you couldn't make it up.

[webbo3]

leaves on the line wrong type of snow and now the wrong type of sun, whats going to happen when it gets a lot hotter in the summer ?

http://www.thisissome...909-detail/story.html


Dave.

[maggiebee]

They've got to be taking the pi$$.

[ELVIS68]

Believe it or not, it doesn't take much for the rails to buckle in strong sunlight hence the speed restriction.

People always moan about train delays whether it be sun, leaves, snow or suicides, they'd also moan a lot more if a train derailed!

[webbo3]

i understand that elvis, but, the WRONG type of sun, so, will the summer have the right type of sun ?

Dave.

[mushroom25]

//they've got to be taking the pi$$//

umm, no actually. the track was relayed over the weekend, and whilst it settles down the rails were stressed in accord with temperatures usually prevailing, with final stressing applied later. this would be sufficient to permit the new but unfettled track to be used at less than normal speed, but higher than the 20mph that might usually apply after such relaying work.

the unusually high temperatures mean that the stressing applied wasn't sufficient, rendering the rails likely to buckle in direct sunlight. hence the speed restriction of 20mph.

[DTCwordfan]

So in conclusion, carry on as normal and wait for the Somerset news to be reporting a major train accident.

Now that is soooooo bright.

[Jonathan-Joe]

Nobody in the railway organisation blamed "the wrong kind of sun" If you take the trouble to read the article, you will see this expression was used by some commuters (who are pobably not experts on track laying).

[ludwig]

// you will see this expression was used by some commuters //

I doubt that's even true. It was probably made up by whoever wrote the article. Of course it sounds a bit better to attribute it to 'some commuters' than 'me'.

[naomi24]

So the trains slowed down as a safety precaution - and the commuters were joking. This journalist needs to find another job.

[DTCwordfan]

Agree - writing about the so called fuel shortage. (i) Dorset knocked out - BBC - answer 3 outlets apparently. (ii) Cornwall in crisis - a queue of 7 cars on the road in Redruth, as one of the pumpswas knocked out by a maintenance failure.

I am not saying that there are not issues, but the Beeb and the papers seem to be looking to hyperinflate the smallest of stories to "add fuel to the fire."

Disgraceful.

[naomi24]

The rag that printed this story really shouldn't be calling itself a newspaper.