About 1130 this morniing a slow southbound CSX freight fouled the State route crossing the tracks. 4 tractor trailers (3 from same company) decided not to wait and went north on a no thru trucks street. The first made it across another city street crossing of CSX but the second hung up his landing gear hard onto the track. Quick call to CSX stopped trains.
Local PD then wrote 4 - $280+ tickets for driving on prohibited street and the stuck one got a $1000+ second ticket for blocking a RR crossing. First driver may get by as not personally observed by PD but the others will contribute to town’s treasury.
Took 2 wreckers to clear stuck trailer at about 1325.
Now a 15 MPH? slow order until final repairs to damaged rail complete.
Repairing damage to a rail in a street crossing - even if the only correction needed is to regauge it - is rarely simple. That’s because the crossing surface has to be removed to expose the tie plates, which then have to be cleaned enough to allow the spikes or other fasteners to be removed and redriven, etc., and then the crossing surface has to be replaced. If it’s a modular or panel crossing of concrete or rubber, maybe not so bad; if it’s a ‘RailSeal’ or an asphalt paving of some kind, then there’s the costs and coordination of that - all of which will likely be borne by the trucking company, too. Of course, if the rail has to be replaced, then the whole length has to be dug out - and if it’s CWR territory, then rewelded together in the field.
Was the crossing one of those that are ‘humped’ with ‘low ground clearance’ ? Are there signs to that effect, or just the ‘No Trucks’ version ?
Rail has rubber gaskets with slot on guage side. Asphalt paving between rugger gaskets. Understand the CWR rail will be inspected tomorrow for final determination if