Euclid The tree fell as the train was very near the person taking the video. ... The train apparently began braking before the tree fell, so they must have planned on stopping.
I was wondering about this statement so I looked again at the video. As I see it, the tree was already down from the start. It does look like it shifted down a little lower, as if a branch on the ground either broke or was cut. My guess is that the MOW crew had been called to remove it, but it seems that the train would have been notified earlier so that they could have stopped at least short of the crossing. The fact that someone was there in that relatively remote location recording the incident also suggests that the tree had been down for some time.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
BaltACD Crew must have had advance warning of the tree down - otherwise it would not have been able to stop before hitting it. Trucks adjacent to right of way indicate MofW was on the scene to get the tree clear of the right of way.
Crew must have had advance warning of the tree down - otherwise it would not have been able to stop before hitting it. Trucks adjacent to right of way indicate MofW was on the scene to get the tree clear of the right of way.
It would be intersting to know what happened leading up to the approach of the train. The tree fell as the train was very near the person taking the video. MOW happened to be right next to the tree. Were they cutting down the tree as the train approached? Were they expecting the tree to fall in a different direction? The tree looks quite unbalanced and heavy on the side near the track. Did the tree just happen to fall when MOW was there for a reason having nothing to do with the tree? The train apparently began braking before the tree fell, so they must have planned on stopping. I don't think it was the close call that is implied by the video. I would guess that the train stopped at least 1000 feet from the tree.
A regular occurance for us. Despite regular patrols by MOW, we still encounter trees large and small that have fallen on or near the tracks. The marks down the sides of some of our cars will attest to that.
We carry chain saws on our trains for just that reason.
That's a pretty long tangent - even if the DS hadn't notified the train crew, the MOW folks might have spotted the train coming and let them know.
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...
BaltACDCrew must have had advance warning of the tree down - otherwise it would not have been able to stop before hitting it. Trucks adjacent to right of way indicate MofW was on the scene to get the tree clear of the right of way.
If they had advanced warning, you think they would have held back at the interlocking. Maybe they had some advance notice - but I doubt it was much. He seemed to dig pretty deep in the air there. Oh well. Life happens.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
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