At least up here in the Pacific NW, we seem to be off to a record setting year of stupidity on the rails.

A couple weeks ago, while returning from a trip on Steven's Pass, I ran across this group on the Scenic Sub mainline just outside Everett, WA.

Everett

Yesterday I heard over the radio in Tacoma that a train hit a motorcycle. After listening to the various conversations I figured out where they must be and found this scene:

Dirtbike

Initial conversations seemed to indicate that one train, which I assumed to be the EVEROO hit the dirt bike after the rider was removed from the rails by his friends. Oddly the EVEROO continued on and stopped a few miles south at Ruston for a crew change. The train being warned was the a northbound coal train, which as you can see, stopped some distance past where the dirt bike ended up. I guess it could have been the coal train that hit the bike, but that doesn't seem possible given the respective locations of the bike and train.

While I was waiting for things to develop, I noticed this group of Rhodes Scholars ambling down to see what all the flashing lights was about.

More trespassers

At the same time, out of their line of sight, was a southbound Sounder that did stop before reaching them. This group continued on down to the bike, where they were met by the conductor of the coal train. I guess they got a brief description and were asked too leave. And how did they do that? Even after being hollered at by the conductor to get off the tracks, they just kept on going.

Questions

Back to the dirt bike, according to news reports an attempt was made to jump an embankment, likely the one near the emergency vehicles. Apparently the jump wasn't as successful as the Evel Knievel wannabe had hoped. His audience/friends managed to get him off the track before the train arrived. Even after being hit by the train, the bike seemed to have faired better than the rider. News reports indicate he was in critical condition at local Army hospital.

I waited around until dark, about an hour and a half. Long enough for three Sounder trains to be stopped between the incident location and Puyallup and a fourth stopped in Puyallup. Seems no one was interested enough (or knew enough not to) bother to explain/plead that it was only a dirt bike that ended up on the right-of-way and the tracks had to be inspected. Then they were supposed to have to wait until the Sheriff's department made an investigation (which I never saw). Finally about 10 minutes after I left, I heard the dispatcher indicate that the tracks were cleared for normal operations. But that was after two Sounders backed up to Puyallup to unload passengers.