“i’m unable to get the page you requested”, is what I’m getting trying to use the link…
try these:
I do not know which grade crossing this occured at, but looking at the two most likely ones using Google Earth Street View, both seem to have very limited visibility of the track from any direction on the road. Both of these possible locations have gates.
Since SOP is for the train horn to be blaring & the bells to be ringing & the gates to be down sounds like another driver either distracted by talking on his cell phone or he just plumb tried to beat the train
Here is a local news tv station report 6 persons hurt. Note damage to P-40 and 1st Amfleet. More destroyed rail equipment?
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/165371/112/Train-hits-truck-in-North-Berwick
Sorry about the link. This accident is more evidence of the need to protect passenger trains in the rural areas from reckless drivers of trucks and autos.
The crossing is at an angle. So if that visibility isn’t good enough, then reconfigure the road at right angles. But if they go to all that trouble, might as well build an overpass.
Great Link.
In one of the still photos at the bottom, the un-damaged gates are still down and the flashers are still on.
Here is an aerial video view of the accident. Since the Downeaster was north bound the truck was also northbound. The road intersects the RR at about 25 - 30 degree inside angle so the truck driver should have definitely heard the train on his left side and may have seen it?. Damage to the 1st Amfleet was on its front right side (?) above the car truck. Maybe part tractor trailer of right side swung around loco and hit Amfleet car?
Crossing protected by several lights and a gate. The report that the engineer disconnected the locomotive from the train to prevent fire on loco spreading to train; is IMHO way above normal duties. Maybe conductor helped?
Since some posters here advocate grade separations as solutiopns will some of you who have recent data please furnish some cost approximations. There will of course be substantial varations due to the specific circumstances for each site but I think it would help to know how very expensive these are.
Perhaps three or four examples would be a partial education for us.
[quote user=“blue streak 1”]
Here is a local news tv station report 6 persons hurt. Note damage to P-40 and 1st Amfleet. More destroyed rail equipment?
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/165371/112/Train-hits-truck-in-North-Berwick
[/quote]
| Semper Vaporo replied on 07-11-2011 12:14 PM |
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I would say that the train/engine crew deserve commendations for thinking so quickly as well as their willingness to risk their own safety in order to protect the passengers. Considering how scorched the front of the locomotive is, it took a brave person to be willing to climb back into the cab (or to stay in it long enough to do the uncoupling).
Sure they are expensive. So is one crash.
From the Federal Highway Administration:
http://www.ite.org/bookstore/gradecrossing/sec05.htm
from 2004 on NS:
http://www.noaca.org/fitchroad.html
from 2006:
http://www.noaca.org/stearnsrdns.html
According to WIDOT, and underpass costs 6X what an overpass (road over rail) does.
Early in one of the raw video pieces it shows both crossing gates to be in place/down… later in that same video it shows one of them has been removed and is laying parallel to the road.
The debris field shows that the truck to have gone around the gate in the opposing highway lane and was struck while in that lane.
Although how the trailer missed the gate while being pushed/drug/thrown to its final position is almost unbelievable!
Remember back when truck drivers were professionals?
…What has changed to {allow}, what seems like more of these kinds of accidents this year so far…
Loss of life in both recent train / truck incidents…
Warning equipment reported to have been working properly in both cases.
[tup] Those who post on these forums still are; their reputation is not helped by those who drive into or in front of trains.
Agreed.
Another non professional— We are having an ongoing incident here in my village. A tractor trailer picked up a load of scrap wood at a local manufacturer. He did not look at the load and when crossing CSX on our main street the bouncing broke the back of the trailer between the 5th wheel and tandems. Note: tandems were too far back. Naturally he stopped fouling the crossing but one of our policeman made him pull off. ASomewhere In this process at least 2 tires blew out.
Went and examined the load. It was way overloaded! Loaded in the middle of the trailer were 2 stacks of essentially solid wooden wheels 8 ft in diameter and approximately 9" thick. The wheels were stacked up at least 8 ft high! A heavy duty fork lift is on the way to unload those wheels on to other trailers (2).
Thank goodness he was moved off the crossing as visibility is limited for engineers going southbound! It is a busy time on CSX when this first ahppened!
Most still are…here, again, we don’t know all the details.