In this 2013 street view it looks like this crossing takes a beating.
dehusman Plus fire and police generally put flares out a hundred feet or less, when the train needs them 1000's of feet in advance.
Plus fire and police generally put flares out a hundred feet or less, when the train needs them 1000's of feet in advance.
... While the state's Section 400 monies are fixed for crossing improvements, maybe some of MS-DOT's other funding might now be redirected? Possibly more of the taxes the railroads contribute can be spent on crossings instead of highways?
Which is why I gave a presentation to area fire chiefs a while back, emphasizing flagging at least a quarter mile in each direction, or the next crossing in each direction (assuming it's more than a quarter mile...), whichever can be reached first.
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...
tree68 dehusman Plus fire and police generally put flares out a hundred feet or less, when the train needs them 1000's of feet in advance. Which is why I gave a presentation to area fire chiefs a while back, emphasizing flagging at least a quarter mile in each direction, or the next crossing in each direction (assuming it's more than a quarter mile...), whichever can be reached first.
In many cases, appropriate flagging distance is outside the jurisdiction area of where the incident has actually happened.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDIn many cases, appropriate flagging distance is outside the jurisdiction area of where the incident has actually happened.
That's why we have radios.
An area fire department was dispatched tonight for the specific purpose of closing off access to a road for another department.
Besides, I'm not going to complain if somebody from Podunk Hollow comes into my district to do something like that. I might like a courtesy notification, but the job comes first. We don't stop at the edge of our district if it turns out an incident is in a neighboring district - we just make sure our neighbors knows, too.
If it was there as long as 5 minutes before being struck, if you were a passenger, wouldn't you have gotten out and walked to the other side telling the driver to pick you up if he gets "unstuck"; I sure would have. No excuse for anyone being on that bus for 5 minutes stuck on the tracks.
VGN JessNo excuse for anyone being on that bus for 5 minutes stuck on the tracks.
"We'll be off in a minute..."
But you're right. And they don't walk down the tracks, either, in either direction...
VGN Jess If it was there as long as 5 minutes before being struck, if you were a passenger, wouldn't you have gotten out and walked to the other side telling the driver to pick you up if he gets "unstuck"; I sure would have. No excuse for anyone being on that bus for 5 minutes stuck on the tracks.
Maybe the driver told the passengers to remain seated. Maybe he worried about starting a panic and getting people killed in the crush.
I wonder if the driver had any idea as to what the trouble was. I also wonder if the passengers had gotten off the bus would have risen enough to clear the hump. All this is too late, though.
Johnny
A vehicle crossing within 500 feet of an approaching train is no big deal to train crews. It happens hundreds of times each day. Because the fouling of the crossing vehicle is momentary, the odds are against the perfect timing needed for the train and vehicle to occupy the crossing at the same time. However, a large bus standing still on a grade crossing for five minutes is a very big deal. After five minutes including a prolonged observation of an approaching train, the odds of the vehicle clearing the crossing become very small.
sounds like the bus bottomed out and got stuck at the grade crossing. He probably was not familiar with the area and didn't know where a lower crossing would be. When our railfan group did a ferry boat crossing with our bus, we were told it was steep on the other side pulling off the ferry, so they recommended the passengers stay off the bus until our driver pulled up the grade. That's what we did and it almost dragged bottom as an empty bus. And it's not as big and heavy as the buses today, it's a classic 1958 Trailways. We boarded after he got up the hill. So the bus was probably too heavy and couldn't make it over the hump and got stuck. Sounded like there was probably time to get people off the bus, 5-10 minutes or at least get some of them off, as some seniors don't move too fast, especially those going to casinos. Too bad this happened, but bus companies need to scope out the area where they are driving to make sure this kind of stuff don't happen.
I read that the driver didn't follow the directions provided by the tour company. There were 5-6 grade crossings to the west of Main St before the I-110 overpass. The one closest to 110, whose street name escapes me now, didn't have the severe hump of the Main St crossing, and was the one he was *supposed* to use.
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