Amtrak train, big rig collide near Brentwood;

[roomette]

My link

 

[Shanghai]

Too bad it had to happen.

Glad it wasn't the Coast Starlight.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Too bad it had to happen.

I'd like to posit that perhaps it did not have to happen.

Kay Byett, from Forestville, said stunned passengers sat in silence for two hours afterward and were given no information about what was happening. When some of them finally ventured outside to find out what was going on, they were told to go back to their seats, Byett said.

What is it with Amtrak and customer communication? Routine interruptions on the PA when nothing is happening but then when something does happen there's nothing but silence? It's not like this is the first time Amtrak has collided with a commercial vehicle and everyone is just trying to wing it. Among passenger railroads Amtrak is quite possibly the most experienced with truck-train collisions in the whole wide world. It should be old hat by now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been involved in a class three impact with a type two vehicle. These usually wrap up in about two hours or less. We'll see if we can get the buses over here a little faster than last time. Thank you again for riding the Ramtrak collision coaster and we look forward to busing you across America again in the near future."

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Too bad it had to happen.

I'd like to posit that perhaps it did not have to happen.

Kay Byett, from Forestville, said stunned passengers sat in silence for two hours afterward and were given no information about what was happening. When some of them finally ventured outside to find out what was going on, they were told to go back to their seats, Byett said.

What is it with Amtrak and customer communication? Routine interruptions on the PA when nothing is happening but then when something does happen there's nothing but silence? It's not like this is the first time Amtrak has collided with a commercial vehicle and everyone is just trying to wing it. Among passenger railroads Amtrak is quite possibly the most experienced with truck-train collisions in the whole wide world. It should be old hat by now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been involved in a class three impact with a type two vehicle. These usually wrap up in about two hours or less. We'll see if we can get the buses over here a little faster than last time. Thank you again for riding the Ramtrak collision coaster and we look forward to busing you across America again in the near future."

This is one reason I carry a scanner with me. That way I'm right up to date on what is going on and often am able to keep OBS who are often as much out of the loop as pax are updated.

 

[PRR 60]

...

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been involved in a class three impact with a type two vehicle. These usually wrap up in about two hours or less. We'll see if we can get the buses over here a little faster than last time. Thank you again for riding the Ramtrak collision coaster and we look forward to busing you across America again in the near future."

That's great! There is job for you at The Onion.

 

[AKA]

Too bad it had to happen.

I'd like to posit that perhaps it did not have to happen.

Kay Byett, from Forestville, said stunned passengers sat in silence for two hours afterward and were given no information about what was happening. When some of them finally ventured outside to find out what was going on, they were told to go back to their seats, Byett said.

What is it with Amtrak and customer communication? Routine interruptions on the PA when nothing is happening but then when something does happen there's nothing but silence? It's not like this is the first time Amtrak has collided with a commercial vehicle and everyone is just trying to wing it. Among passenger railroads Amtrak is quite possibly the most experienced with truck-train collisions in the whole wide world. It should be old hat by now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been involved in a class three impact with a type two vehicle. These usually wrap up in about two hours or less. We'll see if we can get the buses over here a little faster than last time. Thank you again for riding the Ramtrak collision coaster and we look forward to busing you across America again in the near future."

OMG LOL :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[George Harris]

The basics are that the train was in push mode. The location was about 18 miles east of Stockton. After some delay, the cab car was removed, a BNSF engine attacked and the train continued to Bakersfield, although running at 70 mph maximum insted of 79. All injured have been released from hospital. Since all stayed on the rails, could well be that it was hauled to Stockton cab car and all and the cab car removed there.

The truck was an ag hauler with a double trailer.

 

[Anderson]

Too bad it had to happen.

I'd like to posit that perhaps it did not have to happen.

Kay Byett, from Forestville, said stunned passengers sat in silence for two hours afterward and were given no information about what was happening. When some of them finally ventured outside to find out what was going on, they were told to go back to their seats, Byett said.

What is it with Amtrak and customer communication? Routine interruptions on the PA when nothing is happening but then when something does happen there's nothing but silence? It's not like this is the first time Amtrak has collided with a commercial vehicle and everyone is just trying to wing it. Among passenger railroads Amtrak is quite possibly the most experienced with truck-train collisions in the whole wide world. It should be old hat by now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been involved in a class three impact with a type two vehicle. These usually wrap up in about two hours or less. We'll see if we can get the buses over here a little faster than last time. Thank you again for riding the Ramtrak collision coaster and we look forward to busing you across America again in the near future."

OMG LOL :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wow. Amazing. You really did just make my day, even if on a subject I wish I didn't have to see come up (again).

Is there any word on how the truck ended up on the tracks at the wrong time like this?

 

[George Harris]

This was at a private farm road crossing into one of the humongous farms in this area. Looking at the area on Google maps, there is nothing in the vicinity of the crossing that would have necessitated a stop with part of the vehicle dangling over the track. Also, the line is straight for a long distance in advance of the crossing.

Search in Google maps for Bixler Road Contra Costa CA and go north until you see the railroad. You will see that Bixler Road turns into Onwood Road and that there is the mentioned farm road out of Onwood road just to the west of this turn/intersection. There is no other crossing anywhere in the area, so unlss the location given was in error, this has to be the one.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Looking at the area on Google maps, there is nothing in the vicinity of the crossing that would have necessitated a stop with part of the vehicle dangling over the track.

Not necessarily so, though Google maps wouldn't show it. A look at the video snippet, and/or accompanying photo, shows a train, presumably the one at issue, apparently atop a fill through lower, flat ground. I followed this route by car several months ago, rode over it by train more recently than that, and there are numerous essentially unmarked and unguarded agricultural grade crossings at which the dirt road approaches to both sides of the right of way are very steep. It is easy to see how a truck trailer heavily laden with farm products could become stuck at the top of the crossing, wheels off the ground on either side of the rails and the bed resting on the tracks, unable to be budged any further by the truck or tractor power that got it there. So while nothing may have "necessitated" a vehicle stop that left a farm vehicle in the path of the onrushing train, clearly conditions that could easily result in that situation exist at more than a few places along the San Joaquin route.

Some crossings have signs that warn of the potential problem:

 

[George Harris]

Looking at the area on Google maps, there is nothing in the vicinity of the crossing that would have necessitated a stop with part of the vehicle dangling over the track.

Not necessarily so, though Google maps wouldn't show it. A look at the video snippet, and/or accompanying photo, shows a train, presumably the one at issue, apparently atop a fill through lower, flat ground. I followed this route by car several months ago, rode over it by train more recently than that, and there are numerous essentially unmarked and unguarded agricultural grade crossings at which the dirt road approaches to both sides of the right of way are very steep. It is easy to see how a truck trailer heavily laden with farm products could become stuck at the top of the crossing, wheels off the ground on either side of the rails and the bed resting on the tracks, unable to be budged any further by the truck or tractor power that got it there. So while nothing may have "necessitated" a vehicle stop that left a farm vehicle in the path of the onrushing train, clearly conditions that could easily result in that situation exist at more than a few places along the San Joaquin route.

Good point. I was working on the assumption that this crossing was regularly used by the type of vehicle that was hit, and we all know what "assume" can mean.