Yesterday saw another railway level crossing incident when a tractor and one of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch’s 1/3 scale steam trains collided, the locomotive and one carriage were derailed with the engine being overturned. Fortunately injuries this time are reported to have been minor, however this has not been the case in past incidents; three engine drivers have been killed and one seriously injured, yet with the exception of a lorry driver killed in 1946 the motorists have always come off better. We shall see eventually where blame for this latest incident is attributed, but all previous seem to have been the motorist at fault, with the most notorious fatal incident resulting merely in a conviction for careless driving.
I think people see the RHDR as merely a big train set and think the normal laws about crossings don’t apply. It matters not as it’s a properly sanctioned railway no different to a preserved line. I used to help out on the Glos Warks Railway and saw quite a few times, ignorant ramblers thinking they can just walk along the trackside because it’s not part of the national network. In the case above it seems a combination of not paying attention combined with a pig ignorant tractor driver.
It’s the locals who don’t treat it with respect, every single accident that has ever occurred on the RH&DR between a train and a vehicle has involved a local driver despite considerable tourist traffic. Having said that, since it is supposed to be a miniature main line railway, it should be protected by level crossings with barriers, at least between Hythe and New Romney, which is where every accident seems to occur.
We’ve ridden the RH&DR on numerous occasions and it always seems ironic to me that the south-east is considered to be one of the most overpopulated parts of the UK, when the Romney Marsh is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the UK and Dungeness is considered by some to be the UK’s only desert.
telegraph.co.uk/travel/safar … esert.html
ETA a pic of our favourite RH&DR loco, no 3, Southern Maid.
It’s being reported locally that the tractor & trailer was from a local farm and was stationary on the crossing. The train was heard continually blowing it’s whistle before it hit. As they only travel at 20mph I would have thought train would have had time to stop.
Harry Monk:
It’s the locals who don’t treat it with respect, every single accident that has ever occurred on the RH&DR between a train and a vehicle has involved a local driver despite considerable tourist traffic. Having said that, since it is supposed to be a miniature main line railway, it should be protected by level crossings with barriers, at least between Hythe and New Romney, which is where every accident seems to occur.We’ve ridden the RH&DR on numerous occasions and it always seems ironic to me that the south-east is considered to be one of the most overpopulated parts of the UK, when the Romney Marsh is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the UK and Dungeness is considered by some to be the UK’s only desert.
telegraph.co.uk/travel/safar … esert.html
ETA a pic of our favourite RH&DR loco, no 3, Southern Maid.
Interesting insight. A lucky incident. You hit one of those locomotives in the middle even in an artic and your day will be ruined. They’re like bombs, right down to small locos. Treat anything steam with respect. They’re not toys, even if they look like it. A traction engine exploded in a farm fair in America some years back and took out half the field of people.
wing-nut:
It’s being reported locally that the tractor & trailer was from a local farm and was stationary on the crossing. The train was heard continually blowing it’s whistle before it hit. As they only travel at 20mph I would have thought train would have had time to stop.
I heard the same report from a local when I was at Dungeness today, problem here is that many tractor drivers wear ear defenders so might not hear the train whistle. However he would also know the train timetables if he was a local so should not have been stopped on the crossing. Even at 20mph the train would take several 100’s of yds to stop, they are on steel wheels and tracks just like normal trains, no tyres to grip the road.
All crossings on dedicated public roads now have flashing lights and warning bells, some on the busier roads also have barriers.
My wife and I, believe it or not at her suggestion, had a day out on this railway only a few days ago. In spite of visiting the Romney Marsh coastline virtually once a month this was the first trip on the train since the children were fairly small - and they are both now in their thirties. Having seen the pictures it appears that the locomotive involved in this collision No1 Green Goddess, was actually pulling one of the trains we rode on. What was most noticeable was the increase in the number of houses which now back onto the line.
As has been pointed out practically every past incident has involved local drivers, which seeing the general standard of driving on the Marsh is hardly surprising, it seems that since there is a lack of employment in the area, the cost of hiring a brain for the day is beyond the resources of many inhabitants.
Farmer System Milker’s giant tractor (which I no doubt helped to pay for) and its large trailer load of straw almost certainly comes into the category of vehicles required to telephone the signalman for permission when intending to use the crossing - length and width if not actual speed over the rails. Given that this vehicle was making repeated trips all day long that would amount to a seemingly unprofitable use of time.
This below features the RHDR’s General Manager’s statement about the incident. One must just wonder what terrible memories this must revive for poor Mr Martin, since it was his wife who was killed in the last similar crash when her locomotive was hit.
Photo of Green Goddess after the incident. I’d say the driver was very lucky.
I hope that they can get her up and running again.Even a model steam engine is not a toy.I remember an old steam engine driver telling me that any fool could make one go but it takes a driver to make one stop.
Without a doubt she’ll be returned to service, but I wouldn’t like to be the owner of the tractor come insurance renewal time.
I expect the farmer has already told the police “you don’t understand the countryside…blah blah blah…subsidies subsidies…” 
Interesting to see the contrast in reporting between the Local free paper for the Romney Marsh area which puts to bed all the sensationalist journobollox seen elsewhere, and the farmers’ periodical toilet paper which focuses on the tractor being hit by the train and how farmers can avoid getting the taxpayers’ shiny new tractor’s paintwork scratched on level crossings. Apart from the sheer difference in size between the two, the combined reports indicate that this occured on a private crossing with clear signs requiring the need to obtain permission to cross the line. The train derailed after the buffer beam struck what is shown to be a massive front counterweight.
What is most worrying and relevant to road users is the distance between the front of such a counterweight and the driver’s eyes. While most road junctions in urban areas require clear sight lines which should compensate, rural roads and farm gateways are a different matter. We have had a warning, the time has come for some changes to the conditions which allow such oversize equipment onto our roads.
Martin:
However he would also know the train timetables if he was a local so should not have been stopped on the crossing.
But that’s often the problem though with user-worked level crossings, regular users “know the timetable” so assume it’s safe to cross.
It’s one of the main points made in this video aimed at farm workers by Network Rail.
it it only myself that’s thinking about this now?
youtube.com/watch?v=thaMfjj3_xk
poor farmer…poor poor subsidised,miserable,tight fisted ,miserly inbred cretin.it costs them out of pocket money to bring in the milk now,they all run at a loss,so we should al be grateful for them and not get upset when they do their rolling roadblock on a daily basis miles away from their farm using tractors and trailers because there too miserable to pay for a truckload.ive met people on holiday from a million walks of life and occupations,but ive never ever lay at the pool beside a farmer…seemingly as scarce as a chineese funeral…or is that just me again?
We deliver quite a lot of brick ■■■■■■■■ to farmers (mostly rejects from screening soil), either given to them free or they pay pretty much just the haulage costs. Yet I guarantee they will complain it’s too big or too small, too dusty, not dusty enough, too much red brick etc. They’ll also assume you know exactly which field under which tree it is to be tipped, that you can drive across a field “because it hasn’t rained this week” and care not about any mess you make coming back out. A
dieseldog999:
it it only myself that’s thinking about this now?youtube.com/watch?v=thaMfjj3_xk
poor farmer…poor poor subsidised,miserable,tight fisted ,miserly inbred cretin.it costs them out of pocket money to bring in the milk now,they all run at a loss,so we should al be grateful for them and not get upset when they do their rolling roadblock on a daily basis miles away from their farm using tractors and trailers because there too miserable to pay for a truckload.ive met people on holiday from a million walks of life and occupations,but ive never ever lay at the pool beside a farmer…seemingly as scarce as a chineese funeral…or is that just me again?
Hlw did you find that you jave way to much time on your hands 
Harry Monk:
Photo of Green Goddess after the incident. I’d say the driver was very lucky.
Very lucky indeed. The last 2 level crossing incidents the driver of the locomotive didn’t survive.
In this scale, you hit a train, you’ll kill the driver, and you’ll survive to explain what happened.
In standard gauge, the train driver will more than likely explain what he/she saw…
Harry Monk:
Photo of Green Goddess after the incident. I’d say the driver was very lucky.
Oh no! Poor thing! Hope it’s not too badly damaged
The official report into this has now been published. It would seem that farmers, their workers and contractors are so THICK that they need daily reminders to read and observe mandatory signage erected to ensure their own and others safety.
It follows therefore that the Electricity companies are required to write to every household every week reminding consumers that contact with the live wire can be fatal.
Farmers are probably the worst for health and safety. Power cables, boggy ground, messy roads, insecure loads and rotten trailers mean nothing and anyone criticising them “doesn’t understand farming” so I heard a farmer tell a copper who was telling him off about some bales that fell off his trailer.
There must be a subsidy the farmers can claim for not stopping at level crossings? They claim for evrything else and then give us all tales of woe from behind the wheel of a new Range Rover.