Trains.com

Yet again...

3051 views
12 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: Cardiff, CA
  • 2,930 posts
Posted by erikem on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 10:12 PM

dekemd

Truck drivers are just not paying attention.

Might be more accurate to say that some truck drivers are not paying attention.

In my neck of the woods, the Leucadia Blvd crossing of the AT&SF Surf Line catches a truck every few years, despite signs warning of the hump. On a similar vein, there's a parking lot near where I work that has a sign warning about a sharp breakover angle on one of the driveways leading in/out of the parking lot and I've seen a few semis high-centered there.

- Erik

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: US
  • 286 posts
Posted by dekemd on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 10:22 AM

schlimm

 dekemd:

I've driven that road many times.  Without doing a LOT of grading and paving, or moving the road or tracks it would be very difficult to reduce the hump.  The warning signs are posted about 100ft from where you turn to go across the crossing.    If I remember correctly it also has a sign that says low vehicles may drag.   There is plenty of warning.  Truck drivers are just not paying attention.

 

All you say about the truck drivers is probably true and, yes, it might be difficult to raise the grade of the road, but hardly impossible.  So what to do?  Do nothing except blame ignorant drivers and wait for a horrible accident which will be the fault of a driver?  That is not an mature response.

 

I didn't say to just do nothing.  I was just pointing out that the options were limited and expensive.  With the present economy and budget shortfalls in NC, I highly doubt the state will spend the money to fix it.  Unfortunately a horrible accident is probably what it will take for the purse strings to be loosened enough to fix this crossing.  

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 9:28 PM

After looking at the 'street view" of the crossing , I would tend to agree with Blue Streek 1.You know the local entities are going to be very resistant to closure of what appears to be a convient crossing in a commercial/retail area.  Don't even approach reconstruction of the crossing/intersection; budgets being what they are now. It is a State Highway [NC214]. The NC Dot would probably consider the reconstruction, but then it has to be scheduled, prioritized, and budgeted. In 1962/63 I worked on the Orange/Wake County Master Plan( including the RTP area. It took 15/20 years to get some of that implemented. 

The only metric that will get a fix speed up is most likely a really bad crsh, that kills some folks and scatters POVs, and rail cars about.  Unfortunately, that kind of event is the only pressure political entities respond quickly to. My 2 Cents

An intersection closure at the Battleground Rd and NSRR is the least costly, and probably would be pretty disruptive among the locals.  The costs to lower the NSRR ROW would look like a lottery winners big number. And it probably would be a cold, rainy day, you know where before it got done. Looks like a mainline ROW, so a speed reduction on the NS is probably out of the question, and lots of horn action from the passing trains would wear thin, pretty quickly. Sigh

 

 


 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 9:16 PM

dekemd

I've driven that road many times.  Without doing a LOT of grading and paving, or moving the road or tracks it would be very difficult to reduce the hump.  The warning signs are posted about 100ft from where you turn to go across the crossing.    If I remember correctly it also has a sign that says low vehicles may drag.   There is plenty of warning.  Truck drivers are just not paying attention.

All you say about the truck drivers is probably true and, yes, it might be difficult to raise the grade of the road, but hardly impossible.  So what to do?  Do nothing except blame ignorant drivers and wait for a horrible accident which will be the fault of a driver?  That is not an mature response.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Yet again...
Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 8:34 PM

Eliminate the crossing? I agree.  That being said I seem to remember that in NC the state DOT has very limited jurisdiction inside city limits? That was many years ago and may not be applicable today? 

If that is so if this is on NC RR (state owned) trackage maybe the state can require the crossing to be closed across state property?

Some answers for Phoeebe Vet to answer? 

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: North Carolina
  • 1,905 posts
Posted by csxns on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 3:12 PM

Yes truck drivers do pay attention,they just think trains dont run anymore.

Russell

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: US
  • 286 posts
Posted by dekemd on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 2:59 PM

I've driven that road many times.  Without doing a LOT of grading and paving, or moving the road or tracks it would be very difficult to reduce the hump.  The warning signs are posted about 100ft from where you turn to go across the crossing.    If I remember correctly it also has a sign that says low vehicles may drag.   There is plenty of warning.  Truck drivers are just not paying attention.

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 1:03 PM

Why not have the state highway folks eliminate the hump as a safety issue?  Obviously the signs are ignored and will be in the future.  Solving the problem is the key, so as to avoid some horrible crash with a tanker and an Amtrak.  Arresting the driver isn't going to help prevent that.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
  • 13,456 posts
Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 10:49 AM

....This reeks of a "no brainer".....Seems to me, with the history of what is happening, even with warning signs....either close this crossing or someone  spend some MONEY.  Fix the approaches to the crossing. 

Or at least, set up "a study" to fix it...Duh.

Quentin

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 9:46 AM

Apparently this crossing is 'humped' by a couple feet, which is a trap for any low-bed trailers and even for standard ones with the landing dolly wheels or other accessories hanging down too low. 

So with this happening at least 4 times in 3 years per the linked newspaper article (this was the 2nd time in 5 months as well), large signs in English, Spanish, and with graphics, too were installed, per one of the comments.   

Also, the road - Battleground Ave. - is parallel to and just a few feet away from the railroad tracks, and evidently this happens when the trucks try to turn to cross the tracks.

I wonder if that turning move makes it hard to place the signs where the truck drivers can see them in enough time to stop ? 

Anyway, "If they don't know, they shouldn't go !".  Fortunately, few injuries have resulted - so far.

- Paul North.   

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Kenosha, WI
  • 6,567 posts
Posted by zardoz on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 8:44 AM

H.R. person to person applying for truck driving job: "So, you want to drive truck for us? Let's see if you're qualified: look closely into this mirror, and tell me what you see."

Applicant: "At first I could see myself, but now I can't because the mirror got foggy".

HR: "You fogged the mirror? Then you're qualified".

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 7:37 AM

The link to the TV station story suggests that even truck drivers pay more attention to their GPS than to the real world around them.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Yet again...
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 6:58 AM

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy