Not sure if this is the right category... In cab video from last years head on collision near Kismet (Fresno) California. You can see the signal change at the very last minute to red over red as it approaches the oncoming train. YOu can also see one of the other trains crew members bail out, just before the collision. Amazing no one was killed. [video=youtube;pTeDAst3KA0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTeDAst3KA0[/video] According to a railroader on another site, who has time to view this clip stated the following, for those of us, like myself, who don't quite know all the intricacies of signal lights.. ..."At the start of the video, the advance signal you see shows yellow over yellow, indicating that the camera train will take the siding at the next signal. As he approaches the siding, the signal shows red over green, meaning he's lined into the siding and lined out at the other end. At the last second, the opposing train overruns the fouling point (where the two trains can no longer clear each other) and the signal drops to red over red. Had the camera train been further back when the other one overran their red signal, he still wouldn't have known unless he could see his signal change. The opposing train would have run through the switch".
I had read that the cause was due to apparently one of the crewmen on the oncoming train falling asleep And I guess it was as close to a Cornfield meet as you can get.
The video shows that the oncoming train was rolling forward. Watch the pilot as it crosses the diverging rail out of the switch. Scary!
That is amazing video - seeing the signal change from red over green to red over red like that is pretty spooky. I'm glad nobody was killed, and hope nobody was seriously injured.
Simply unreal! WOW, it is amazing no one was killed. I do hope no one was seriously injured either. Man, they don't pay those guys enough money for what they do IMHO. John
Wow, that is startling to watch. I did a frame by frame and it is interesting to watch the camera lens crack (or is it the windshield?) a split second before the video ends, but the audio continues for a few seconds after. Not sounds you ever want to hear in person, to be sure. I'm curious if there are pictures of the aftermath somewhere. Amazing video. EDIT: Found a little bit more about the crash. http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13610 http://www.searchmyvideo.com/watch/3972716518/devostation-after-derailment June 14, 2006- BNSF Railway (BNSF), Kismet, California An eastward mixed freight train, operating at 22 mph, struck the head-end of an opposing westward unit train operating at an estimated speed of 30 mph. As a result of the collision, all crew members of both trains were taken to a local hospital with injuries, a total of 7 locomotives and 17 cars, including 1 hazardous material and 1 tank car derailed. ATK passengers were bussed around the scene.
Look closely at the opposing train. You will notice a crew member jump from behind the cab on the engineer's side of the locomotive as it passes the signal.................
Great video of the road bed, too! It's a good example of grass, drainage profile, ballasting, etc. Excellent for modeling. We have a question on that right now...somewhere on TB.
Incredible. I was on-line a few days ago, googling train disasters, and it seems the railroad industry over the years is much worse than the airline industry.
Scary! I re-watched it--the red over red was someting I missed the first time around. And simply no time to react, barely enough time to dump the air....
The crew had to know that the oncoming train had not stopped,At that point the singnals were useless! That had to be the scariest time when they saw full bright headlights and ditchlights in the distance! Hope the crews came through it OK! Has anyone heard anything lately?
The crew had to know that the oncoming train had not stopped,At that point the singnals were useless! Could they really have known that before getting right on top of the other train? I'm not familiar with operations, but just viewing the video I would have assumed that the oncoming train was stopped just back far enough of the fouling point. The camera train is lined for the siding. Could they really tell from any distance that the other train was still moving (if they weren't concentrating on that alone)? Just asking. Ed
That is amazing video. Its almost hard to watch even knowing that no one was seriously injured or worse killed. Steve
The non-dimmed headlight and ditchlights that are on are a dead giveaway that something is wrong,If the train were stopped the D/L would be off and the headlight would be dimmed. I don't think that there is anything that they could have done to avoid the accident,But I do think they put it in emergecy just before the crash.
The non-dimmed headlight and ditchlights that are on are a dead giveaway that something is wrong,If the train were stopped the D/L would be off and the headlight would be dimmed. Okay, makes sense. Learn something new every day. Thanks Ed
