Looks like NYSW 142 got into an accident today with a Nissan in Pohatcong Township. I can't tell from the picture if the driver stopped short or had broken down on the crossing. It appears that 142 was going slow enough and stopped quickly enough to prevent further damage. If that car got pulled into the running gear.... Not only will an early overhaul be needed, but (very slim) chances are someone will propose some law saying that steam locomotive running gear has to be enclosed. Not that such an enclosure would do anything in the protection department. So, how many accidents does this make for this year? Last I checked 2012 has been a horrible auto v. train year. Seems there has been nearly two a day....
http://photos.lehighvalleylive.com/expr ... e_i_5.html

Only goes to show that you always, no matter what, in my opinion, never stop too close to the tracks, or try to out run the train. If I had broken down, I certainly would've tried to shift down into reverse or nuetral and back off. I hope this doesn't affect any steam laws or create any. There's already too many (it seems), imo.

According to the updated article the elderly driver saw the train at the last moment as he reached the crossing, panicked and wanted to back up, and instead hit the gas and went right into the 142.

Well, that's a bit more understandable.

I can hear it now, "The train is at fault, they must have been speeding because I never saw them!" I work auto insurance claims as my day job, and this is so more common than most people realize. Also, it's very common once you've had the accident, to throw it into reverse at a high rate of speed and then hit something else. Beats me why that happens.

When it was substituting for the ailing C&O 2716 on excursions on the Southern back in 1982, NKP 765 once hit a dumptruck on a crossing. I heard that the dumptruck driver jumped out and started claiming he'd never heard a thing, they'd never blown for the crossing. Then about 20 railfans riding an open car near the front of the train stepped forward with their camcorders and all chorused "I have the whole thing right here on video!"

The truck driver quickly changed his story. :-)

If that driver was a commercial driver, I'd have expected that reaction. Many commercial drivers get fired for at fault accidents, so they will often rarely ever admit to causing a accident even when they know they did. I've never actually seen a trucking company accept liability for any loss ever, even in cases of 18-wheelers backing into parked cars or rear-ending vehicles at intersections...
You don't even wanna get me started on stuff like this. After handling liability investigations and arbitrations for 10 years, I've come to the following conclusions about most drivers:
1. Everyone "knows" they're a good driver.
2. If they're in a loss, they're a good driver, so therefore, the other person must have cause the accident, right? Otherwise, they're not a good driver (default to # 1).
3. So, knowing this, what kind of facts support # 1? The driver will often talk themsevles into the version that best supports they're a good driver (I believe this is often subconscious) or a friend will do so for them.
4. And most of the time, they firmly believe that version, often in disregard to witnesses, cameras, or any evidence to the contrary.
People often believe that if they don't see the car/train/whatever, that removes any responsbility for pulling out in front of it. In fact, it's usually the opposite that is the case.
I'd bet that whoever handles the claim for this SUV will hear arguments from the driver along these lines. I've seen stuff like this many times, just never against a steam locomotive...

I've also seen several cases where a parked car was hit by a train or streetcar. The angry driver then called the police and complained, saying "That stupid train hit my car!"

Typically, the cop shows up, examines the situation, and then... writes the driver a ticket for parking too close to the track. This is not the outcome they were expecting.

Wow, I thought I'd never be talking about the 765 hitting the dump truck on this site.

I was an eyewitness to the entire event and believe me, the truck driver was in no shape to be jumping and down after the impact. i was sitting in the jump sit behind the engineer (the late Charles Case - as a side note his dad was the engineer of the 6330 when it made its last run in 1953) when we hit the dump truck at 45 mph. Fortunately for the truck driver his front wheels had just reached the first rail at impact. He was looking right at the engineer as he drove in front of us. You had to be wondering what he was thinking. Maybe he hit the wrong pedal too as the truck reared up as it reached the tracks. I knew right away we were going to hit him.

What is interesting is that the crew on the other side of the cab (Paul Brock was firing, Bill Purdie was sitting behind him, and Mark Brainerd was sitting on an upside down bucket behind the firedoor) had no idea we'd hit anything. They immediately asked why we went into emergency. We got stopped in 16 coach lengths. I remember this because the open air car stopped right next to the remains of the truck and there were 4 first class cars behind the open air coach. The consist was 20 passenger cars.

When I got back to the what was left of the truck, I expected to see human remains all over the place. Instead, the truck cab had been split open and the driver ejected as the truck was rotated violently on its rear wheels by the impact. The driver was lying on the grass covered in oil but alive. He has suffered a broken back. I can even remember his name but I won't give it out.

In the aftermath, he did sue the railroad. As was pointed out, the railroad had movies, audio clips and eyewitness testimony from hundreds of people. But in the end, the railroad decided it would be cheaper to buy him a new truck than to pay the attorney fees. Case settled out of court.

Somewere I have the picture that appeared in the local paper.

Mark- I heard that story from Tom Stevens (BTW- is he still around?) I believe when the 765 was being ferried from Lima to Bellevue, OH after finishing up its tour on the Southern. Between Tom telling it, me hearing it, and the 30 years since then I'm sure some details were altered. ;-)

I remember Tom saying the same thing- the engine gave the slightest lurch and he looked out to see the dump truck getting tossed aside. His main comment was that if the impact point had been just a little different he could imagine most of the valve gear getting wiped out on that side of the engine. IIRC, he said it did some damage to the steps on that side and smashed a couple of lubricator lines, and that was it (?).