Returning from a Cleveland Browns game with my brother we came upon a train blocking the grade crossing. This was on a very narrow city street with little chance for us or anyone else to turn around. We were about 8 or 10 cars from the track and only the locomotive blocked the street. We waited about 25 minutes along with all of the other frustrated drivers. So I told my brother who was driving that “I will be right back”. So off I go heading toward the locomotive armed with nothing but my total ignorance of the law and railroad rules. As I climb up toward the cab I can hear the engineer on the radio telling someone that " They are climbing on the train now". So I ask the engineer if he could just move the locomotive 1 car length so the line of traffic can pass. He told me that he could not move the train without permission from his dispatcher. So I asked him (nicely) if I could speak with the dispatcher. He obliged my request so I told the dispatcher that it was a good thing that the Browns had won the game and that the waiting motorists were in a pretty good mood. I explained to the dispatcher that if the engineer would just bunch up the slack on the train that the locomotive would clear the crossing. To my disbelief the dispather instructed the engineer to do just that. After I climed down from the locomotive the engineer sounded his horn and moved the train the 1 car length. I walked back to my brother’s car to the cheers of my fellow motorists and Browns fans. I know that this seem like an unlikely tail ( about the Browns winning a game [:'(]) but it is true. My question is how much trouble would I be in today if I were 19 again and pulled this stupid stunt in the year 2016 ? - thanks
I think you were lucky to get the engineer you had–he was probably trying to humor you, though you seemed to know what you were talking about (slack, etc.). If the engineer was discussing the plight on the radio, he obviously recognized, and probably sympathized with, the problem.
Nowadays you’d be turned in the moment you set foot on the locomotive.
So, a motorist boarding a stopped locomotive to ask the crew to unblock the crossing – is justification for using deadly force?
Judge: So what justification did you have for shooting, let alone brandishing your weapon? Why couldn’t you stay in the cab, give a radio report, and have the Sheriff come and arrest the trespasser?
Crew member: Um, when the Sheriff would come, he would issue me a citation for blocking the crossing contrary to local law?
Judge: (bangs gavel) Suspect remanded to custody without bail until trial on the charge of manslaughter. Next!
This thing about “we are the railroad (airline/big company) and we have the force of the law behind us.”
An American Airlines Boeing 767 stopped a takeoff at O’Hare International, with an engine on fire and the passengers escaping on slides. Press reports are confusing about a blown tire and an engine “explosion.” It is too early to tell whether the blown tire wrecked the jet engine or the jet engine failed and took out the tire.
A passenger recounting the “incident” speaks of a fire on one side of the aircraft causing windows “to melt” and “smoke to enter the cabin, within seconds”, of passengers on the burning side of the plane piling over to the not-burning side and “demanding that the exits be opened.”
So much for the Miracle on the Hudson flight crew taking charge, ordering the passengers to “brace for impact”, keep their “heads down, stay down”, and then conduct an orderly evacuation. Here, it appears, that the passengers had to beg to be permitted to escape an aircraft that was on fire.
Good thing the whole lot of them didn’t get arrested for “interfering with a flight crew.”
I hear that at O’Hare they will clear a plane to takeoff on a runway where the plane ahead is still taking off. Suppose they had performed this stunt when that American 767 came to a screeching halt with one engine on fire? Would the plane behind be able to stop, or would they have a rear ender like what happens on the freeway?
I have seen this happen in Atlanta – the jet in front of us swings onto the active runway and starts taking off. We swing onto the runway right behind them, and as we do, I see the jet in front continue its takeoff roll from my window.
I am thinking that we were cleared to “position and hold” for the other jet to lift off, but instead, we right away start our takeoff from a rolling start. Pre 9-11, I may have said something to the crew on deplaning, but in today’s interfering-with-a-flight-crew-environment, mum’s the word. Besides, the flight-deck crew are nowhere to be found.
So a week later I get an e-mail nag from the airline to “fill out an evaluation.” I dislike those things, but they send another nagging e-mail and I fill it out. They have this whole checklist of things you are supposed to evaluate, including whether the flight-deck crew “thanked you” on your way out the door.
So in the comments section, I tell them what happened. I mean you guys won’t leave me alone, so I will fill you in. I explained everything about the rolling takeoff behind a plane still taking off ahead of it, asking if we are risking a rear-end collision if the plane ahead were to stop its takeoff?
That comment prompted phone calls from the airline tracking me down. I explained exactly what I said in the comments. Then I got this “corporate mode” of “I am sure the crew received a proper clearance.” I replied, "Yes, you can receive a clearance, but it is up to the Captain to accept or reject that clearance as it is ultimately t
That’s the thing. Don’t ever set foot on the locomotive. Nowadays everyone has a cell phone. Call 9-11 – your emergency is that the train is blocking the crossing for an inordinate amount of time and endangering public safety. Call the Sheriff. Write to the railroad. Write to the mayor, write to the Federal Railway Administration and the National Transportation Board.
You won’t get in any trouble at all for doing this but a whole lot of other people may. But that is they way people want such situations to be resolved judging by remarks here, isn’t it?
I know this is rather tangential to your point, but I felt like it was worth answering. The simple answer is that planes have to be spaced several nautical miles apart to avoid wake turbulence, and this spacing gives adequate time for any following aircraft to succesfully reject takeoff if there is an emergency in a preceding plane.
ATC also often clears multiple aircraft to land on a given runway at the same time, and if anything goes wrong such as aircraft failing to clear the runway the next arrival simply performs a go-around. There are far worse opportunities for error in the air traffic control system.
The reason why the evacuation was delayed on the American Airlines flight is that it is critical for the other engine to spool down before people walk in front of it. It can be scary, but it would be bad to have people sucked into the engines, too. The fire didn’t manage to penetrate the interior cabin wall at all.
What would you do if your car were blocking the sidewalk, and a stranger got in the car with you to complain about it? If you had a gun, what would happen?
A number of years ago I flew into O’Hare and our flight had to wait for our gate to become clear. Where our flight stopped I was able to view a portion of the active runway (which was landing flights at the time). Looking at my trusty railroad watch second hand - the landing flights were going past my vantage point every 45 seconds. I don’t know how that translates to flights being clear of the active runway and other arriving flights being ready to touch down -
I think Northwest pretty well cleared the fog on this. The controllers have some very strict rules to follow and can lose their jobs for violating them. True, controllers occasionally err, but those moments are few and far between. Sepeartion on the runway is one of their primary tasks.
Everything is alot stricter now… I suspect you’d find yourself in a lot of trouble if you did that today. When I was a kid back in the 70s it was ok to climb up on locomotives for no other reason than to chat with the crew… my brother and I did that often enough. I wouldn’t dare do that now…
That would be impossible today since boxcars no longer have roofwalks and the ladders are just long enough for a brakeman to hold on during a switching move.
So lets jump to Novemer 2016. The locomotive is blocking the way. Which would bring the quickist solution? Calling 911 and ask for assistance (a lower priority for an active police force.) Or calling the RR using the number on the cross bucks and nicely asking for a back-up move? If no action repeat the call to the RR? Would be interesting if you walk back to tell the other stuck folks to call the RR too! As the old saying goes “light up the switch board” and turn it into a RR problem for whomever mans these phone lines.
Most 9-1-1 centers with active railroads have the RR emergency number available. Or not. Even if it is available you may run into 1) not an emergency or 2) that particular call taker has no idea what to do.
The problem with the number on the crossbuck is that unless you are like those of us who have said number saved in our phones, or you’re close enough to read it, you’re going to have to get out of your vehicle and walk toward the crossing until you can read it…