We are sorry for your loss. Please come back here and post a link for the funeral arrangements when things settle down .You will find some compassionate people sending their expressions of sympathy to the family .
Texas Eagle #22 (11/25) Crash in Bartlett, Tx
- Thread starter Bob Dylan
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Everyone has a purpose in life, if only to serve as a warning to others?
In Texas we are still dragging our knuckles when it comes to grade crossing and driver education. It would seem that the state needs to step back and see if just warning lights and single crossing gates installed by the RR are enough. Money from the state to install double gates as well as closing some crossings should be place on the table for our guys/gals in Austin.
frequentflyer
Conductor
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Surprised they did not turn 21 around or bus the pax to CHI. Surprised they continued on with the consist. Must really need those cars this Thanksgiving week.
Yesterdays #22 is running 12+ Hours Late in Arkansas and shown as with an ETA into CHI around Midnight 10+ Hours Late!
Today's #22 left SAS 3+ Hours Late due to Crew Rest and departed Austin 4 + Hours down but the #21 of 11/25 is into the DFW Area on Time! ( UP has Heavy Freight Traffic between SAS and TAY so it may experience delays South of FTW)
The Austin agent tells me that the Eagles are SOLD OUT except for tomorrow (Thanksgiving)u ntil Monday!
Today's #22 left SAS 3+ Hours Late due to Crew Rest and departed Austin 4 + Hours down but the #21 of 11/25 is into the DFW Area on Time! ( UP has Heavy Freight Traffic between SAS and TAY so it may experience delays South of FTW)
The Austin agent tells me that the Eagles are SOLD OUT except for tomorrow (Thanksgiving)u ntil Monday!
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Yeah.......let me know how that works out.
Orangesaint
Train Attendant
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I am sorry for your loss. This kind of thing happens all too often, if you want, go through past pages and see how often trains hit cars and trucks. The media never reports this, just telling you what happens locally, so most people do not understand the frequency of these accidents.
Once you have been able to get over your grief a little bit, realize that his family and friends are not the only one scarred by this. So, too, will the engineer and conductor aboard this train. I have a close friend, who worked for CSX (now retired) as an engineer, and the worst day of his life was when he hit a kid playing "chicken" on the tracks. There was nothing he could have done, and years after accident, it still affects him.
Perhaps in time, you and your friends can get together and create some kind of track safety organization in your area, in honor of the man we lost. I personally believe this is an underrated issue in our country: track safety. More people are hit then anyone realizes. I came to this board a few months ago when planning a trip, in that time I have been stunned by the amount of accidents that "really: happen. It is alarming.
Everyone grieves differently, and I will not get on your case for the way you reacted. I wish you the best.
Agreed. This grief, put to work constructively could save a life in the future. Perhaps asking the county for at least a single arm at these crossings.
M
Motorcar
Guest
Doesn't change a thing, I've hit more people at "protected" crossings than not. Around the gates they go....if the public could only see what we engineers see..EVERY TRIP. I carry the scars of fatalities, I was the last one to look into their eyes, I was the one that had to keep it together and climb back up that ladder and sit down at the throttle and carry on. Where is my advocate when the lawyers call and ask the endless questions, one had the nerve to say he "knew how I felt", no sir you do not. Don't apoligize to the guest for stating facts, nice man or not he made the choice not the engineer.
*LIKE* Sorry you've had to go through this and more than one time. You are a strong person to be able to "get back in the saddle" so many times.
Sorry for what you have seen and experienced.
However, crossing gates COULD change a situation. Not every driver goes around them. That one or two who will stop at a gate, and who might not stop at an unprotected crossing could be saved, and that would be one or two more you wouldn't hit, saving grief for you both.
Willie1946
Train Attendant
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- May 25, 2009
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Crossing gates are a very expensive proposition. Although installed by the railroad, they are generally paid for by some government agency. Resources are limited, not all roads can be protected. Similar to traffic lights, the decision to add a gate is generally made with statistics. The more people that get killed, the more likely a gate or light will be installed. Too bad that has to be the way it's done.
BN
BN
That is very true. I am on my airline employer's emergency response team and saying things like "I know how you feel" are on our list of things to never say.
TheTuck
Train Attendant
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- Jun 1, 2009
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My sympathies go out to the train crew, the first responders, the passengers and to the family/friends of the deceased; pretty much in that order.
This IS an Amtrak discussion forum. Many on this site relate situations like this to past experiences as a passenger or as a crew member. Tragic accidents like this one are normal and far too frequent occurrences in the railroad industry. Your friend is not the first, and will not be the last. Sorry we seem so heartless but this is business as usual. Look into Operation Lifesaver if you're really concerned and want to help.
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
If it's none of my business then why did you come back to shout at me about it? Do you have some useful information to contribute or are you just here to fish for sympathy with melodramatic outbursts? Apparently you respond to grief by lashing out at anyone who doesn't coddle your feelings. Maybe your friend wasn't paying attention. Maybe his vehicle was in poor condition and failed right as he was crossing. Or maybe he committed suicide. Other than that I'm not sure what else could be the cause. In any case I would suggest you stop with the personal attacks and seek counseling. This experience seems to have completely overwhelmed your ability to cope.
Uh Oh!
. I resisted. :giggle:
Please refrain from posting personal attacks. Personal attacks made by members or guests may be deleted at the discretion of moderators. When there are so many responses to the "attacks," it becomes a problem to delete them.
In the future, members, if you feel like you have been personally attacked, please file a report. Thank you. Namaste.
In the future, members, if you feel like you have been personally attacked, please file a report. Thank you. Namaste.
I can clearly see, in the picture, a stop sign at the crossing. Where I live, people think stop signs are suggestions. I hear stories daily about crashes involving drivers running stop signs and red lights. Gates at crossings may stop some people but then I hear stories almost every week about people who go around the gates at crossings. It sure looks to me like the major problem is the drivers, not the crossings.
The original mourning poster is an anonymous lurker who decided, for their own amusement, to stir the offal and smirk at the reaction.
The statistical odds of a forum member, or someone randomly checking the forum and having a friendship with a random driver in a remote location who had a random accident are much worse than those to win a multi-state lottery twice.
This happens from time to time. I have seen it on other posts.
It is, in all likelihood, the same person.
Ignore them. Don't apologize. Move on.
I "profile" as part of my job. I am not wrong.
The statistical odds of a forum member, or someone randomly checking the forum and having a friendship with a random driver in a remote location who had a random accident are much worse than those to win a multi-state lottery twice.
This happens from time to time. I have seen it on other posts.
It is, in all likelihood, the same person.
Ignore them. Don't apologize. Move on.
I "profile" as part of my job. I am not wrong.
neroden
Engineer
I'm sure you're right, DooBDoo. I just generally take the opportunity to give the driving safety lecture when someone invites it. (Since the time I lost my friend years ago.) People generally are way too careless about driving.
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Well - I differ with you, perhaps.
The guest poster was from Texas near where the accident in question happened.
I do agree it is better not to "feed" them, though.
Ryan
Court Jester
Also, if you google "Amtrak crash Bartlett, TX", this thread is on the first page of search results, so it's completely unsurprising that someone looking on the internet for stories about the wreck would come across this thread.
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
I thought the EXACT same thing when the first post showed up. Very unusual coincidence someone would wander into this Forum with that claim. I am ALWAYS suspicious of Guest Postings because if someone has a legitimate question or comment, they should be in the open and register as a Member.
PaulM
Engineer
I suspect it would be more effective to pass and enforce laws against knuckle dragging with sever penalites. Loss of DL and confiscation of the motor vehicle would work wonders.
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