NS 6169 led the Peach State Whistle Stop Safety Train, and we see it here after arrival in Dalton, Georgia. Look between the ditch lights, and you'll see the lens hood of the camera mounted on the front. All photos by David Lester.
Growing up in Southern Railway country, I became aware of the Operation Lifesaver program very soon after I began studying the railroad industry, nearly 40 years ago. The Southern was a major participant in and promoter of this program, and stories about it appeared frequently in its employee magazine, Ties, to which I subscribed. Stories about actual grade crossing accidents appeared periodically, which drove home the need for Operation Lifesaver. The importance of this program was very much on my radar during those years, and when I was a sophomore in college, I even made a presentation about it in my public speaking class. The topic held the class’s attention, and received positive feedback. “A subject that one doesn’t often think about, but should,” wrote one of my classmates.
On Sept. 15, 1981, the need for Operation Lifesaver was demonstrated in the most intense manner possible. At 9 a.m. that day, in Huntsville, Alabama, a tractor-trailer tank truck, loaded with 8,986 gallons of gasoline bound for a nearby gas station, crossed in front of a westbound Southern freight train, and a hellacious scene followed. According to the National Transportation Safety Board report, “the gasoline cargo escaping from the cargo tank splashed over the locomotive and four passenger cars, that had stopped north of the track to await the train’s passage, and ignited . . . five persons were killed, and two persons died later as a result of their injuries, and four of five train crewmembers were injured.” All of the crossing apparatus was working properly, and the train blew its horn in the required sequence as it approached the crossing.
Rick Harris, Director – Corporate Communication for Norfolk Southern (on the left) talks with a local reporter at the rear of the NS research car.
When I think of Operation Lifesaver and grade crossing accidents, this incident is the one that stands out for me. Sure, there have been many other grade crossing accidents before and since that day long ago, some not as bad, but others worse. Yet, the photographs of that event are forever etched in my mind. Of course, my shock over that accident pales in comparison to the suffering that people who are somehow involved in an accident go through. People are killed in grade crossing and trespassing accidents, and the grief that their family and friends must endure after they’re gone is devastating.
Having followed Operation Lifesaver and grade crossing safety since then, it was a real treat for me to have the opportunity to ride a Norfolk Southern Operation Lifesaver train from Atlanta to Dalton, Ga., on June 5. Billed as the Peach State Whistle-Stop Safety Train, powered by two clean NS SD40-2s, and consisting of two coaches built for Norfolk & Western’s Powhatan Arrow train (NS Nos. 28 and 29), the NS Exhibit Car, and a platform-observation research car, the train began its journey in Valdosta on the morning of June 3, closing out the day with arrival in Warner Robins. On June 4, the train continued from Macon to Jonesboro, and from Atlanta to Dalton on June 5.
The seven screens aboard this passenger car display both the video feed from the lead locomotive, as well as a GPS feed showing the train's location.
This trip marked a milestone in the history of Georgia Operation Lifesaver, as 2014 is the 40th anniversary of the organization, which was founded in 1974. The national organization, founded in 1972, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012. The trip also provided an opportunity for Operation Lifesaver to introduce its new ad campaign, “See Tracks? Think Train” (see “Operation Lifesaver Launches New Rail Safety Campaign,” July 2014).
Jennie Glasgow, the State Coordinator for Georgia Operation Lifesaver proudly displays the booklet prepared for passengers aboard the safety train.
The train was packed with local officials, state and local law enforcement personnel, FRA and Georgia Department of Transportation representatives, media, and even NS police officers. All of these folks were there to learn about grade crossing safety from the railroad’s perspective. Norfolk Southern and Georgia Operation Lifesaver take these trains seriously, as was evidenced by the on-board presence of NS operating officials, including Mel Crawley, superintendent of the Georgia Division, as well as Rick Harris, director of corporate communication for NS, and Jennie Glasgow, state coordinator for Georgia Operation Lifesaver.
A group of officers from the Georgia Motor Carrier Compliance team, which is a part of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, enjoying the trip.
An interesting aspect of the trip were the television screens attached to the ceilings of the cars, which received a video feed from a camera mounted on the front of the lead locomotive. This provided all passengers an engineer’s view of the railroad throughout the trip, and a feel for the emotions that the engineer experiences as the train travels forward, always looking ahead for trespassers and cars approaching rail-highway crossings. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any trespassers, but as we approached every highway crossing, I felt tense, because even though cars and trucks were either stopped or slowing for the train, one never knows what the car or truck might do if they think that they have time to beat the train, even after they’ve stopped. Only as the lead locomotive cleared the crossing was I able to breathe a sigh of relief. Thankfully, we avoided encounters with cars and trucks. Toward the end of the trip, though, we were shown a video from a previous OL train, operating in another state, where a tractor pulling a flatbed trailer just rolled into the crossing as the train was about to enter, and the train plowed into the side of the truck, resulting in the truck climbing to almost cab level. That was one scary video. One can only imagine how the engineer would have felt if a tanker was part of that truck, instead of a flatbed.
Watching the railroad recede from the platform of the Observation/Research Car on the rear of the train.
As I’m sure is the case with other Operation Lifesaver specials, in other states and on other railroads, Norfolk Southern and Georgia Operation Lifesaver did a tremendous job with this trip. There were informative presentations and plenty of educational handouts for passengers to take home. “Tell your family and friends about grade crossing safety” was a big part of the day’s message. I encourage everyone to follow the national Operation Lifesaver program, along with your local Operation Lifesaver programs. Think about their messages. Share them with everyone you know. Lives are depending on it.
The engineer's view of the line ahead as the train is about to enter a grade crossing. Like most motorists, the car on the left is obeying the law by stopping well back from the lowered crossing gate.
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