Smile Ed - You're on RR Camera

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

"The city of Houston has begun installing surveillance cameras at troublesome railroad crossings, part of a plan Mayor Bill White and railroad officials hope will address concerns of safety and inconvenience.

“Promising stricter oversight of railways, White, joined by representatives of Union Pacific Railroad, presented a multi-pronged plan that targets freight trains that stop in Houston communities. Last year, a train blocked north Houston intersections for more than an hour, forcing students at McReynolds Middle School to crawl between rail cars to get to class on time.”

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So how will cameras address safety concerns???

dd

2

I don’t know how the cameras would enhance safety, but wouldn’t they be fun to monitor on the Trains website!

3

Sounds to me like a way for the city to get evidence so they can give out tickets to trains that stop too long blocking grade crossings. What they should do is put the cameras at the grade crossings and start giving out tickets to darwin award canidates.

4

“Crawl between railcars”???
What teacher,or bus driver taught that class ?
And they want to promote safety !!!

5

Altamont Press (a railfan outfit) ran the story in its “Railroad Newsline.” A link is provided below. Interesting reading!

http://www.railroadnews.net/news/4-23.html (Fourth story.)

6

Why was the train stopped for an hour? Is there a chance it was like the well publicized case in Kingston NY where a CSX train made an unscheduled stop, blocking 6 crossings in the city, while the crew went to get coffee?

If they’re out to prevent stunts like this, then good for the city.

Wayne

7

For one thing! It won’t work.
BNSFrailfan.

8

Would’nt it be safer to walk an extra several thousand feet than die?[V]

Anyways, I think this could be benificial to catch people who drive under the gates, much like traffic light cameras. But as a tool for clearing crossings? I don’t really think it would be effective… And what would they do, send out a cop fr and tell them to move the train? “Sir please move the train”

What a waste of Texas’s tax money!

9

never say it wont work we have had cameras in norfolk southern engines for 3 years now . and it seems to get attention in court. exspecially when they say the gates was not working and you see them breaking the gate in film. or when they say we didnt see the train and they are caught on film waving at the train approaching the crossing then take off trying to beat you at the crossing and dont make it. yea they change their story real quick.

10

Oh boy…
Well, lucky for me it isn’t my railroad…it’s UP.

The problem is the approach to Englewood runs through several older neighborhoods.

What the news media failed to point out is that the kids are not just crossing the trains at grade crossings.

A lot of the streets in these neighborhoods dead end on either side of the tracks.

These neighborhoods were built at the turn of the century, most of them constructed to house workers for the Humble Oil refinery and the SP railroad.

These are low income neighborhoods, and in the 40 plus years I have lived in Houston, the city has ignored the infrastructure in these places.

The city doesn’t mind building pedestrian overpasses across the light rail system all around the Football stadium, Astrodome and Toyota Center, or building pedestrian tunnels around downtown, but out in the hoods, your on your own.

What happens is UP brings trains up on the approach ramps, and they have to wait for a clear track into Englewood or Settegast.

So, the kids, instead of walking down to the clear crossing, just go to the end of their street, and cross at the foot paths that have been there for 60-70 years.

Eons ago, under a former mayor, SP cut a deal with the city, and agreed to leave certain major streets clear.

Back then, school bus drivers were aware of which crossings would be clear, and which wouldn’t.

So, once again, the local media isn’t telling both sides of the story, what they are showing and selling is the sensational…

There are a few camera guys who have video of parents walking their kids to the end of their street, and then handing them through stopped trains, or letting them crawl under hoppers or between cars…parents teaching their kids to do this.

To lazy to walk down to the open crossing, cross, and then walk back to the school, this small group has managed, along with the principal of the

11

Ed,
That thing about them towing your car off the highway is crazy. If that happened to me I would be so pissed. They (Caltrans/CHP) have a program in the San Francisco bay area now where tow trucks are constantly driving in circles on the highway looking for cars having trouble. When thay see a vehicle on the side of the road (or on it) they stop and will tow you off the freeway to designated “safe” areas where you can make repairs, or leave it while you get help. The great thing about this program is it’s FREE (mabee not quite free cause our taxes pay for it). Unfortunatly for me, when I got a flat I had already called a tow truck before the Caltrans tow driver showed up. As the truck I called was loading my car up, the Caltrans guy arrived and told me about the program.
Too late to help me that time. But in the future if I have a problem in the bay area I will just wait. There is suppose to be a truck passing by every 20 min. during peek hours.
That’s a good program unlike the racket they have going down your way.

12

thanks for the detailed background - having watched Houston politics from a distance for over 15 years, I suspected as much.

We have seen several cries for video cameras at crossings as some kind of cure all. In fact, Texas A&M has several crossing monitor cameras which are accessable from the web. But I have yet to see any benefit (other than political grandstanding) from crossing cameras.

The money would be much better spent on Operation Lifesaver training.

dd

ps - there is a bill in the Texas legislature to outaw the Houston tow-away program - but I don’t think it will pass.

13

It’s about time local governments are doing something useful with video cameras. If we think we are being watched, we’ll behave. Even on roads!
Jock Ellis
Cumming, GA US of A

14

I think the A&M study is part of a program for the Texas Transportation Institute on the A&M campus…part of the video monitering system works a warning sign at one of the real busy crossings in College Station, said sign tells motorist a train is coming, its ETA at the crossing, and how long it will take for the train to pass.

The system uses radar and detectors to measure the train speed.
I know the UP is working with the University to prevent blocking any crossing during major sports events.

And yeah, I dont think the bill will pass, to many PACs working to keep the law intact…remember, the towing companies that were “awarded” these contracts are for the most part, owned by business partners of the mayor, and really provide the service in those select areas where the money lives…break down outside the 610 loop, or over on the east side, and you wont see a Safe Clear wrecker…break down in Memorial City, or have a flat, you best drive on your rim till you can get off the freeway, because you will be towed and end up at the pound, unless you live in Memorial City…(Bill White happens to live there…)

I dont think Mister White will win a second term…to many people POed at him, and his socialist attitude of creating projects he sees as serving the city, even if we, the citizens, dont want that service, has pretty much shot his chance at a second term.

Ed

15

Ed

I’m with you on the local news thing. I think just about all the few minutes of news items do nothing more than fill in the space between commercials. The sports scores and the current temperature may be the only accurate information provided. Get beyond that and you are really taxing the brain power in the news room.

Jay

16

On WGN news tonight they had a segment describing a simalar tow-patrol program starting in Chicago. If you’re with your car and the tow truck arrives you get towed free. If not, you’ve got to pay a ticket and impound fee.

I think it’s a good and bad thing. There’s some problems (like running out of gas) that can be (usually) fixed quite easily without a tow… (Said the guy who ran out of gas on the top of a bridge on I-180 and had to pu***he car off.)