Driver is Killed As Steam Train Hits a Car
THE driver of a miniature steam train died yesterday after it collided with a car at a level crossing.
The train was carrying sightseers on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway in Kent.
After the collision, at 6.20pm near Dungeness, the emergency services arrived at the scene within minutes and tried in vain to save the driver’s life.
None of the passengers on board was hurt. Eyewitness Mark Richardson said: ‘I heard a massive bang then saw all the passengers climbing off the carriages to safety.’ The train, which is a third of the size of a normal locomotive, is designed to run at speeds of 25mph.
Another accident involving the light railway occurred in August 2003 when train driver Kevin Crouch died after a car crashed into his engine on a level crossing.
How can a person NOT STOP FOR A 1/3 RAILROAD?!?!?!
I agree. Its bad enough that people miss the Full sized trains, but when people miss 1/3 scale, is it just me or isn’t that kind of sad? I will say that it is sad that the driver died and the locomotive driver in August 03. Even though it was kind of stupid I still feel sorry for them both.
Obviously they need crossing gates and flashing lights even more than a full-size railroad. Rode the line in 1962. I think there is a regular train connection from London involving a change to a branch-line “Sprinter” or whatever they are using now, like an RDC.
The tragedy here is that the Locomotive driver was a lady, the wife of the General Manager. Sorry, I don’t do techie bits so can’t give you any links, but I read that on BBC’s News website.
For anyone visiting Britain and wishing to visit the Romey, Hythe and Dymchurch, the nearest main line station is Folkestone Central, which has a train every half hour to/from London Charing X/Victoria. From Folkestone Central it’s a 5 minute walk to the bus station from where a frequent service runs to Hythe, the RH&D’s eastern terminus.
The RH&D may be 1/3 scale but that’s the only thing about it that’s small. It operates a very frequent service and much of its line is double track so it really feels like a main line.