Sometimes a crossing just gets blocked and there is nothing you can do about. If my train goes into emergency chances are that it will not move again until I walk to the rear and return to the cab. You never know what might have happened if your train goes itno emergeny either. You could have anything from a busted airline to a broken knuckle to cars on the ground. And until those problems are fixed that train is not going to move.
Then there are the time that a crossing gets blocked because a dispatched did not tell you about a meet you were having. Usually a good dispatcher will tell you have to meet a train where crossings are going to be blocked for an extended period of time. The crew will hold off the crossings until the other train gets in range to where the crossing will be blocked for the least amount of time.
But crossings get blocked and that's just part of how the railroad works.
TG3 LOOK ! LISTEN ! LIVE ! Remember the 3.
Municipalities that do not plan their safety services taking blocked crossings into their planning pay the price for it. Trains blocking crossings are a fact of life - plan for it and move on.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Fire protection on the other side of a grade crossing is responsible for the fact that the Chicago Fire Department continues to maintain a handful of one-truck firehouses in some areas of the city, mostly in outlying areas that built up after WW2 where grade separations were never built.
LION used to serve on EMS in our town. Most larger towns will have fire stations on both sides of the tracks. In this town where I live, there are three crossings. HWY 8 and B Street are close together, but the third was a dirt crossing is at the far west end of town. Even a mile long train would have trouble blocking all three though it could be done just so. But they know to keep a road open at one end of the town or the other, and so it is rare to have that last one closed.
Today we have an ethanol plant at the east end of town. Incoming cars pass the plant and are backed in from the east end, but outbound trains can and do play games with the Hwy 8 crossing. Even they could clear the crossing for our ambulance, but seeing them there we would just head for B street instead since ethanol switching does not block that crossing.
Soon Haliburton will be building a big rial facility west of town. I suspect they will pave that western road, but they may also block it with trains. Not likely, I have not seen their plans yet, but I hear tell there will be a loop and an unloader so that trains will not have to be broken up to be emptied, A mile long sand train would be no big deal out here, we have lots of miles, but and additional 2-300 trucks daily will have an impact.
Once upon a time a fellow with a little too much ETOH on board darted past the down gates. The train did not hit his car but he did take out one of the gates. The railroad called it in, and the car was found in a ditch filled with icy water. Driver said he never knew that trains moved so fast. He also asked the officer how much his bail would. be. Anyway, by the time I got back from transporting the vistim to the hospital in Dickinson (52 miles RT) a BNSF crew from Bismarck (80 Miles away) was on scene with a new gate. Apparently they told the following train to protect the crossing. He did this by parking his locomotive in the crossing until the investigation was complete, and the gates were in working order.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
You would think that the people who used the road regularly would realize that it was possible to travel more slowly and thus not have to stop--unless they wanted to see how long they had to wait at every light.
I go WOT and bang through the gears even if I see a stop sign up ahead. Just too much fun to hear the turbos wind up and see the black coal roll in the mirrors.
Adrianspeeder
USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman
The CROR (Canadian Rail Operating Rules) allows us to occupy a crossing for 5 minutes. That means stopped on a crossing. If we remain moving, we can stay on a crossing for as long as we want. Often, when approaching a yard, the Trainmaster will tell us to "drag our feet" because somebody is in the way. This is why you sometimes see a train crawl over a crossing. As long as we don't stop, we can be there all day.
When we do stop it is 5 minutes. The crossing is supposed to be cleared either by cutting the train or we get moving again.
In practice, the 5 minute rule is not enforced. However, we are aware that crossings are blocked and we try to get out of the way ASAP.
We have a yard near a very busy intersection in our city. There are emergency vehicles constantly in the area. They know to avoid this particular crossing if possible. However, there were a couple of times where we had to cut the train to let an emergency vehicle through.
It wouldn't be the first time I have made the traffic news due to a crossing blocked for an excessively long time.
John WRI read the FRA analysis in the report linked to in Dan's report.
Ahem, gentlemen.
Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada is located completely beyond the jurisdiction of the FRA, an entity dealing with railroad issues in the United States. Railways in Canada, like the US are a federal government matter. This issue would come under the pervue of Transport Canada.
Thank you, I will dismount my soapbox at this time.
Doc, there should be plenty of info on this on their website. These types of issues have a habit of turning up on various Canadian RR forums with some regularity.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Quoting Ed Blysard: "If they drive that road on a regular basis...." When I was working, I used a road that had traffic lights at every intersection. I believe that the lights were set so that the prevailing traffic (north in the morning and south in the afernoon) would not ahve to stop if the drivers did not exceed the speed limit. Thankfully, I always went agsinst the main stream of traffic. It was sad to watch vehicles rush past me and have to stop at every traffic light, whiile I kept going. You would think that the people who used the road regularly would realize that it was possible to travel more slowly and thus not have to stop--unless they wanted to see how long they had to wait at every light.
It reminded me of US 11 through Bessemer, Ala. back in the sixties. Signs indicated that the lights were set for 40 mph--and I was passed by many other vehicles--which I passed at the traffic lights.
Johnny
It depends, but most first responders will have a route from their station that by passes any busy rail crossing, but leads to a major road with access.
I will, if in position to, cut a blocked crossing for EMS or fire trucks, but the problem is the morons in POVs who immediately “rush” the crossing once it is opened, they usually run into each other right on the crossing, so I rarely do open it.
Most railroads will comply with a local ordinance if there is one, although they are not required to, the federal law takes precedence.
Down here, we can stand still on a public road crossing for a maximum of 10 minutes.
If we are switching, then as long as the train is moving, be it forward or backward, there is no time limit.
As the original poster pointed out, the crossing in his post is at the throat to a rail yard, so any one driving there should realize there will be frequent trains.
If they drive that road on a regular basis, then they know being blocked is a possibility, so they either should find an alternative route, or be prepared to wait.
23 17 46 11
Doc Murdock What if an emergency vehicle with lights flashing needed to get across?
What if an emergency vehicle with lights flashing needed to get across?
They wait or find another way. No different than when a road is closed, bridge out, or traffic has everything snarled up to a standstill.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
It is probably perceived as a short cut without counting on rail traffic. Evidently it is acceptable to the powers that be and probably, too, the railyard and throat were there long before the road became so busy.
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Doc,
I read the FRA analysis in the report linked to in Dan's report. Here is that link within a link:
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/blocked_crossings_emergency_response.pdf
To save you some reading the FRA says it ain't gonna do nuthin because the evidence is only anecdotal. Frankly, we're had grade crossings for a long time now. I find it hard to believe that there have never been problems with emergency vehicles because of blocked crossings. When you consider how quick the police are to ticket a car for blocking a fire hydrant and think that a blocked crossing can easily block hundreds of fire hydrants I can only wonder what the FRA is thinking. I find it hard to believe the FRA made a real effort to do proper research on this problem.
This crossing is a busy one. After one of the extended waits over a hundred cars and large trucks had been stopped. It is right at the north end of the Cranbrook rail yard. A lot of vehicle traffic used this crossing to get to downtown Cranbrook and the major highway which is right next to the railyard.
If it is that frequent and for that long, then it must be acceptable for that crossing. You don't identify where it is or what crossing...but is sounds like it is at the throat of a yard and is a matter of common procedure here. At a remote country grade crossing or in the middle of town on a major street, then it would probably not happen. Emergency vehicles would know the characteristics of the rail traffic and probably not use the crossing but have another regular route.
(after like 15 edits ... yay, finally got it )
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
Five times in the last week I've been stopped at a level crossing for between 5 to 15 minutes by yard switchers. Last Friday an incoming frieght came in and came to a complete stop, blocking the level crossing for about 10 minutes. Is this legal for trains to do this? What if an emergency vehicle with lights flashing needed to get across?
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