Re: Correct Me if I'm Wrong
Author: Ernest H. Robl
Date: 11-17-2012 - 11:51
I don't know whether the crossing being a quiet zone would have
been a factor or not.
The basic laws of physics are that a train cannot stop within
a short distance. Therefore, road vehicles should only
enter crossings if they can get all the way across.
The train apparently did sound its horn once the crew realized
the crossing was occupied, but at that point the tractor-
trailer could not move because it had pulled onto the crossing
and was blocked in. And, the train could not stop in time.
The main point of trains blowing for crossings is to keep
vehicles from entering the crossing as the train approaches.
In this case, the vehicle was already in the crossing.
-- Ernest
P.S.: I returned Thursday evening from a day train trip that
went reasonably well -- only to hear about this accident. The
news left me profoundly sad, because I have heard locomotive
engineers describe situations where they knew they were going
to collide with a vehicle -- and could do nothing other than
place the train in emergency. And, then, of course, they had
to see and deal with the aftermath.