Trains.com

Cars stalling on tracks

31586 views
35 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 4:52 AM
 Teditor wrote:

There seems to be some inference that locomotive engineers are at fault by hanging on the horn, if we think about normal reactions to situations, don't you think the engineeers emotions also go into high gear, just because your'e in a 200 ton locomotive doesn't always mean you are automatically the winner, survival instincts take over in the cab of the loco too.

But in their case, it means riding out the situation, jumping or swerving is not usually an option and the natural reaction is to throw the brakes into emergency and hang on the horn, from there on, momentum and fate take over. (been there, done that!).

Out here on the SRT, many engineers and firemen run into the engine room behind the cab and luck it out when they see  tractor-trailers rig or ten-wheel trucks who disregard crossing protections and many has lost their lives in the line of duty in grade crossing accident.Sigh [sigh]Sad [:(]

FYI, All of SRT's locos tip the scale at around 80-90 metric tons so when they tangle with loaded tractor-trailers or ten wheel trucks(around 30-40 metric tons).  The result is ugly, the loco is derailed and banged up sometimes beyond repairBlack Eye [B)]       

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Pisa, IT
  • 1,474 posts
Posted by RR Redneck on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 7:57 AM
 TomDiehl wrote:

Probably not as common as you'd think.

 No scientific study needed, just simple logic. Most railroad crossing are rather rough, and many drivers slow to almost a crawl to go across them. This is the most likely time for a car to stall out, especially if it's in need of a tune up.

This is why I keep my 1995 Ford F-350 in the best shape I can and also why I put in a new off-road suspension, so I dont have to crawl over railroad crossings.

Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.

  • Member since
    May 2002
  • From: Just outside Atlanta
  • 422 posts
Posted by jockellis on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 11:36 PM
G'day, Y'all,
back in the early '90s a hurricane was forcast to hit southern Florida. Private pilots by the score flew their planes there "on business" in expectation that the storm would hit and destroy their insured aircraft. A friend who went down there afterward to look for parts for his V-tail said an insurance adjuster told him that the insurance companies knew these people did this to get out of paying for their planes but could not prove it and had to pay out millions of bucks. Maybe some people don't want to keep making payments on their cars.

Jock Ellis Cumming, GA US of A Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • 12 posts
Posted by Road Foreman on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 9:19 PM

  Sometimes it is not a matter of the car stalling on the tracks, but a way of getting the insurance company to pay for the car. Usually after a car/train collision there is not much left of the car and there is no way to find out if the car actually stalled. As a road foreman of engines, I have investigated many crossing accidents. A few of those turned out to be insurance scams because the person that owned the car could not afford the payments or they wanted a new car. This information I found out thru the claim agent that was assigned to the case.

 Bob

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 18, 2007 7:06 AM
Of all my years of driving. I have never had any problems of my car or truck stall on a RR crossing.
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 762 posts
Posted by kolechovski on Thursday, January 18, 2007 9:34 AM
I was never lousy enough to get stalled ON the crossings, but my car has stalled numerour times when stopping short of a crossing or for a traffic light.  Lots of times, just being careful would likely help keep them from ending up there, though I can understand it does happen sometimes.  Like was mentioned earlier, crossings are often graded, and people usually have to slow for them anyways, because they're so rough.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

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