What gets me is the phenomenal amount of money that has to spent in advanced
technology to prevent drivers from bypassing crossing gates when there are
railroad intersections here in Oklahoma City crossing main thoroughfares that
are only protected by crossbucks. Back in the early 1980's, I was nearly
hit by a freight train on such an intersection at night. The crossing is
oblique and the train crossed the road from behind in the direction I was
going. Fortunately, I was around a dozen or so yards from reaching the
intersection when he crossed so I was able to stop for him, but had I been
running a minute or two earlier, he would have hit me. And honest-to-god, I
did not hear his horn.
That crossing is still only protected by a crossbuck today, even though several
trains a week use the line. I am told that there is not enough rail traffic on
the line to merit an automatic signal. The line is the old Frisco mainline
between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, now owned by the State of Oklahoma and
operated by a short line railroad. To complicate things. the old Rock Island
mainline, now operated and, I believe owned, by the Union Pacific, crosses only
a few feet away, also only protected by a crossbuck.
Gerald & Virginia Edgar wrote:
> Amen Karl - the mental effect (& possible physical harm) to the Engineer can
> be as much or more serious. We had a C&NW commuter engineer in the late 70's
> who after cutting a toddler in half who had wandered unto a high speed track,
> ended up a mental case on permanent disability due to the grief &
> helplessness.
> Gerald
>
> It's tragic when ANYONE looses ones life, ESPECIALLY when that loss could be
> prevented by the excersise of God-given COMMON SENSE !!
> An un-sung "victim" of these events is, usually, the engine crew. Few members
> of the public understand the helpless feelings of the crew that KNOW they are
> about to end someone's life. Amtrak347 and I had a mutual friend that died as
> a result of having been the Engineer involved in a fatal X'ing. accident
> Operation Lifesaver has probably had a positive effect on X'ing. accident
> reduction but THE DRIVER is the LAST and FINAL decision-maker.
> Karl
>
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