STAY OFF THE TRACKS

[Anonymous]

A golf cart got slammed into by a CP freight in Montreal a few hours ago. Are we about to see lights and barriers on golf courses any time soon?

[Anonymous]

A golf cart got slammed into by a CP freight in Montreal a few hours ago. Are we about to see lights and barriers on golf courses any time soon?

[Tharmeni]

The video you are referring to was shot by a railfan on the BN. The man accompanying the woman was her attorney and they were on their way to a divorce hearing. The attorney later attempted to sue BN and claimed he tried to pull her away from the train. The video, of course, proved otherwise and the suit was tossed out. I know this because I was with BN at the time.

[Tharmeni]

The video you are referring to was shot by a railfan on the BN. The man accompanying the woman was her attorney and they were on their way to a divorce hearing. The attorney later attempted to sue BN and claimed he tried to pull her away from the train. The video, of course, proved otherwise and the suit was tossed out. I know this because I was with BN at the time.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tharmeni

The video you are referring to was shot by a railfan on the BN. The man accompanying the woman was her attorney and they were on their way to a divorce hearing. The attorney later attempted to sue BN and claimed he tried to pull her away from the train. The video, of course, proved otherwise and the suit was tossed out. I know this because I was with BN at the time.

When did this incident occur, it looks like the late 60's?

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tharmeni

The video you are referring to was shot by a railfan on the BN. The man accompanying the woman was her attorney and they were on their way to a divorce hearing. The attorney later attempted to sue BN and claimed he tried to pull her away from the train. The video, of course, proved otherwise and the suit was tossed out. I know this because I was with BN at the time.

When did this incident occur, it looks like the late 60's?

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz1

Three cheers for vsmith.


p.s. vsmith: do you think the Golgafrinchams that were on the "B" ark walked on the tracks?

Yes, but they never made it to the launch site, so much for that "short cut" down the tracks...[;)]

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by zardoz1

Three cheers for vsmith.


p.s. vsmith: do you think the Golgafrinchams that were on the "B" ark walked on the tracks?

Yes, but they never made it to the launch site, so much for that "short cut" down the tracks...[;)]

[edblysard]

Saw the video on a Bill Kurtis Reports, on the Discovery Channel.
It was part of a report titled "Danger on the Tracks" and dealt with crew fatigue, and the public's actions around railroad tracks.
The really upsetting part is that, just before the couple appears from the left, a young lady, in a black dress and white sneakers approaches the second set of tracks, looks around the stopped E unit on her left, decides the approaching train is moving too fast, and retreats back to the platform.

Out of the left side of the frame the couple appears, walks past the retreating lady, and straight into the path of the BN train, the man notices at the last moment, and stops a foot of two away from the train, the lady killed never even raises her head untill its to late, trys to pivot and step back at the same time, and catches the leading edge of the front skirt of the E unit, slams her into the legs of the camera person, about 30 feet away from the point of impact.

In the audio protion of the tape, you can hear the approaching train, the bells on the warning gate, the horn and the locomotive itself, and even tell which way it is approaching from, yet these two never even looked to either side, just like herd animals, walking across the platform with their heads down.
Now, to get to where they were on the platform, they had to walk around a downed pesdetrian gate, and against the flow of people, including the lady in black, who was directly ahead of them when she turned back.
How could they not know a train was coming?

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tharmeni

The video you are referring to was shot by a railfan on the BN. The man accompanying the woman was her attorney and they were on their way to a divorce hearing. The attorney later attempted to sue BN and claimed he tried to pull her away from the train. The video, of course, proved otherwise and the suit was tossed out. I know this because I was with BN at the time.

[edblysard]

Saw the video on a Bill Kurtis Reports, on the Discovery Channel.
It was part of a report titled "Danger on the Tracks" and dealt with crew fatigue, and the public's actions around railroad tracks.
The really upsetting part is that, just before the couple appears from the left, a young lady, in a black dress and white sneakers approaches the second set of tracks, looks around the stopped E unit on her left, decides the approaching train is moving too fast, and retreats back to the platform.

Out of the left side of the frame the couple appears, walks past the retreating lady, and straight into the path of the BN train, the man notices at the last moment, and stops a foot of two away from the train, the lady killed never even raises her head untill its to late, trys to pivot and step back at the same time, and catches the leading edge of the front skirt of the E unit, slams her into the legs of the camera person, about 30 feet away from the point of impact.

In the audio protion of the tape, you can hear the approaching train, the bells on the warning gate, the horn and the locomotive itself, and even tell which way it is approaching from, yet these two never even looked to either side, just like herd animals, walking across the platform with their heads down.
Now, to get to where they were on the platform, they had to walk around a downed pesdetrian gate, and against the flow of people, including the lady in black, who was directly ahead of them when she turned back.
How could they not know a train was coming?

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tharmeni

The video you are referring to was shot by a railfan on the BN. The man accompanying the woman was her attorney and they were on their way to a divorce hearing. The attorney later attempted to sue BN and claimed he tried to pull her away from the train. The video, of course, proved otherwise and the suit was tossed out. I know this because I was with BN at the time.

[Willy2]

I have seen the first part of the video but not the whole video. The way it has been descibed I am glad that I did not see the whole thing. Anyone who purposefully challenges a train is a screwball. Anyone who doesn't know that the train is coming I feel sorry for but unfortunately it is usually the other way around.
Stay safe near trains everybody!
Willy

[Willy2]

I have seen the first part of the video but not the whole video. The way it has been descibed I am glad that I did not see the whole thing. Anyone who purposefully challenges a train is a screwball. Anyone who doesn't know that the train is coming I feel sorry for but unfortunately it is usually the other way around.
Stay safe near trains everybody!
Willy

[CShaveRR]

I'll never forget the first time I saw that video, during an Operation Lifesaver presentation made to employees. As soon as it started, I recognized the location... Fairview Avenue, Downers Grove (I've biked past there many times...just yesterday I was there). Having a familiar location like that show up, and suspecting what I was going to see happen, made me really not want to look at the rest of the video, but, of course we saw it, then ran it through again (the first time we hadn't known who the victim would be). Even though the video ended when the corpse hit the cameraman, you could tell she probably never knew what hit her...the white of her dress was turning to red, even in those two seconds or less. The cameraman himself was drenched in her blood, we were told. I, too, had heard the divorce story.

I hope these gory details help drive home the original message.

As for the timing, I'm not sure, but I'd put it later than the late 60s...BN used those E units on suburban trains well into the 80s (someone correct me or supply a good date for that), and video photography didn't become common until well after the 60s (you could tell by the end of the film that it was video, not a movie).

Now, having said all of that, it should be noted that they probably didn't go past a lowered gate, since they may have gotten off the stopped train, and the platform is inside the gates. Still, no excuse for crossing the tracks without looking or listening (or at least recognizing what you're hearing).

[CShaveRR]

I'll never forget the first time I saw that video, during an Operation Lifesaver presentation made to employees. As soon as it started, I recognized the location... Fairview Avenue, Downers Grove (I've biked past there many times...just yesterday I was there). Having a familiar location like that show up, and suspecting what I was going to see happen, made me really not want to look at the rest of the video, but, of course we saw it, then ran it through again (the first time we hadn't known who the victim would be). Even though the video ended when the corpse hit the cameraman, you could tell she probably never knew what hit her...the white of her dress was turning to red, even in those two seconds or less. The cameraman himself was drenched in her blood, we were told. I, too, had heard the divorce story.

I hope these gory details help drive home the original message.

As for the timing, I'm not sure, but I'd put it later than the late 60s...BN used those E units on suburban trains well into the 80s (someone correct me or supply a good date for that), and video photography didn't become common until well after the 60s (you could tell by the end of the film that it was video, not a movie).

Now, having said all of that, it should be noted that they probably didn't go past a lowered gate, since they may have gotten off the stopped train, and the platform is inside the gates. Still, no excuse for crossing the tracks without looking or listening (or at least recognizing what you're hearing).

[Anonymous]

Kids screw around the railroad in my area all the time. Although trains pass that area only 9-10 times a day and go only 30 MPH it is still dangerous. There are "No Tresspassing" sighns everywhere, but most people ignore it as if it was a joke. By the way, i'm 16 and i have never done anything around the railroad that would endanger my life. (okay, maybe once, but we probably all have)

[Anonymous]

Kids screw around the railroad in my area all the time. Although trains pass that area only 9-10 times a day and go only 30 MPH it is still dangerous. There are "No Tresspassing" sighns everywhere, but most people ignore it as if it was a joke. By the way, i'm 16 and i have never done anything around the railroad that would endanger my life. (okay, maybe once, but we probably all have)

[Anonymous]

[:(]Hi guys & gals [:(]
It seems that as much as we all love trains, there still is a real sobering fact.....THEY CAN KILL YA! I rember that METRA video too well also[V]. It seems someone (I'm not sure on the age) got picked off here in St. Francis last week. [xx(]LESS THEN 500 FT. FROM WHERE I USED TO TRESSPASS ON CNW/UP TRACKAGE[xx(] I told the story before how hard they tryed to tell us not to play around those tracks. I listened.. sadly not everyone does[V]

[Anonymous]

[:(]Hi guys & gals [:(]
It seems that as much as we all love trains, there still is a real sobering fact.....THEY CAN KILL YA! I rember that METRA video too well also[V]. It seems someone (I'm not sure on the age) got picked off here in St. Francis last week. [xx(]LESS THEN 500 FT. FROM WHERE I USED TO TRESSPASS ON CNW/UP TRACKAGE[xx(] I told the story before how hard they tryed to tell us not to play around those tracks. I listened.. sadly not everyone does[V]

[Anonymous]

I'm a schoolbus driver and one area on my route I've got to pick up kids at a road that crosses the BNSF tracks here in town. The tracks come around a curve and the crossing is there. I told all of my kids to stay away from the tracks and to be at the corner and not by the tracks. I don't know how many times I've stop there to pick up the kids and a train has come along.
The sub division is growing and this year I was at school registration to register the kids that need to ride the bus. I tell them to stay away from the tracks and tell the parents about the danger of being near the tracks. This year I got some Operation Life Saver handouts and passed them out to the kids and parents. Parents from other buses that don't go near the tracks asked for some of the pamplets.

[Anonymous]

I'm a schoolbus driver and one area on my route I've got to pick up kids at a road that crosses the BNSF tracks here in town. The tracks come around a curve and the crossing is there. I told all of my kids to stay away from the tracks and to be at the corner and not by the tracks. I don't know how many times I've stop there to pick up the kids and a train has come along.
The sub division is growing and this year I was at school registration to register the kids that need to ride the bus. I tell them to stay away from the tracks and tell the parents about the danger of being near the tracks. This year I got some Operation Life Saver handouts and passed them out to the kids and parents. Parents from other buses that don't go near the tracks asked for some of the pamplets.

[wabash1]

I waited before i put my 2cents in. i can tell you that i have hit and killed a person. and after you hit them it is not done, the hours of paper work and questioning. is just part of it. 3-5 hrs is not uncommon. is it fun or exciting. not at all. just remeber when your about to kill yourself, think about the several hours afterwards that the crew spends doing paper work and getting you body scoped up. then the ( for me 4 months ) of of getting it out of my mind where you can function some what. the life they take is not just thiers .

[wabash1]

I waited before i put my 2cents in. i can tell you that i have hit and killed a person. and after you hit them it is not done, the hours of paper work and questioning. is just part of it. 3-5 hrs is not uncommon. is it fun or exciting. not at all. just remeber when your about to kill yourself, think about the several hours afterwards that the crew spends doing paper work and getting you body scoped up. then the ( for me 4 months ) of of getting it out of my mind where you can function some what. the life they take is not just thiers .

[Anonymous]

This story happened to me back in '98 or '99 I belive. A couple of weeks earlyer I saw "Danger on the rails" docomentry. I was on my way to work and had to cross a single set of tracks. The tracks paralle Barnet highway, and river road connected to it like a "T" It's got traffic lights and only one vehicle can be at the line, then the tracks behind you, the the rest of the cars behind that.

So this doughhead decides to stop right behind me. I was the first car at the light. I noticed he had a big "NO FEAR" sticker across the top of his windshield.
I thought nothing of it, and turned to my right to look at the guy next to me in the lane next to me. This was at ten at night, and the roads were a lil frosty in mid fall. All was quiet as we waited for our light to turn green so we could turn left.
So I looked left down the dark tracks, fiddled with my radio then looked to my right again at the car beside me. Then it happened! everything turned white!looked back to my left to see the triangle of lights comming at the poor sucker stopped behind me. I pulled ahead as much as possible hopeing the guy behind me had a nought room. I looked back at him and he was motioning me to pull ahead more. If I did that I'd get hit by traffic on my left.

Then the bells started to ring, Guy behind me starts to panic as he touches his nose of his car to mine.

Light turns green for us as the train starts blaring his horn. I litterly stood on the gas only to have my front tires spin on the frosty pavement. but I do inch forward.
I back off and give my Honda civic type R just a little gas and we start going.

Dunderhead behind me had four seconds to spare. The train was a CN, witch means they haul butt were ever they go. Not like CP, were they poke along.

Nobody got hit that night, and as I drove to work I saw the guy behind me and I had to say to my self "Yeah man, NO FEAR, JUST TOTAL TERROR."

[Anonymous]

This story happened to me back in '98 or '99 I belive. A couple of weeks earlyer I saw "Danger on the rails" docomentry. I was on my way to work and had to cross a single set of tracks. The tracks paralle Barnet highway, and river road connected to it like a "T" It's got traffic lights and only one vehicle can be at the line, then the tracks behind you, the the rest of the cars behind that.

So this doughhead decides to stop right behind me. I was the first car at the light. I noticed he had a big "NO FEAR" sticker across the top of his windshield.
I thought nothing of it, and turned to my right to look at the guy next to me in the lane next to me. This was at ten at night, and the roads were a lil frosty in mid fall. All was quiet as we waited for our light to turn green so we could turn left.
So I looked left down the dark tracks, fiddled with my radio then looked to my right again at the car beside me. Then it happened! everything turned white!looked back to my left to see the triangle of lights comming at the poor sucker stopped behind me. I pulled ahead as much as possible hopeing the guy behind me had a nought room. I looked back at him and he was motioning me to pull ahead more. If I did that I'd get hit by traffic on my left.

Then the bells started to ring, Guy behind me starts to panic as he touches his nose of his car to mine.

Light turns green for us as the train starts blaring his horn. I litterly stood on the gas only to have my front tires spin on the frosty pavement. but I do inch forward.
I back off and give my Honda civic type R just a little gas and we start going.

Dunderhead behind me had four seconds to spare. The train was a CN, witch means they haul butt were ever they go. Not like CP, were they poke along.

Nobody got hit that night, and as I drove to work I saw the guy behind me and I had to say to my self "Yeah man, NO FEAR, JUST TOTAL TERROR."

[Mookie]

[i]Originally posted by edblysard

How could they not know a train was coming?[quote
Ed, I too saw that video - and just about bet the thinking was that the gates were down for the engine sitting to the left. Never even considered there might be one coming. Preoccupation - kind of like cell phones and automobiles!

Jen

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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