Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing in 56k Lookout (Broadband Heavy)

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:40:54 EDT

said by burner50 :

Final Delivery is where they should be

I agree! :) There is also a lot of transloading (train to truck, vice versa) going on as well now, I know the BNSF just opened up a huge transload facility in Fontana on some of the old Kaiser Steel facility, and there are a lot opening up all the time. »www.google.com/search?q=railroad···=1I7GGIH

I also realize that some things have to be delivered by truck to the consumer, but many of those things can go by intermodal (container, trailer on flat car) or rail car for most of their destination, then by truck to the stores or wherever. The perishable's market is another one where the railroads are taking back a huge share of the market, both by reefer car and by intermodal, and have ordered hundreds of new 70 foot jumbo reefers, and remanufactured and updated still more older 50 foot and 57 foot reefers. Here's a good article on that-
»findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m···674/pg_1

There are many goods than never need to touch a truck as well, such as coal, grain, aggregrates, etc.

I think indy has the wrong idea, this is about using trucks and trains to keep the country going, but trains are more economical, more fuel efficient and can ship in volumes truckers can only dreram of, not to mention too many trucks on the roads equals more congestion, pollution and road wear and tear. The booming rail traffic is a win win for everybody, trucks, trains and America :)
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»www.amtrak.com
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Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:48:24 EDT

burner50 : Final Delivery is where they should be

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:57:52 EDT

RR Conductor : .

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:29:35 EDT

indy0365 : They are doing VERY well I might add, averaging 20,000 carloads a year The freight rail business there, as well as across the nation is booming, they are really helping to take more and more trucks off the roads.

thats funny wonder who comes to rail head to pickup the goods for final delivery and transportation ?
dont foget the truckinging compnies are using the railroad to transport alot of trailers containers on wheels and some railroads have their own trucking companies such as csx

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:08:51 EDT

jrock444 : here's another train vs. snow clip where the snow wins. nothing happens after the 1:15 mark btw.. tape keeps rollin for a few minutes.

»www.liveleak.com/view?i=c4c_1197704529

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:35:21 EDT

RR Conductor : Hey, I have railroading in my blood, and I love what I do, this I cannot deny ;) I also have a BA in History, so facts and research are second nature to me. As a Railroader, I also think it's important to keep up on what's going on in the industry, wherever that may be.

I actually find out about a lot of stuff from other railroaders and railfans, especially over at »www.railpictures.net and »www.rail-videos.net, and of course from my long line of family working for the railroads (they started back in the 1800's and continue today). Those two sites by the way have a TON of pictures and videos posted by Conductor's, Engineer's and other crew members.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:04:21 EDT

burner50 : theres more railnuts on dslr than i thought!!

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:33:51 EDT

RR Conductor :

said by captokita :

said by RR Conductor :

Here's another neat line there, the New York New Jersey Railway, they do cross harbor freight, between Jersey City and Brooklyn, as well as operating yards in both places-

Hey! I don't see any crossing gates/signals in those photos! :D

Do those barges just link up to a rail line directly on either end? Wow.......

They do, and a lot more! Here's a great article on them-

»www.seafarers.org/log/2006/11200···lcar.xml

"New York New Jersey Rail, which operates Cross Harbor Railroad in New York Harbor, is one of the most unique operations in the United States, and the SIU members who work there continue to find it an exciting way of life.

A century ago, several hundred rail cars were floated across the harbor each day from the Greenville yard in Jersey City, N.J. to the Bush Terminal yard in Brooklyn, N.Y. aboard barges. Today, rail cars are making a rebirth by crossing the harbor on carfloats carrying nearly 8,000 rail cars each year and operating in much the same manner as they did in the late ’30s and ’40s. The trip across the harbor takes 45 minutes—much quicker than shipping overland, which can take up to 5 days round trip!"

There is a big rail barge operation like that near you-

»varail.com/es/eshome.html

"The Bay Coast Railroad, formerly known as the Eastern Shore Railroad, Inc. (ESHR) commenced operations on October 1, 1981 over the former Virginia and Maryland line from Pocomoke City, Maryland to Norfolk, Virginia, a distance of 96 miles. This north-south route on the Delmarva Peninsula was established in 1884 and is still the most direct route between the Northeast and Norfolk, Virginia. The BCRR consists of 70 miles of mainline and a 26 mile car float operation from Cape Charles to Little Creek, Virginia.

The BCRR route is strategically located between ConRail (Now Norfolk Southern) with its northern and western connections and Norfolk Southern Corporation and CSX Transportation with their southern and western connections. The BCRR by-passes the congested Northeast Corridor and its restricted clearances, with the unique capability to handle high-roof 60 ft. boxcars, tri-level enclosed auto racks, and over dimension shipments.

The uniqueness of this railroad is defined in its floating operations. Two barges (car floats) of 25 and 15 car capacity are used on the 26 miles water route across the Chesapeake Bay between Cape Charles and Little Creek. The tug boats used to pull the car floats are contracted. This float operation is one of only two remaining in the Eastern United States and is the longest water route in the country. This particular floating operation has been in continuous service from these terminals since April, 1885.

Float bridges consisting of four tracks each are located at both Cape Charles and Little Creek. These float bridges allow cars to be loaded directly onto our car floats.

BCRR's mainline is mostly 130 lb. rail with ongoing tie and surfacing projects to maintain at FRA Class II track standards. BCRR has two major yards at Cape Charles and Little Creek, Virginia. Little Creek Yard is also the site of our Weigh-In-Motion scales to better serve our customers.

BCRR motive power consists of four 1,750 hp EMD GP10 locomotives and two MRS1 Alco units to facilitate its mainline and switching operations. "

Some more links-

»www.baycoastrailroad.com/ (Their new site, under construction)

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Coast_Railroad

»www.trainweb.org/peninsularailfa···ory.html

--
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See MAJOR freight&passenger action@ the Galesburg, IL RailCam! »205.245.189.161:1100/
My soon to be employer,as an Asst.Conductor-
»www.amtrak.com
»www.modocrailroadacademy.com -Grad,Class of 2-07,woohoo!

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:10:40 EDT

burner50 : The odds of a derailment are slim, much more likely something will fly off and hit your car. Be especially leery of empty flatcars

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:08:09 EDT

cmhbob : 15-20 feet? I usually stop the length of a box car back from the line. It annoys the drivers behind me, but I figure I'm safer that way in the even of a derailment.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:32:31 EDT

ULTIMA1 : Well they keep them running to pull tourist around now. First started out with timber, then coal, now tourist.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:15:45 EDT

burner50 : going thru a crossing on a subdivision thats not used but once in awhile. Plows had plowed snow off the road and in our way, then it kinda melted and froze again....

well anyway we hit a huge chunk of Ice with the nose of the engine going 40mph, sent chunks of ice thru windows of cars near the crossing... Whoops.

Moral of the story, when waiting for a train dont stop at the white line, stop back 15-20 feet.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:08:06 EDT

captokita :

said by RR Conductor :

Here's another neat line there, the New York New Jersey Railway, they do cross harbor freight, between Jersey City and Brooklyn, as well as operating yards in both places-

Hey! I don't see any crossing gates/signals in those photos! :D

Do those barges just link up to a rail line directly on either end? Wow.......

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:05:17 EDT

captokita : Cool - that's one way to clear the tracks!

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:44:30 EDT

jrock444 : ran across this vid on digg and thought it would go good in this thread... looks really cool. any of you rail workers have any good train vs. snow stories?

»www.maniacworld.com/snow-plowing-train.html

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:07:59 EDT

RR Conductor : Cool, bring them on it ULTIMA1 ! I would love to go see that line someday, they do a great job keeping those Shay's alive and running.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:13:44 EDT

ULTIMA1 : I have some photos od some old Shay steam engines form the CASS railraod in West Virginia i will ahve to scan and post.

I have photos of 7 Shay engines with 70 cars of coal.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:10:40 EDT

RR Conductor : Here's another neat line there, the New York New Jersey Railway, they do cross harbor freight, between Jersey City and Brooklyn, as well as operating yards in both places-

»www.nynjr.com/

Edit-Some excellent links on freight and passenger operations in NY-

»www.nynjr.com/links.php

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:07:25 EDT

Jeffrey :

said by RR Conductor :

Jeffrey, the reason you don't see the LIRR hauling freight is because a freight line took over freight duties from the LIRR In 1997, The New York and Atlantic Railway-

»www.anacostia.com/nyar/nyar.html

They are doing VERY well I might add, averaging 20,000 carloads a year :)

Some more links-

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_a···_Railway

»www.oldnyc.com/bayridge/contents···dge.html

Interesting - shares the same tracks too. They must run them at night or something. I see about 1 freight per day, and it's usually about 6 cars long hauled by a locomotive that looks like it was built 200 years ago. :) I'll have to check out those links.

I'm all for more freight around here. Get the damn semi's off the LIE. ;)
--
And so castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually.

I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EDT

RR Conductor : Jeffrey, the reason you don't see the LIRR hauling freight is because a freight line took over freight duties from the LIRR In 1997, The New York and Atlantic Railway-

»www.anacostia.com/nyar/nyar.html

They are doing VERY well I might add, averaging 20,000 carloads a year :) The freight rail business there, as well as across the nation is booming, they are really helping to take more and more trucks off the roads.

Some more links-

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_a···_Railway

»www.oldnyc.com/bayridge/contents···dge.html

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:24:31 EDT

ULTIMA1 : But it still shows how long it takes for just the engine to stop. And yes i know freight trains are bigger and heavier but the Europeon trains travel a lot faster.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:27:54 EDT

burner50 :

said by cmhbob :

Since there's a couple of RR guys here, let me ask you this:

With the growth and improvement in LED technology, batteries, wireless radio, and solar power, why are so many crossings still using such old technology? It seems like it could be much cheaper to add at least lights to a crossing now.

It is alot of cost up front and maintenance plus paying the power company to extend their infrastructure out to the middle-of-nowhere every couple miles... It is a costly endeavour for some crossings that have little to no traffic...

said by captokita :

The town had people complain about the engine horns, and they actually made them NOT SOUND THE HORNS!!!!! This is ridiculous, but the town made them do it anyway

The town is supposed to install some sort of means of keeping people from going around the gates, like a median with orange pylons sticking up several feet... But I have run several 70mph "quiet zones". They are dangerous and stupid. Just because you cant go aroudn the gates doesnt mean people cant cross in other areas on foot... Ames IA is a particularly dangerous place... The UP just hit a girl on a bicycle.

Trains in Idle rolling down welded rail can actually be nearly silent... Very dangerous situation

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:32:58 EDT

plencnerb :

said by captokita :

said by BurntCricket :

The town had people complain about the engine horns, and they actually made them NOT SOUND THE HORNS!!!!! This is ridiculous, but the town made them do it anyway.

I know there are places here in IL and WI that are the same way. I don't see how laws like that can get passed. I mean, the Horn and Bell on the train are their for a reason, to alert those around the train that it is coming.

In fact, there is a section of the Wisconsin Central line that runs between Grayslake and Vernon Hills in Illinois that has a device at the crossing to "simulate" the horn of the train. It sounds off when a train is coming, and the speaker of this device is directed towards the roadway. This way, the train itself does not have to blow its horn, there is one at the crossing to do the job.

People who complain that the horn is to loud belong with the same group of people who move next to an airport, and then, after living there for a few years, complain it is to loud. If you don't want to hear the noise, don't live near the airport, or in this case, the tracks! Let the people who operate the trains due their job with all the safety equipment they were given. If I was a person driving a train in that town, I would blow the horn, regardless of any law. I don't want to see people killed or hurt over some stupid rule.

--Brian
--
============================
--Brian Plencner

E-Mail: bplencnerCancer@wi.rr.com
Note: Kill Cancer to Reply via e-mail

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:11:43 EDT

captokita :

said by BurntCricket :

Around here all the main streets and many of the side streets have gates the only ones that don't have lights are those on roads with little traffic and/or few trains ... The lights can be seen for miles so there is NO excuse for not "seeing" them, and the way most conductors are now with the horn you know it's coming LONG before it gets there ...

Before we moved to NC (a place with NO trains around argh) we lived with my wife's folks in Wilmington, MA. They were real close to the tracks, it was right down the street, and we'd go watch them many times a week. The reason I brought this up, is that the line that went through ran the MBTA commuter trains, as well as freight trains. The town had people complain about the engine horns, and they actually made them NOT SOUND THE HORNS!!!!! This is ridiculous, but the town made them do it anyway. So while the crossings did have gates and lights, there were times that I saw trains go through and the gates/lights didn't work. So some poor bastard riding through there would never know a train was there. I don't know if they've overturned that ruling, as it's been 7 years since we were there, but....

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:05:27 EDT

rfnut :

Unless your radio is turned up real loud. And you can not assume that the gates are always working either. 2 kids where killed just west of me, when the gates and lights failed to work on a highway crossing (caught on camera as well). I taught my kids to stop(ok being realistic- slow way down) look and listen on any crossing with reduced visability.Even gated ones. By reduced visibility, I mean here in the flatlands we can usually see more than a mile in each direction at many crossings.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:10:02 EDT

BurntCricket : Around here all the main streets and many of the side streets have gates the only ones that don't have lights are those on roads with little traffic and/or few trains ... The lights can be seen for miles so there is NO excuse for not "seeing" them, and the way most conductors are now with the horn you know it's coming LONG before it gets there ...

In RR's video you can hear the train's horn AND the train itself LONG before it gets to an unsafe spot, and look how long the guy would have had to wait for the train .... LESS than a minute.
--
Looking for fly shit in pepper.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:35:12 EDT

cmhbob : Since there's a couple of RR guys here, let me ask you this:

With the growth and improvement in LED technology, batteries, wireless radio, and solar power, why are so many crossings still using such old technology? It seems like it could be much cheaper to add at least lights to a crossing now.

--
If illegal aliens are filling jobs that Americans don't want, what happens when those illegal aliens become Americans? - Jay Leno

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:23:01 EDT

burner50 : Hmmm...

Also I wanted to mention the diesels are Diesel-electric...

The diesel engine powers a large alternator that sends power to several electric traction motors (4-6 motors per engine).

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:20:37 EDT

burner50 : I was simply explaining that there is alot more destruction when hit by a fully loaded freight train than when being hit by a small passenger train.

Imagine if that van had been drug far enough it had gone under the nose of the engine and been chewed up by the leading truck? Alot more carnage. So yes my point was valid.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:19:13 EDT

Jeffrey : Out in these parts, we don't have too much freight. In fact, I see very little off it. The rail lines out this way are for commuter trains - the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), which is a section of the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority), that also has Metro-North & NYC Bus.

At any rate, the LIRR runs from under 34th and 7th in midtown Manhattan (known as Penn Station) all the way east to Montauk Point, at the southern tip of Long Island. It's busiest commuter railroad in N. America - almost 300,000 passengers/day.

Parts of the system are electrified, and other parts are not. In the past, the LIRR used 2 models; diesel only and electric only. For those people commuting on a diesel to NYC, you'd have to change at a major hub outside of NYC due to the fact that the diesels can't enter the east-river tunnels to get to Penn Station.

Most of the engines from the 1960s to the 1990s were built by Budd and General Electric. New electric trains from Bombardier were purchased in the late 1990s that replaced the older electric cars.

Since it's not cost-effective to electrify the entire system, the MTA purchased many "dual mode" locomotives, built specifically by a now-closed section of a General Motors division. The dual-modes have double the rate of breakdown as the electric only trains, but they have their perks. For one, double-decker cars. Secondly, gone is the need to change at the hub to continue your journey to NYC---in one motion, they turn the diesel engines off and turn the electric on, and are then allowed to slip into the tunnel.

Main Site: »www.lirr.org
LIRR info: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_Rail_Road
LIRR fleet: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Islan···ad_fleet
--
And so castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually.

I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Dual-Mode
Electric Only
Old Diesel (out of use)

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:16:50 EDT

Ken : Just read this timely article from the local paper

said by »www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a···12110435 :

Flashing lights and cross arms will be installed at three Johnson County railroad crossings as early as next spring.

The Johnson County Commissioners on Monday signed off on three contracts with the Indiana Railroad Co. that would add flashing lights and cross arms at the White River Township crossings.
Total cost of the project is $509,589, or $169,863 for each of the crossings on Olive Branch, Smokey Row and Stones Crossing roads.

So it costs $170,000 to put up flashing lights and cross arms on a small country two lane road. I think my earlier guess of billions was pretty accurate.
--
Business: MerrittConstruction.com | Personal: KenMerritt.com | Xbox Live:KENMERRITT COM

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:12:14 EDT

Jodokast96 : And like I said, would it make a differenc? No. Nobody is coming away alive from either of them, so making a point about the size of the train is irrelevant to the amount of destruction. Car's gone, people are dead. Ok, maybe it makes a difference to the mortician. Now if you were making a point about how much time the trains need to stop to avoid something like that, there'd be some relevance.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:04:59 EDT

burner50 :

said by Jodokast96 :

But how much more destroyed do you really expect the car get, and would really make any difference?

Have you ever seen it happen? well I have... And trust me It is different. In that video you could still tell it was a car. Last one I SAW you couldnt tell what it was. Or the worst part you couldnt tell if there was still anybody (or parts of anybody) IN IT.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:53:05 EDT

Jodokast96 : No problem with you at all. But how much more destroyed do you really expect the car get, and would it really make any difference? A single engine creamed it. It doesn't matter whether there are bigger trains here or not. Train vs. car, there is no more car. Size means jack. And you can take your trolling comments and shove 'em. Grow a set and don't cry just because someone may have disagreed with you.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:52:27 EDT

burner50 : hehe

sucks to be them... I dont think that would happen around here, but until the power is restored EVERY train has to stop at EVERY crossing with malfunctioning lights/gates and protect the crossing before proceeding.

What kind of trains do you see there? Electric, Diesel, and Dual mode?

I'm curious to know about the dual mode trains... Pictures maybe?

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:45:27 EDT

Jeffrey :

said by burner50 :

They are there. And many if not MOST do not have gates OR lights... Only major crossings have gates and busy roads get lights...

Like I said it depends on the area, track speed, and amount of vehicle or pedestrian traffic at the crossing...

PS - I am in the Midwest where the population is not nearly as dense as the Northeast.

I don't doubt they are there, I just don't think any exist on Long Island, where I spend 95% of my time. Every grade crossing around here - even on roads that have traffic only in the daytime - have gates.

When the power goes out, it's interesting. The gates are programmed to go down when the power goes out, so then cops at every grade crossing show up to guide cars around the tracks, steering clear of the electric, diesel, and dual-mode trains that come through.
--
And so castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually.

I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:42:54 EDT

burner50 :

said by Jeffrey :

said by burner50 :

said by captokita :

It's possible the driver didn't even know a train was there before he was on top of the tracks.... (Yes, anyone with brains would slow at a non-lit crossing, but people are stupid.)

Some people have themselves programmed, turn here, stop there... He probably didnt even look.

The presence of gates and or lights is determined by the amount of rail traffic and road traffic at a crossing. If there is only a few trains per week, and just a little traffic at some backwoods crossing then the rr is probably only gonna put up crossbucks.

I have to jump in here. Around these parts, we have MANY grade crossings, but I have not ever seen a set of tracks around here with a grade crossing that DOES NOT have gates.

Since I'm from these parts, I'm programmed only to stop when I see the gates or flashing red. I'm sure in my travels across the northeast and mid-atlantic that I have blown over tracks without stopping (or looking), simply because I'm used to seeing gates.

So, for some people, they might be programmed to stop and look. Other people, depending on where they are from, may not be.

They are there. And many if not MOST do not have gates OR lights... Only major crossings have gates and busy roads get lights...

Like I said it depends on the area, track speed, and amount of vehicle or pedestrian traffic at the crossing...

PS - I am in the Midwest where the population is not nearly as dense as the Northeast.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:31:19 EDT

Jeffrey :

said by burner50 :

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:02:41 EDT

RR Conductor :

said by Shadow01 :

Not to excuse the stupid drivers out there, but any RR company that can't afford to put gates at all their crossings, should not be in business. Hard to imagine multi-million dollar corps not being able to afford gates.

It would cost BILLIONS, and many times the railroads will offer to help close or put a crossing above or below grade, but communities often don't want to help out at all. They have closed many crossings, and put still more above or below grade, but there's simply no way for them to do it by themselves, it takes funding from the public sector as well.

Operation Lifesaver is one group working to make crossings safer, and to educate the public-

»www.oli.org/

They released some good tips for winter crossing safety-

"Rail Safety Tips for Winter Travel

1. Slow down. Winter weather hampers vision for pedestrians and drivers. Snow-covered roads, tracks and parking lots can spell disaster.

2. Focus your attention. Keep your eyes on the road. Hang up your phone, remove earphones, turn down your personal music, and don’t text message while driving or walking near tracks.

3. Look and listen for the train. Move your head to see around mirrors, windshields, pillars, despite wearing heavy clothing. Snow can muffle the sound of an approaching train. Crack the window, lower the sound of the radio and heater.

4. Take braking precautions. Wear non-slip footwear when crossing tracks. If you have anti-lock brakes on your car, don’t pump them, use firm pressure. In older vehicles, pump the brake going into a slide to help regain control.

5. Stop 15 feet from crossing. If you see or hear a train, stop 15 feet from the crossing (one car length), whether on foot or in a vehicle.

6. Mind lights and controls at the railroad crossing. If the signals appear to be malfunctioning, call the railroad at the 1-800 number listed at or near the crossing. Don’t cross until you’ve checked for a second train or the gate is in an upright position.

7. If stuck, get out! If your vehicle gets stuck on the tracks, quickly exit the vehicle and move away from the track. Notify law enforcement or the railroad of your vehicle’s location. Report the DOT number at the crossing and street names"

Sad story about talking on the phone, a man was recently killed in the Bay Area by an Amtrak train while...you guessed it, talking on his phone and not paying any attention to where he was.

"(12-05) 17:02 PST SAN LEANDRO - A pedestrian apparently absorbed in a cell phone call was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in San Leandro today after he walked around a lowered crossing gate and onto the tracks, authorities said.

The victim, a man who was not immediately identified, was struck at 12:30 p.m. by a northbound Capitol Corridor train at the Alvarado Street crossing, about 8 miles south of the Oakland station, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.

None of the 20 passengers or crew aboard the train was injured. That train and two others were delayed and another Capitol Corridor train was cancelled, Graham said.

Crew members aboard the Sacramento-bound train told authorities they saw the victim talking on the cell phone before he was struck, Graham said. The warning lights and gates at the crossing were functioning properly, she added.

E-mail Steve Rubenstein at srubenstein@sfchronicle.com. "

»www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c···OVO7.DTL

The sad thing is, in accidents like that there are more than just the public victim/s, that train crew has to live with that scene for the rest of their lives, they know it's not their fault, but it still hurts to know somebody died needlessly. It is extremely traumatic, and there are support groups to help crews that have gone through those situations. So, if you don't care about your own life, at least think about the crews, and their families.
--
»www.gorail.org
See MAJOR freight&passenger action@ the Galesburg, IL RailCam! »205.245.189.161:1100/
My soon to be employer,as an Asst.Conductor-
»www.amtrak.com
»www.modocrailroadacademy.com -Grad,Class of 2-07,woohoo!

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:47:02 EDT

burner50 : I dont know what your problem is with me, but i was inferring that there is shorter passenger trains in europe mostly and mostly large heavy freight here in america.

And yes a loaded freight train dragging a car an extra couple of miles would cause alot more destruction...

go troll elsewhere...

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:43:25 EDT

Jodokast96 : Yeah, doesn't apply one bit. Because a fully loaded freight train would cause so much more damage than the total destruction that single engine did. :uhh: Hell, he even inferred that if it takes that much to stop just an engine, imagine what a full load would need. But somehow that doesn't apply because it's in different countries. :uhh:

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:35:45 EDT

burner50 : That is a neat video and has been posted several times...

But it doesnt really apply to american railroads as the maority is freight... In that video the train weighed probably 400,000lbs where a fully loaded coal train weighs 39,234,000lbs and takes alot longer to stop. Last time we dumped the air going 50 mph it took nearly 3 miles to stop.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:22:10 EDT

ULTIMA1 : 1 of the good ones from Top Gear. Showing British rail test on hitting a van with just an engine and how long it takes to stop.

»www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0bagu5gyBE

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:32:53 EDT

burner50 :

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:06:59 EDT

jlhugh : Its common sense to stop and look. A lot of people don't have that sense. The driver in the video is one of them. Don't blame the lack of gates because of stupid drivers.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:35:56 EDT

Ken : Are you serious? I can't imagine the billions of dollars it would cost to put up crossing gates at every crossing. I would bet that 90% of all crossing in the US don't have gates.

Edit: Alright I was wrong, I just looked it up and 80% of crossings don't have gates.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:33:11 EDT

Shadow01 : Not to excuse the stupid drivers out there, but any RR company that can't afford to put gates at all their crossings, should not be in business. Hard to imagine multi-million dollar corps not being able to afford gates.
--
R.I.P. Moby 1964 - 2007

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:25:50 EDT

Ken : I meant the commentary on the page, not in the video.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:21:47 EDT

captokita :

said by Ken :

The commentary from the guy running the camera says the truck stopped at the crossing and then took off. I find it highly unlikely that the driver didn't see the train.

Hmm, ok then. I didn't listen to it, just watched it. It LOOKED as though it just drove right through. If he had stopped first, he's even more of an idiot.

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:06:16 EDT

Ken :

said by captokita :

It's possible the driver didn't even know a train was there before he was on top of the tracks....

The commentary from the guy running the camera says the truck stopped at the crossing and then took off. I find it highly unlikely that the driver didn't see the train.
--
Business: MerrittConstruction.com | Personal: KenMerritt.com | Xbox Live:KENMERRITT COM

Re: Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:34:18 EDT

captokita : Wow, no gates at a crossing like that? It's possible the driver didn't even know a train was there before he was on top of the tracks.... (Yes, anyone with brains would slow at a non-lit crossing, but people are stupid.)

Close one though. Had he been hit, the cameraman would've gotten it too.

Yet another idiot driver at a RR Crossing

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:46:48 EDT

RR Conductor : »www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=1456

I can tell you from being in the cab at crossings, that crew probably about had a heart attack seeing that (I know I do everytime I watch it), and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief at the end. The driver is VERY lucky to still be alive, and the crew won't have to live with yet another senseless grade crossing death.

Note to people:For your sakes, and the train crew's sakes, DON'T try beating a train! NOTHING, I say NOTHING is worth the risk.