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Great Western Coffee Shop > Sideshoots - associated subjects > Railway History and related topics > [OTD] 11th June 1972 - Eltham Well Hall
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Author Topic: [OTD] 11th June 1972 - Eltham Well Hall  (Read 5884 times)
grahame
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« on: June 11, 2024, 08:38:21 »
Quote from: JayMac on November 16, 2018, 19:04:42
Quote from: broadgage on November 16, 2018, 12:11:33
And as for drunken driving ! The last fatal rail accident caused by the driver drinking was IIRC▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') over 50 years ago (Hither green) Happens all the time on the roads.

Hither Green in 1967 was a broken rail. Eltham Well Hall in 1972 was a drunk train driver.


52 years to the day since the Eltham Well Hall "accident" and I have, after thought, added this thread to the "historic" board as something that would not happen today.   But a reminder of the need for systems to be in place to be vigilant, jut in case a safety-critical member of staff (or one who can endanger safety) goes - err - off the rails.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2024, 12:45:24 »
Details are available on Wikipedia, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eltham_Well_Hall_rail_crash
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William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
broadgage
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« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2024, 13:53:47 »
Yes, thanks for the correction, for some reason I had confused Hither Green and Eltham Well hall.
AFAIK▸ ('as far as I know'), that was the last accident caused by a drunk train driver, most unlikely to happen today, but can not be absolutely ruled out.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2024, 18:27:24 »
Quote from: grahame on June 11, 2024, 08:38:21
Quote from: JayMac on November 16, 2018, 19:04:42
Quote from: broadgage on November 16, 2018, 12:11:33
And as for drunken driving ! The last fatal rail accident caused by the driver drinking was IIRC▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') over 50 years ago (Hither green) Happens all the time on the roads.

Hither Green in 1967 was a broken rail. Eltham Well Hall in 1972 was a drunk train driver.


52 years to the day since the Eltham Well Hall "accident" and I have, after thought, added this thread to the "historic" board as something that would not happen today.   But a reminder of the need for systems to be in place to be vigilant, jut in case a safety-critical member of staff (or one who can endanger safety) goes - err - off the rails.

Despite the well published policy on random D&A testing, which takes place across offices, depots, control centres, work sit access etc. post incident testing, the pre employment D&A testing and the regular testing at medicals; there are still people testing positive.

Having said that the number is extremely low, there are not many industries that have the legal requirement to conduct regular random D&A testing
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"The real source of danger, and the only one which there is any hope of removing, is in a complication of imperfections in a great number of the mechanical parts of the system"
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2024, 21:11:29 »
Thank you for that information, Electric train.  Wink

What is the level of alcohol tested against: is it 'zero', or any lower level than the legal limit for driving road vehicles, for example?

I'm asking genuinely out of professional interest.
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William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Oxonhutch
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« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2024, 22:33:10 »
Quote from: Chris from Nailsea on June 11, 2024, 21:11:29
is it 'zero'

There is no zero for ethanol in the human body. It is a metabolite of non-drinking people.
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« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2024, 18:01:26 »
Quote from: Chris from Nailsea on June 11, 2024, 21:11:29
Thank you for that information, Electric train.  Wink

What is the level of alcohol tested against: is it 'zero', or any lower level than the legal limit for driving road vehicles, for example?

I'm asking genuinely out of professional interest.

29 mil g per 100ml of blood, 13 micro g per 100ml of breath, as Oxonchurch says there is no zero
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"The real source of danger, and the only one which there is any hope of removing, is in a complication of imperfections in a great number of the mechanical parts of the system"
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2024, 22:07:55 »
Thank you both for your detailed information.  Lips sealed

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William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
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