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Virginia, MN and a semi vs. train.

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Virginia, MN and a semi vs. train.
Posted by NP Eddie on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 6:03 PM

ALL:

Look at WCCO.com for a great dash cam video of a semi going around gates and getting hit by a CN (probably x-DWP) train. A Minnesota State Patrol sergeant was parked by the road and caught the truck getting bumped out of the way by said train. If you listen carefully, the Trooper says SP384? to Virginia (his district headquarters (northwest of Duluth). Please correct me if this x-DMIR.

You can't fix stupid!

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 6:27 PM

No gates at that crossing... The truck was pulling away from a road-side inspection and watching a car ignore the gradecrossing lights and the truck driver just followed right after.  POW!

 

More direct link to the WCCO video story:

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/02/23/dashcam-video-shows-train-colliding-with-semitrailer-in-northern-minn/ 

 

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 7:02 PM

Love the engine idle sound of the locos, and the Upper Midwest accent of the trooper.  The sound quality throughout is pretty good, ATC.  Good thing there was an "access road" on that side of the train for the Law Enforcement Officer to use - and had a vehicle that could.  The LEO sure got his exercise running back and forth from his patrol vehicle to the truck and loco cabs.  Very professional, too - let the medical responders come anyway.  Glad that no one was hurt much, except the truck drvier's ego.  Lot of 'bleeping out' of words from the truck driver.  Will take a big tow truck to pull it back to the road.  Hope the locals don't mind the crossing being blocked for a few hours . . .    

Thanks for sharing !

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 10:34 AM

Paul_D_North_Jr
Love the engine idle sound of the locos, and the Upper Midwest accent of the trooper.

Yeah, I thought it was a sound clip from "Fargo" but he didn't sound like Frances McDormand.

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Posted by BOB WITHORN on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 11:28 AM
Probably a 67 year old that's suddenly planning to retire.
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 1:48 PM

     That was interesting to be observing from the trooper's point of view.  Why didn't the train crew get out of the locomotive and look things over once the train came to a stop?  I think the dash-cam video is about 5 minutes.  In that time, the trooper checks on the truck driver and finds he is okay, then checks that the engine crew is okay and tells them the truck driver is alright.  Wouldn't the train crew want to to check on the truck driver, or at the very least check that there wasn't some impending danger like leaking fuel?

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Posted by MarknLisa on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 4:18 PM

I like the classic Kinks music playing in the background

 

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 6:04 PM

Murphy Siding

     That was interesting to be observing from the trooper's point of view.  Why didn't the train crew get out of the locomotive and look things over once the train came to a stop?  I think the dash-cam video is about 5 minutes.  In that time, the trooper checks on the truck driver and finds he is okay, then checks that the engine crew is okay and tells them the truck driver is alright.  Wouldn't the train crew want to to check on the truck driver, or at the very least check that there wasn't some impending danger like leaking fuel?

Engineer will stay on the engine - period.  Conductor probably putting on his outdoor gear as it isn't normally needed in the locomotive cab when the heater is working.  Additionall the incident is being reported to the Train Dispatcher.

The policeman, having just previously stopped the trucker, was still in his outdoor gear.  With the policeman running while he was out of his cruiser, it must have been cold, damn cold; as it normally is in Minnesota this time of year.

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Posted by ricktrains4824 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 8:21 PM

So, even if he passed the inspection without a citation, someone's day just got real bad, real fast.... And, real expensive. Citation alone will cost some cash, and then the dashcam video will prove he was at fault, so, possible lost job, or if owner operator, possible zero insurance coverage, for the incident and the future.

Yep, time to find a new occupation.

Ricky W.

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 8:27 PM

ricktrains4824
So, even if he passed the inspection without a citation,...

I'd opine that virtually anyone who's suffered a traffic stop, citation or no, has their mind on just about anything but driving as they pull away.  They might be angry, confused, grateful, or whatever...

The driver might have been stowing whatever documents he pulled out for the trooper and not paying attention...

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 10:15 PM

BaltACD

 

 
Murphy Siding

     That was interesting to be observing from the trooper's point of view.  Why didn't the train crew get out of the locomotive and look things over once the train came to a stop?  I think the dash-cam video is about 5 minutes.  In that time, the trooper checks on the truck driver and finds he is okay, then checks that the engine crew is okay and tells them the truck driver is alright.  Wouldn't the train crew want to to check on the truck driver, or at the very least check that there wasn't some impending danger like leaking fuel?

 

Engineer will stay on the engine - period.  Conductor probably putting on his outdoor gear as it isn't normally needed in the locomotive cab when the heater is working.  Additionall the incident is being reported to the Train Dispatcher.

The policeman, having just previously stopped the trucker, was still in his outdoor gear.  With the policeman running while he was out of his cruiser, it must have been cold, damn cold; as it normally is in Minnesota this time of year.

 

What would be the normal protocol for an engine crew after a collision at a crossing?

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Posted by Dakguy201 on Thursday, February 25, 2016 7:35 AM

It appears the road crosses the rails at an acute angle.  Those crossings are the most dangerous as they require the driver to look over his shoulder, sometimes quite a bit behind him, to obtain an adequate view down the tracks. 

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Posted by BOB WITHORN on Thursday, February 25, 2016 7:42 AM

But the lights were flashing!!!  Doesn't matter how tough it is to SEE the train if the lights and gates are working. Talk about distracted driving.

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Posted by beaulieu on Thursday, February 25, 2016 2:38 PM

Accident happened on the CN ex- DM&IR Viginia branch. The headend of the train would be blocking Iron Jct. where the Virginia branch splits from the Missabe main to Mt. Iron and US Steel Minntac Taconite pellet plant. Besides connecting the ex- DM&IR to the DW&P this line also serves Cliff's Thunderbird Mine North Loadout.

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, February 25, 2016 3:04 PM

[quote user="Dakguy201"]

It appears the road crosses the rails at an acute angle.  Those crossings are the most dangerous as they require the driver to look over his shoulder, sometimes quite a bit behind him, to obtain an adequate view down the tracks. [/quote]

Were it a crossbuck crossing you would have a point.  It wasn't and the protection was visibly working.

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Posted by coborn35 on Saturday, February 27, 2016 10:22 PM

It is a four way stop equipped with stop signs.

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