From: x92ochs1@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Stupid People (Grade crossings)
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:40:20 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <1992Nov10.231509.14962@dbsun.uucp>, harbison@dbsun.uucp (harbison) writes:
> In article <1992Nov6.005023.26422@fs7.ece.cmu.edu>
> wadams@spitz.ECE.CMU.EDU (William Adams) writes:
>> Maybe instead of showing so many drunken driver accident blood/gore
>> films, drivers ed should show a general "don't do this" film...
>> a good film of a car getting t-boned by an engine ...
> 
> I saw a train film during my driver's education course in Alabama.
> In one scene, a car full of teenagers had been hurled 96 feet from
> the point of impact.  Needless to say, the bodies of the passengers
> were pulverized beyond recognition.  I think the only reason the car
> stopped at 96 feet was it hit something else (like a bridge abutment).
> They show a similar film in the defensive driving class they make you
> take when you get a ticket.
> 
> Unfortunately, some people just don't get it.  The worst train accident
> in Huntsville happened in the early 1980's when a trailer truck loaded
> with gasoline tried to beat a train.  The resulting fireball roasted
> everything within about a 100 yard radius.  I believe 8 people died,
> including the truck driver.  He was probably fortunate.  I know I
> wouldn't want to live with that on my conscience.  The train was about
> 10 boxcar lengths up the track before the gas ignited, so the train crew
> had only minor injuries.
> 
> I witnessed a really stupid thing at another crossing in Huntsville.
> Traffic was backed up past a train crossing.  One stupid driver had
> pulled up past the crossing gate, but not onto the tracks.  As the
> train approached, the lights started to flash and the bell sounded.
> The gate came down, but stopped when it was about 30 degrees from
> horizontal, as if it sensed the presence of the car.  The driver didn't
> move, even though several cars behind her backed up to allow plenty of
> room.  The gate went up and down about 10 degrees twice, as if to say
> "get the hell out of the way *now*!".  Still the driver didn't move.
> Finally, the gate came crashing down on the hood of the car.  Only
> then did the driver decide to back up, with the gate scraping a
> generous amount of paint from her car and smashing the hood ornament.
> Look up the word "stupid" in the dictionary and I'm sure you'll find
> her picture.
> 
> -- 
> *realName: Phil Harbison
> *mailName: harbison%dbsun.uucp@wupost.wustl.edu
> *phoneList: 314-731-7475 (w) 314-272-9318 (h)

Something very similar, but not as tragic happened in Michigan City, Indiana
within the past year.  A semi-driver tried to beat a passenger train, (The
International, which runs between Chicago, Il and London Ontario, I believe)
His trailor got nailed and the pilot(cow-catcher) had to be cut of the loco in
order to clear the tracks.  I don't think there were any injuries, if there
were they were only minor.  The truck driver did have to pay for repairs to the
locomotive, though.  I think the loco was VIA 6442, an F40PH.
Also, last summer in Stevensville, Michigan, at an industry called Flamco, a
tanker was parked across the tracks and got nailed by a CP-SOO run-through on
the CSX sometime around Midnight on some evening in July(the date slips me 
right now.)  Luckily, the tanker was empty and there were no injuries.  The
tanker trailer was destroyed and the lead unit, a Soo Line SD40, sustained
minor damage.  The front of the Loco was mangled and the ditchlights were
destroyed.  I'm sure the crew of the train aged ten years and dropped a load
in their pants!

Jeff Ochs

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