Amazing Video - Track Inspector

[Johnk]

I was sent this very short and very tiny video yesterday. It looks genuine enough but the circumstances don't seem right. Surely they would work in pairs?

Link to Video

If anyone knows the history of the video, or whether it appears on the Internet in a slightly larger format, I'd love to hear from you.

Comments welcome.

 

[big_b]

He's quick.

 

[pommie]

I think that it is a video form of 'photoshopped'

Note that the air being pushed aside by the train, and especially one as fast as that, does not even blow his jacket around, and with the reflexes he is supposed to have, why did he jump towards the next train ???
And the amount of air turbulence there would of been with the two trains passing in opposite directions that close to him would of tossed him around quite a bit but again it doesn't even ruffle his jacket.
I have to admit it has been well done though

Cheers David

 

[Johnk]

The way he jumps sideways like a frog in the first mishap got me thinking. I'm not sure it's a true human reaction, but I'm no expert. Thus my curiosity.

 

[ex-railwayman]

Why didn't he cross the track completely then turn round to investigate, at least he would have been away from the running lines, and was there an audible warning from the train driver, he should have been looking up occassionally for any oncoming traffic.....Very suspicious !!!


Cheerz. ex.

 

[picture]

I also think that the video is a fake. After the second train comes he seems to almost glide over the tracks.

Matt

 

[gary6204]

the way he jumps is very unrelistic. and whats he doing out there in what looks to be the middle of no where??

 

[DeRiCo]

Definitely a fake.

From my own experience as soon as I noticed a person on the track I would be applying full emergency brakes.

All trains keep going at full speed with no attempt to stop to avoid disaster.

Dennis

 

[Johnk]

DeRiCo, I was almost going to have a go at you, but you raise an exceptionally valid point. The trains whip past as if nothing has happened. It's certainly well done however. What surprises me is that it's only doing the rounds with people who send email attachments. I'm surprised it hasn't raised eyebrows elsewhere considering the editing quality. Pity about the postage stamp size though.

Damn, I'm going to do some research.

 

[Johnk]

Okay, I've done as much research as possible.

It is on youtube, which means I can take it off my site if I can still edit my original post.

here's the link

The guy who posted it said this:

Not sure if this is real or not and sorry about the quality. Just passing it along.

In response to a comment he said:

This wasn't filmed in North America. The FRA isn't claiming they had anything to do with it. The individual I got this from is one of our FRA compliance officers who in turn said a friend from the FRA gave it to him. They do exchange material with rail officials from around the world on a frequent basis.

 

[airtime]

The video definitly looks fake,

First of all, drivers are allerted to trackworkers possibly on that stretch of track, and will be extra vigilant, plus if drivers see any track workers on or alongside the line, they are supposed to blow there horn to let them know they are approaching.

And for the second reason, it looks like the second train clips his lower foot, this in turn would throw him slightly forward along the line, landing him in a diiferent place than were he first started.

These are high speed lines, we have these here in the UK and there are strict rules, you can cross the line and you can stand in the ten foot, which is the centre piece in-between the two lines of track, but you can't stop or stand in the four foot of the track (the centre bit of the actual track were the sleepers are) and especially around switches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09_SYzMtNlA

Above is the address for UK Track safety videos, supplied by Network Rail.

There are many different Network Rail safety videos on you tube, once you click on the one above, you'll get a selection of many others, covering all areas of track rail safety in the UK, I expect it'll be common practice around the world too.

Joe Airtime

 

[Johnk]

Another thing that made me curious was the matter of timing. On Japan's busiest Shinkansen lines the trains are a minimum of 20 minutes apart. I don't know about the ICE lines in Europe, but surely there would be a similar or longer gap between trains? Wouldn't a track worker know the timetable and at least wait until a train went past before walking on the line? As I said in my original post, these guys should also be working in pairs, with one observing.

 

[scottling]

It looks like some German ICE's. A DVD I have says that TGV/Eurostar/Thalys trains on the Paris-Calais line run only 3 minutes apart at full speed, 300km/h or 186mph, and that the emergency stop function brings the trains to a dead stop in two miles and 1 minute 5 seconds.