear statement of what happened. I guess more will come out later.
Seems a bit off to me to suggest that the mast wasn`t strapped onto the trailer sufficiently…because a train knocked it off! What standard of load securing do they envisage?
But good to see it was relatively low speed and no serious injuries.
Buzzer
nmp
1 Like
Replying to myself here, but I just wished to negate a comment I made earlier on here about the ‘idiot three consecutive posts rule’. It’s not a bad idea for curbing over-enthusiastic posters but more importantly you can still post subsequent entries simply by editing your last (of the three) post and adding new material. Just add the words EDIT TO ADD or something like that. 
ERF-NGC
Over enthusiastic posters my xss, should think posters would be welcome to put on as many as they like, hundreds have already deserted TNUK already and cant be xssed as its too complicated now compared to the old system, there used to be some craic on here but sadly no more as the main perpetrator’s are not on here any longer Buzzer
It’s sad that you have to put up 4 emojis just to get past the 20 letter rule! 
I agree with all that Buzzer. It’s already stopped me putting loads of stuff on, and yes I know people who’ve given TN up for good. I’m really struggling with TN at the moment. But that doesn’t prevent me from softening my tone about a problem I’ve discovered a way of getting round
I am not happy with the new setup, and would be gone but I have made friends here who are giving it a go, so I will too, for the time being.
I haven’t found an alternative, one in Oz which is so quiet and sleepy that they can’t even wake up long enough to consider my membership.
More useful is an American one, very busy but their humour is not the same as ours and it is like walking on eggshells to avoid giving offence.
1 Like
I am still struggling with this new set up. I posted three photos on the Middle East Not Astran thread and they seemed to have disappeared.
And can anybody explain to me what the meaning of the 20 letter rule and what the three consecutive posts mean and which section these rules are in.
1 Like
Hiya MMM! These rules apply to all postings. The 3 strikes rules means that you can only make three consecutive posts on that particular thread. After that you either have to wait for someone else to post, or you can simply edit your last post to add new material.
The 20 character rule means that you have to write a post long enough to contain 20 digits of some kind. So if you want to say ‘Yes!’ you would have to add a load of meaningless blx to make up the post 
. HOWEVER, if you post any pictures the system doesn’t seem to mind how many characters you use.
Hope that helps.
ERF-NGC
