According to the on-line edition of the Nashville Tennessean, there was a passenger train grade crossing accident yesterday near Lebanon, TN. This was the "Farewell to the E's" excursion operating over the Nashville & Eastern Railroad. The driver of the vehicle was flown to the hospital after the car was dragged about a quarter mile down the track by the train. According to the press report, there was no damage to the locomotive and the train was later able to continue on its trip.



AMaples@aol.com

> According to the on-line edition of the
> Nashville Tennessean, there was a passenger
> train grade crossing accident yesterday near
> Lebanon, TN. This was the "Farewell to
> the E's" excursion operating over the
> Nashville & Eastern Railroad. The driver
> of the vehicle was flown to the hospital
> after the car was dragged about a quarter
> mile down the track by the train. According
> to the press report, there was no damage to
> the locomotive and the train was later able
> to continue on its trip.

One has to wonder how much attention this and several recent derailments is generating with the insurance providers.

Here is the link to the story:


http://tennessean.com/local/archives/03/11/42570990.shtml?Element_ID=42570990

--------- --------- O ----------------------

long long short long. The engineer reported that he sounded the crossing at quarter mile. If traveling at 30 MPH, he was still 30 seconds from the crossing when he started to sound it. Think about it, that's laying on the horn an awful long time before the crossing.

At Heber Valley, engineers are to sound each crossing in such a manner that the last long doesn't finish until they're half way through the crossing (the last long "carries" them into the crossing).

What is the rule on your roads?

sc 'doc' lewis

Heber Valley Railroad
utweyesguy@aol.com

> --------- --------- O ----------------------

> long long short long. The engineer reported
> that he sounded the crossing at quarter
> mile. If traveling at 30 MPH, he was still
> 30 seconds from the crossing when he started
> to sound it. Think about it, that's laying
> on the horn an awful long time before the
> crossing.

> At Heber Valley, engineers are to sound each
> crossing in such a manner that the last long
> doesn't finish until they're half way
> through the crossing (the last long
> "carries" them into the crossing).

> What is the rule on your roads?

> sc 'doc' lewis

CSXT Operating Rules state in a nutshell that you, start blowing at the Whistle Post and do not stop your last blow until you are over the crossing.

Later
Michael Ridenhour
WSS/HPT&D Engineer/Conductor


michaelr4501@aol.com

Whistle is to be blown until the crossing is fully occupied, is the way our rule is....

Ken Jones
Operations
Trillium Rail - St. Thomas & Eastern Railway

> CSXT Operating Rules state in a nutshell
> that you, start blowing at the Whistle Post
> and do not stop your last blow until you are
> over the crossing.

> Later
> Michael Ridenhour
> WSS/HPT&D Engineer/Conductor


digitekfx@kwic.com

> At Heber Valley, engineers are to sound each
> crossing in such a manner that the last long
> doesn't finish until they're half way
> through the crossing (the last long
> "carries" them into the crossing).

Even sounding the horn doesn't mean that the driver of the crossing vehicle WILL hear you. Here is a quote from the NTSB:

QUOTE ---------------------

PB2001-916203
NTSB/HAR-01/03

Abstract: On March 28, 2000, about 6:40 a.m. (sunrise was at 6:33 a.m.), a CSXT Transportation, Inc., freight train traveling 51 mph struck the passenger side of a Murray County, Georgia, School District school bus at a railroad/highway grade crossing near Conasauga, Tennessee. The accident occurred as the school bus was crossing the tracks at a speed of approximately 15 mph. During the accident sequence, the driver and three children were ejected. Two ejected passengers received serious injuries and one was fatally injured. The driver, who had been wearing a lap/shoulder belt that broke during the crash sequence, received minor injuries. Of the four passengers who remained inside the bus, two were fatally injured, one sustained serious injuries, and one, who was restrained by a lap belt, received minor injuries. The two train crewmembers were not injured.

{A great deal of material deleted.}

Auditory Alerts

Locomotive event recorder data indicate that the train horn was activated for about 3 seconds when the train was 952 feet from the crossing and then continuously for 9 seconds (a minimum of 574 feet) before the collision. The busdriver had the radio and overhead speaker on. Additionally, the two panels above the driver's head were covered with sound attenuation material. To be identified, a sound must be 3 to 9 decibels above the threshold of detection; 82 to reach the alerting level, it must be at least 10 decibels above the ambient noise level. 83 With the door closed and the radio on (the conditions at the time of the accident), audibility testing revealed that the sound of the horn was only 5 decibels greater than the ambient noise when the train was 1,268 feet from the crossing and was barely detectable to the volunteer busdriver. Since the sound level increases by about 6 decibels when the distance is halved, at 574 feet, the sound of the horn would have been about 11 decibels above the threshold of detection. During the accident, with the radio on and the door and window closed, the audio portion of the videotape did not pick up the sound of the horn over the ambient noise. During testing, with the radio off and the door open, even at 1,268 feet, the sound level of the horn was 26 decibels above that of the ambient noise, and a driver would probably be able to detect the sound and be alerted to the approaching train. Therefore, the Safety Board concludes that the driver did not stop, had the radio on, and the door closed; thus she had difficulty detecting the train horn and was probably unaware of the presence of the train.

END QUOTE ------------------

In another part of the report, in post accident testing, the train's horn passed muster and exceeded FRA mininums for DB. Seems hard to imagine, but I guess that you like your radio and keep the windows shut, you can't hear the train.

Ed

ff1044@aol.com

I wonder if there were any sensitivities about using the horn due to noise issues and near by houses. We operate in a state park and do need to temper our whistles and horns.



http://www.njmt.org
jrmay@njmt.org

No. If a railroad is subject to Federal Railroad Administration rules (federal regulation), there is very little or nothing that state or local authorities can do to regulate the use of whistles or bells at public railroad crossings. This is based on the legal rule of supercedence. Federal law always supercedes state or local laws addressing the same issue. Most railroads have rules that address whistle use at crossings where local or state laws restrict or prohibit use. NS Rule 101(f)1(d) states "Crossing whistle signal will be sounded as prescribed by Rule 14(l), regardless of State laws or ordinances to the contrary."

Locally, our railroad follows the NS practice. Crossing whistle signals are sounded at the maxmum volume and required duration, regardless of time of day or location. However, all other use of the whistle is kept to the absolute minimum after dark. The only area we have that is close proximity to residences is the 3/4 mile between East Chattanooga and Whiteside Tunnel and the East Chattanooga Belt Line. If we switch East Chattanooga at night, most enginemen will acknowledge instructions from the switchman or conductor with the radio and/or other means unless whistle use is absolutely necessary for safety. Public crossings though, always require proper sounding of the whistle.

awalker2002@comcast.net

Remember that the quote about the horn is at best second hand. The reporter quoted the cop as saying the engineer said he blew the crossing at a quarter of a mile. Did the engineer say that or did he actually say he starting blowing at a quarter of mile from the crossing and the statement get changed as it went from the cop to the reporter to the editor?



nyc3005@yahoo.com

I thought the most interesting statement was the one about applying the brake AFTER impact. This could be real interesting if a lawsuit is brought forth. How do you the rest of you feel about "trading paint" before putting a train with 200+ passengers into emergency? I think it's a no brainer but some lawyer is bound to argue that not taking any action to prevent the collision is negligence on the engineer's part.

I also noted that the reporter made sure to point out that this crossing had neither gates nor lights. I suspect it did have crossbucks and maybe even a stop sign. This weekend, another train-car collision resulted in the death of a person in Dayton, TN. That crossing did have gates and witnesses reported seeing the driver go around them.

G. Mark - TVRM

TVRM Shop Updates by Steve Freer
aw90@comcast.net

> I thought the most interesting statement was
> the one about applying the brake AFTER
> impact. This could be real interesting if a
> lawsuit is brought forth. How do you the
> rest of you feel about "trading
> paint" before putting a train with 200+
> passengers into emergency? I think it's a no
> brainer but some lawyer is bound to argue
> that not taking any action to prevent the
> collision is negligence on the engineer's
> part.

> I also noted that the reporter made sure to
> point out that this crossing had neither
> gates nor lights. I suspect it did have
> crossbucks and maybe even a stop sign. This
> weekend, another train-car collision
> resulted in the death of a person in Dayton,
> TN. That crossing did have gates and
> witnesses reported seeing the driver go
> around them.

> G. Mark - TVRM

We were on the train Sunday -- the consist included a dome and one experienced railfan riding there saw the incident and thinks the driver of the car hit the train -- not the other way around. Damage to the engines was minimal, but a brake hose on the lead unit had to be replaced.

There were also other witnesses on the ground that saw the incident.

The engines were ex NYC E-8's and were equipped with ditch lights -- which were left on -- even at the runbys.

We turned back about 20 miles short of the planned destination.

Bob H


Heavenrich@yahoo.com

> I thought the most interesting statement was
> the one about applying the brake AFTER
> impact. This could be real interesting if a
> lawsuit is brought forth. How do you the
> rest of you feel about "trading
> paint" before putting a train with 200+
> passengers into emergency? I think it's a no
> brainer but some lawyer is bound to argue
> that not taking any action to prevent the
> collision is negligence on the engineer's
> part.

And any railroad lawyer worth his salt would argue in rebuttal that applying the brakes wouldn't have added up to a hill of beans. I don't think that argument would wash, unless the jury was really, really stoopid -- and then it wouldn't wash on appeal.

mconrad@msmgmt.com

No idiot

> I don't think that argument would wash, unless
> the jury was really, really stoopid -- and
> then it wouldn't wash on appeal.

That's the whole problem. If the case were to go to a jury, you can be certain that the plaintiff's attorney will do his or her best to stack the jury by striking as many intelligent people from the jury pool as possible.

awalker2002@comcast.net