Animals v trains - inevitably, only one possible result: some appalling puns!

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the Swindon Advertiser:

DELAYS on the London line between Swindon and Didcot were caused yesterday after a herd of cows gathered on the track.

A train hit one of the cows which had walked onto the line at Bourton, near the Wiltshire border shortly after 9am yesterday morning.

The train was stopped for around 40 minutes and caused a backlog of departures from Swindon to Paddington.

A First Great Western spokesman said: ^There were reports of a number of cows on the line. It appears as if the train hit one, which damaged the engine.^

After the collision, passengers were asked to leave the train and wait at Didcot Parkway station for the next available service as the train they were travelling on required repairs.

One passenger at Swindon station said: ^We were told there were animals on the line but I didn^t realise it was a herd of cows. The delays were not too long and I suppose something like this really cannot be helped. I am just grateful it was not a child.^

First Great Western said the track was completely cleared within a couple of hours of the incident and other services running throughout the day were not affected.

It is not yet clear how the cows managed to escape from their field.

[Phil]

Any news on the injured cow?

[inspector_blakey]

Yes.

From the Swindon Advertiser:

It is not yet clear how the cows managed to escape from their field.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and take a wild guess, but I think there may have been a hole in a fence somewhere.

[Electric train]

Yes.

From the Swindon Advertiser:

It is not yet clear how the cows managed to escape from their field.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and take a wild guess, but I think there may have been a hole in a fence somewhere.

That's a radical thought, are sure them cow's didn't use a ladder 

There was also a report last week of animals on the line between Didcot and Swindon

[Super Guard]

Yes.

From the Swindon Advertiser:

It is not yet clear how the cows managed to escape from their field.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and take a wild guess, but I think there may have been a hole in a fence somewhere.

Also the bigger question has not been asked regarding the "gathering" of cows on the line:  Was it a planned gathering?  Was it a protest at fare rises?  Should the cows be questioned in relation to a new threat of terrorism ?!

I also want to know who on earth gets inconvenienced by cows escaping a field onto a line and instantly think "well at least it wasn't a child".... 

[Chris from Nailsea]

I also want to know who on earth gets inconvenienced by cows escaping a field onto a line and instantly think "well at least it wasn't a child".... 

Yes ... that struck me as a rather bizarre leap of reasoning, too. 

[LiskeardRich]

Yes.

so the cow went to good use then

[Electric train]

Also the bigger question has not been asked regarding the "gathering" of cows on the line:  Was it a planned gathering?  Was it a protest at fare rises?  Should the cows be questioned in relation to a new threat of terrorism ?!

My question is did these cows have a SSOW plan were they wearing full orange PPE and hard hats did they have a PICOW


Before we had COSS (controller of site safety) we had a person called PICOW(person in charge of work) oh SSOW safe system of work

[Ollie]

Also the bigger question has not been asked regarding the "gathering" of cows on the line:  Was it a planned gathering?  Was it a protest at fare rises?  Should the cows be questioned in relation to a new threat of terrorism ?!

My question is did these cows have a SSOW plan were they wearing full orange PPE and hard hats did they have a PICOW


Before we had COSS (controller of site safety) we had a person called PICOW(person in charge of work) oh SSOW safe system of work

Either way the lookout clearly wasn't doing the job properly.

[devon_metro]

What a mooving story. My deepest sympathies to those involved. I udder the words 'RIP' to the cow that lost it's life.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes: it was obviously a misteak for the cow to be on the line. 

[Ollie]

I suppose they could have been heading to Cowley?

[Phil]

... or Ox-ford

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

A steam train crew in Devon has had to make an emergency stop to avoid hitting a sick lamb on the track.

The animal was spotted lying between the rails by the driver and fireman on board the South Devon Railway locomotive on Sunday.

The tourist train was travelling from Buckfastleigh to Totnes when it was brought to a "rapid halt".

The lamb, who has been named "Lucky", was rescued and is currently being cared for at Totnes Rare Breeds Farm.

Dick Wood, general manager of the South Devon Railway Trust, was on the train at the time of the incident. He said: "The crew spotted the animal near Woodville by the River Dart and brought the 11.40 train from Buckfastleigh to a rapid halt. I looked out to see the crew climb down from their engine and gently lift the tired and dishevelled looking animal up on to the footplate where it was looked after until arriving at Totnes a few minutes later."

Mr Wood said it was believed the lamb had escaped from a neighbouring field and got lost on the railway after becoming separated from its mother.

Last year 112,000 passengers travelled on the South Devon Railway, the highest number of people in the organisation's 19-year history.

[Phil]

Sorry, but what exactly is the relevance of that last sentence in the context of the rest of it?!