Erik_Mag SD70Dude Fortunately the tunnel and curves are restricted to 25 mph, which conveniently is also the top speed of an unladen sheep. Are these African or European unladen sheep???? Couldn't resist....
SD70Dude Fortunately the tunnel and curves are restricted to 25 mph, which conveniently is also the top speed of an unladen sheep.
Fortunately the tunnel and curves are restricted to 25 mph, which conveniently is also the top speed of an unladen sheep.
Are these African or European unladen sheep????
Couldn't resist....
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
SD70Dude For all their speed, Pronghorn can't jump very well either, and became an endangered species out here during the early years of fencing. Canada actually had two national parks (both since abolished) dedicated to the preservation of the species. Now barbed wire fences must have a smooth wire on the bottom and it must be a certain minimum height above the ground, so the antelope (as they are commonly called out here) can slide underneath it, just like deer do under railcars. It is believed that the Pronghorn evolved its great speed to outrun the American Cheetah, which of course is now extinct.
For all their speed, Pronghorn can't jump very well either, and became an endangered species out here during the early years of fencing. Canada actually had two national parks (both since abolished) dedicated to the preservation of the species.
Now barbed wire fences must have a smooth wire on the bottom and it must be a certain minimum height above the ground, so the antelope (as they are commonly called out here) can slide underneath it, just like deer do under railcars.
It is believed that the Pronghorn evolved its great speed to outrun the American Cheetah, which of course is now extinct.
Years back when I lived in Gillette Wyoming there were big herds antelope everywhere. One hard winter also had an overpopulation of antelope and also of jackrabbits. Both were mowed down in large herds by trains, trucks and cars. When I was a kid I lived in Alaska outside of Anchorage. Moose getting hit by trains, cars and trucks was very common. The trains had cow catcher pilots on the front that were called moose goosers.
BaltACD Remember - the routes grain trains operate make a convenient feeding source for wildlife. Cars do leak their contents from time to time and with the record hauls of grain over the past several years wildlife thrives.
Remember - the routes grain trains operate make a convenient feeding source for wildlife. Cars do leak their contents from time to time and with the record hauls of grain over the past several years wildlife thrives.
I recall watching squirrels feasting on the Rochelle cam after a couple of grainers passed through. Could see the same phenomenon along then-highway-395 near Perris CA which paralleled an ATSF line that had a number of grain customers...back in the day.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
As stated in the news article Pronghorn have a difficult time in deep snow. If the snow was of minimal cover they would have no problem outrunning the train and getting off the RoW. Pronghorn can reach speeds of up to 60mph and sustain that speed for roughly 3-5 mins. This is unfortunate, but sometimes things happen outside of your control. Not to nitpick much. Pronghorn are not antelopes. They're actually a distinct member of the order Artiodactyla.
One of Al Krug's tales involve a collision with a horse at 60-ish MPH. A picture accompanying the tale showed not much left of the horse but oats, if you will.
I got a deer once that somehow avoided the front truck of the locomotive, tagging the rear truck (under the loco) instead. Mechanical wasn't happy, but the deer literally hit me, instead of the other way around.
We've hit several deer in the past, including that one.
I got a possum once with a locomotive - it was walking on the railhead. The crew on the other locomotive saw it (we were running with a loco on each end of the train) on the return trip. It was literally split in half...
There's only so much you can do...
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...
As I said, slowing down might not have made much difference in this case, and in most cases it won't. Shutting off the headlight and ringing the bell is usually enough to make deer and moose run, sheep and elk are more stubborn. So are bears, especially if they have found a rotting grain pile and have had 'a few too many'.
We are supposed to report all animal strikes that happen within the National Park, but most guys don't bother with mundane stuff like single deer, elk or sheep. A large event like this or a predator (especially the endangered Grizzly Bear) would definitely be reported.
If a radio collared bear, wolf, cougar or other animal is hit, the Park will know automatically.
Engineering forces and Park Wardens will try to remove most carcasses from the track, to avoid attracting even more predators. But outside the Park this isn't always done, and it is common to see a big flock of Ravens fighting with a Bald Eagle or Coyote over a carcass, whether it be on or off the track.
I suspect the Ravens and other scavengers have learned that 'scouting' along the track changes their odds of eating from if to when......
I know that some will get hit as normal routine, but what does the rules say about a situation like this one? You have an unusually large number of animals that are known to try to outrun an appraching danger rather than evade it. So it ought to be obvious that many animals will get killed. I would estimate that the crew would realize that they would hit the animals if they did not slow down. Why would the company be investigating it? For an engineer to video that, it almost seems like he must disagree with the practice, but has been told not to slow down to attempt to prevent animal strikes.
Animal strikes are an unfortunate daily occurrence on the railroad. This guy was just stupid enough to film it and publicly post it. They'll probably get disciplined/fired for using a personal electronic device at work, not for hitting the Antelope.
While heavy braking might have made a bit of difference, I don't think they could have avoided all of them. And depending on the track profile, train makeup, and temperature such action by the crew could result in a train separation or significant delay while recharging the air brake system after coming to a stop.
Herds of Bighorn Sheep hang out on the track and inside a curved tunnel near Park Gate on CN's line through Jasper National Park, and on most days there are similar close calls. Fortunately the tunnel and curves are restricted to 25 mph, which conveniently is also the top speed of an unladen sheep. Some do get hit, especially if they are in the tunnel when a train arrives.
If I can I'll try to slow down, but on most occasions there is nothing we can do. I'm just not dumb enough to post video of it online.
They did not try to slow down, but I wonder what the rules require in a case like that. They said crews cannot always stop safely. I don't think stopping would have been necessary. But what determines whether the train can be stopped safely? How safe is safely? Would they have broken a rule if they slowed down? Would a brake application have jeopardized safety?
This links to a very disturbing video. I know freight trains can't stop on a dime, but in rewatching it several times, it doesn't even look like they tried to slow down (maybe it would have been fruitless anyway).
My apologies if it has already been posted here, but I had a look at recent topics and didn't see it.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/cp-rail-video-train-runs-over-antelope-herd-1.5828740
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