ate yesterday aftenoon, I was driving East on I-80 on my way to Reno. As I crossed over the track at Highway 20, I looked down and saw a white pick-up very obviously stuck on the track. He had his front wheels in between the rail and rear wheels dug in to the outside, unable to move. I pulled off and drove down there and asked if he had called the railroad or if they knew he was there. Nope, "I don't know how to call them"---ever hear of 911?

At that point, I called the UP Police emergency number listed in the Altamont timetable I might add) and reached Omaha and gave them the location. In less that 30 seconds, I heard DS74 calling and Eastbound light power move (about 7 units) advising him of the problem. They pulled up within about 50 yards of the stuck vehicle. Fortunatly, this hadn't been a Westbound grain train or the like, such a train would less than 100 yards visibility at that point.

Seems this guy had driven up the right of way from Emigrant Gap and then decided to cross the track rather than drive all the way back. Obviously it didn't work. A Placer County deputy soon showed up and was calling for a tow---and had his ticket book at the ready for trespassing and probably more. This guy had two young sons with him also, one in the cab trying to drive while this moron tried lifting the truck by hand.