Currently on 14 Coast Starlight sitting on a siding outside of Gilroy, CA waiting on #11 to pass us. Apparently 11 was involved in an accident with a truck and damaged one of the engines, so they are waiting for the damaged engine to be cleared before we can proceed. Darn shame because we have been running early or ontime since we left LA. Pacific Parlor Car is wonderful but our sleeper is an unrefurbished superliner with lots of wear.
Coast Starlight 11 Accident (3/12/12)
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Without digging up the statistics...
But Mrs. Blackwolf, in response to this thread, says the same thing I've been wondering: "Doesn't it seem as if collisions between trains (especially Amtrak) and other vehicles/trespassers are on the rise recently?"
But Mrs. Blackwolf, in response to this thread, says the same thing I've been wondering: "Doesn't it seem as if collisions between trains (especially Amtrak) and other vehicles/trespassers are on the rise recently?"
Not that I can tell.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/amtrak-train-collides-suv-launching-vehicle-200-fe/nLRMq/
The location is practically in Morgan Hill.
The location is practically in Morgan Hill.
I dug up some FRA statistics and I'm afraid you're wrong, Although some preliminary figures are subject to change, they've actually decreased. As long as I can remember trains have had problems with cars and trespassers.
It's almost as if the rails give off some sort of "stupefying" gas that causes drivers to loose all common sense.
Very plausible! The effects must be variable to a certain degree, though. Where most seem to disregard the presence of train while under its influence, I find its effects to be quite the opposite. I cannot wait to see when the next one comes along! :lol:
It's more of a flashing light thing. If you see the grade crossing lights go on, you must go faster. Same as turn signal lights, I turn on my trucks turn signal light and people who were follow me jump into the lane I was getting ready to change in to, and speed up trying to past me.
Edit do to big fingers, I-phone issues.
Edit do to big fingers, I-phone issues.
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Swadian Hardcore
Engineer
I heard an article where most of the times a road vehicle has a collision with a train, the road driver see a train, thinks it's a big slow freight, tries to "beat the train" because he think too slow, and realizes too late that it's going at 79 mph and about to shatter his vehicle. Then the Genesis hits and, well, the "lights go out!"
Ryan
Court Jester
Lead locomotive and the PPC had to be set out. Hope that the damage to the PPC gets fixed.
Me too. I'm on the cs in 3 weeks.
As a daily pedestrian who routinely observes how others drive (since my life depends on it), I don't think there's anything special about rails that causes drivers to demonstrate that they shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car. The difference between a train and, say, me, is that a train has the ability to totally demolish a vehicle and has no ability to stop suddenly or jump out of the way, whereas for me it's the opposite.
Point is, people drive like idiots all over. It's just that when a train is involved, the train clearly wins, and is very unforgiving.
TimePeace
Disillusioned.
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Well said...
From the story --
No "beat the train" syndrome here, but still, a very preventable accident. Grade crossings like this would be relatively cheap to fix.
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Imagine the terror of being that SUV driver as you're trying to rock the vehicle back and forth to get off the tracks as the train approaches. Was anyone hurt? It sounds like a situation where everyone would have had a chance to get clear first.
George Harris
Engineer
Not clear from the news reports whether it was the SUV or the trailer that was hit. However, if you look at the video attached to the KTVU news article, it appears that it was the trailer that was hit. With that the SUV ended up on its side. There was a couple of people, man and women, shown it part of the video that it seems like were the people in the SUV. (I am at wok and the office computer has no sound.) At a couple of places you can see the sign for the crossing, and it says PRIVATE CROSSING and has a stop sign on the post above that sign. It appears that the trailer frame is under the front of the engine and a piece of the trailer is plastered to the front of the engine and the headlight appears to be broken.
Interesting that the PPC, 5 cars back from the engines, had enough damage so as to require it to be set out. :unsure: The engine I can understand; the PPC, not so much.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
I was thinking that as well. I tried to find more information online, but have not had any luck.
Ryan
Court Jester
The only thing that I can think of is that some flying debris smacked it.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
A comment posted in the 'Gilroy Patch':
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
Time for a new episode of MYTHBUSTERS lol
George Harris
Engineer
The KTVU video gives a good view of the front of the engine. Looks like the windshield is fine to me. FRA requirements are pretty strong for windshields. Test include:
That means the windshield shall survive being hit by the corner of a concrete block, = a point load, at 30 mph. There are other requirements, and a length description of the test process.
Is this UP's problem? I'm sure that the private driveway was there well after the railroad.
Does anyone know what the car on the rear was?
Per the raw video on KTVU's website, I would be quite sure the consist involved is the same we were on a little over a week ago. P-42 #29 was the lead on our train, and the trailing unit was a Dash; the same on this train involved.
They had plenty of time to see the train coming; it's straight as a flag pole through there with several miles visibility. As such, I can only imagine the events unfolding as that headlight bore down on their stuck vehicle and the horn started blaring. It would be interesting to see the footage from the dash camera, and to have a feel for when the engineer took notice of the obstacle in his/her way.
They had plenty of time to see the train coming; it's straight as a flag pole through there with several miles visibility. As such, I can only imagine the events unfolding as that headlight bore down on their stuck vehicle and the horn started blaring. It would be interesting to see the footage from the dash camera, and to have a feel for when the engineer took notice of the obstacle in his/her way.
Any chance the PPC was just set off to reduce tonnage since the motive power was reduced?
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