Blowing at Crossings

[Mookie]

Do the cities that don't want the noise of a train whistle also ban the noise I hear a lot every day at my house - the sound of a stereo system bass that is jacked all the way up to the "rattle the window panes" setting?

[jchnhtfd]

Perhaps it is worth remembering that the bottom line in all this is safety -- safety for the train crews, safety for the drivers, safety for the general public. If a grade crossing exists it doesn't really matter whether the railroad or the community got there first (here in New England, it gets really complicated!) the fact of the matter is that the folks who use the crossing have to be protected, whether they are in a car, horse and buggy, walking, or running the train (train crews have been traumatized psychologically to the point that they can't work any more by crossing accidents, never mind injured or killed). In my humble opinion, if there is not a positive way to prevent the people using the road from attempting to occupy the track when a train is coming, the requirement for the engineer to whistle is not just a railroad Rule, but an ethical requirement.

If the community, in its collective wisdom, decides that they don't want to be 'annoyed' by the train whistles, that's dandy -- it's their decision, but then 'they' (the community) need to take the responsibility (that is, pony up the cash) to ensure that safety is not compromised. Underpasses/overpasses are the best solution, along with a fenced right of way; quad gates are pretty good, and positive median dividers for a considerable distance either side of the crossing with single gates aren't too bad, although neither prevents pedestrians from becoming statistics.

Just remember that safety is Rule Number 1.

[Anonymous]

The whole issue about horn blowing at crossings has grown rather idiotic. Common sense seems to have flown the coop. Having worked as a brakeman on the old MP Kingsville Division and rode the head end countless times, I never knew one single engineer who blew his horn to wake the local populace. Every one I knew blew it for one reason: to save lives including those in the cab. If you ever rode in the cab of an SD40 running 45 mph and saw a tanker truck pull onto the tracks a half mile ahead and come to a complete stop with the trailer straddling the tracks, you would know once and for all why an engineer blows his horn at grade crossings. The people complaining about the train horns are the same idiots who buy a house near the airport and complain about the planes flying low overhead. If you don't like the noise, MOVE THE HECK AWAY FROM THE TRACKS.

[Anonymous]

Having lived in La Grange, IL for almost thirty years and commuting to Chicago every day, I think I can speak with authority about "horn Blowing". I have personally witnessed THREE killings by the CB&Q crews. These people could have likely been saved by the judicious use of the horn! The killings all occured while one of the two trains was stopped in a station or approaching it . The crew on the passing train could have very likely saved their victim. With push-pull operation and/or straight diesel operation it is very difficult to hear an approaching train until its right on you.
The Chicago suburbs don;t realize, neither apparently the FRA, it is not motor vehicle/traim accidents that are the biggest killers. It is PEDESTRIANS that are mostly killed. The BNSF kills almost one a month. The total killings in the Chicago area are a complete unacceptable level.
Train crews should be ordered to sound their horns whenever passing a stopped train or one that is approaching a station.
Our RTA managers obviously don't ride commuter trains. They would like a train to slow down to an unacceptable speed when passing a stopped train. Can you imagine what this would do to schedules? The RTA is a political office and does not have the pedestrians' know-how around a train station or crossing.
FRA , PLEASE don't listen to these suburbs; give them reasonable limitations and not total control. Remember, it's people, not vehicles, we need to protect. I would hate to see another pedestrian ground up under an RTA commuter train. Horns are a fact of life around a railroad and suburbs need to live with it. Amen

[CSXrules4eva]

I think any engineer going over a grade Xing should blow their horn. Two longs one short another long, standerd proceedure. This is done to protect motorists and pedestrians. Hey if it's 1am and some idiot doen't see the train or trys to beat the train over the grade Xing then, they're going to say I to the railraod I expect damages because the engineer didn't warn me or others of an oncomming train. Now. . .. unlike others I would love to hear the sound of a train 24/7 at my house.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dsngrr1

Having lived in La Grange, IL for almost thirty years and commuting to Chicago every day, I think I can speak with authority about "horn Blowing". I have personally witnessed THREE killings by the CB&Q crews. These people could have likely been saved by the judicious use of the horn! The killings all occured while one of the two trains was stopped in a station or approaching it . The crew on the passing train could have very likely saved their victim. With push-pull operation and/or straight diesel operation it is very difficult to hear an approaching train until its right on you.
The Chicago suburbs don;t realize, neither apparently the FRA, it is not motor vehicle/traim accidents that are the biggest killers. It is PEDESTRIANS that are mostly killed. The BNSF kills almost one a month. The total killings in the Chicago area are a complete unacceptable level.
Train crews should be ordered to sound their horns whenever passing a stopped train or one that is approaching a station.
Our RTA managers obviously don't ride commuter trains. They would like a train to slow down to an unacceptable speed when passing a stopped train. Can you imagine what this would do to schedules? The RTA is a political office and does not have the pedestrians' know-how around a train station or crossing.
FRA , PLEASE don't listen to these suburbs; give them reasonable limitations and not total control. Remember, it's people, not vehicles, we need to protect. I would hate to see another pedestrian ground up under an RTA commuter train. Horns are a fact of life around a railroad and suburbs need to live with it. Amen

I don't know about LaGrange but in Downers Grove, Lisle, and Naperville they DO blow and have for as long as I can remember. These accidents typically involve commuters walking around the front or rear of the stopped train past lowered crossing gates with the bells ringing. Maybe they're late, maybe the express is late, maybe they've done it for years abd gotten away with it, then one day they get nailed. In Lisle which has no grade crossings, I've also seen commuters cross the ROW and hop the fencing between the tracks rather than get delayed 1 or 2 minutes going through 1 of the 3 pedestrian tunnels. It has also been reported that a number of pedestrian accidents are actually suicides.

I can't blame the crews at all, instead I feel really sorry for them when one of these accidents happens. There's only so much that can be done to save people from being stupid. This is also a different issue from blowing at every crossing at 2 a.m., since these accidents happen during the morning and evening rush hours. I'm also unaware of any grade crossing on this line that doesn't have crossing gates.

[BR60103]

Years ago I read that the original signal for a crossing was two long, two short. The railway companies were constantly disciplining engineers for dragging out the final short blast, until someone finally asked the engineers why they were doing it.
If your community is thinking of banning whistle, try to get some of the politicians to have a cab ride through town; it's especially effective at night.
In Brampton, CNR has agreed not to whistle; most of their crossings have been replaced by overpasses. The ex-CPR line has not agreed; they have about a dozen level crossings and barely time to whistle between them.

[tree68]

Milford, MI, was there before the railroad. Just 3 miles north, what is now Highland started out as Highland Station - the original Highland was a couple miles west.

I agree that the "who was there first" issue is probably moot when it comes to highway crossings.

[Anonymous]

I live along the main line of the CSX in northern Georgia. On the double track section through my town, the engineer blows at every crossing, night or day, even if another train is blocking the crossing on the siding. I can understand why after seeing two bozo's crawling under a stopped train to cross the tracks.

[Anonymous]

As a retired railroad engineman, I can only give you how I feel about this whistle blowing controversy. I say, blow regularly and certainly blow like crazy if you suspect that an incident is imminent. In my career, I have been involved in 4 incidents that claimed a total of 7 lives and I can tell you that this is NOT a pleasant experience to go through. Yes, I had the locomotive bell going, the steam whistle or diesel horn going (as the case might be) and I was even shouting at the top of my lungs, and even the crossing gates and bells were active, but to no avail, we still hit the car(s). I say, give the people all the
warning you can.
Sometimes the horn does make a difference and does save someone's life. I can remember one fellow that cut his dump trucks wheels sharply to the right and went into the ditch when I was blowing for a crossing. Needless to say I dumped the air when I thought we were going to hiy, but all was well and the fellow told me - "Thank God you were on your horn - it saved my life"!!!
Norman