Is that actually a law in your state?
Unfortunately, that is not a law in Montana. If it was, all the politicians would be in Deer Lodge, home of our famous “Prison Made” license plates!
Hays
That theory has been postulated in other threads about train collisions with gasoline trucks, so there must be some anecdotal evidence to back it up.
Please add my name to the ‘Mythbusters’ list as well - I’d like to see them try it. [:-D]
49 United States Code Section 172.101, Hazardous Materials Table states that UN1203 is Gasoline NOT a general fuel placard. This includes two listings one for gasoline mixed with less than 10% ethyl alcohol and the second for gasoline mixed with more than 10% ethyl alcohol. BOTH are UN1203.
A few years ago did not Tri-Rail have a loco strike a full tanker that split and there was fire on both sides but not around the loco?
One thing in my opinion that would probably shoot up to the top of the list would be a fouling tank car w/ flammable liquid. Wasn’t that how a CN crew up in Quebec died about 10-12 years ago? Also, add my name to the list of myths we’d like Mythbusters to test.
Josh
Hi,
Cynical…but true !!! Simple common sense.
Also, hitting the emergency may ( and often does) spill you all over and causes even worse destructive results…
When will drivers learn ??
( oh…I forgot…that’s right: you can’t fix '‘stupid’'and smarten up ‘‘idiot’’…)
Cheers
They might not do that because it did already had happened couple years ago (early 90’s?) that Amtrak went through gas tanker which stopped at grade crossing. there were good numbers of drivers in couple vehicles around gas tanker were killed, include truck driver from fire.
I seems cant remember what happened to engine and passengers/train crews…
That was something, everyone involved were very lucky. That could have been a real nightmare disaster. I’d like to see accident reconstruction as to just where the impact started and how the tanker ended up between the rails. Was he dragged there by the engine or did he start out that way? Who knows. As a friend always says, “you can’t fix stupid” and it’s very true.
This might be a good one to have the Mythbusters do. Big explosions but also maybe make some people aware of the dangers of sitting on the tracks.
Strangely enough if this list had been compiled in the 1960’s ranking near the top would be British sports cars. (MG’s, Triumph’s, etc.)
Any sharp leading edge on the locomotive would cut through the car’s body work like a knife through hot butter and the resultant strips of metal would work under the wheels of the lead truck and derail the engine. I heard my father mention this many times.
Bruce
Apparently they survived, and may not have even been injured =- my vague recollection is that they were not. From - note that it’s a Highway Accident Report, not a Railroad one [emphasis added - PDN]. Also, that this is only 2 pages - there doesn’t seem to be a more extensive report available.
HIGHWAY ACCIDENT REPORT
Adopted: February 15, 1994
GASOLINE TANK TRUCK/AMTRAK TRAIN
COLLISION AND FIRE IN
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
MARCH 17, 1993
NTSB Number: HAR-94/01, adopted on 02/15/1994
NTIS Number: PB94-916201
as found at - http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/1994/HAR9401.htm
SYNOPSIS
About 3:13 p.m., Wednesday, March 17, 1993, an Amerada Hess (Hess) tractor-semitrailer hauling gasoline was struck by National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) train 91. The truckdriver was attempting to cross a railroad/highway grade crossing on Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Traffic in the area of the crossing was congested because the left and center lanes were closed just over the crossing. Traffic was being channeled into the right lane and later shifted into a right-turn lane. The truck, which was loaded with 8,500 gallons of gasoline, was punctured when it was struck. A fire erupted, engulfing the truck and nine other vehicles. The fire killed the truckdriver and five occupants of three stopped vehicles.
- Paul N