'Please make the railroad put up gates 'cause my dad died'

Monday, February 06, 2006

Carl Matzelle

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Ten-year-old Brianna Carroll wanted people to know how much her heart hurt.

 

She dearly loved her dad, David Carroll, who died Jan. 18 when a train hit his pickup at an ungated crossing in Lorain.

 

A few days later, Brianna wrote to Mayor Craig Foltin, asking him to help make the crossing safer.

 

More at:

http://www.cleveland.com/lorain/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/1139218203203630.xml&coll=2

"The state installs about 100 gates and lights each year, at a cost of about $250,000 each, Nicholson said."

 

I don't pretend to know anything about the logistics of installing one of these gates, but a quarter million dollars per gate! That's hard to believe. Maybe KJP or someone with a little more rail infrastructure expertise could explain  why it is so expensive. I understand things need to be done to a certain standard, but wow!

 

I know this type of project will be difficult to get additional funding for-the mounting volume of sad stories like this girl and her father are probably the only type of thing which will have any real resonance in jaring loose additional money. Politicians have bigger, sexier projects they'd rather throw their weight behind than rail crossing safety, but at their current clip of 100 new gates per year, it will take over 30 years to put gates at all crossings in the state. That's more shocking than the gate cost to me.

More so why is the state making these gates? They should be contracted out. It's much cheaper and also the Railroads should be paying for these gates themsevles.

Also, it seems to me that at least some crossings could be closed. I've seen cities that have crossings on 4 or 5 parallel streets.

 

I'm glad to hear Hamilton is replacing three at-grade crossings with a new overpass in the South End and hope to see other cities follow suit.

"The state installs about 100 gates and lights each year, at a cost of about $250,000 each, Nicholson said."

 

I don't pretend to know anything about the logistics of installing one of these gates, but a quarter million dollars per gate! That's hard to believe. Maybe KJP or someone with a little more rail infrastructure expertise could explain  why it is so expensive. I understand things need to be done to a certain standard, but wow!

 

Keep in mind that the cost includes installation of a good deal of conduits and sensors up and down from the crossing to sense the train; and may include new crossing material The railroads are typically very picky about their standards as well.

 

More so why is the state making these gates? They should be contracted out. It's much cheaper and also the Railroads should be paying for these gates themsevles.

 

Fat chance, in most cases the road exists in an easement over the railroad right of way, the agency responsible for the road must pay for the crossing. The state uses contractors for the work.

Actually, the railroads generally do the work themselves, since they have crews that specialize in such installations. And "Mr. Sparkle" is right that the railroads are very picky about how it is done.

 

Smaller, short-line railroads generally contract the work out to professional railroad contractors.

 

In both cases, the state agency, whether it is ORDC or the PUCO, act as project managers during the engineering and installation process.  They have to sign off on each stage of the project in order to certify the work is done properly and according to the specifications.

 

As to the 100 gate and light projects a year at $250,000 each.... I suspect those are average numbers.  Each grade crossing is different and may present different and challenging engineering problems, and that will drive the final cost of such a project.  I know several people who work on these projects and the 100 projects a year can include anything from full light and gate projects to just resurfacing the actual vehicular crossing itself.  My friends tell me the cost can run as high as a half-million for a light and gate project or as little as a few thousand for putting in a new roadway surface at the crossing.

 

"inkaelin" .... there are instances where the state will ask local communities to close redundant crossings, like those you describe.  In doing so, a local community can get a credit toward installation of light and gates, or upgrading electronics for an existing set of lights and gates.  The Ohio DOT also has a grade separation program that will allow closings of crossings, which are replaced with either overpasses or underpasses.  I know of one now under construction near New London over the CSX tracks.

 

All of these projects are done with a combination of local (which can include city or county funds, railroad $$ or even private dollars) and state funds, which are used to leverage federal dollars for grade crossing projects.

Traffic control signs better than crossbucks

railwayage.com

 

The traditional “Railroad Crossing” crossbuck sign installed at 60% of highway/rail grade crossings in the U.S. is inadequate and should be replaced with “Stop” or “Yield” signs, according to the Federal Highway Administration, which is now encouraging state officials to install such signs at grade crossings. Two years ago, the Association of American Railroads asked the FHWA to issue “immediate guidance” allowing states to install Yield and Stop signs. The AAR, following the FHWA’s action, is now urging the agency to go one step further and make these signs mandatory.

 

More at:

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml

 

NOTE: Ohio has over 6,000 public railroad grade crossings and another 6,000 private grade crossings.

I remember a few years back when there was a crossbuck sign at the Halfway Road W&LE Railroad crossing between Norwalk and Monroeville.  The township decided to put up STOP signs there as well.  I really thought that was a good idea!  Well, I guess it didn't matter; not long after the signs were put up, the state supplied the money to put up gates, flashing lights, and bells.

 

 

But I am all for STOP signs at crossings without automatic devices.  :-)

How dumb do you have to be not to know that the crossbucks is a warning that there is a train track crossing and you could die in a split second if you don't stop.  Good lord.

Considering the number of drivers who ignore stop signs at intersections, and the idiots who drive around crossing gates, I wonder how much good it'll do.

 

One of the most delightful things I've seen involved a big macho jock in a convertible, who passed up a long line of cars waiting at a crossing for a freight train to pass. He pulled up in the left lane right next to the gate, ready to make a dash between the gates and get the jump on everyone as soon as the train passed.

 

As he sat there, he turned around and grinned at all the other drivers, as if to say, "Ain't I some shit!"

 

As the last train car cleared the crossing, the first vehicle on the other side turned out to be a police car, and the flashers on top went on immediately. All up and down the line, people were tooting their horns and cheering.

How dumb do you have to be not to know that the crossbucks is a warning that there is a train track crossing and you could die in a split second if you don't stop.

 

Pretty dumb, given that even a locomotive alone can crush a car like a beer can. But the really sad thing is that over half (53%) of the 121 car/train crashes in Ohio last year and three out of four fatalities (71%) occured when a driver went around activated warning lights and gates.  Somehow, despite that, Ohio only recorded 7 total deaths last year, the lowest number in over 30 years.

Considering the number of drivers who ignore stop signs at intersections, and the idiots who drive around crossing gates, I wonder how much good it'll do.

 

There's only so much you can do to protect idiots intent on dying (or those who think they have an immunity to death).

 

Our former assistant editor at work had an old clipping from a newspaper taped to his desk which read "Fatal Accidents: The Bright Side..." It noted how these keep the gene pool strong, weeding out the stupid and idiotic. The Darwin Awards is another.

 

Not all are dumb, but some do lack common sense. At a public hearing about 8 years ago on proposed increases in freight train traffic resulting from the Conrail acquisition, a doctor from Bay Village noted his opposition to the added trains. His reason? He said he was driving on Bradley Road and got stopped in traffic, right on the tracks. "I didn't appreciate being stuck on the tracks." Before I realized I was there to merely observe the meeting for Sun, the words fell out of my mouth: "Then why'd you pull on to the tracks before you were sure you could get across?" I said it loud enough that most people around me heard it, including the doctor. He gave me a look "how dare you question me!" Dude, you may be a doctor, but you can't perform CPR on yourself or stitch your torso back together after getting whacked by a fast-moving choo-choo. What a hero.

The NS former Nickel Plate Chicago-Cleveland mainline has one of its few grade-level crossings in town just a few blocks from my house. The street is busy, and there's a stoplight just a half-block south of the crossing. Traffic backs up from the stoplight, and at almost every light cycle a couple of idiots manages to get themselves stuck in a line of traffic and stopped on the tracks.

 

A curve in the tracks about a block to the west makes it impossible to see trains coming from that direction until the last minute, and they're often moving about 40 mph, sometimes faster, and coming off a grade and trying to maintain speed to head up onto the elevation. Surprisingly, accidents have been few, but about thirty years ago an acquaintance of mine and two of his friends died there, probably a consequence of impaired driving, since it happened late on a Saturday night.

 

Last year, the city lost a big, new snowplow truck when the driver stopped on the tracks. He couldn't get the truck out of the way in time, but he was able to bail and get clear. Sure tore up that truck; the locomotive pushed it about a hundred feet from the crossing, where it then rolled down an embankment.

Marysville Shuts Down Street at Grade Crossing

Friday, April 14, 2006

Kelly Hassett

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

When the stores at Coleman’s Crossing first opened in Marysville, Michelle Amrine-O’Connors would cut across the E. 5 th Street railroad crossing to avoid crowded Delaware Avenue.

 

But no shortcut was worth the danger posed by the crossing’s lack of warning gates and lights and overgrown vegetation, she said. She asked the city of Marysville to make the crossing safer.

 

Full story at:

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/14/20060414-B3-02.html

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060517/NEWS11/605170316/-1/NEWS

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published May 17, 2006

 

Deaths in Ohio at rail crossings fall to new low

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

The death toll at Ohio railroad crossings fell to its lowest level in many decades last year, with just seven people killed in seven train-vehicle collisions, according to an annual report issued this week by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

 

The total number of accidents, however, increased slightly compared with 2004 and 2003, continuing a six-year pattern of relative stability in the Ohio collision count. The 122 crashes at railroad crossings last year was five more than 2004 and 10 more than 2003, PUCO reported.

 

More at link above:

Rail-crossing deaths outpace 2005:

9 killed so far in ’06, up from 7 all of last year

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining and the train’s horn was blaring as it traveled down the tracks at about 40 mph.

 

Still, the tow truck hauling a boat drove across the railroad tracks last month in Ottawa County, in northwestern Ohio.

 

http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/20/20060520-D1-00.html

 

Police aboard train find that drivers are getting safety message

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Maggi Martin

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

A train full of police officers didn't spot a single driver going around railroad gates Wednesday, which train officials said is evidence that educational programs work.

 

"On past trips we have seen bus drivers and even fuel trucks driving around downed gates," said Shel Senek, Ohio coordinator of Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit education program designed to curb train and car collisions.

 

More at:

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/115398918236920.xml&coll=2

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/NEWS11/608030374/-1/NEWS

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Article published August 3, 2006

 

Train brings safety message

4 accidents in Ottawa County prompt response

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

John Olry hasn't forgotten the day 20 years ago that his train struck a pickup in Arcadia, Ohio, killing its 21-year-old driver.

 

"He pulled up to the crossing. I thought he had stopped," Mr. Olry recalled yesterday. "But just as I got there, I looked down and there he was, with an oh-my-God look on his face.

 

"The color of his eyes was brown."

 

More at link above:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/NEWS11/703290404/-1/NEWS

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Article published March 29, 2007

 

Police cooperate keeping track of railroad violators

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

With the warm spring weather comes dirt bikers who roar along the railroad tracks, graffiti painters who congregate beneath the overpasses, and thieves who hide in the bushes for their chance to break into shipping containers and steal freight.

 

Ohio Operation Lifesaver and the Norfolk Southern railroad took reporters and police officers on a tour yesterday across 16 miles of track through Toledo, Northwood, and Lake Township that railroad personnel describe as a "hot spot" for such trespassing, both to call attention to the problem and perhaps to apprehend a few violators along the way.

 

More at link above:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/NEWS11/809189933/-1/NEWS Article published September 18, 2008

 

Stakeout targets risky rail trespassing

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

To save a little money on gas, Scott Monnett and his two stepsons decided yesterday to walk — instead of driving — from their Oak Street home to do an errand on Woodville Road.

 

But when they decided to use railroad tracks along the way as a shortcut, they walked right into an afternoon anti-trespassing stakeout set up by the Norfolk Southern Railway’s police department in East Toledo.

 

More at link above:

I guess those mean trains aren't hunting down those innocent motorists as much as they used to!

In some places, trespassing enforcement is undertaken with considerable zeal. I subscribe to my hometown paper (fewer than 10,000 population) and read of citations issued by police for trespassing on the rickety tracks of a short line where one train per week would be a busy time. They operate at 5mph on the high-speed sections of the line.

 

I guess the local PD has to do something to kill the boredom. They have time to issue citations to juveniles for smoking possession of tobacco, too. Most of those violations are reported by residents who see them from the kitchen window. You'd think the three or four trailer parks with their domestic disputes, drunken fights, and kids throwing rocks at trailers would be enough.

 

The most gratifying railroad-crossing incident I've seen took place at the NS main line crossing on Sherman Street, just a few blocks from my house, as I waited on my bike for a l-o-o-o-o-ng freight to pass on a summer afternoon. As is typical, cars had backed up for a couple of blocks waiting to cross.

 

A shiny red top-down convertible came up behind the line, and then pulled around and drove up close to the passing train in the left lane where there's no gate, ready to make a quick diagonal dash and get the jump on the people waiting in line. Adding insult to injury, Mr. Big Jock Don't-you-wish-you-were-cool-like-me stood up, turned around, and grinned as he waved to the less fortunate.

 

When the last car of the train cleared the crossing, the first car in line on the other side was a police car. The red and blue lights came on immediately and just as immediately, a collective cheer and honking of horns went up from those waiting in line. Drivers honked and gave a thumbs-up to the cop as they passed.

 

Arrogant SOBs so rarely get what they have coming that it's really delightful to see it happen.

Beautiful !! :clap: :clap: :clap:

May 27, 2009

Caution at the crossings

By MARIAH MERCER

FEATURES WRITER

 

Railroads bring business and visitors to Fostoria but the train tracks crisscrossing through town also mean caution.

 

As the weather warms and rail fans come out to snap shots, the Ohio Rail Development Commission warns against getting too close to the tracks.

 

"I have noticed some instances where photos and/or video have been recorded of people either standing too close to railroad tracks or even within the gauge (between the tracks). ... (N)ot only is this unsafe, but also illegal (as railroad tracks and corridors are private property)," Stu Nicholson, public information officer for the Ohio Rail Development Commission, wrote in an e-mail to the Review Times.

 

More at:

 

http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2009/May/27/ar_news_052709_story1.asp?d=052709_story1,2009,May,27&c=n

It's being reported that this crash will disrupt passenger & freight service along the Northeast Corridor, due to the closeness of the Washington Metro LRT line to the corridor.

 

June 23, 2009

Train Crash in Washington Leaves at Least 6 Dead

By IAN URBINA and THEO EMERY

The New York Times

 

WASHINGTON — At least six people were killed and at least 75 injured when one Metro subway train slammed into another on the outskirts of the city during the afternoon rush hour on Monday, emergency officials said.

 

“It looks to be the worst Metro accident in D.C. history,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “We’re going to investigate this and find out what happened.”

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/us/23webcrash.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print

Much of the Metrorail system, which opened in 1976, runs below ground. Both trains involved in the accident were above ground.

 

This is an aging system and one that needs to be looked at very closely, said Peter Goelz, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board.

 

The oldest parts of the system are 33 years old. That's not old. But it is not an old system ONLY when it isn't being properly maintained. We want great rail, road and aviation systems -- we just don't want to pay for them.

^ And here's a good example of what you're talking about KJP.  More evidence of our decades-long under-investment in rail & transit.

 

NTSB: Train in crash was recommended for phaseout

By BRIAN WITTE

Associated Press Writer

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The subway train that plowed into another stopped train, killing nine people and injuring scores of others in the nation's capital, was part of an aging fleet that federal officials had sought to phase out because of safety concerns, an investigator said Tuesday.

 

The Metrorail transit system kept the old trains running despite warnings in 2006, said Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board. It wasn't immediately clear whether the train's age played a role in the rush-hour collision Monday.

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DC_METRO_TRAIN_DERAILMENT?SITE=OHCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

Two senators seek appropriation for rail safety grant program

Progressive Railroading

 

On Monday, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) sent a letter to the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee seeking at least $50 million for a new railroad safety technology grant program created by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA).

 

The act includes a provision championed by Boxer that mandates the installation of positive train control (PTC) on track shared by passenger and freight trains. The grant program would provide funding for necessary safety improvements, including PTC installations.

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=20715

Lawmaker to seek $3 billion for Metro transit improvements

 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that he plans to seek $3 billion for Metro transit capital improvements, just days after a crash between two trains killed nine people.

 

A large part of the investigation into Monday's crash is focusing on the outdated train of six cars that slammed into a stationary train in front of it. All the fatalities were on that train, Metro transit spokeswoman Angela Gates said Wednesday.

 

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/24/dc.subway.crash/index.html 

 

Again....more evidence of how grossly underfunded our rail & transit systems are and how it impacts safety...

 

June 25, 2009

Crash Puts Focus on Aging Rail Fleets

By MICHAEL COOPER

The New York Times

 

The train that rear-ended another in Washington on Monday evening, killing nine people, was made up of some of the oldest cars in Washington’s relatively young subway system, cars that had been cited for vulnerabilities before. But federal data show that many other cities are also using outdated rail equipment.

 

More than a third of the equipment in the nation’s seven largest rail transit agencies was rated in marginal or poor condition by the Federal Transit Administration this spring. Replacing all the equipment that has exceeded its useful life and finishing all outstanding station rehabilitations for just those seven large systems would cost roughly $50 billion, the agency estimated, and keeping the systems in a state of good repair after that would cost an estimated $5.9 billion a year.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/us/25train.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Operation Lifesaver: Distracted drivers a rail safety factor 

 

 

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Tuesday said federal statistics show that inattentive drivers contribute to approximately 3% of all vehicle-train crashes at highway-rail grade crossings. In addition, 20% of grade crossing collisions involve motor vehicles striking trains at a crossing. A total of 2,397 highway-rail grade crossing collisions occurred in 2008,resulting in 286 deaths and more than 900 injuries.

 

Read more at:

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/operation-lifesaver-distracted-drivers-a-rail-safety-factor.html

Railroads post new gains in safety 

Railway Age Magazine

Nov. 2, 2009

 

U.S. rail-related fatalities declined 12.4% to a total of 466 in the 12 months ended Aug. 31, according to the Federal Railroad Administration's Office of Safety. Only 12 of these were employee fatalities, down 49.5% from the prior 12-month period.

 

Trespassing caused 293 deaths, a decline of 8.8%. Highway-rail grade crossing accidents, accountable for 156 lives, also were down 18.3%.

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/railroads-post-new-gains-in-safety.html

 

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091106/NEWS16/911060348/0/SPORTS12

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Article published November 6, 2009

 

Leftover stimulus funds to build 2 spans

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Lower-than-expected costs for projects using federal stimulus funds have allowed the Ohio Department of Transportation to reinstate bridge construction at railroad crossings in Fostoria and Swanton that had been put on hold.

 

The Jones Road crossing on the north side of Fostoria and the Hallett Avenue crossing in Swanton were part of a $200 million crossing-elimination campaign then-Gov. Bob Taft announced in 2000 to relieve congestion and delays to emergency vehicles at problem spots.

 

Full story at link above:

Rail officials plan new safety campaign after Hilliard tragedy

Tuesday,  December 8, 2009 3:04 AM

By Holly Zachariah

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Even as the community mourns the loss of a Hilliard Davidson High School student killed by a train last week, someone has to consider uncomfortable questions about public safety.

 

Seamless tracks make trains much quieter these days, and electronic devices and headphones used by pedestrians and drivers create distraction, said Shel Senek, Ohio's coordinator for the nonprofit, public-education rail program Operation Lifesaver.

 

So it is with the death of 16-year-old Arthur Lane lingering in his mind that Senek and his organization will kick off a campaign called Common Sense in January. The campaign will focus on pedestrian safety around trains and empasize, among other things, the dangers of using headphones and cell phones.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/08/TRAINFOLO.ART_ART_12-08-09_A1_K1FU5MI.html?sid=101

Deadly distraction for pedestrians

Headphones tune out danger

Thursday,  December 10, 2009 3:20 AM

By Kathy Lynn Gray

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

In London and New York City, they're called iPod zombies -- the people who wear earbuds or headphones on the street.

 

They're oblivious to the world as they walk or cycle --- until one is injured, or killed, or hurts someone else.

 

No one keeps track -- yet -- of how often it happens, but a quick Google search brought up many tragic examples:

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/10/headphone_death.ART_ART_12-10-09_A1_KUFUT8R.html?sid=101

 

 

Some recent stats in the article:

 

The numbers

 

77 | Fatalities from trespassers on Ohio railroad tracks*

 

6 | Fatalities from trespassers on Franklin County railroad tracks*

 

96-110 | Minimum/maximum decibels of a train whistle

 

120 | Maximum decibels for an iPod

 

* 2006 to September

Sources: Federal Railroad Administration, Hilliard police

Article published December 19, 2009

Video details events of fatal train accident

Footage shows warning devices working

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

A Springfield High School freshman's fatal decision to cross the tracks in front of an Amtrak passenger train unfolded in a matter of seconds, an impossibly short time for anyone to prevent it, an Ohio Highway Patrol commander said Friday.

 

Patrol Lt. John Altman said a video recording of the incident, taken by a camera aboard the train's locomotive, showed that warning devices at the McCord Road crossing where Cody Brown, 15, was struck and killed before sunrise Wednesday were working properly and that the train's horn was sounded as required.

 

Vehicles were all properly stopped behind the stop lines at the crossing gates, Lieutenant Altman said, and the video showed Cody and his best friend, Brianna Mullinger, enter the railroad right-of-way at the crossing as the train drew near.

 

Full story at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091219/NEWS16/912190398

It's easy for the uninitiated to misjudge the speed of an approaching fast train, especially in poor light. I've stood close to the tracks when videotaping, a practice I've since discontinued, and never got used to the feeling because I'm not an adrenaline junkie. A train moving at 70-80mph seems to be approaching slowly until it's very close, and then rushes up on you in an instant. When one is moving really fast, there's a bow wave of pressurized air that can nearly knock you down if you're not prepared.

 

The railroad has had problems along that same route with kids playing "chicken" with trains in some of the Indiana towns. I haven't heard about it lately, so maybe they resolved it; if so, it would be interesting to know what their approach was. There's an appalling lack of railroad awareness in our culture.

 

I think there should be more teaching of young school children by taking them trackside and letting them experience live the passage of a fast-moving train at close range. Their parents should be notified to send them to school with a change of underwear on those days, because some of them will need it.

It's easy for the uninitiated to misjudge the speed of an approaching fast train, especially in poor light. I've stood close to the tracks when videotaping, a practice I've since discontinued, and never got used to the feeling because I'm not an adrenaline junkie. A train moving at 70-80mph seems to be approaching slowly until it's very close, and then rushes up on you in an instant. When one is moving really fast, there's a bow wave of pressurized air that can nearly knock you down if you're not prepared.

 

The railroad has had problems along that same route with kids playing "chicken" with trains in some of the Indiana towns. I haven't heard about it lately, so maybe they resolved it; if so, it would be interesting to know what their approach was. There's an appalling lack of railroad awareness in our culture.

 

I think there should be more teaching of young school children by taking them trackside and letting them experience live the passage of a fast-moving train at close range. Their parents should be notified to send them to school with a change of underwear on those days, because some of them will need it.

 

Yeah that is why I never stand at the edge of the platform when at an local stop when an express train passes or when a train emerges from a tunnel.  That rush of air can knock you back.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091230/NEWS16/912309996

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Article published December 30, 2009

 

Rail safety ads on radio aim to target ages 18-34

 

Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit rail safety education group, will launch an awareness campaign over the radio reminding of the danger railroad tracks pose to pedestrians.

 

Earlier this month, a Springfield High School Student was killed and another critically injured while crossing tracks outside their school.

 

Fullstory at link above:

Interesting old film produced by Chevrolet about railroad safety.... very dated (1935) but some great shots of vintage "hot shot" passenger trains of the era.

 

 

Good film! I love grandpa's sort-of Irish brogue, the way he pronounces the letter "R" sometimes. The kid has it too, to a lesser extent.

 

Note the 3-lane highway for passing at about 5:47. When I first started driving, Indiana 1 between Fort Wayne and Bluffton was 3 lanes, and I think part of Indiana 3 was, also. Even after they resurfaced it and re-marked it to two lanes in the late fifties, some local drivers still drove it as if it were still three lanes. I imagine it was disconcerting to see an oncoming car straddling the centerline as the driver passed a slower vehicle.

 

My '38 Chevy had knee-action front suspension It had a shock absorber built in with the coil spring in a heavy enclosure that contained the shock-absorber fluid. They were great until they wore out, and by the late fifties it was virtually impossible to find a shop or mechanic with the parts/tools/knowledge to rebuild or replace them and align the steering. It was a feature only found on the DeLuxe models; the Standard models still had a forged solid-beam axle and coil or leaf springs on the front.

 

I remember seeing a newsreel promoting the advantages of the all-steel Fisher Body. Before the turret top came along in the mid-thirties, car bodies had pressed steel up through the curve above the doors, and then a wood-framed, waterproof fabric insert that made up the center of the roof. Some car bodies had stamped steel shells with wood frames. In a rollover, the whole upper body structure could collapse or crush sideways. The turret top had greater structural integrity. In the newsreel, they ran cars at speed with two wheels going up a ramp to roll them, and compared the results. It was pretty dramatic.

Tragedy on the tracks: Blast of train horns haunts Holland teen

 

By BRIDGET THARP

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

Nearly a month ago, 16-year-old Brianna Mullinger of Holland lost her left leg in a train accident.

 

Her best friend, Cody Brown, 15, lost his life.

 

As Brianna works to recover from her injuries, the Brown family is struggling to adjust to life without Cody.

 

Full story and video at above link:

9 hospitalized after Metro train, bus collide downtown

By MIKE SNYDER

Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle

Feb. 8, 2010, 10:05PM

Nine people were hospitalized Monday afternoon after a Metro bus and a light rail train collided near Metro headquarters downtown.

 

A preliminary investigation showed that the bus, westbound on St. Joseph Parkway, ran a red light and collided with the train, northbound on Main, Metro spokeswoman Carolina Mendoza said.

 

Mendoza said the bus driver, who joined Metro in 2000, and a passenger on the train were among four people taken to nearby St. Joseph Hospital. Four others were taken to Ben Taub General Hospital and one person was taken to Memorial Hermann. All injuries were reported to be nonlife-threatening. The train operator, who joined Metro a year ago, was treated and released on the scene.

 

more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6857319.html

 

 

 

And the Youtube of it:

 

It's not unusual for clueless drivers to find themselves face-to-face with the business end of a moving train, but you'd expect a bus driver working for the same transit agency would know better.

It's not unusual for clueless drivers to find themselves face-to-face with the business end of a moving train, but you'd expect a bus driver working for the same transit agency would know better.

Yeah, he's on unpaid leave now.

Epic fail

Crossing collisions, injuries and fatalities fall to record lows in '09

 

Newly released preliminary data from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) shows the number of highway-rail grade crossing injuries and fatalities dropped to record lows in 2009, according to Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI). Crossing-related injuries dropped 28.3 percent to 683 and crossing fatalities declined 14.2 percent to 289 compared with 2008 figures.

 

Although decreases in vehicular and freight-rail traffic contributed to the year-over-year declines, the data shows law enforcement efforts, highway-rail engineering and signaling improvements, crossing closures, and OLI’s partnerships with federal, state and local agencies to raise safety awareness are working, said OLI President Helen Sramek in a prepared statement.

 

Full story at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=22730

Train-related crashes on decline, while number of deaths increase

Officials say safer driving behavior makes a difference.

By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer

Updated 8:53 AM Monday, March 29, 2010

 

MIDDLETOWN— Throughout all of 2009, Middletown did not see a single train-related crash.

 

The city has had 10 such accidents since 2000, with the last occurring in October 2008. That one involved the death of two Middletown women after their pickup truck stopped on train tracks in the 2000 block of Waneta Avenue. An accident at the same crossing claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl about two years earlier.

 

Those statistics are not lost on Stu Nicholson, who literally has made trains his business.

 

Nicholson, a spokesman with the Ohio Rail Development Commission, said the declining number of train-related accidents can be largely attributed to a “very concerted public education effort” throughout the nation.

 

Full story at:  http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/train-related-crashes-on-decline-while-number-of-deaths-increase-625572.html

 

Ohio Rail Development Commission •  News Release

1980 West Broad Street • Columbus, Ohio 43223

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail

 

 

Heart of Perrysburg Gets Better, Safer Rail Corridor

Team effort by city, railroad and Sate of Ohio nets a win-win for residents, motorists

 

Columbus (Wednesday April 28, 2010) – Major improvements to railroad crossings through downtown Perrysburg, Ohio are near completion and demonstrating  how public-private partnerships can reap both greater safety and even a greener look for a rail corridor.

 

Completion of the Perrysburg grade crossing consolidation project marks the end of a 3-year process that brought together city and railroad officials as well as the Ohio Rail Development Commission and Ohio Department of Transportation to address local concerns over traffic delays at a series of six crossings in the heart of the community.  Improvements include state-of-the-art technology upgrades to crossings at the Locust, Elm and Walnut Street crossings along the CSX railroad corridor to reduce delays for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

 

In addition, the city, state and railroad agreed to permanently close grade crossings at Cherry, Pine and Hickory Streets.  As part of the closure agreement, the closed crossings will be landscaped to both block the old crossings and provide a more visually pleasing barrier.

 

“As we’ve seen with similar projects in cities like Springfield and Fostoria”, says ORDC Executive Director Matt Dietrich, “ this shows what can be done when local officials and the railroads work as productive partners to tackle local issues and concerns and create an end result that is a win-win for everyone.”

 

“This collaborative effort insured that every railroad crossing in our city is now protected with gates and lights and we are grateful for the substantial investment by the Ohio Rail Development Commission”, says Perrysburg Mayor Nelson D. Evans, who went on to say, “I also express my appreciation to CSX for their valuable assistance and extensive work on this public safety initiative.”

 

The $728,000 dollar project is slated to be completed in June. 

 

The Ohio Rail Development Commission is a state commission whose mission is to plan, promote, and implement the improved movement of goods and people faster and safer on a rail transportation network connecting Ohio to the nation and the world.  The ORDC assists with economic development funding by partnering with local governments, railroads, private businesses and other state agencies on freight, safety and passenger projects.

 

###

For more information contact:

Stu Nicholson, ORDC Communications,

at 614-644-0513

 

Overpass contract is under estimate in Fostoria

 

FOSTORIA - A contract to build the second of three overpasses in Fostoria planned to alleviate traffic congestion from trains is to cost $1.25 million less than expected.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has awarded a $6.14 million contract to Miller Brothers Construction Co. of Archbold to build an overpass on Jones Road over CSX railroad tracks north of the city, department spokesman Theresa Pollick said. The department had estimated the project at $7.39 million.

 

More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100503/NEWS16/5030349 Article published May 3, 2010