Grade Crossings

Just a short time ago an automobile almost scratched the paint on the front of our old ALCO. After this event which the engineer could not see because it was on the Conductors side. The engineer asked the question, "What is it about the grade crossing protection, and RED flashing lights? Do they suddenly start flashing GREEN just befor the train gets there?" He had no idea what was going on. All he saw was me suddenly stand up and say oh F. In my opinion the driver had no intention of stopping at the crossing to look for a train even though the lights were flashing. It was only when he saw the train that he slammed on the brakes. The car slid about ten feet and stopped about three feet from the side of the train just as our pilot hit the road. In my mind there is no doubt that we would have had him for lunch if he had kept on going, even though we were only going about fifteen miles per hour.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by davek:
..."What is it about the grade crossing protection, and RED flashing lights? Do they suddenly start flashing GREEN just before the train gets there?"... In my mind there is no doubt that we would have had him for lunch if he had kept on going, even though we were only going about fifteen miles per hour. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi,
I'm not a railroad employee, but we have the same problem up here. People are becoming too self-centered to care about anything else but themselves. They act as though they ARE THEY ONLY ONES on the road and don't have to stop for anyone.

Yes, you would've had him for lunch... The mass of the train would surely have squashed the car and hurt someone.

Just my 2Cents... Don't get me going on this.
John

 

I have always found it interesting that if I am sitting stopped clear of the crossing that motorists tend to hesitate or wont cross in front of me. However when I am closing on a crossing at speed (day or night) and they cant judge how fast I am actually going they run the gates. I have hit only one car at a protected crossing in 8 years of running. I am grateful he was so drunk he did not sustain any injuries.

 

I was thinking about this last night, long after I had logged out.

What we have today is a generation of people who don't care to, or don't want to, take responsibility for their actions or the actions of their children. That's why there are so many lawsuits and judgements. These idiots would rather have someone else pay up, or pass absurd laws that insulate them from any blame. They don't even look both ways when they cross the street! They figure they can sue the driver for hitting them!

Been honked and yelled at for stopping at a crossing.

John

 

I'm also an engineer and this may sound cold hearted, but do you remember the old saying "survival of the fittest"? Maybe it's one way of weeding out the ones that are genetically challenged.

 

Worst wreck I ever worked as a cop was a grade crossing accident. "accident" is an
unstatement, "disaster" would be more
appropriate. double-headed freight t-boned
a car with four teenagers who went around
the barrier. Dragged the car for a half-
mile before it split just behind the driver's
seat. Driver was the only one to survive.
The little @#$%^&* was coherent, calm
actually, when we reached her. Not a scratch on her. No drugs, no alcohol.First thing out of her mouth was, "It isn't my fault, it didn't stop."
I agree with the writer from the Northeast-
people want to do their "own thing", but not
take responsibility for their actions. In
this case,it was pure arrogant stupidity.
Of course, the victims' relatives were
encouraged to sue the Railroad. They chose
to put a suit on the driver.

 

I don't work for any railroad, I drive an 18-wheeler for a living. I think JOHNC hit the nail on the head. We have several generations now that think that they are not reponsible for their actions, and they can sue anybody anytime, anywhere, for anything that happens.
In the area close to my home we have a busy Railroad crossing with lights, gates etc. Just 25 feet past the crossing is a stop light. I know that if I get caught by the light, while I am in the truck, I will block that crossing with 1/2 of a 53ft trailer I pull. I NEVER cross the tracks if I know I am going to get the red light. So I stop this side of the tracks and wait. I had some dumbbell(I'm trying to be polite) stop behind and then walk up to the cab. The dumbell DEMANDED that I pull up over the tracks so he could get to work! After I set the air-brakes, I climbed down to explain the situation to this cracker-head. I told him that if he wanted me to cross the tracks that he could push the truck across the tracks with his car! He then tells me that he is a lawyer and he will sue me over this! After I stopped laughing I said " The ambulance chasing business must be awful slow right now. You have to start sueing truck drivers for not crossing tracks" I swear I saw steam come out his ears! I had no sooner said that then the lights came on, the gates went down, and the train went thru. Needless to say the conversation was over. After the crossing cleared and the stop light changed we both went on our way. When he passed me on the expressway, he let me know that I was #1 in his book, but he used the wrong finger to tell me! Can I sue him for something?
In my opinion we need to do crossing gates like they have in England. Gates come down and the whole road is blocked on both sides.

------------------

 

I remember seeing a Detroit Edison coal train on a crossing one time. It probably had 200+ cars on it, and it was moving slow, about 2o mph. They had the crossing blocked for a long time. This crossing had flashing lights, and maybe gates, I can't remember for sure. Anyway, As soon as the last car the last car had cleared just enough for an auto to cross the tracks, one car zoomed around without waiting for the lights to stop flashing. The policecar that was waiting to cross from the other side, promptly turned around and turned on his flashing red lights, and stopped this car. I'm sure he was stopped for failure to stop at a red light. Because a red light means stop, wether it is a red light at an intersection or, a red flashing railroad crossing signal.

 

I always will remember the words of an Erie engineer. "The last thing he heard was the sound of my whistle."

 

Had a similiar experience a month ago at a crossing with a traffic light just beyond the crossing. Traffic light was red and three cars backed up with only about one and a half car lengths from the rails. I stopped this side of the crossing behind the crossing gate clearance. The dumb guy behind be with around me and tried to fit behind the backed up cars and me! The rear of his car was only two feet from the tracks! Crossing gate would have got him for sure.
Well the best part was. There are two rail lines in that area and a diesel on another close line hit his horns......you should have seen that dumb guy hit reverse and come back into the other lane!! No train was coming at this crossing but he is still cleaning up the brown stuff from his front seat....
I thought myself that I was going to be a witness to a major accident?
Maybe the railroads should install cameras at all crossings, like they do at traffic light intersections, to catch violators?

eddelozier


------------------
Eddie Delozier

 

I was riding in a friends car one time when we saw a train coming. He was a railfan too so he drove up and stopped several feet from the tracks and he was well clear of them. This crossing is just down the road from my house and I knew it well, it has lights bells and gates. I looked out the window to watch the approaching train and then said I think you may want to back up a little more. He asked why and said that we were plenty clear of the tracks. I said yes we are well clear of the tracks. But when that gate outside my window comes down it's going to put a hell of a scratch or dent in your car roof. I believe the car was a fairly new LINCOLN TOWN CAR and yes he backed up.

[This message has been edited by davek (edited 18 April 2000).]

 

I spend some of my working time on the east coast of FL. Every day I have to cross the Amtrak/FEC line parallelling Old Dixie Highway between Boca and Hypoluxo. Those of you from that neck of the woods know what I'm talking about. I don't think 3 months goes by that I don't see some car getting a crossing gate dent in either the hood or the trunk. There must be 100 grade crossings in the area I'm speaking of. Many with the traffic lights on far side of the tracks, and there's allways some a--h--- who tries to sneak in.
In fact, I think it was Jan or Feb in Ft. Lauderdale some snowbird couple got the back half of their Caddillac considerably shortened, Thank God they were not injured. That was a miricle.

Some folks never learn what blinking red lights mean.




------------------
When in doubt, empty your magazine.

 

We had one guy give us crap about blocking a private crossing one day. He told the engineer to move the train because he was already late for where ever he was going. The engineer told him that he would not move the train until he was told to by the conductor. Eventually this person got across the tracks, but not before he said he was going to report us to the police and then he left. We talked about this for a while, and decided that him calling the police would give us more ammunition agaist him if he gave us more problems. We also measured the crossing and found out that it was not legal because of its width. One option we discuss was raising the rent of the crossing to $1000 dollars a year for each residence on the road. Then when the residents asked why the rent went up so much, we would tell them to talk to their friendly next door neighbor. The other option we discuss was to tear the damn thing out permanently. Of coarse we would refer all the residents on the road to their friendly neighbor again. We have not had any more problems with this person, so we have not said anything to anyone, nor have we done anything.

[This message has been edited by davek (edited 18 April 2000).]