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Re: #5 hits car and derails in Nebraska
Author: SP5103
Date: 08-28-2011 - 07:37
They apparently tangled with a crane on the Nebraska event. I caught a quick mention on the news that showed a photo. It looked like it was a hydraulic crane (claimed to be used to tear down a grain elevator adjacent to the tracks). The base of the crane seemed to be still intact with outriggers extended, but the upper machinery (turret?) including the boom was ripped off and closer to the train. Hard to guess if the crane itself was fouling the track or just the counterweight. Obviously they hit something big enough to put them on the ground. That, tankers with flammables and buses are the big three you fear seeing from the head end.
My worst potential grade crossing near-misses:
On a 10 mph shortline in Montana, two loaded grain semis tailgating each other at 50 mph+ almost broadsided the cab. I plugged it and stopped just short of the crossing - much to the conductors relief (they would have been in his lap first). THe trucks and engine arrived at the same time, so no doubt they both would have hit us.
In Minnesota, running on BN trackage rights at 45 mph with 20-25 loads of sand and gravel in three bay hoppers rusted through from previous coal service. Came up on a crossing with gates and flashers - school bus has stopped and was holding, a semi loaded with sugar beets went around them. Truck driver had second thoughts and backed up just to clear. My power was an EMD cow-calf running calf first (that is a trip in itself), and with those rotten cars I didnt dare plug it. We would have knocked the truck away from the bus and gone in the ditch, but our train would have piled up at the crossing and on the bus.
Last near-miss was on a shortline in the Northwest versus an empty chip truck. Had an excursion train, so didn't want to plug it and go bowling for passengers. Knew EMD would beat an aluminum trailer. Had to use vise grips for a horn handle the rest of the trip since I broke the original handle in two.
My reaction is to repeatedly blast the horn, plug it if that will do any good (and is the lesser evil) and dig my feet into the cab floor (not sure if that does any good).
My worst potential grade crossing near-misses:
On a 10 mph shortline in Montana, two loaded grain semis tailgating each other at 50 mph+ almost broadsided the cab. I plugged it and stopped just short of the crossing - much to the conductors relief (they would have been in his lap first). THe trucks and engine arrived at the same time, so no doubt they both would have hit us.
In Minnesota, running on BN trackage rights at 45 mph with 20-25 loads of sand and gravel in three bay hoppers rusted through from previous coal service. Came up on a crossing with gates and flashers - school bus has stopped and was holding, a semi loaded with sugar beets went around them. Truck driver had second thoughts and backed up just to clear. My power was an EMD cow-calf running calf first (that is a trip in itself), and with those rotten cars I didnt dare plug it. We would have knocked the truck away from the bus and gone in the ditch, but our train would have piled up at the crossing and on the bus.
Last near-miss was on a shortline in the Northwest versus an empty chip truck. Had an excursion train, so didn't want to plug it and go bowling for passengers. Knew EMD would beat an aluminum trailer. Had to use vise grips for a horn handle the rest of the trip since I broke the original handle in two.
My reaction is to repeatedly blast the horn, plug it if that will do any good (and is the lesser evil) and dig my feet into the cab floor (not sure if that does any good).
