TRANSPORT | Metrolink ‎Extension

[Freel07]

Originally Posted by Chorlton Bloke

Do you remember several years ago when a towing Land Rover went out of control somewhere on the M6 in the Midlands, got round the back of the Armco and caused one almighty train crash?

That's exactly what I was thinking of. Wasn't it on the M62 at Great Heck? I think the approaches to these sort of locations have been considerably beefed up since. There is a stretch of the M56 at Sharston over the Edgeley to Northenden Line that has those massive concrete blocks to protect the railway underneath.

[Chorlton Bloke]

Originally Posted by future.architect

A bit further north.

Well OK, wrong motor way and a lot more than a few years ago even wrong make of vehicle (almost) but at least nobody told me I was imagining it

[madferret]

Originally Posted by Chorlton Bloke

Do you remember several years ago when a towing Land Rover went out of control somewhere on the M6 in the Midlands, got round the back of the Armco and caused one almighty train crash?

Do you mean the M62 at Great Heck, near Selby? 10 fatalities and a damaged train in 2001.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heck_Rail_Crash

[Chorlton Bloke]

Originally Posted by madferret

Do you mean the M62 at Great Heck, near Selby? 10 fatalities and a damaged train in 2001.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heck_Rail_Crash

Yeah, too late, we did that one nearly an hour ago

[soupçon]

Originally Posted by DiscoSteve

Some stills from the Westbound Portion of my Tram Chaser video last month...

Edge Lane

The trouble with these kind of markings is that they`re quite diffucult to see when it's dark and wet. Something more three-dimensional would be better. There is a small amount of tolerance under trams for a raised kerb. In Nantes they use raised metal studs to warn drivers of 'trambahn' areas; it seemed to work well to me when I was there.

[Chorlton Bloke]

Originally Posted by soupçon

The trouble with these kind of markings is that they`re quite diffucult to see when it's dark and wet. Something more three-dimensional would be better. There is a small amount of tolerance under trams for a raised kerb. In Nantes they use raised metal studs to warn drivers of 'trambahn' areas; it seemed to work well to me when I was there.

The good old rumble strips which would do absolutely nothing to the trams but would quickly alert even the most absent driver that they were straying off the carriageway.

[soupçon]

https://maps.google.fr/maps?q=Nantes...138.41,,0,8.79

It's hard to tell much from this picture, but I hope you get the idea.

I'm not sure whether this would work any better in the dark and wet, but it's always interesting to see how other countries do things.

[soupçon]

Originally Posted by Chorlton Bloke

The good old rumble strips which would do absolutely nothing to the trams but would quickly alert even the most absent driver that they were straying off the carriageway.

True, but I'm not sure whether they could be adapted for the low speeds involved, or whether they would work at all when perpendicular to the direction travelled (e.g. near Mumps).

[Chorlton Bloke]

Originally Posted by soupçon

True, but I'm not sure whether they could be adapted for the low speeds involved, or whether they would work at all when perpendicular to the direction travelled (e.g. near Mumps).

Parallel to direction of travel surely?

They do work at fairly low speeds but at low speeds we might expect drivers to be paying a bit more attention to where they are going, on second thoughts, scrub that.

[Shaunpg]

Originally Posted by Freel07

Of most concern would be the possibility that the car had managed to encroach into the tramway swept path. I wonder whether the bridge approaches need protection using Armco type barriers.

They have put deep kerbs or is it Curbs on the bridge to prevent this but the car went through just before the bridge. I f you look at street view its to the left of the bridge over the track facing towards Rochdale. Through the concrete post and chain link near the lamp post. Quite a feat on a straight road.

[Paul Sidorczuk]

Originally Posted by Chorlton Bloke

Parallel to direction of travel surely?

Yes, that originaL statement that you referred to also had my imagination suddenly going into "overdrive"..

[Johnny de Rivative]

Thanks for those, Andrew!

Here’s a few of my favourite pix from 2012, a memorable year :-



















































And of courses there are dozens more, but so little time . . . can this really be two years ago, Tony? :-



All the best for the New Year everyone, and here’s to a Bananatastic 2013!!!

[Futurelink]

Happy new year everyone. Could we possibly be seeing Rochdale, Droylsden, Didsbury and Ashton all open this year?

Only time (and TMS) will tell.

[markydeedrop]

Happy New Year to all the SSC forumers! Hope you all have a great 2013.

[Ashtonian]

Here's to the next 12 months and more lines opening.

Anyone got a guess for Oldham Town Centre opening?

[X666]

Aaah feet up at last.

Happy new everyone

[soupçon]

Originally Posted by Chorlton Bloke

Parallel to direction of travel surely?

No, not at all; I know they work when installed parallel to the direction travelled as I've driven (apparently badly!) on a motorway before.

If rumble strips were in place at the Mumps crossing then the driver would have turned over them at an oblique angle to get onto the tram tracks. I want to know if rumble strips work in situations like this.

[Paul Sidorczuk]

Best wishes for 2013 to everyone on the Metrolink thread.

[Paul Sidorczuk]

Originally Posted by Futurelink

Could we possibly be seeing Rochdale, Droylsden, Didsbury and Ashton all open this year?

I was unaware that the construction programme of the link through to the terminal station of Ashton was so far advanced as to be completed by the end of 2013

[Chorlton Bloke]

Originally Posted by soupçon

No, not at all; I know they work when installed parallel to the direction travelled as I've driven (apparently badly!) on a motorway before.

If rumble strips were in place at the Mumps crossing then the driver would have turned over them at an oblique angle to get onto the tram tracks. I want to know if rumble strips work in situations like this.

I struggle to comprehend!
Rumble strips adjacent to and in line with the carriageway.
Unless the driver was driving up to the (apparent) junction slowly and then turning sharply then of course rumble strips would be no help at all, but then neither would anything else, as at least one driver has managed not to see a gaping hole in the road, deep enough to stop him dead.