Magnet fisherman hoists tens of small explosive devices from Northampton canal

[Graham Davis]

10 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Do they still use these things on the railways? It seems like a bloody stupid idea to alert a driver to danger with nothing but an explosion. If someone has had to take the time to go lay them on the track, why not stick up a flag/banner instead? Probably less traumatic for the passengers too who would no doubt fear the worst upon hearing a loud bang.

Yes they are still used, and their use is laid down in Emergency circumstances in the Rule Book.. All trains carry a supply. 

 

9 hours ago, tree monkey said:

I only ever had my basic PTS to work trackside but I think if there was ever a track obstruction or other danger it was the lookouts job to lay out the dets at an appropriate distance from the obstruction as a warning to the driver

Correct! 

 

6 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

I seem to recall that it was the driver's responsibility, in the event of a breakdown, to walk back down the track and lay a detonator to warn any oncoming train. Is it still so? (I know see that the q has just been answered above!)

Driver and/or Guard. Generally driver will go forward, guard to the rear. 
And if it is failed train, then if they know what direction the "thunderbird" is coming from the whoever went in that direct should stay there until the rescue arrives and he then "conducts" it to the blockage.

 

44 minutes ago, AndrewIC said:

Some signal boxes had levers operating detonator placers.

I understand that all "det placers" have been removed, and now they can only be placed by hand.

Last time I had personal experience of their use was about 5 years ago, on a trip down the Heart of Wales line. Our train failed at Cynghordy and the Driver laid dets in front of the train and the Guard to the rear. Eventually we were told that a "rescue" unit would come to us from behind so the Guard walked back to the dets and waited there. He then removed them and conducted that unit  to us. We were then coupled together and proceeded the way we came and "blew" all three dets. They did wanrn us there would be some loud bangs!

[Hudds Lad]

Just now, Graham Davis said:

Yes they are still used, and their use is laid down in Emergency circumstances in the Rule Book.. All trains carry a supply

Obviously i’m massively ignorant in the workings of the railways, i just find it amazing that in this day and age explosives are still used.

 

[Graham Davis]

39 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Obviously i’m massively ignorant in the workings of the railways, i just find it amazing that in this day and age explosives are still used.

 

I think the main point is that they are simple and effective; they do the job!

[churchward]

11 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Do they still use these things on the railways? It seems like a bloody stupid idea to alert a driver to danger with nothing but an explosion. If someone has had to take the time to go lay them on the track, why not stick up a flag/banner instead? Probably less traumatic for the passengers too who would no doubt fear the worst upon hearing a loud bang.

Any vigorously waved flag will indicate danger (it does not have to be red) but not so good in the dark a waved light in the circumstance will also do but when a person cannot be at the location and it is important to indicate there is danger ahead the explosive caps on the line is a very effective way to communicate to the train to stop day or night. They still can be used.

 

As with many of the railway regulations regarding signalling and modes of operation away from the normal passage of trains there will be multiple ways to communicate with the train.  Some of the old methods are still very effective and serve to be a fall back should other methods not work. The regulations are designed to have layers of safety and methods so that many things have to fail to cause something catastrophic.

 

Stopping a train from colliding with something wrong ahead will be far less traumatic than some small explosive devices on the rails or indeed stopping another train colliding with a broken down train with explosives protecting approach..

Edited February 4, 2022 by churchward

[StephenA]

1 hour ago, Graham Davis said:

I think the main point is that they are simple and effective; they do the job!

 

and one turned up at a charity shop the other day

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-60168856

[Tim Lewis]

During my trainspotting days in the 1970s we used to 'find' detonators and set them off by dropping bricks onto them from the roof of an adjacent building 🙂

[Laurie Booth]

8 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

During my trainspotting days in the 1970s we used to 'find' detonators and set them off by dropping bricks onto them from the roof of an adjacent building 🙂

I wish I had thought of that

[tree monkey]

9 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

During my trainspotting days in the 1970s we used to 'find' detonators and set them off by dropping bricks onto them from the roof of an adjacent building 🙂

Obviously as I was a responsible authorised track side worker I would have never done that, nope never did

[Graham Davis]

1 hour ago, tree monkey said:

Obviously as I was a responsible authorised track side worker I would have never done that, nope never did

And no-one EVER dropped them down the chimney of the platelayers hut, whilst they were having their lunch bait.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Graham Davis said:

And no-one EVER dropped them down the chimney of the platelayers hut, whilst they were having their lunch bait.

Having seen a 12 bore cartridge primer thrown on the fire and a whole cartridge dropped into an enclosed stove  I can only imagine the outcome.

[36national]

 It seems like a bloody stupid idea to alert a driver

 

 

the idea is to wake the driver 

 

[tree monkey]

21 minutes ago, 36national said:

 

 

the idea is to wake the driver 

 

Now you're being silly, particularly after lunch 

[Athy]

On 06/02/2022 at 11:06, Graham Davis said:

the platelayers hut, whilst they were having their lunch bait.

They were laying fishplates?