A Boston University student and his female friend were killed early this morning while walking on the tracks in Boston. Here is yet another tragic loss of lives due to carelessness on the part of people who just don’t seem to get the message about the danger of walking on/near railroad tracks.
DOn’t people realize how big and powerful these things are…And that they can come out of no where??? DONT WALK ON THE TRACKS!!!
Let me guess: They didn’t realize the tracks were still in use.
I feel sorry for the train crew who is going to have to live with this for the rest of their lives.
–Randy
yes…it is very dangerous…when i was a kid i used to run up to and hop on a slow moving freight train for a quick ride to jr. high school…one day i slipped from the grab irons and luckily i fell from the train backwards, rolled into a ditch and skinned up my hands and elbows…it was a really dumb thing to do and i never did it again after that…i was lucky I didn’t get killed myself…stay off the tracks!..Chuck
A particular train danger I learned early in life was the passing of two trains going in opposite directions. After waiting impatiently at the crossing for the North bound train to pass I immediately began to cross the tracks when a South bound one which I could not see or hear flew by at full speed. It missed me by inches. This crossing of the two trains only occurred at this location once or twice a year probably because one was off schedule. I was a senior in high school at the time. Two months later a girl in the freshman class was killed under the same circumstances. Even though this happened years ago I still stop, look and listen in BOTH DIRECTIONS every time when crossing railroad tracks.
I saw this in the local news this morning. What authorities could not understand is why these people were even walking in the area they were. It was a rail yard that didn’t lead to anywhere that a person could walk to.
Horrific and tragic!
My condolences to the family. Many will wonder how these kids didn’t hear the train coming or if the engineer blew the horn.
To those that may think it’s ridiculous…Yes, it is possible for a train to “sneak up on you” if the wind conditions are just right. [B)]
Years back I went to the SCL mainline out in a rural area where trains ripped by at 70 mph. No grade crossings in either direction for a few miles. I stood about 5ft. from the tracks. I looked towards the west, no trains. I then looked down at my camera for about 15 seconds to clean my camera’a lens. I looked back up and a speeding SCL freight train was coming right at me! It was a little over 1/4 of a mile away. The creepy part was that I couldn’t even hear the GE diesel sounds. It was a windy day!
I quickly moved back and started shooting. From the time I saw the locomotive to the time it flew past me must have been 10 to 12 seconds! The engineer gave me a couple of toots from the horn as he blew by. The train had 3 GE locomotives with loud diesels. Seeing where the sun was, I don’t think he even saw me until he was pretty close.
It can’t be stressed enough that no one should walk on railroad tracks! If railfanning, keep your distance!
Blah, one cold windy morning at my station a train came zipping through at about 60MPH. The track kind of turns into our station, so you can not easily see the incoming trains. Anyway, it comes flying through, didn’t hit the horn, or atleast no one heard it, and was gone in an instant. It was weird to see everyone jump back all at once…
What a tragedy! I know first hand how unthinkable accidents can happen because I had a close call myself.
I often tell the story how my x-wife, myself, and 2 car-poolers were leaving work in Hartford, Connecticut and had to go through a grade crossing which spans 3 sets of tracks. Since there was a lot of traffic, cars were lined up ahead of the crossing at a traffic light. When the car in front of me started across the grade crossing, I hesitated because I wasn’t sure there would be room for my car on the other side. The jerk behind me tooted and so I was “encouraged” to go anyway. The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the last track in the crossing with a car in front blocking my movement. I turned to my wife and said “watch a train come along, now that we’re on the tracks”. I barely got those words out of my mouth when the crossing gates went down and the lights were flashing and bells were ringing. Before any one of us could even consider getting out of the car and run, a train came flying behind my car. The only reason I’m sitting here telling you this tale right now is that the train was on one of the tracks behind us instead of the one we were sitting on.
Moral of the story…don’t start across a grade crossing until you’re sure there’s room on the other side.
I should tell you that I thought I had a “healthy” respect for trains and tracks because several years earlier, a good friend of mine was hit by a train while walking on railroad tracks. Joe was a sophomore in high school and was walking with his back to the train with another friend of ours. When the train got real close, both kids jumped but it turned out that Joe jumped onto the tracks with the train. I’ll never forget seeing our priest on the 11:00 p.m. news that night giving the last rights to that body on the tracks covered with a white sheet.
It’s unbelieveable how things happen.
Hope others may benefit from hearing what I’ve said, especially you railfans.
The noontime TV news just had more info. The engineer said that the two young people were walking ON tracks, with their BACKS to the train. As he came around the curve at 50mph, the two people were a scant 40 feet ahead. There was no way he could stop in time. BU school officials and the RR are at a loss to explain why theu were on the tracks at 1:30am, with no crossings nearby.
I already told my train bridge / bike incident recently in another thread. I encourage everyone to never be on the tracks, EVER. I could have easily been killed.
Regarding the post above being in a car on the tracks - yeah, for some reason, people naturally feel more secure in their car. I’m constantly amazed at how people stop on the tracks in their car. Just saw someone do that a couple days ago - where they would have trapped on the tracks if a train came.
I tell everyone I know to stay off the tracks.
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by mondotrains
What a tragedy! I know first hand how unthinkable accidents can happen because I had a close call myself.
I often tell the story how my x-wife, myself, and 2 car-poolers were leaving work in Hartford, Connecticut and had to go through a grade crossing which spans 3 sets of tracks. Since there was a lot of traffic, cars were lined up ahead of the crossing at a traffic light. When the car in front of me started across the grade crossing, I hesitated because I wasn’t sure there would be room for my car on the other side. The jerk behind me tooted and so I was “encouraged” to go anyway. The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the last track in the crossing with a car in front blocking my movement. I turned to my wife and said “watch a train come along, now that we’re on the tracks”. I barely got those words out of my mouth when the crossing gates went down and the lights were flashing and bells were ringing. Before any one of us could even consider getting out of the car and run, a train came flying behind my car. The only reason I’m sitting here telling you this tale right now is that the train was on one of the tracks behind us instead of the one we were sitting on.
Moral of the story…don’t start across a grade crossing until you’re sure there’s room on the other side.
I should tell you that I thought I had a “healthy” respect for trains and tracks because several years earlier, a good friend of mine was hit by a train while walking on railroad tracks. Joe was a sophomore in high school and was walking with his back to the train with another friend of ours. When the train got real close, both kids jumped but it turned out that Joe jumped onto the tracks with the train. I’ll never forget seeing our priest on the 11:00 p.m. news that night giving the last rights to that body on the tracks covered with a white sheet.
It’s unbelieveable how things happen.
Hope others
I heard it was a green line streetcar that hit them. those things are really quiet.
That is correct mustanggt, the conductor had no view of them until he was within 50 feet he said tonight to news media. The guy was from PA and girl was from the Boston area, Freshman and Softmore at BU
Well heres just another awfull waste. it reminds me of a story my wife told me.15 years ago there was a similar accident here.By our train station there is a road crossing approx 1 and 1/2 miles from the station,it’s double tracked and the tracks run through a ravine before they climb to the station. A local highschool is just down from the crossing and a groupl of the high school kids were waiting for a CN freight to pass westbound, which it did. The gates were still down but the kids were impatient and drove around them, and you guessed it they were broadsided by the VIA passenger comming eastbound into the station on the other track 4 young lives gone and a VIA crew impacted for the rest of there lives. Trains can be inconvenient but better to be inconvienienced than dead. Just my 2 cents. Rob
Simple rule of thumb - if it’s bigger and/or heavier than you - ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION, because it WILL hurt or kill you if you don’t. Cars, trucks, trains, industrial equipment - in that regard, it’s all the same.
–Randy
Which is why I would never turn my back on Rosie O’Donnell[:D]
Actually it was a commuter train - last run of the night from Worcester. Only six passengers on the whole train. The train was doing 50 mph and didn’t see the kids until they were within 100 feet of the train. There was no chance of stopping in time. Authorities are still investigating.