Don't Play Chicken With Trains

The BBQ Pit
1

My first thought was “here we go again”. Which tells you something about the hazards of riding trains for 20+ years.* The nightly commuter train came to a screeching halt in between stops, specifically, half-on and half-off the bridge over the Calumet River. Came to a halt and stayed halted.

There was that odd sense that something was wrong, and peristalitic** wave traveled from the front of the car to the rear. Murmurred questions “Did we hit something?”, “Accident?”

In the old days, when the trains had windows you could open, there would have been heads popping out the whole length of it. These days the technique is to squash yourself against the plexiglass and try to glimpse what’s happening forward. My seat mate helpfully mentioned that the front car probably had the best view. My reply was that you may not want the “best view” if we hit someone. The gentleman in question got that dawning look of “oh shit” comprehension and said I had a good point there.

Well, after doing the squash routine I saw three bicycles and just one kid. Said kid was pulling the bicycles away from the tracks. Nothing looked mangled, no screaming, crying, or blood splashed about, just one very shook up looking teenager and three apparently intact bicycles. The folks on the other side of the train said they couldn’t see anyone. Well, that one kid certainly didn’t ride three bikes simultaneously down to the river crossing, now did he?

After a few minutes, though, the train started moving again. Well, we must not have injured or killed anyone if we were moving. If we had, we would have been parked for hours while ambulances and cop cars showed up and did their thing. I know this, having been through the drill a few times over the last couple decades.

I hope the train people put the fear of Large, Heavy Objects into those kids, if the train itself hadn’t, and they get off with just a good scare.

Why the fuck do people do this? This time it was kids, but adults are far from immune. People afraid of a small dog will thoughtlessly put themselves in front of a moving train that could squash them like a bug with barely a bump felt by those inside (if that much)

At least this time I didn’t have to “enjoy” people-parts splashed across the windows and the sight of clean-up workers with shovels loading up a couple body bags with pieces. (yes, I’ve really seen that). Yes, they hose down the tracks and the train, but it never seems to quite get all the bits off. Of course, if the victim doesn’t die instantly there’s all that screaming and crying - and not just from the person under the wheels. Nothing like overhearing a coversation along the lines of “Hey, have you seen this lady’s left foot? It might still have a red shoe on it, and black hose” to put you off your dinner. And if you have a “third rail” power system you might also get to experience the sizzle-pop-crack of someone shorting out the system and that unique smell of BBQ-ing human flesh.

No, I got to skip all that - this time. Nevermind the late-late-late-show after I fell asleep, complete with sound and smell effects you never get on Real TV or Maximum Exposure. I know from past experience that the gross-out dreams will only last a night or two, then back to normality, but really, I didn’t need this at all.

  • Yes, I realize riding a train to and from work is un-American, as opposed to driving a gas-guzzling deatbox SUV, but I’m not your typical American

** From “peristalsis”, the wave-like squeeze-and-release your intestines do to move food along your digestive track. Very organic form of movement, with various speeds along the length of the effect and some on-again, off-again, start-and-stop action. All of which takes many more words than “peristaltic”

2

What, the kids were using the railroad bridge to get across the river?

3

Last week here in town, we had an old man (79, I think) drive around a lowered crossing gate. It was the last stupid thing he did.

I’ve read how horrible it is for the engineer, knowing there’s nothing he can do. I never considered what the passengers on the train would be exposed to. How awful, Broomstick!

4

My dad was warned about something similar when he applied to be a manager for some convenience stores that are in the Toronto subway. The interviewer warned my dad that every so often, you would hear the moans of the jumpers…

Needless to say, my dad said “thanks but no thanks”

5

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Broomstick *

  • Yes, I realize riding a train to and from work is un-American, as opposed to driving a gas-guzzling deatbox SUV, but I’m not your typical American

I guess. What’s the fuel efficiency of your average hobby aircraft? It’s about the same as an SUV, isn’t it?

6

I take the same trains to work that Broomstick does, just a different line. I’ve seen people run in front of trains to beat them across the tracks more often than I can think of. One day when the train schedule was thrown off due to one hitting someone further up the line, people were still dashing in front of moving trains as I stood there and watched dumbfounded. You’d think the $500 fine and occasional police sting operations (wait at crossing, bust everyone who does it in front of you) would have more of an effect but I guess not.

I’ve never been on a train that’s hit someone, but I have been on one that’s passed by the site of such an accident - rolling past and seeing people on the scene and a tarp laid over what’s pretty obviously a human body isn’t pleasant, so I can’t imagine what seeing worse would be like.

On my train line a few years back, there was an elderly couple driving to get to the gambling boats. The guy drove around the lowered crossing gate, and the car was hit by a train. It spun over from the impact, and within seconds was hit by a train going the other way. Both passengers were killed, of course, and the force of one of those impacts was strong enough to actually propel the car’s battery through a nearby apartment’s window. (This isn’t hearsay - it sounds incredible, but I read the report in the newspaper.)

If the gate is down and/or lights and bells are going off, I don’t cross. Simple as that.

7

The old man was a hog-head (Engineer - drove the train) for 30 odd years. He got into 2 (or was it 3) accidents that killed the drivers of cars. Each time, he saw the people looking at him directly and they were racing the train, trying to beat it to a crossing. They lost. Badly.

What does this have to do with the OP? People are fucking stupid at times.

8

I tell you they should ban “Stand be me”.

A lot of accidents could be avoided.

9

I actually saw a car get hit by a train once. The people were immigrants and apparently didn’t know what the flashing lights meant.

Lets put it this way, the laws of physics are sometimes much more impressive when they are scaled up a bit. The best description of the whole scene was watching the ease with which a foot kicks an empty aluminum can. The car was a U.S. mid-70s, full size, four door, a pretty big car by any standards. The car was sitting with the trunk section across the tracks, the passenger portion was pretty much off the tracks. The train was traveling fairly slow, I’m gussing less that 30MPH, probably more like 20MPH. The car was lifted about 6 feet off the ground and spun around in the air at least two complete revolutions (think of helicopter blades) and landed in a ditch about 40 feet away. Amazingly the driver was completely unharmed (she was about 17 yrs old), the passenger (a 70+ yr old and very frail woman) had only one broken rib. I don’t remember if either were wearing their seatbelts. The odd thing was that we all saw it was going to happen but all we could do was sit there and watch.

On another note a friend of mine was hit by a train. He was drunk and playing chicken, his truck look liked a crushed can. Of course he got a DWI but he also got a nice settlement check from the railroad… seems this wasn’t the first accident they had had at this crossing.

FTR both accidents involved ‘at grade’ crossings with no gates, only lights.

10

I ride a train everyday to work as well here in DC. Just a few weeks ago we hit two cars in under a week! You would think that people would learn not to park on the damn tracks. It’s not like there are no signs, big bars that come down when the train is coming and things like that.

The best though is when people are late getting to the train and cross right in front of the train. I have no idea what these people are thinking, there is a bridge and you can walk in front of the train! I was really worried over the winter with all the ice and stuff that someone would try running and slip right under the train, I know once or twice someone came close.

11

I know someone who is an engineer for CP Rail in the prairies.

He’s hit one chap in a car who tried to beat the train, his car got stuck, and he didn’t get out.

As this acquaintance pointed out: A TRAIN DOESN’T STOP ON A DIME.

I can’t remember the exact distance it takes, but on some of the heavier cargo trains, it can take a hell of a long while… long enough for this person to see the accident happen, in VERY slow motion, knowing there’s nothing MORE he can do. He said it can take a good 3 minutes or more for the train to come to a complete stop, and by that time, he had quite nicely hit the chap and his car…

… I wouldn’t want to be on a train when such an accident happened. How… traumatizing.

12

My parents’ house is half a block from some pretty heavily-travelled train tracks. On two occasions there have been accidents nearby (all of the crossings have gates and lights, the track runs along a very busy street). The second one, where a truck pulling some heavy, complex construction equipment got hit, I heard/felt enough to wake from a sound sleep, even though it happened dozen blocks away.

Trains go fast. Even a car can’t stop on a dime, and trains are much, much, much bigger. But the thing with trains is, 99% of the time you know where they’re going to be. That guy over there driving down the street weaving and gunning the engine? Who knows, even the sidewalk isn’t safe. But the train stays on the long metal things. So if there’s a train coming, stay away from the metal things and the train will not hit you.

It never fails to amaze me how people can’t figure this out. It’s not rocket surgery, for crying out loud.

– Dragonblink, who was on a seven-car commuter train when it hit a shopping cart at 60 mph or so.

13

Man, that would be some great video to see.

14

About 12-15 miles per gallon in cruise… it’s a bit problematic since airplanes are judged by gallons per hour rather than gallons per mile, and airplane travel has a vertical as well as horizontal component, but that’s what I’ve worked it out to. There are some that do better than that, maybe up to 20 miles per gallon, but I don’t have access to them at present, I’m using the Cessna/Piper/Mooney figures.

Of course, rather than drive an SUV with that gas mileage 1-3 hours per day Monday through Friday I’m (maybe) flying an airplane with that mileage for just an hour or two on the average weekend - which still means I burn less than the average SUV on a weekly basis.

Anyhow, back to the OP – seems there WERE kids on the other side of train (talked to a fellow commuter this morning). The other side had three kids and another bike. What were they doing there? Damn if I know - haven’t a clue if they were crossing the river on the RR bridge or just horsing around. In any case, probably a change-of-underwear experience for them.

15

I was in the front car of a commuter train that hit a kid on a bike. Took a while for his parts to be removed in buckets, and for the window sponged off. The tone of the voice of the engineer who announced what had happened is something I will never forget. Not only was the crossing gated, but the sidewalk had its own gate.

16

A few years ago, I was also on a fast-moving commuter train that hit a cart. I was in the first or second car, and we’re cruising along nicely, then “BANG! Thunk! CRASH! Rattle! Crack! Thunk!” starts moving slowly from the front of the train to the rear.

A moment later, the conductor announced that we’d hit a cart, and that rather than be thrown aside when we hit it, it stayed between the rails and banged around the train’s underside pretty much for the length of the train. Apparently trains are durable things as they didn’t stop to check it out.

17

Yeah, the “BANG thunketa thunketa bang thunketa thunketa thunketa bang …” noise as it went from car to car was fascinating indeed.

Trains may be durable things but in my area there’s apparently regs to follow – they had to stop the train and inspect the undercarriage of all seven cars. Turned out the cart busted an airhose, which the conductor had to repair. Poor guy got train sludge all over his nice white shirt, and then had to do the pry-the-turbolift-doors-open routine when we got to Union Station.

18

About 12-15 miles per gallon in cruise… it’s a bit problematic since airplanes are judged by gallons per hour rather than gallons per mile, and airplane travel has a vertical as well as horizontal component, but that’s what I’ve worked it out to. There are some that do better than that, maybe up to 20 miles per gallon, but I don’t have access to them at present, I’m using the Cessna/Piper/Mooney figures.

Of course, rather than drive an SUV with that gas mileage 1-3 hours per day Monday through Friday I’m (maybe) flying an airplane with that mileage for just an hour or two on the average weekend - which still means I burn less than the average SUV on a weekly basis. **
[/QUOTE]

I appreciate these statistics, but I don’t really think that is the point. A person who rides a plane as a hobbby is certainly entitled to do that…just as a person who regularly hauls large items or regulary takes trips out into the rugged wilderness is entitled to own an SUV.

What gets me are the loads of people who want to own an SUV simply because they are cool.

Now, if you used your plane to commute back and forth to work every day, that would be more equivalent to the “average” SUV owner in the USA.

(sorry 'bout the hijack…but I didn’t start it)

Anyway…back to the original point. I witness a large train wreck about ten years ago that killed six people. The car was a SUV (one of those old Suburbans…huge vehicle). The train glanced the vehicles front bumber and pushed it onto a sidewalk where four people were waiting for the train to pass. All four of the pedestrians were killed along with both passengers in the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle managed to escape (barely) with his life. That guy was sentenced to six ten year terms in prison for manslaughter. He was released about a year ago for “good behavior”. While I am certain his lesson is learned (he won’t be dodging any trains in the near future), I don’t think he was allowed to sit and dwell on his stupidity for long enough.

19

Not a crossing incident, but still kinda gross. I was riding to work on the subway early one Sunday morning, when the engineer suddenly leaned on the horn as we pulled into a station. Often, they’ll give a quick honk to warn people not to stand too close to the edge, but this time he was really blasting it while slamming on the brakes. I was in the front car and heard:

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAthump

Someone had been standing too close to the edge and got clipped. It may have been a suicide attempt, but at that hour it was more like to have been someone who had been out drinking all night and had fallen asleep on his feet. Only took about 15 minutes for the station staff to take care of him, call an ambulance and wipe off the front of the train.

20

Preach it, Broomstick! I am constantly amazed at the pure, arrogant stupidity of people who look at thousands of tons of moving metal and think, “No prob.” I read somewhere (forget where) the stopping distances for trains. It varied a lot by weight, speed, terrain, etc. but the distances were calculated in miles, not mere feet.

There’s an intersection fairly nearby with traintracks paralleling one road and crossing the other at a stop light. The crossing is marked in advance by signs, paving markings defining the safe distance, and a huge warning light/siren if a train is approaching. I’ve seen idiots drive up to the intersection, then stop across the tracks, waiting for the stop light, with a train coming. Of course the train’s been blaring its warning whistle all the way along, too. I cannot fathom what’s going through whatever they use for minds.

This is a minor hijack, but a car commercial a while back infuriated me about this. (Lexus? Something yuppie.) It showed the standard schtick w/ said yuppie car racing along a flat, deserted plain but approaching a railroad crossing, with two trains, no less, travelling in opposite directions. To show off the wonderful abilities of the car, the scene shifted into slo-mo, then revved up with the car barely zipping between the two on-coming trains. The music swells. Triumphant voice-over. I nearly vomited. Oh, real fine. This here car is so damned good, if you buy it you, too, can scoff at the laws of physics!

Veb