How was your day...

[sledge&wedge]

...b'cause mine sucked.
This is what happens when you don't get stopped in time at a rural railroad crossing.
I can't even begin to explain to you how big a train looks when it coming straight at you.
I've always wondered what sort'a dumb-azz gets hit by a train... well... today I was the dumb-azz.
Guys... when you're out in the sticks scroungin' your firewood, don't get complacent at those cow-path-like RR crossings.
I was lucky... I walked away.

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Spidey I cross a set of tracks like that every single day on my way to work without really putting a lot of thought into it. I check for the red flashing lights, I glance both ways to check for a big ol' headlight coming my way, and then keep on rolling. Yesterday afternoon after I read your post I realized I need to be a little more thoughtful when crossing. I was hauling a 16' load of furniture down the road to set up for yard sale and was coming up on the tracks when I heard the whistle blowing from down the way. Sure enough, the guy right in front of me floored it in an effort to beat the train. He had to lock 'em up to keep from crashing nose to nose with it. Glad you're okay and thanks for sharing your goof up as a reminder for others.

 

[Iska3]

I read your post and hate to think of how many times that could have been me in that car. Living rural we don’t have all the bells, whistles, and lights on the RR crossings, some of the crossings are blind so it’s difficult to see any train so we get so accustom to the rolling-stop or we need to creep out a little to see if a train is coming and by then it could be too late.


My folks lived north of me and every time we’d go up to see them or go up hunting, we would need to cross the RR tracks and like many, I’d do that rolling stop and look for trains. Like you, I had a close call but I was the lucky one at the time but it taught me a lesson. Over time the RR tracks were removed and now it’s a ATV/Snowmobile trail. To this day, I slow way down when crossing that trail thinking that some ATV rider might not stop before crossing and we might meet in the middle. I guess it’s a habit that goes back to my close call. ;-)


Years ago I worked in North Mpls in the city and the city worker in the plow truck did the same thing but he had a load of sand and salt on the truck and couldn’t stop. That train push the truck (sand and all) some 300 yards down the track, so to many, your post will be a wake-up call and maybe save a few lives.


Glad that you are ok… Thanks for the posting… Food for Thought…

You must still have a greater purpose here than getting mushed! Glad you are ok!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

No... no... no... the train hit me‼
It hit me on the left front, just ahead of the wheel, about ½ second after I came to a complete stop.
If I'd have been driving just a couple MHP slower, and got stopped just a couple feet sooner, I could have called it a "close call."
Something tells me they didn't write the train a citation for failure to stop though
*

>No... no... no... the train hit me‼

I was going to say this is how it happened after reading mudstoppers comments... I can guarantee that the train that Spidey hit but wasn't 100% sure... but you clarify it... I merely post my comments as in... oh poor train, it got hit by a truck! lol

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I know one thing... had it been me... and had I taken an extra pair of briefs... along with me by chance that morning... well, um.... you can be real sure I would have been happy I had... no doubt my first action would have been a quick dash into the woods to change! lol...

 

[olyman]

Most of the "more traveled" gravel road/RR crossings are cut back better than that... but none (that I'm aware of) have lights or gates in Iowa. This particular road is a dead end at two farm lots, one on each side of the road. I was coming from the dead end side, and as you can see its more of a wagon path than a real road... barely more than 1½ lanes wide. Still, there are those railroad tracks to cross... and the only thing that rolls on railroad tracks are trains... I wouldn't try to use the brush as an excuse, but it does sort'a make it easier to be a dumbazz I guess.

I saw the Sheriff's Report yesterday, appears I may possibly be getting a citation in the mail for "Failure to Properly Stop at a Railroad Crossing"... (shrug) could be worse, a lot worse. We had to call and get the report FAXed to us for the insurance...
The Sheriff said he would have given me a copy at the scene except he wasn't sure how to write it up... he'd never been at a train/car accident scene where the driver of the passenger vehicle was still walking and talking
*

yeah!! then since your alive,,you DESERVE a ticket...twerp leo's

 

[Zale]

Glad you're still with us. I'd have missed you in the politics thread.

 

[muddstopper]

I had another close call today working just south of Charlotte NC. Machine in front of me went thru the crossing and the gates jumped up before I got there. Cars started zooming thru. Lady stopped her car on the tracks right in front of me. She wasnt even looking. I eased up almost to the car and laid down on the horn. I think she needed a change of underdrawers because I aint never seen so much jumping and twisting as she sped out of the way. I did come to a complete stop and she wasnt in any danger of me hitting her, but I sure wanted her to think I was going to.

Same day, just a few more miles down the track. three young girls walking in the middle of the track. I could see them a mile away. I started blowing my horn and they just kept walking. I was getting closer so I laid down on the other set of horns, they just kept walking. Getting close to decision time and I started slowing down. I started alternating between the two sets of horns, they have a different sound, that got their attention and they stepped out of the track. I eased by them and shouted out the window that their was another piece of equipment behind me so they wouldnt get back in the track. Also called the other operator and warned him about the girls. I had to make three passes thru that same area moving equipment and every trip those same girls where in the track. My machines are not easy to stop, but a train just plain out cant stop

 

[Whitespider]

yeah!! then since your alive,,you DESERVE a ticket...twerp leo's

The train has the right-of-way @oly, it was my screw-up... no different than if I failed to stop at a stop sign and caused an accident.
Heck, the train stopped, it and the crew had to sit there for three hours, 3 sheriff deputies and the sheriff for three hours, the road was blocked by the train for three hours, the RR police guy had to come from Cedar Rapids... all my bad, all my fault. If the worst I get is a "Failure to Properly Stop"... so be it... they could made it a lot worse than that for me. And I ain't received anything yet... that's just what the accident report said the "cause" was.

The bad thing is... for me anyway... my driving record is squeaky friggin' clean... or (maybe) was
*

 

[muddstopper]

You will get a bill for any damage to the train too. Hard to say how much that will be. The railroad will call a scratch a total loss if they can get away with it. I have seen Multi million dollar shipments scraped because of being humped in a hump yard. Some of those nuclear doohickeys actually have sensors on them to tell if they have been bumped or humped. Then you have shipper pentalties. Some of that just in time freight can build pentalties for being late. You held a train for three hours, your fault and you admitted it, on the internet no less.

 

[Whitespider]

You will get a bill for any damage to the train too. Hard to say how much that will be.

The brakeman told me there was white paint on the wing/cow-catcher thingy... the train hit me in the softest place it could, in front of my wheels.
Also, the RR police guy told me the freight cars were empty... it was on it's way to the yard to hook-up more cars.
Anyway, the estimated damage by the RR police/investigator guy was $500... we shall see.

...your fault and you admitted it, on the internet no less.

Does my admittance change anything??
*

 

[naturelover]

Wow. Would need some shorts after that one for sure. Glad you're okay, that could have been much worse.

Never been that close, hope to never be. That crossing does look to need some clearing out around it though, shouldn't be that obstructed.

If it's a crossing with no lights, I'll slow down and roll down the window. Habitually look both ways regardless, just cause as you've stated, very, very few survive that.


Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Sandhill Crane]

the estimated damage by the RR police/investigator guy was $500... we shall see.

Paint might be extra...

 

[muddstopper]

Does my admittance change anything??
*

Only if it is discovered that the train crew had somehow made a mistake, or if there is some question surrounding the circumstances that led to you not seeing or hearing the train. Any chances you might have at a defense would be negated by your admission to guilt. Kind of like the guy that hit a jaywalker and gets out of his car and says "I'm sorry", that has been used in court as a admission of having some responsibility for the accident. driver pays for the Jaywalkers medical bills, plus pain and suffering even tho the Jaywalker was the person in the wrong.

http://www.schultzmyers.com/what-not-to-say-after-a-car-accident/

 

[Whitespider]

Only if it is discovered that the train crew had somehow made a mistake...

OK... maybe...
But there is this big red and white triangle lookin' thing that pretty much ruins any defense I might think of...

 

[muddstopper]

I didnt say you had a good defense.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

My father-in-law worked for the railroad in a switch tower. From the stories he told over the years, I'm guessing now, any incident like yours, the train stops and does not move until the entire crew is replaced with a new crew, and every crew member is immediately drug tested. One day he had a train run a stop light, and by the rules he was supposed to dead end it in the dirt. Knowing that lines regular schedule, he did not, as there was no danger on that line for the remainder of the day. The freight train stopped but down line from where it was supposed to. The crew was removed, as was my father-in-law. He was suspended for several months while under investigation, not knowing if he had a job or not. It was a long couple of months for him. He felt he did what was best for everyone. The railroad didn't see it that way.

 

[Whitespider]

...I'm guessing now, any incident like yours, the train stops and does not move until the entire crew is replaced with a new crew, and every crew member is immediately drug tested.

No... the crew wasn't replaced or drug tested.
However, they weren't allowed to move the train until the RR police arrived, took their statements, did his investigation, and gave them the go-ahead. The crew wouldn't even give the sheriff a statement, they said they were required to wait for the RR police and give it to him... who then gave a copy of it to the sheriff.
*

 

[aokpops]

Glad your still here Spidy ! Some gates an lights would be nice it was real bad before we had them .

 

[muddstopper]

He was suspended for several months while under investigation, not knowing if he had a job or not. It was a long couple of months for him. He felt he did what was best for everyone. The railroad didn't see it that way.

I bet he had runoff insurance that paid him while he was off.

 

[olyman]

The train has the right-of-way @oly, it was my screw-up... no different than if I failed to stop at a stop sign and caused an accident.
Heck, the train stopped, it and the crew had to sit there for three hours, 3 sheriff deputies and the sheriff for three hours, the road was blocked by the train for three hours, the RR police guy had to come from Cedar Rapids... all my bad, all my fault. If the worst I get is a "Failure to Properly Stop"... so be it... they could made it a lot worse than that for me. And I ain't received anything yet... that's just what the accident report said the "cause" was.

The bad thing is... for me anyway... my driving record is squeaky friggin' clean... or (maybe) was
*

true that,,but its up to the leo on the scene,,who decides ticket or no.....if you where dead,,there would be no ticket.....pay the train,,and fogetaboutit.......