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Re: Re: Stop for those STOP Signs
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Posted by Chris-se-ILL on September 29, 2003 at 06:01:25 from (216.174.170.216):
In Reply to: Re: Stop for those STOP Signs posted by Slofr8 on September 28, 2003 at 23:36:30:
Well I wasn't going to get into this discussion... until you mentioned the propane truck trying to beat the train. I drive a semi hauling propane during the winter. I stop at EVERY train track! No exception! Yes, I know of some drivers that will run the track... but the fines are steep and they risk way too much doing so... BUT, there are problems that I do not believe that train operators, and rail lines, are aware of... some of the situations that truck drivers have to deal with are not within their control. If "you" are operating your train... and coming up on a crossing at an angle... an angle that will cross the roadway from the big trucks driver's right rear corner... it is very likely that the truck driver cannot see you coming!!!!!!!! There is a blind spot in the design of most semi cabs from that area! The mirrors DO NOT cover that area... the driver cannot lean far enough forward to look down the track... there is no way to see in that one area! The train will be coming up on a driver that cannot see the train! If the lights are not on yet... the driver will go a head and let out on the clutch... inside the cab of the truck the driver CANNOT hear or see the train! I reported 2 rail crossings to the Southern Indiana Railroad Safety Inspector (I just happened to meet him at a job-fair at a shopping mall). The crossing are in Princeton, Ind. and in Francisco, Ind.. The trains that go through there were going way too fast (rail speed was set too high) and they meet at an angle which precluded the truck drivers from seeing any oncoming trains (if "I" can see a train coming or the lights and arms are just starting, I will always wait). There are many propane trucks that cross those tracks and there were MANY near misses! Another thing that the Inspector told me was that the time from which the lights come on to the time that the train crosses... is only about 23 seconds or less... BY DESIGN! He said that if the time is longer than that people get anxious and run the lights and arms. When a truck driver cannot see down the tracks and lets out on the clutch... and his front bumper is just entering the track area... 23 seconds or less is a "blink of the eye!" A truck driver is not allowed to shift gears on the tracks. So if the truck is loaded and the driver has to start moving (because he stopped as required by law) in 2nd gear... the driver cannot shift up or go any faster than top-end of that gear to get off the tracks! A driver CANNOT stop the truck and back up... so they are committed to crossing. Since I reported the dangerous areas to the Inspector the trains have slowed down and the lights come on sooner! Sometimes it is neither the train operator's errors or the truck drivers errors... it is the error of the design engineer that designed the crossing.... Rail speed too high for conditions, blind spots inherant in the truck driver's cab, lights with too little time before the train crosses. As for Amtrack.... in Arcola, Ill. that Amtrack train is going WAY TOO FAST through town!!! I have crossed those tracks and barely cleared the tracks.... when the train crossed right behind me... and the arms are not even fully down yet!!! Real scarey!!!
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