Blue Water train hits car kills 2

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

There have been a few accidents in this area before with Amtrak trains.

LSJ.com :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

 

[battalion51]

That didn't take long for the Blue Water to get its first two fatalities.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

That didn't take long for the Blue Water to get its first two fatalities.

Nope the conductor and Engineer i know real well. :angry:

 

[engine999]

Uh Oh, the last train that had that problem did not turn out so well. Anyone rember the very short lived fun train?

 

[battalion51]

Fun Train's problem was that Amtrak charged $23/mile to operate the thing, no one could make money with that kind of business model.

 

[engine999]

Fun Train's problem was that Amtrak charged $23/mile to operate the thing, no one could make money with that kind of business model.

Amtrak sort of had a monopoly and also they failed to advertise teh service. Its first major add was one of it causing a fatality by polk county. That set the service off great.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

I found it intresting that the news article that BNSF 1088 left a link to mentioned that the crossing gates were not operating acording to an eyewitness. Then again it sounds like the witness may not have seen the actual crash, but rather the gates being back up at the open position after the train left the track circuit.

 

[battalion51]

Well Activation Failures do occur, it just depends on whether anything gets hit when the failure has occured. They can determine whether the gates were actually working by the data in the black box within the Crossing Gate apparatus.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

Well Activation Failures do occur, it just depends on whether anything gets hit when the failure has occured. They can determine whether the gates were actually working by the data in the black box within the Crossing Gate apparatus.

You can't blame the train crew for this since no crossing warning was issued to the train the gates go down 25-30 sec before we go over the crossing there is nothing you can do to stop in that time if you see the gates not working except lay on the horn and hope to god no one darts out in front of you

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

Here is the newspaper story there saying the Gates didn't drop in time.

Railfan.net

 

[amtrakmichigan]

hmmmm..intresting. It makes me wonder what really happened. I know any of us don't have any further answers since the investagation is still pending. What I am currious about is if the gate motor/gearbox mechanism failed while the lights were flashing, or if the whole shunt circuit failed. If the lights were flashing with the gate in it's up postion, then the driver should have used more caution at the crossing. Also note the engineer was not quoted anywhere as to what he saw.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

hmmmm..intresting. It makes me wonder what really happened. I know any of us don't have any further answers since the investagation is still pending. What I am currious about is if the gate motor/gearbox mechanism failed while the lights were flashing, or if the whole shunt circuit failed. If the lights were flashing with the gate in it's up postion, then the driver should have used more caution at the crossing. Also note the engineer was not quoted anywhere as to what he saw.

Michigan Law says that at RR crossings with Flashing lights will be treated as a red light which means if the lights are going you have to stop and look if no train is comming you may go across the tracks.With gates you can't drive around them if your caught doing both of these things you will get 4 points on your DL and the fine is like $150.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

hmmmm..intresting. It makes me wonder what really happened. I know any of us don't have any further answers since the investagation is still pending. What I am currious about is if the gate motor/gearbox mechanism failed while the lights were flashing, or if the whole shunt circuit failed. If the lights were flashing with the gate in it's up postion, then the driver should have used more caution at the crossing. Also note the engineer was not quoted anywhere as to what he saw.

RR employees can't talk to the press at all that is handeled by the RR.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

hmmmm..intresting. It makes me wonder what really happened. I know any of us don't have any further answers since the investagation is still pending. What I am currious about is if the gate motor/gearbox mechanism failed while the lights were flashing, or if the whole shunt circuit failed. If the lights were flashing with the gate in it's up postion, then the driver should have used more caution at the crossing. Also note the engineer was not quoted anywhere as to what he saw.

Michigan Law says that at RR crossings with Flashing lights will be treated as a red light which means if the lights are going you have to stop and look if no train is comming you may go across the tracks.With gates you can't drive around them if your caught doing both of these things you will get 4 points on your DL and the fine is like $150.

I know of policemen that will issue a ticket for crossing a double yellow center line instead of issueing a ticket for going around the gates. The reason for doing this is that it's almost impossible to get the ticket thrown out if the driver took it to court. I guess some judges will let the ticket go if the driver complaines that he was sitting there for 10 minutes with no train in site. But a solid double yellow line is always at a railroad crossing (paved roads) and never moves or disapears.

Michigan state law or not, a driver would be a complete IDIOT for driving through a crossing with lights flashing, but the gate still up (not working).

On another point, where I live here in Plymouth, Mi one of our crossings is protected by a train speed detector circuit. I think this is officialy called a time delay circuit. Anyway I have seen single engines accelerate through the trap circuit at this crossing so quick at times that the gates are barely down before the engine reaches the crossing. Even slow moving coal trains getting ready to go around the 15mph wye to Grand Rapids will only have about 15 seconds between the gates being fully lowered to the train is starting across the crossing. I am just waiting for something to happen at this 4 lane crossing one of these days. It's pretty bad when the engineer has to blow the first long blast before the lights even start flashing and is on the short blast before the gates are down fully

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

hmmmm..intresting. It makes me wonder what really happened. I know any of us don't have any further answers since the investagation is still pending. What I am currious about is if the gate motor/gearbox mechanism failed while the lights were flashing, or if the whole shunt circuit failed. If the lights were flashing with the gate in it's up postion, then the driver should have used more caution at the crossing. Also note the engineer was not quoted anywhere as to what he saw.

Michigan Law says that at RR crossings with Flashing lights will be treated as a red light which means if the lights are going you have to stop and look if no train is comming you may go across the tracks.With gates you can't drive around them if your caught doing both of these things you will get 4 points on your DL and the fine is like $150.

I know of policemen that will issue a ticket for crossing a double yellow center line instead of issueing a ticket for going around the gates. The reason for doing this is that it's almost impossible to get the ticket thrown out if the driver took it to court. I guess some judges will let the ticket go if the driver complaines that he was sitting there for 10 minutes with no train in site. But a solid double yellow line is always at a railroad crossing (paved roads) and never moves or disapears.

Michigan state law or not, a driver would be a complete IDIOT for driving through a crossing with lights flashing, but the gate still up (not working).

On another point, where I live here in Plymouth, Mi one of our crossings is protected by a train speed detector circuit. I think this is officialy called a time delay circuit. Anyway I have seen single engines accelerate through the trap circuit at this crossing so quick at times that the gates are barely down before the engine reaches the crossing. Even slow moving coal trains getting ready to go around the 15mph wye to Grand Rapids will only have about 15 seconds between the gates being fully lowered to the train is starting across the crossing. I am just waiting for something to happen at this 4 lane crossing one of these days. It's pretty bad when the engineer has to blow the first long blast before the lights even start flashing and is on the short blast before the gates are down fully

I know right where your talking about i have seen that to.