"A guy in his little car with L plates on paused at the railway lines on the main road, to look briefly at the signs where it says 'look for trains'.
An unloaded logging truck heading north that was obviously going too fast and following too close overtook him across the level crossing while leaning on the horn.
[This is the level crossing in main street of Featherston, the railway lines are completely obscured from view on both sides of the road. Immediately after the level crossing there is an intersection with side streets on both sides, and immediately beyond that there is a pedestrian crossing.]
The entitlement! "You have wronged me by double-checking there are no trains coming!"
apollo11,
Aug 11, 8:41am
You aren't supposed to stop there, it has lights and bells to warn if a train is coming. I have no issues with visibility both ways as I approach it.
But blasting a learner driver is bad form, and some of these logging trucks are driven by utter pricks. I've had to slam on the anchors a couple of times at the Norfolk road intersection because the log trucks couldn't wait for a break in traffic.
intrade,
Aug 11, 8:45am
i recon the truck driver seems to be the dimm one.
bitsnpieces2020,
Aug 11, 8:54am
THe rail crossing in ngongotaha gets me, people slow down for it, there hasn't been a train on it for 20 years.
richardmayes,
Aug 11, 9:20am
Driving north the railway line is completely obscured by buildings on the right, and a row of trees and the market car Park fence on the left. So if you are going to look and satisfy yourself that it's safe to cross, (a REAL look, one where you would actually have a chance of stopping if you saw a train) then you're going to have to just about stop. Anything else is just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
richardmayes,
Aug 11, 9:24am
We get ten passenger trains and a log train or two every day. So there's a reasonable chance of a train being there! They come through town pretty fast.
annie17111,
Aug 11, 9:34am
The logging truck driver is a dick, no issue with a learner driver stopping at the rail way track there, better to be safe than sorry. Truck should be going slower thru town.
dublo,
Aug 11, 9:35am
And another obscured one is on SH 30 between Rotorua and Whakatane, near the second Kawerau intersection. Heading east the line on your left, from Tauranga, is obscured by a stand of tall trees. If by any chance the crossing bells and lights fail you won't see a train heading to Kawerau, unless you slow down and prepare to stop. If you don't do so it will be too late for you.
dublo,
Aug 11, 9:39am
I don't know why they haven't removed the warning signs for that crossing. The track there is unserviceable, the only vehicles using the line are the self drive "golf carts" which operate from Mamaku and terminate some kms before that crossing.
And you are right, the trains do thunder through Featherson. Must shake the whole bloody town.
oscar220,
Aug 11, 10:27am
The car shouldn't have stopped, the signs are obviously for pedestrians. The barrier and lights are there to stop cars if a train is coming. There are heaps of similar rail crossings in Auckland and it would be kaos if every driver decided to stop and double check for trains before proceeding across the rail-lines. A bit like stopping at a green light just to be sure. Unfortunately road rules would be probably be against the truck driver had he tail-ended the car, but when cars stop unexpectedly shit happens.
kam04,
Aug 11, 10:45am
These signs aren't just for pedestrians. I've seen the sames signs on main highways out in the country where there are no pedestrians. The signs are for everybody using that stretch of road.
apollo11,
Aug 11, 11:10am
I'd be interested to know just how safe these train warning signals are. I've seen them where they won't bloody turn off and you sit there until you get fed up and sneak through, but I've never personally had them fail to work. The rail owners can't be 100% confident or they wouldn't put a sign up lol.
oscar220,
Aug 11, 11:22am
Given the position of the signs in the photos (erected on the footpath) and the fact it is a controlled rail crossing there is still no good reason for the car to stop and thankfully its not common practice for every car to stop and check. If you were required to stop there would be a stop sign.
supernova2,
Aug 11, 12:11pm
Dont those self drive golf cart things use that track?
kazbanz,
Aug 11, 1:14pm
Learner driver being over cautious. Trucky not expecting him to do so. I'm betting truck wasn't "speeding" just made a bad call in anticipating L platers actions. ie trucky was at fault
amasser,
Aug 11, 1:29pm
'Slow down and prepare to stop' seems to be recommended. Used to be a speed limit when crossing railway lines but was probably ignored by most, like passing school buses.
"slow down and be ready to stop" This is what I do.
alowishes,
Aug 11, 4:07pm
Haha! Stop at a stop sign? What a novel idea, most treat a ‘stop’ sign as a ‘maybe give way if I have to’ sign.
socram,
Aug 11, 7:51pm
Displaying 'L' plates is to warn following traffic to expect the unexpected.
However, sticking an L plate inside a tinted rear window is dumb, as in some conditions, it is virtually invisible, therefore useless.
On the other hand, displaying L plates when it is not a learner driving, is illegal
"104 Prohibition on display of L plate except in appropriate circumstances" A person must not drive, on a road, a motor vehicle that displays an L plate as specified in clause 66 unless that person— (a) Holds a learner licence of the class that relates to that vehicle in accordance with Schedule 3; or (b) Immediately prior to driving has been, or is about to be, accompanying the person in paragraph (a) in accordance with clause 16(1)(a); or (c) Holds a driving instructor or testing officer endorsement and is driving a vehicle used for purposes connected with that endorsement.
That being the case, we tend to ignore them as the police don't prosecute for the illegal display.
johnny262,
Aug 11, 8:22pm
What colour was the logging truck? (Serious question believe it or not. )
dublo,
Dec 7, 1:09pm
No, their station is in Mamaku and the carts run down to a point adjacent to a layby several kms up the hill from Ngongotaha (or they did when we rode in them shortly after they opened for business, some years ago.)
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