Original Story:
A Union Pacific Railroad Train near Dixon has been stationary for hours, blocking off an entire subdivision, according to a Jan. 31 news release.
Around 1:53 a.m. on Tuesday morning, the Lee County Sheriff's Office learned that a Union Pacific Railroad was blocking roadways for the entire Woodland Shores subdivision west of Dixon.......
At the time of the call, the train had already been stationary and blocking the road for hours. The Union Pacific crew has reportedly timed out and was waiting for a relief crew....
The sheriff’s office is currently working on a contingency plan in an effort to provide emergency access to the area should the need arise. The sheriff's office is also contacting the Federal Railroad Administration to make them aware of the situation.
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/train-blocks-off-entire-dixon-subdivision-nelson-illinois-union-pacific-railway/526-a09ecc04-0493-489b-9a7d-c505e6448503
I'm surprised they didn't get ticketed. Yes, I'm being serious.
Flintlock76 I'm surprised they didn't get ticketed. Yes, I'm being serious.
Cheaper to pay the fine than to have enough crews available...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dixon,+IL+61021/@41.8093084,-89.5625468,356m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x8809a9559ff89679:0xa5fc2dff78e94501!8m2!3d41.8389213!4d-89.4795478?hl=en&authuser=0
Based on the Butler road crossing in Nelson being blocked, UP must have had itself tied up in knots. The train had to have been stopped strung out thru at least the east interlocking at the junction with the Peoria Subdivision. If the train was super long, then perhaps the west junction interlocking too. What a mess.
Malicious compliance with a ineptly formed order from 'on high'?
'Go as far as you can!' with no qualifieres.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
We've discussed this before. They used to ticket trains blocking crossings. Most, if not all, local laws have been rendered moot by the railroads going to Federal courts and invoking Federal preemption.
They need to either have congress write legislation to govern blocking of crossings, or a Federal ruling, probably from the U S Supreme Court, stating that States may apply regulations when there is no Federal law governing on a specific instruction.
Jeff
BaltACD Malicious compliance with a ineptly formed order from 'on high'? 'Go as far as you can!' with no qualifieres.
More likely went as far as they could, thinking they would move up relatively soon. Might've been an eastbound waiting to work Rochelle. Possible even a westbound waiting to get into Clinton. (Looking at a map, I think the eastbound is most likely. A westbound would've most likely stopped short of the crossing at Nelson.)
They aren't big on having trains cut crossings when they think there will be a recrew. Even tying down when it's known there won't be a crew doesn't rate very well. And I hate to admit it, but too many crews are fine with not pushing the issue. Even when it's obvious that they aren't going to move before they expire on HOS.
They couldn't reach the wiper.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
jeffhergert BaltACD Malicious compliance with a ineptly formed order from 'on high'? 'Go as far as you can!' with no qualifieres. More likely went as far as they could, thinking they would move up relatively soon. Might've been an eastbound waiting to work Rochelle. Possible even a westbound waiting to get into Clinton. (Looking at a map, I think the eastbound is most likely. A westbound would've most likely stopped short of the crossing at Nelson.) They aren't big on having trains cut crossings when they think there will be a recrew. Even tying down when it's known there won't be a crew doesn't rate very well. And I hate to admit it, but too many crews are fine with not pushing the issue. Even when it's obvious that they aren't going to move before they expire on HOS. Jeff
When I was working in those far off days BEFORE PSR. TTSI in for many terminals had instructions about where specific sized trains could stop when being held out of the terminal. If the train was 6K feet it could stop short of Road Crossing #1, if the train was 8K feet it could stop short of Road Crossing #4, if the train was more than 10K feet it had to hold short of Road Crossing #10. Trains were required to obtain yarding instructions before passing the locations where they could be safely held.
At least we TRIED to be a Good Neighbor. We weren't always successful - but at least we tried.
I remember reading in the Special Instructions of the IHB employee TT concerning westbound freights coming up on a stop signal at Dolton. If they were above a certain length they would stop short at Cottage Grove Avenue.
These type of situations were where I learned that dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents and trainmasters could not reliably be able to read a track chart that they all had readilly available.
"Whut's a 30 scale?"
Queastion: Whats a 30 scale?
Answer: The size of the dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents brain in square millimeters.
caldreamerAnswer: The size of the dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents brain in square millimeters.
mudchicken These type of situations were where I learned that dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents and trainmasters could not reliably be able to read a track chart that they all had readilly available. "Whut's a 30 scale?"
They have to care about such things first. When you don't care there's no reason to consult the available information.
mudchickenThese type of situations were where I learned that dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents and trainmasters could not reliably be able to read a track chart that they all had readilly available. "Whut's a 30 scale?"
Had a Supervisor at the Dufford Dispatchng Center in Jacksonville that thought all the sidings shown on the Dispatcher's track model board display were all the same length in the field. (they aren't)
BaltACD mudchicken These type of situations were where I learned that dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents and trainmasters could not reliably be able to read a track chart that they all had readilly available. "Whut's a 30 scale?" Had a Supervisor at the Dufford Dispatchng Center in Jacksonville that thought all the sidings shown on the Dispatcher's track model board display were all the same length in the field. (they aren't)
CSSHEGEWISCH BaltACD mudchicken These type of situations were where I learned that dispatchers, yardmasters, superintendents and trainmasters could not reliably be able to read a track chart that they all had readilly available. "Whut's a 30 scale?" Had a Supervisor at the Dufford Dispatchng Center in Jacksonville that thought all the sidings shown on the Dispatcher's track model board display were all the same length in the field. (they aren't) How long had it been since he took a field trip through his area? Or was he newly promoted?
Not newly promoted, just terminally dumb.
He 'pushed' one train to Atlanta that had no place to go as it was going to arrive Atlanta 10 hours BEFORE the train's assigned crew could be called and there were no extra board crews available to more it ahead of the assigned crew. That move outlawed 6 trains trying to make Atlanta for HOS. Just another day in the neighborhood.
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