QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri The drivers figure the idiots are to lazy to turn the equipment off when there is NO train comeing. The railroads shouldn't be useing 1800's designed equipment. It's my impression you are no authority on railroad operation, rules, equipment, etc. There was no electricity in the 1800s. The first lighting of a city came about in the 1870s, but the first electricly powered crossing arms came when? Does anybody know? Not before 1900. I'll go to the library and look in the book of patents and see when these electricly powered crossing arms were invented. INCIDENTALLY: everything in railroading has been revolutionized. Standards in place even 50 years ago are now gone. From the manufacture of rail to the wheels to crossties, even crossings are different today than many, many years ago. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEACTIVATING A RAILCROSSIN WHEN THE TRAIN IS STOPPED? I don't know, yet. I know some factors that cause a crossing to activate are motion, weight, and an electric current that closes a circuit from rail to rail using the steel wheels as a circuit link. I also know the electric crossings do not rely on local powerplants for electricity. They're independent. I would imagine turning off a crossing signal would have to go through the approval of the dispatcher. I'll research that as well for your satisfaction. WHEN THE GATE ARMS ARE DOWN, DON'T GO AROUND
QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri The drivers figure the idiots are to lazy to turn the equipment off when there is NO train comeing. The railroads shouldn't be useing 1800's designed equipment.
QUOTE: Originally posted by dekemd Speaking of the old days. If I remember history correctly automobiles weren't around in the 1800's either. I guess horse and buggys were the big problem back then. Missouri I'm curious why you think the railroads should be forking over all the money on safety equipment. Where I live the last rail line to be completed and placed in service occurred in 1904. I'm pretty sure there were very few roads 99 years ago. Which translates into very few grade crossings other than footpaths. Most of the roads and grade crossing in my neck of the woods were put in long after the railroad was there by federal, state and local govenments. It seems to me that since the govenment built these roads they should have most of the burden of safety equipment. Maybe what needs to happen is that the people who built the roads (ie. the govenment) should have to rebuild them and either go over or under the tracks thus eliminating grade crossing. I'm sure the railroads would be very happy to not have to worry about idiot drivers at grade crossings. Derrick
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yad sdrawkcab s'ti
QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman Originally posted by missouri Humans driving cars are impatient and no matter how much protection is present, they will ignore it if it doesn't suit their schedule. you just defeted your own argument. it's not the train's or the railroad's fault it's the MOTORIST'S fault. WHEN THE GATE ARM'S DOWN: DON'T GO AROUND. No the driver didn't sit there and intentionally have the gate down because the RR is too damn cheap to manually override the equipment and put a couple flaggers out for a few minutes. The drivers figure the idiots are to lazy to turn the equipment off when there is NO train comeing. The railroads shouldn't be useing 1800's designed equipment. Reply Edit ironhorseman Member sinceAugust 2002 From: Memory Lane, on the sunny side of the street. 737 posts Posted by ironhorseman on Friday, July 11, 2003 11:54 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri Humans driving cars are impatient and no matter how much protection is present, they will ignore it if it doesn't suit their schedule. you just defeted your own argument. it's not the train's or the railroad's fault it's the MOTORIST'S fault. WHEN THE GATE ARM'S DOWN: DON'T GO AROUND. yad sdrawkcab s'ti Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 11:46 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri Sounds to me a ticket needs to be issued for falsely activateing a railroad crossing for over 5 minutes without the PROPER flagger being in place. [xx(] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 11:43 PM In the same MUTCD if the gates are timed for more than 45 seconds median barriers are to be installed. Why did the switch engine have the equipment activated if it wasn't needed. Sounds to me a ticket needs to be issued for falsely activateing a railroad crossing for over 5 minutes without the PROPER flagger being in place. Operateing rule #1-1 page 1 column 1 paragraph 1---Railroaders should use their brain!! ____________________________________ OK, just to throw in a casual observers viewpoint. Stopped to watch some trains yesterday (yes I am a foamer). Busy mainline with wye (south leg of wye is mainline). Switch engine came by with short drag of hoppers and was switching the west leg. He moved onto the mainline (after getting permission from dispatch etc.) where the switch is 50 feet from the grade crossing. Crossing protected by gates, lights, bells etc. Visibility west slightly limited by geography (rocky terrain and curve in track) hence the protection at the crossing with gates etc. etc.. With the switcher clearly visible to the east but with no way for approaching drivers to know which way he was going to go I watched 9 (yep, NINE) vehicles ignore the flashing red lights and bells and drive around both gates to pass through the crossing. This happened within approximately six minutes. The kicker, approximately 20 minutes earlier with the switcher waiting on the west leg of the wye by the switch and the gates down, lights flashing bells dinging, a 62 car gypsum train came out of the west on the main. Luckily there were no cars at the crossing until the train was well into it. Humans driving cars are impatient and no matter how much protection is present, they will ignore it if it doesn't suit their schedule. Jeff S Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 9:27 PM OK, just to throw in a casual observers viewpoint. Stopped to watch some trains yesterday (yes I am a foamer). Busy mainline with wye (south leg of wye is mainline). Switch engine came by with short drag of hoppers and was switching the west leg. He moved onto the mainline (after getting permission from dispatch etc.) where the switch is 50 feet from the grade crossing. Crossing protected by gates, lights, bells etc. Visibility west slightly limited by geography (rocky terrain and curve in track) hence the protection at the crossing with gates etc. etc.. With the switcher clearly visible to the east but with no way for approaching drivers to know which way he was going to go I watched 9 (yep, NINE) vehicles ignore the flashing red lights and bells and drive around both gates to pass through the crossing. This happened within approximately six minutes. The kicker, approximately 20 minutes earlier with the switcher waiting on the west leg of the wye by the switch and the gates down, lights flashing bells dinging, a 62 car gypsum train came out of the west on the main. Luckily there were no cars at the crossing until the train was well into it. Humans driving cars are impatient and no matter how much protection is present, they will ignore it if it doesn't suit their schedule. Jeff S Reply Edit Willy2 Member sinceJanuary 2002 From: Omaha, Nebraska 1,920 posts Posted by Willy2 on Friday, July 11, 2003 9:25 PM I think that is about time that this topic is DROPPED!!!!! We have all stated plenty of our opinions and I think that we really aren't going to get anywhere fast with this. We'd all be happier if we weren't arguing! Willy Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 7:06 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri What about Moose Crossing signs Kevin. Should drivers stop, look, and listen? Is that the best response you have? Sorry, but that was just LAME!! Besides that, it's not even remotely similiar. If your Moose Crossing signs are anything like Deer Crossings in the US, then it's a yellow diamond which is meant to warn people to be alert for deer. It doesn't mean stop. Red indicates that the driver should stop (or yield to oncoming traffic). Flashing red lights mean stop. QUOTE: NO no, you see the lights DO NOT stop flashing until the gate has reached there original state .. so therefore.. "rose high enough" DOES NOT mean the gates were going off... by Canadian law its wait until the Gates are COMPLETELY up and the lgiths HAVE STOPPED flashing ... lights don't stop flashing until the gate is completely up.. Ever noticed that?? Exactly!! The guy was impatient and couldn't wait. Big difference between "rose high enough" and "completely". These type of people probably ignore the flashing lights and the extended stop signs on school buses picking up or dropping off kids. If they hit a kid coming off the bus they would probably attempt to either blame the child or say the stop sign was not completely extended so they didn't have to stop. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 6:24 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri The driver, a 76-year-old Mecca man, was waiting behind the crossing gate when the crossing arm rose high enough to allow the man’s car to pass, witnesses told CHP investigators. NO no, you see the lights DO NOT stop flashing until the gate has reached there original state .. so therefore.. "rose high enough" DOES NOT mean the gates were going off... by Canadian law its wait until the Gates are COMPLETELY up and the lgiths HAVE STOPPED flashing ... lights don't stop flashing until the gate is completely up.. Ever noticed that?? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 6:15 PM Moose crossing signs, well see ours in Canada don't have flashing red lights that TELL PEOPLE TO STOP! and they don't give that 30 second warnign.. maybe ours are jsut different... Oh wait a moose weighs how much... and a train going at 60 mph weighs how much hmmmm Oh and do moose cross on private property? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 5:35 PM It's a real story . . . just bad reporting. No need for everyone to get paranoid. http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/local/20030710015652.shtml Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 3:52 PM Hey everyone, Another one? Mike apparently you have not seen the video from Europe that shows a person deliberatly going through a state of the art grade crossing and getting hit . Missouri you say that Operation Lifesaver and other safety programs are propaganda and meaningless. If safety is your main concern why do you joke about highway safety? That's not funny at all![:(!] Safety is important and should be first and foremost no matter what a person is doing. Seems that 's not the goal. More of a hate campaign by Rail NUTS instead of Railroad ENTHUSIASTS . No wonder railroaders look at rail enthusiasts in a bad light.[:(] Really sad. Harry Reply Edit JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,319 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, July 11, 2003 2:10 PM wabash I had a great physics teacher in high school.if something didn't add up he would say "there's some minutia here!".I just hope missouri would get the Stop look listen and live concept before he posts his minutia. stay safe joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 2:02 PM What about Moose Crossing signs Kevin. Should drivers stop, look, and listen? Reply Edit wabash1 Member sinceApril 2001 From: US 2,849 posts Posted by wabash1 on Friday, July 11, 2003 12:28 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri I sure have seen a lot of EYE-witnesses saying the equipment failed. What do you think---Bought off or the reports lost? Train barrels into car, killing driver Possible problem with crossing gate under scrutiny Recent stories about traffic accidents. Recent stories about plane crashes and train accidents Post or read comments in our online forums By Darrell Smith The Desert Sun July 10, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MECCA -- Investigators are focusing on a malfunctioning rail crossing gate in the death of a man whose car was struck by a train Wednesday. The collision happened just before 11:30 a.m. at a rail crossing on Avenue 66 north of Highway 111 in Mecca, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tami Low. The driver, a 76-year-old Mecca man, was waiting behind the crossing gate when the crossing arm rose high enough to allow the man’s car to pass, witnesses told CHP investigators. When he did, a Union Pacific freight train, loaded with nearly 300,000 pounds of cargo, barreled through the Toyota station wagon, knocking it into a nearby culvert. Investigators marked the train’s speed at 61 mph, normal for that stretch of track, Low said. "We have really good witnesses who came forward. We’re looking at that very seriously," Low said of the crossing gate. "We have strong witnesses and strong indications there may have been a malfunction." The train’s conductor leapt from the train and sprinted the length of the 37-car, 4,000-foot-long freight to pull the man from the wrecked car, Low said. But the man’s injuries were too great and he died just after 2 p.m. at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. His name had not been released Wednesday pending notification of relatives. Neither the conductor nor the engineer were injured, and Union Pacific officials said the two were receiving counseling. The train, based out of Los Angeles, was heading to the East Coast, said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis. It is considered one of the most important trains on the railroad’s west-east route because of the expensive cargo it hauls, Low said. The route through Mecca is a busy one, Low said, with a train passing through every 20 minutes. The collision closed rail traffic for roughly 2 1/2 hours as crews tended to the victim and cleared the tracks. The highway patrol is investigating the wreck. Union Pacific officials will also look into the collision and the crossing gate. Union Pacific’s Davis would not comment specifically on allegations that the gate malfunctioned, citing its investigation into the wreck. Davis did not know Wednesday how long the railroad’s investigation would take. "As long as it takes," he said from the railroad’s Omaha, Neb., offices. Again let me put this into a easier way for the less informed( meaning you missouri) The first thing i read was that the train was 300,000 pounds - it was 37 cars and 4000ft long. (red flag) 1) this is a problemas the math doesnt add up.( and this is a regular problem with your post.) I will try and break this down for you so it is understandable. conductors and engineers all understand this one.The train leigth and poundage dont add up. See railroads go by tons and if you have 300,000 pounds that is just what one dash 9 locomotive is, 200 tons roughly. so this train with 37 cars was only a engine? not according to you. so lets say that the train was 37 cars empty weight alone is over your figure again. and how long was it? 4000ft now railroads use a 50ft system on car size. so 50ft x 37cars =1,850 again something is wrong lets give you the benifit of a all auto rack train at 90ft x 37 cars = 3,330 again not close to the gosspil you are saying. do your homework before posting these replies of lies. then you posted that the gates rose enough that a car could get through, ( then posted) when he did the train barreld through. This is a perfect example of a cut and paste job. as when he did what who did this, you left out the part of why he did . again missourri your way off base and need to do your homework before posting these chopped up stories. now i provided you with much needed information to make a good story up. lets see if you will use it. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 10:15 AM Equipment failed.. HA! yeah that'll be the day. Missouri, i think you MIGHT actually get a Girl Friend before the day YOU actually whitness Crossing devices fail... key word: might Reply Edit JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,319 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, July 11, 2003 7:38 AM gates or no gates one last time IF THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE STOPPED LOOKED AND LISTENED HE WOULD HAVE LIVED!!If that cooridor is that busy it probably is a multiple track crossing.When are you going to get it ? Always expect a train anywhere anytime. stay safe and quit hiding joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 11, 2003 12:12 AM I sure have seen a lot of EYE-witnesses saying the equipment failed. What do you think---Bought off or the reports lost? Train barrels into car, killing driver Possible problem with crossing gate under scrutiny Recent stories about traffic accidents. Recent stories about plane crashes and train accidents Post or read comments in our online forums By Darrell Smith The Desert Sun July 10, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MECCA -- Investigators are focusing on a malfunctioning rail crossing gate in the death of a man whose car was struck by a train Wednesday. The collision happened just before 11:30 a.m. at a rail crossing on Avenue 66 north of Highway 111 in Mecca, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tami Low. The driver, a 76-year-old Mecca man, was waiting behind the crossing gate when the crossing arm rose high enough to allow the man’s car to pass, witnesses told CHP investigators. When he did, a Union Pacific freight train, loaded with nearly 300,000 pounds of cargo, barreled through the Toyota station wagon, knocking it into a nearby culvert. Investigators marked the train’s speed at 61 mph, normal for that stretch of track, Low said. "We have really good witnesses who came forward. We’re looking at that very seriously," Low said of the crossing gate. "We have strong witnesses and strong indications there may have been a malfunction." The train’s conductor leapt from the train and sprinted the length of the 37-car, 4,000-foot-long freight to pull the man from the wrecked car, Low said. But the man’s injuries were too great and he died just after 2 p.m. at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. His name had not been released Wednesday pending notification of relatives. Neither the conductor nor the engineer were injured, and Union Pacific officials said the two were receiving counseling. The train, based out of Los Angeles, was heading to the East Coast, said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis. It is considered one of the most important trains on the railroad’s west-east route because of the expensive cargo it hauls, Low said. The route through Mecca is a busy one, Low said, with a train passing through every 20 minutes. The collision closed rail traffic for roughly 2 1/2 hours as crews tended to the victim and cleared the tracks. The highway patrol is investigating the wreck. Union Pacific officials will also look into the collision and the crossing gate. Union Pacific’s Davis would not comment specifically on allegations that the gate malfunctioned, citing its investigation into the wreck. Davis did not know Wednesday how long the railroad’s investigation would take. "As long as it takes," he said from the railroad’s Omaha, Neb., offices. Reply Edit vsmith Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Smoggy L.A. 10,743 posts Posted by vsmith on Thursday, July 10, 2003 11:46 PM OK, I"m getting tired of seeing this topic come up time after time so I'm going to finally stake my opinion on it. This is based solely on my knowledge of where I live (Los Angeles) It is ONLY my opinion, but is based on years of following local events here. Not in Moosejaw, Montana, here...not rural Mayberry RFD, but Big City USA. EVERY SINGLE TIME there is a train/car collision in LA it has been the drivers fault. There has been a blight of collisions here ever since the light rail streetcars and Metro-link commuter trains began running. The root cause is driver impatience. the thought of waiting 2 minutes for a train to pass apparently drives people out here crazy. they have driven around lowered gates, stopped on the crossings waiting for the street signals to change, pull into the path of oncoming trains because they think the train is just a big bus and will stop for them. The stupidist thing i've ever seen happens every couple of years, joggers running on the tracks while wearing headphones. My personal feeling is that this is Darwinism in action. People stupid enough to fail to comprehend that an steel object 12 feet tall 8 feet wide and several cars long will not stop for them like a bus is pure ignorance and denial of the most basic comprehension of physics. People get killed in truly stupid ways. If you dont believe me just check out: www.darwinawards.com. I dont blame the RR's because they have to go where the tracks are. They just completed the biggest RR project here since Cajon Canyon was conquered, that is the Alameda Corridor. It placed the right of way below the street level from Long Beach to LA. One of the prime reasons was to avoid the idiots at grade crossings. Now there is talk of extending the corridor out to Riverside. Good Idea I say. Where I live the Gold Line streetcars are beginning operations at the end of this month. The crossings have been fitted with lights and gates at all 4 corners, even little gates that lower on the pedestrian side, and concrete medians at the center of the streets. Everything short of a solid wall to stop cars. I'll bet within two months of opening some bonehead will find a way to get hit by a streetcar. It's human evolution. these are the same knukcleheads that 10,000 years ago would say to the rest of the tribe "Ah aint affraid of no bear in that cave..." or undo the safety harness on the rollercoaster so that they can stand up in the middle of the ride. keep that in mind. I know I sound cynical but human stupidity will always overcome the efforts to thwart it. Have fun with your trains Reply edblysard Member sinceMarch 2002 9,265 posts Posted by edblysard on Thursday, July 10, 2003 11:40 PM Tell me you didnt subject yourself to haveing read all of the garbage Mike and missouri posted here? If so, you have my deepest sympathies. Plain, common sense has eluded them both. Save yourself the need for the 500mg tylenol, ignore any posting of theirs.[;)]Stay Frosty, EdQUOTE: Originally posted by Wdlgln005 Ought to be a way to shut this puppy down? This topic has been going on for far too long & getting nowhere fast? The Atlas forum has a feature to lock a topic down & prevent more posts Time to let this one die! 23 17 46 11 Reply Wdlgln005 Member sinceApril 2002 From: Nashville TN 1,306 posts Posted by Wdlgln005 on Thursday, July 10, 2003 11:01 PM Ought to be a way to shut this puppy down? This topic has been going on for far too long & getting nowhere fast? The Atlas forum has a feature to lock a topic down & prevent more posts Time to let this one die! Glenn Woodle Reply sooblue Member sinceApril 2002 From: US 446 posts Posted by sooblue on Thursday, July 10, 2003 10:07 PM Just when you thought it was dead-Poof It's back[xx(] Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 10, 2003 8:45 PM Mike, get a grip, and a life! It's time for you to realize that drivers, and trespassers, are mostly responsible for their own fate when they drive across and walk along the tracks, and disregard the signs, lights, gates, bells, and whistles! It sickens me when members of your profession misuse the sorrow of victims to line your own pockets, particularly when the victim has violated the very law you purport to practice! Real railfans know how to legally and safely watch and photograph trains without putting life, limb, or freedom at risk. Reply Edit csxns Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: North Carolina 1,905 posts Posted by csxns on Thursday, July 10, 2003 7:44 PM CMEASTERN please e mail those lawyers that mike papula listed when he started this forum.They need to read what you wrote here.You done a good job.And every body knows angels on track sux and sux do you here this denny Russell Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 10, 2003 5:34 PM mudchicken, you nailed that one. lets quit beating a dead horse Marty Reply Edit mnwestern Member sinceJanuary 2001 123 posts Posted by mnwestern on Thursday, July 10, 2003 5:07 PM As a newspaper reporter, I've covered several grade crossing accidents, and not once was it the railroad's fault, as much as some of the driver's would have liked it to be. I once was covering the grand opening of a new short line in our area. This was about three weeks our state passed a stiffer grade crossing law requiring drivers to stop when ever the lights were flashing or a locomotive was present. Well, one of the honored guests was a top state railroad official who had been head of the FRA. In remarks that preceeded the cutting of a ceremonial ribbon, he commented on the new law. Then, as we all watched as the new railroad's locomotive came downtown the tracks at 10-15 mph, car after car sped up to beat it to the crossing, breaking the new, well-publicized law right in front of 400 people. The last one crossed when it was just a locomotive length or less from the train. Another time, a pregnant woman drove into the side of a locomotive from the same railroad at a well-signaled crossing on a major highway where you can see a half mile in either direction if you bother to look. The problem, she apparently was still accelerating to illegal speed after having had to stop less than a quarter mile away just before the crash at a four-way stop with another major highway. Must have been trying to make up time. A third time, a woman in a car at a rural county blacktop got hit by the switcher of another shortline where the tracks restricted train speeds to 10 mph or less. The highway limit is 40 mph at that point. You can see the train at least a couple hundred yards in each direction. That train could not have covered that distance very fast, giving her plenty of time to see it. Apparently, she was speeding (probably going 55-60 in a 40 zone) and chose to ignor what she said was the "speeding" train. In 15 years, that railroad never ran more than 15 mph on its entire 44-mile length! There might be the one in a million grade crossing accident that is the fault of the railroad for some odd reason. The rest of the time, it is the pure stupidity of the car driver. A lot of this, I believe, can be traced back to two things — bad drivers education training in which railroad grade crossing is not emphasized, and the public's general misguided belief that railroads no longer operate and are a dead industry so they will never see a train. If anything, the railroad's efficient use of power to move long trains and the lack of passenger service, means many people never see trains at crossings until they are dying on the front coupler. But even then, it is their fault, not the railroads'. If you drive on the highways, you must know that there is a general disregard for traffic controls and laws, for other drivers, and for basic safety. Those habits extend to their actions at railroad crossings. How many times have you been driving 58-59 mph in a 55 zone had had someone pass you as if you were standing still and still just make back into the proper lane before crashing into oncoming traffic. That's the same wreckless behavior. Would it be your fault that they couldn't stand driving the speed limit and had to take a needless chance? No. As someone earlier wrote, too many people are looking for someone to blame for their own stupidity. There is no self-examination in our society. We need to build more mirrors and use them. Reply 1234567»Last » Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » Search the Community Newsletter Sign-Up By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Originally posted by missouri Humans driving cars are impatient and no matter how much protection is present, they will ignore it if it doesn't suit their schedule.
QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri Humans driving cars are impatient and no matter how much protection is present, they will ignore it if it doesn't suit their schedule.
QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri Sounds to me a ticket needs to be issued for falsely activateing a railroad crossing for over 5 minutes without the PROPER flagger being in place.
Willy
QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri What about Moose Crossing signs Kevin. Should drivers stop, look, and listen?
QUOTE: NO no, you see the lights DO NOT stop flashing until the gate has reached there original state .. so therefore.. "rose high enough" DOES NOT mean the gates were going off... by Canadian law its wait until the Gates are COMPLETELY up and the lgiths HAVE STOPPED flashing ... lights don't stop flashing until the gate is completely up.. Ever noticed that??
QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri The driver, a 76-year-old Mecca man, was waiting behind the crossing gate when the crossing arm rose high enough to allow the man’s car to pass, witnesses told CHP investigators.
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
QUOTE: Originally posted by missouri I sure have seen a lot of EYE-witnesses saying the equipment failed. What do you think---Bought off or the reports lost? Train barrels into car, killing driver Possible problem with crossing gate under scrutiny Recent stories about traffic accidents. Recent stories about plane crashes and train accidents Post or read comments in our online forums By Darrell Smith The Desert Sun July 10, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MECCA -- Investigators are focusing on a malfunctioning rail crossing gate in the death of a man whose car was struck by a train Wednesday. The collision happened just before 11:30 a.m. at a rail crossing on Avenue 66 north of Highway 111 in Mecca, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tami Low. The driver, a 76-year-old Mecca man, was waiting behind the crossing gate when the crossing arm rose high enough to allow the man’s car to pass, witnesses told CHP investigators. When he did, a Union Pacific freight train, loaded with nearly 300,000 pounds of cargo, barreled through the Toyota station wagon, knocking it into a nearby culvert. Investigators marked the train’s speed at 61 mph, normal for that stretch of track, Low said. "We have really good witnesses who came forward. We’re looking at that very seriously," Low said of the crossing gate. "We have strong witnesses and strong indications there may have been a malfunction." The train’s conductor leapt from the train and sprinted the length of the 37-car, 4,000-foot-long freight to pull the man from the wrecked car, Low said. But the man’s injuries were too great and he died just after 2 p.m. at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. His name had not been released Wednesday pending notification of relatives. Neither the conductor nor the engineer were injured, and Union Pacific officials said the two were receiving counseling. The train, based out of Los Angeles, was heading to the East Coast, said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis. It is considered one of the most important trains on the railroad’s west-east route because of the expensive cargo it hauls, Low said. The route through Mecca is a busy one, Low said, with a train passing through every 20 minutes. The collision closed rail traffic for roughly 2 1/2 hours as crews tended to the victim and cleared the tracks. The highway patrol is investigating the wreck. Union Pacific officials will also look into the collision and the crossing gate. Union Pacific’s Davis would not comment specifically on allegations that the gate malfunctioned, citing its investigation into the wreck. Davis did not know Wednesday how long the railroad’s investigation would take. "As long as it takes," he said from the railroad’s Omaha, Neb., offices.
Have fun with your trains
QUOTE: Originally posted by Wdlgln005 Ought to be a way to shut this puppy down? This topic has been going on for far too long & getting nowhere fast? The Atlas forum has a feature to lock a topic down & prevent more posts Time to let this one die!
Russell
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