EuclidWhy would they take exception to my use of the term, “track authority?” What else would you call it?
Well, I have no way of knowing on absolute terms what is on the minds of others. But think back to the discussions we've had in times past where a civil authority tried to demand a locomotive engineer's license, or where a community has tried to implement blocked crossing penalties.......there has always been a "stay in your lane" mentality here whenever civil authority attempts to exercise influence over the sacred ground between the rails.
Isn't "track authority" part of the official RR lexicon? Expanding that to include civil involvement might violate someone's sense of sanctity....that's what I was thinking anyway.
Not that I really care.
Convicted One I think they are taking exception to your use/abuse of the term "track authority"?
I think they are taking exception to your use/abuse of the term "track authority"?
Why would they take exception to my use of the term, “track authority?” What else would you call it? From the moment the crossing warning activates, there is as little as 25 seconds before the train arrives at the crossing.
That is way too short of a warning for a vehicle that might take 15 minutes to cross and clear. It absolutely requires a commitment from the railroad company to guarantee an adequate timeframe during which no trains will pass over the crossing. During that time, the crossing vehicle has the right of way over the track in the crossing. That is “track authority” for the crossing vehicle.
If a permit was granted for the routing of this special load, it most certainly should have required this track authority to have been sought and granted as a condition of entering the crossing. If that was done, and if the vehicle was adhering to the track authority, the collision is the fault of the railroad. If it was not done, the collision is the fault of the permitting authority. If no permit was obtained, the collision is the fault of the driver and others associated with the truck movement.
Shadow the Cats owner We got a heads up on this one from our insurance company. Seems the highway Bubba in that county department decided to close the roads that were normally used and they were the ones that routed the oversized load on that route. Driver and pilot car both said we can't make the turn sheriff's department threatened arrest for not obeying orders of a law enforcement officer. Both the wind farm and carrier involved have filed a lawsuit against the county involved for the damages incurred as well as failure to provide proper protection and planning for this load movement. The repairs to the road involved were planned for next year but from what has been found out some big shot on the county board has their car damaged by the area a said either fix it now or the entire highway department loses it budget. That's one expensive mistake they made.
We got a heads up on this one from our insurance company. Seems the highway Bubba in that county department decided to close the roads that were normally used and they were the ones that routed the oversized load on that route. Driver and pilot car both said we can't make the turn sheriff's department threatened arrest for not obeying orders of a law enforcement officer. Both the wind farm and carrier involved have filed a lawsuit against the county involved for the damages incurred as well as failure to provide proper protection and planning for this load movement. The repairs to the road involved were planned for next year but from what has been found out some big shot on the county board has their car damaged by the area a said either fix it now or the entire highway department loses it budget. That's one expensive mistake they made.
Well, looks like they just lost the budget for next year, those oversize rigs and blades aren't cheap, just the rig is close to a half million...........
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
mudchicken And the Texas DOT rail section (successor to the RR Commission of TX after 2005) was left out of the loop? NOBODY touches or reconfigures that crossing without TxDOT's express permission. FUBAR, fire or fine them all. Backshop, just ignore Bucky. Don't get in a war of wits with an unarmed individual.
And the Texas DOT rail section (successor to the RR Commission of TX after 2005) was left out of the loop? NOBODY touches or reconfigures that crossing without TxDOT's express permission. FUBAR, fire or fine them all.
Backshop, just ignore Bucky. Don't get in a war of wits with an unarmed individual.
Backshop Euclid The vehicle is too long to cross without track authority from the railroad. Huh?
Euclid The vehicle is too long to cross without track authority from the railroad.
The vehicle is too long to cross without track authority from the railroad.
Huh?
The vehicle was too long to make the turning and crossing move within the time allowed by the crossing warning activation. The vehicle may have required stopping, reversing, and realigning. It may have required spotters on the ground in communication with the driver. Under the circumstances, it would require notifying the railroad and arranging for a time slot with no trains to make the crossing move. After making the crossing move successfully, they would notify the railroad that they were clear and finished.
EuclidThe vehicle is too long to cross without track authority from the railroad.
The overall vehicle length is too long to be able to make a turn from the street parallel to the railroad across the railroad at that location. The article mentions that prior blade movements had traveled a different route through the town and were able to make a straight on perpendicular crossing of the railroad without issue.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Overmod... If I had to apportion blame, it would be whoever was supposed to map and check the route. It does not look to me as if there's enough area to swing that blade to get it 'clear' between those standards -- this should be checked on Google Earth or GPS/GIS maps.
If I had to apportion blame, it would be whoever was supposed to map and check the route. It does not look to me as if there's enough area to swing that blade to get it 'clear' between those standards -- this should be checked on Google Earth or GPS/GIS maps.
100% - plotting movements of oversized loads is not the mere operation of plugging starting location and ending location into GPS and driving the results. Railroads have a entire department dedicated to the safe movement of oversized loads across the railroads.
Normal carriers of oversized loads on the highways are specialized on their task - as such it is also their responsibility to plot out SAFE routes considering the particular size and characteristics of the load and the known characteristics of the routes being traversed.
Then there's that blue placard on the crossing equipment...
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...
And wouldn't that be something a Pilot car catch?
Look carefully. He's been hung by the crossing-signal spacing making the turn. When the gates go down he apparently thinks 'the hell with signal damage' and starts pulling through the crossing anyway, but had too little time.
overlength stalled wind blade smacked by UP freight. Reminds us of the Palmetto hiting that electrical box. When will these oversize load companys call the RRs before transiting these tight curves ? Has the Palmetto accident ever been resolved ?
Watch a freight train slam into truck carrying a wind turbine blade in Texas (msn.com)
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.