Near collision on tracks in Jacksonville
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- You can see an update on this crossing at • Terrible Level Rail Cr...
Car drives into path of Amtrak Silver Meteor in Jacksonville, Florida.
THE SUBJECT MATTER AND VISUAL CONTENT OF THIS VIDEO IS STRICTLY INTENDED FOR ADULTS. CHILDREN UNDER AGE 13 SHOULD NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO.
00:07 Gates come down
00:37 Car clears the tracks
00:39 Train crosses Broadway Avenue
As a professional signal engineer of 43 years experience, at any level crossing with lights and other warning devices, once the red lights show that means stop. The same rule applies here in the UK as it does in the US. The fact that two locomotives appeared to block the view of the crossing is irrelevant. The warning to stop is given by the lights, the bell and the barrier across the road. The road user does not need to look for the train.
Don’t try they will keep doing it
Some folks think that they are really smart until they find themselves in a muddle. 😁🤪🤞
@@rajanvarghese2352 I know the human species can be pretty dumb.
Always look for a train at a crossing when there is no signal to stop, or no signal at all. When the crossing gates are down and the bells are ringing and lights are blinking, stop!
Pretty STUPID! dmfers. Nice pictures
Model railroader: It's best to avoid S bends because they cause derailments
Railroad Owner: How many S bends can we cram into one junction?
Soooo true!!!
They’re crossovers but maybe that’s the same as an s bend. Dunno. I just know we call it a cross over on the job.
@@edjohnson9989 There are crossovers in model railroading as well. In model railroading, an S bend is a point in the track where the curve changes direction without a straight piece in the middle. These bends cause trains to derail when you go through them
🤣🤣🤣
Sharp S-bends should be avoided with the European buffer and chain coupling because there is the possibility that the buffers slide off each other and lock causing the train to derail. I believe with the knuckle couplers there isn't such an issue except if there is a string-lining derailment.
3:40 "Views are OK when an automobile approaches from the east. But two locomotives blocked the driver's view on the day of the near miss."
Gee, if only there was some kind of device to warn motorists that there's a train coming when it's hard to see. I dunno, maybe a flashing light that's triggered by the approaching train? They could make it red -- people know that means danger. Bells are cool. They could use bells, too. Ooh, and they could even do something to block the road... Stand back, everyone. I'm gonna patent this and make a fortune.
Haha! The problem is that this crossing is atypical. It's very wide, across four tracks at the very end of a large yard. The trains move more slowly, so drivers are lulled into complacency. There is a lot of idling, and waits can be very long. People being human, they don't want to wait.
@@ThruAWiderLens Yeah, the railroads should make more effort to avoid blocking crossings for longer than is necessary. That does teach drivers that the lights and gates are a waste of their time.
@@ThruAWiderLens
One solution to this would be to have gates on both sides of the road on both ends of the crossing, like how the crossings in Orlando are set up. That way drivers can't just go around.
No, I'd dismiss the gates everywhere, just red lights! In this manner in a short time we could easyly get rid of all rulebreakers and make this world a better one 😅 ...
@@fannta79 Yeah I just commented about the Darwin Awards! Weed out the idiots naturally!
You are supposed to stop when the red lights start blinking. After that it's on you. They can't make it anymore simpler than that.
Watch the start of the video closer. They gates never came down while the first train slowly snaked through the multiples switches.
@@BL-jt3qt They went down
I love trains and am so happy when the lights start. I stop and have a great close up view of amazing machines.
And remain stopped until after the lights stop flashing but nobody does!
that's why in germany the dumped the blinking lights, only fully red lights are allowed if there are lights
Doesn’t matter if the two locomotives “blocked the view”… that dummy HAD to go around the crossing gates for the Amtrak to come that close to them.
This. No need to add more gates to the other lane... people need to STOP driving around gates. EVER.
@@timfischer There is a need to add a gate to the other lane to make people stop driving around gates ever. If they were just killing themselves, who cares, but they might also damage the train!
@@Xezlec I disagree. A second gate could trap people between the sets of gates on either side of the track. And you can't prevent people from doing stupid things they already know they aren't supposed to do. If there were two sets of gates, they'd probably drive on the shoulder or a flat ditch to get around. Then what... build a fence too?
@@timfischer That's why the exit gates are staggered. The gates leading onto the crossing for their respective lanes close first to block people from going onto it, then the gates leading off close a little bit later to allow anyone currently on the crossing to get off. Then the gates open exit first and then entrance once the train passes. Drawbridges that have similar barrier gates do this as well.
I percieved that there are No Gates at all at the Side of the rails where the sedan approached from.
Word to the wise: When gates are down, don't go around gates to cross the tracks.
yep its just dangerous
Watch the start of the video closer. They gates never came down while the first train slowly snaked through the multiples switches.
@@BL-jt3qt At 00:08 the gate comes down. You can't see the one where the bicycle comes into the screen.
@@BL-jt3qt The gates do come down; the crossing arm is above the grade crossing signal and at the :04 mark you can see it going down.
Captain Obvious has checked in.
Views of the approaching trains are irrelevant - flashing red lights and sounding bells mean STOP - end of discussion.
The ONLY exception to what you said is if law enforcement In communication with the railroad or a railroad worker directs you otherwise.
I had to walk 3 miles to get around a faulty crossing once.
@@johnslyfield5096 which is irrelevant to the situation here. I worked for a railroad.
Don’t bother trying
I've always said, they need to install hanging curtains on the arms like in some European countries... still, idiots gotta prove their idiocy
@@MJofLakelandX Be more fun if teeth came up as the barrier started to drop. People would stop running red lights after a few sets of tyres needed to be replaced.
that's a great shot of the train snaking through switches
I agree
switches or points?
@@knuffelbaer1971 switches in the US, points in the UK.
Almost hypnotic.
Switch portion,lead portion and crossing portion..
New pedestrian bridge gets so much traffic. Those two trains in the clear did not block the driver from seeing the flashing lights and gates.
Even if. The signaling at the level crossing is deciding.
The driver may have believed that the stopped trains or locomotives had triggered the gates. Many motorists don't realize how gates work, or that they go up if a nearby train stops just before entering the crossing.
@@donaldthomas7070 Doesn't matter. Lights and barrier mean stop.
@@donaldthomas7070 Do crossing signals turn off / barriers go up if a train stops near the crossing?
In -Soviet Russia- ex-USSR, you can spent _hours_ at the crossing if there is shunting going on.
@@u2bear377, I believe they do, at least in some places.
Conclusion is the gate was down that means stop, and wait, this world doesn't understand a simple philosophy its illegal to go around the gates when they are down the penalty is death.
The law says you must stop when the red lights start blinking and you certainly don't cross at any time the gates are down.
Guess that driver didn't get the memo!
Watch the start of the video closer. They gates never came down while the first train slowly snaked through the multiples switches.
@@BL-jt3qt It doesn't matter, that's why you are to stop at the red lights.
@@BL-jt3qt the gates were down. You can just make out them coming down.
Thanks, Captain Helmit Obvious.
So typical. They see a sitting train on the tracks, but not the moving one coming up behind it.
Exactly. Saw the same thing. They thought the non moving train was causing the signal lights and didn't realize the secong train coming. Notice the bike riders in both scenarios just beat the moving train by seconds.
@@jeepster2442 I always stop and check all tracks before cycling or walking over. Incase the gate failed.
Not to mention that the gate closes the road 5 minutes I mean 40 seconds before the train comes thru. So you sit there for 30 seconds and stare at a closed gate and an idling train. Seeing how often signals malfunction like this. It's expected that people behave this way.
@@MichaelRBaron They could think outside the box and have the idling train stationed further back down the line beyond the curve so that those "chancer drivers" could at least see the oncoming train that's triggered the crossing-lights. That would at least make drivers think twice about ignoring those lights.
In Germany, people say to the cyclists and car drivers who drive over the level crossing in front of the train: "They are tired of life!". / In Deutschland sagt man zu den Rad- und Autofahrern die vor dem Zug noch über den Bahnübergang fahren: "Die sind lebensmüde!".
Warum fahren die Züge in den USA auch weiter? Ich habe erst letztens selbst eine ähnliche Situation nähe Leipzig mitbekommen. Der Zug Bremste augenblicklich, auch wenn keiner verletzt war wurde auf das Streckenmanagement und auf die Bundespolizei gewartet. Erst als dann der Triebfahrzeugführer abgelößt wurde gung es nach 2 Stunden weiter. Der Autofahrer, der beinahe einen Unfall verursacht hatte darf sich nun auf eine saftige Strafe freuen...
@@DerZauberer lol weil ein zug dieser größe einfach mal so stehen bleibt
@@Raeffi3 Es gibt trozdem die geringe Chace ein Unglück zu verhindern...
@@DerZauberer ein zug kann einen bremsweg von über einem kilometer haben ... und ein personenzug bremst nur im absoluten notfall mit voller kraft weil sonst alle fahrgäste umfallen
Ich saß letztens in einem Zug, bei welchem der TF eine Vollbremsung gemacht hat, weil ein Kind über den Bahnübergang gerannt ist, laut Hitungsartikel soll die Bremsung dem Kind das leben gerettet haben...
If that train hadn't of been zigzagging because of the rail pattern, it probably would've been going a little faster and those people would see.....for a split second, how well a car holds up against a locomotive.
about like a toddler going up against a pro boxer
You should see how well a donkey and a cow stand up to a 70mph Indian 🇮🇳 train 🚊.... Like Gallagher smashing a watermelon with his sledgehammer I swear to god!! 👀
I think you are exactly right: a little bit more speed by the train and it would have been deadly for the car.
It doesn't matter if the train blocked the view. If the lights are flashing, and the gates are down, you don't cross.
also if you see the train and can’t tell if it’s stopped you wait
"Don't Assume - It makes an Ass out of you and Me."
Not worth typing they ain’t listening
Stupid people are supposed to perish before they have kids. Single lane gates are a "Stupid People Trap", SPT for short.
Exactly. Blocked view is no excuse.
Why is everybody in such a hurry to get nowhere?
Wow!, Tesla Ric!, you sure hit that nail squarely on the head about "why is everyone in such a hurry to get nowhere!" With multiple tracks, gates down, and lights flashing, i would darn sure wait for anything coming that i couldnt see.
Tf do you mean? If you driving a car, no shit you need to be somewhere
@@NortheastCorridorFilms and blow through a rr xing with a train coming? only a nutcase like you would risk YOUR life and a BUNCH of others! An idiot blew through a crossing with a train coming, my son-in-law was the engineer, a train just doesnt stop on a dime going 55, moral of story, the car driver is DEAD, he got ground up beyond recognition! So think about THAT next time YOU are in a hurry with a train coming!!
@@paulsmith5398 Im not saying you should blow a crossing lol
Im just saying cars are used for getting somewhere
It’s not so much that they’re in a hurry. A lot of people think that the rules just don’t apply to them. Or maybe they think it’s some kind of game to dodge the train.
Your last character generator says “Thanks you for watching!” I want to thank you for taking the time for producing outstanding video, taking the time to allow us, the views, to examine your point of view from appropriate vantage points. Great job! Great chain of logic leading to a concise conclusion.
Wow, thank you Ulysses. Very much appreciated!!!
Concise. Yes. Correct? No, IMO. Gates down, lights flashing means “Stop”, not “cross anyway by going around.” Presence of the other locos means nothing!
@@davidthaler7018 Thank you for watching, David, and I appreciate the input!
"Two days later I went for a closer look ..." this sentence was so much like an NTSB officer :)
Yes
I like how he not only shows the clip of near miss but a full investigation and analysis afterwards hehe
@@kishascape Quite mathematical.
One day someone will get hit by a passing train if people keep crossing on railway lines & the consequences will be Fatal, so this video is vital.
@@mt5144 no
They went around the gate. If you’re gonna be dumb you gotta be tough!
Watch the start of the video closer. They gates never came down while the first train slowly snaked through the multiples switches.
@@BL-jt3qt Please stop repeating this in every comment. If you watch this at even 720 you can clearly see the gate lowering at about 5 seconds in, long before the train gets to the crossing.
The gates start to come down at 3-4 seconds after the start of the video.
You should take more notice of things. You're clearly one of those 'would be' drivers that would pass the red flashing lights and say "I didn't see the gate move" as an excuse after being hit by the train.
Note that in each case the gates start to go down more than 20 seconds before the train reaches the crossing. All the vehicle drivers have to do is wait for the gatesto raise again, it's not that difficult a concept to understand.
The only time I was ever tempted to cross when a signal was going, I could see that there was nothing moving for a mile in either direction for the track nearest to me, and there was only one other track at the crossing. The train that was causing the signal was idling on the far siding, and when the engineer noticed me sitting there, they backed up the train until it cleared the signal, and I was able to go. I waved to say 'thanks.'
Well, best example Germany: The Crossings are the whole street long. The right side of the crossing closes first, the left side closes a few secs later so the last car on the track can pass over quickly. And mostly the Cross closes like 2 or 3 Minutes in front of an approaching train. (depending on its speed mostly) Also most crossings are close to a train station so they are mostly pretty slow... actually doesnt stop the train in an emergency but... the system here is better than in the US
Not really. India also has crossings that block the entire street but people and motorbikes still sneak around. The system in the US is fine just too many impatient/entitled people choose to risk it.
The locals here know this crossing is near a railyard and trains here will be moving very slow so they decided to ignore the warnings and cross anyways.
Beautiful long distance view of the departing Amtrak weaving through the turnouts. I really liked this. James.
Thank you!!
Part of the problem is that with two trains sitting that close to the crossing and not moving, a driver might think the lights and gates are for those trains. I've seen trains sit close to a crossing like that for 30 or 40 minutes with the gates down. Of course people will become frustrated and drive around the gates. Then after a while, that becomes the norm and they do it without looking for another train coming.
Imagine losing your life because you couldn't wait 15 seconds
Just imagine if it went somewhat wrong That car driver after being hit would get out of his car ins furious rage knuckle the train engineer across the chops and blame him! for not stopping! 😧
So many impatient people are dead. If they could wait just a few seconds then they could have continued having a full and varied life.
I'd only have to imagine because I realize my status in life, try not to be a horribly selfish pos, & am not in any hell-bent rush to get anywhere.
Yeah- people wanna hurry up to die....
That car must have gone around the gates on the left side, so was well aware of the danger he was putting himself and any passengers in. Also he had sufficient time to stop once the train was visible but chose not to. Pretty stupid !!
Exactly. Which is why the OP's conclusion is wrong. That driver had plenty of time to stop once the train was visible, but either wasn't paying attention, or still thought they'd be fine. Luck was the only reason they actually were fine.
@@CollaredDom It doesn't matter if the train is visible. The lights and bells and barrier are there so you don't have to see the train or try to judge its speed.
Some people are just SOS: Stuck On Stupid.
I filmed a car just get missed by Amtrak in Sanford, Florida. I'm going to look this crossing up the next time I'm in Florida.
Very good sir
@@kishascape lo o
Thanks for watching Jaw Tooth. You have a great channel BTW, something for us all to aspire to!!!
What road and crossing? I live in sanford currently, and brings my curiosity!
@@stephensmith6230 It's McQuade/Broadway Ave (hard to tell where Broadway stops and McQuade begins), just north of the Beaver Street overpass. My other video posted last week shows more of the crossing.
Drivers here in UK complain that our barriers come down way too early at crossings, I think our system is a lot safer after seeing these clips.
Not to mention trains over there are ridiculously short compared to here. Some of the bigger monsters will hit up to around 6.5km, no joke
From very limited experience, American trains seem a lot slower than in the UK.
Well done video! Thank you. Understandable thathe driver assumed the closestanding locomotive activated the mee-mool lights *(o)T(o)* . For that reason there should also be gates across the opposing traffic lanes.
Remember when crossbucks and occasional flashing lights were sufficient crossing protection? In fact, they still are.
I wish they were sufficient protection. There were 815 deaths at US rail crossings in 2018, an average of more than two every day.
@B L : If you look closely you see that the gates come down. Your error comes from the pole (lightpole or sth like that) directly behind the gate. The pole is much thicker than the actual gate and irritates you.
I have been working for the german railway for more than 25 years and can assure you that you can´t fix stupid.
- We had 6 feet high walls around the tracks and kids climbed over them to play on the tracks.
- We had fully closing gates and car drivers which lifted them up to cross the tracks.
- We had a woman at a fully closing gate that blew both gates (before and after the crossing) with high speed and told the police there were no gates, she didn´t do anything. (Her limousine was a convertible afterwards)
- We had grandpas crossing the tracks with their bicycles who told us they now do it for 40 years and never had an accident. One grandpa wanted to sue the railway for a new bicycle because one day the call became too close. He had driven around a fully closing gate AND the pedestrian gate.
Great Video! I wish our country was leading the way in railroads. I have enjoyed riding parts of Europe on high-speed rail. It was great fun passing other trains at 200 mph. It only took a few seconds because at the combined speed we were passing each other close to 400 mph. Their tracks are straight once you get out of the stations. Their lines are fenced on both sides and they have no grade crossings.
America's WAY too sparse for rail to make sense in most cases.
@@Soandnb Then why does America have one of the largest most efficient freight train networks in the world
The US is actually one of the leading nations for rail, just not for passenger rail - our rail services are heavily focused on freight and have been like that since they were first started. Passenger service in the US was actually primarily used as a form of advertising for the freight services, since rich business owners tended to travel by rail and in turn would be exposed to how efficient the rail company's freight services were - by getting a close-up view every time they passed a freight train on another track. Meanwhile, Europe primarily focuses on passenger service, with freight taking a back seat due to the lower loading gauges and lack of space for large marshaling yards, and the lack of demand for freight service by rail.
@@ProvenScroll because freight isn't people, and the dynamics between hauling goods vs hauling people are massively different.
@@ProvenScroll Because that's freight and not passenger. Two different things.
Some things:
1st- when the trains approach, gates close. So the car should NOT have crossed.
2nd- the fact two locomotives block the view reinforces the respect for the gates
3rd and worst: when the car crosses in front of the Amtrak, the loco is already clear of the stopped locomotives, and has been already for a few seconds.
No excuse or justification acceptable.
Not to mention the engineer doing the proper approach horn sequence. Those idling locos have nothing to do with this at all. And I hope no engineer has to be a part of an accident with a passenger vehicle. Imagine how seriously shook up they would be.
Too close for comfort for that car! The train was just about to mow through the crossing! Good video either way
Thanks for watching, Celestino, and for your very kind comments.
I actually love stopping at a crossing, for me it only happens maybe once every 5 years so not a problem but I'm in the UK and there's not actually that many crossings where we live, I've seen the length of some trains in the USA and that might be the problem, people play chicken cos the train might be one of those 2 mile long ones that I'm guessing would hold you up for 30 minutes 🤷♂️ , obviously I don't know the length of time one of the super long trains takes to pass so if you're in the USA please let me know, cheers 👍
Northeast USA here - It can certainly be that way Steve. My youth was spent uphill from 3 railroad crossings (each about 1/3 of a mile from each other) and if we were leaving and we heard the train coming, sometimes it was a race to get to a crossing before the lights came on so we could get to the highway and go where we needed to go. The trains at this particular junction would typically park for 10 minutes, change tracks, and then keep going, and they were anywhere from 20-50 cars on average so it was usually a big ordeal. Me though, I always loved the trains and would watch em every chance I got.
The normal length of a freight train by me is about 100 or so cars and takes about 10 minutes to pass. Ive seen some that take upwards of 15 mins or more in my area; but they r much rarer. When running late for work\school, waiting that long is really not ideal.
What makes it even worse is when a long train stops at a small station and blocks like a mile worth of crossings. When trains sit idley for 30+ mins, that is extremely inconvenient.
So yeah, sometimes the trains really suck. But, I do respect and appreciate a good train from time to time as long as I’m not in a rush :)
Double gates are often not used so that vehicles don't get trapped on tracks. If someone really wants to go around they will.
Stupid has no cure.
Some people are just SOS: Stuck On Stupid.
Wow! That driver was really lucky. It really drives home the message to be safe around railroad tracks. Thank you for this informative presentation!
interesting track layout there, can almost have the train on four different tracks at once thanks to the closeness of the switches: thank goodness for slow speeds!
Its probably an interlocking.
It's hard to believe cars, bicyclists and pedestrians think they can beat a deadly TRAIN at railroad crossings!
It's shocking!
So right away in the video we see a FOOL slowly and casually riding his bike across the tracks - with a TRAIN coming right at him. I don't understand people's foolish behavior around trains. They are fast as hell and strong, they are nothing to be messed with.
What about that black car. I think that might have been even worse
Despite this crossing being at a slow-speed section of rail, how hard can it be to see the lights at the crossing?
Over here, the gates at a crossing close when a train is 400 metres away. So on the one hand that means it might take a minute for a crawling train to get there, on the other hand if it's an intercity train, it'll be there in 8 to 10 seconds.
Which is why it's illegal to enter a level crossing unless you're able to clear the intersection and in my experience people are pretty good at keeping crossings clear.
I don't care about the 1000 euro fine, or the minimum of 10 days of suspended driver's license. It's the simple fact that a 350 tonne train hauling hundreds or arses at over 160km/h will pulverise a car and the people in that car.
Yes I've been stuck at a level crossing in the middle of nowhere BC for 40 minutes waiting for some ungodly intermodal freight train to pass... But I've also been at crossings where it took all of 15 seconds for 2 huge commuter trains to pass through at incredible speeds.
The driver still violated the signal.
Conclusion: obey the signal.
Local vehicles become blind to these at grade crossings due to the railroads parking and blocking them for hours several times per day. There are laws concerning these crossings, but without the laws being enforced, there is no compliance. Corrupt politicians cry for Gun Control all of the time. Where is the railroad enforcement? Law without enforcement is not effective. Gun Control is not effective because there are all kinds of laws about gun crime already and there is NO enforcement of the ones that are already in place. Traffic control is the same. Enforce the GD laws or change the infrastructure. Do both.
OBEY THE SIGNAL would make for a cool T-shirt
You're making excuses for the driver's utterly reckless and impatient driving. You do NOT pass signals at RED, whether they're at a road junction or a level crossing. PERIOD.
I'll go through a red light if there's absolutely no-one on the cross street AND plenty of visibility in both directions.
You are absolutely correct that the driver was "utterly reckless and impatient." Nevertheless, more could be done at minimal expense to make this a safer level crossing. It seems stupid to have gates at all if they can be so easily ignored.
@@TonboIV please do that in front of a cop.
@@MikeJones-bl6lu If there were a cop there, the road wouldn't be empty. It's silly to wait for a red light when there's literally no-one else there and you can see hundreds of meters in both directions.
@@TonboIV it’s never a good idea to run red lights. It’s done by people who should have their license and vehicle taken away from them permanently.
Those two locomotives were blocking the view yes...BUT...the gates were still down therefore, anyone going around the gates and continuing to cross the tracks can't put blame on anything blocking their view on the other tracks.
not to mention that as they were crossing the first tracks, they'd have been able to see the Amtrak train and still had time to stop. They obviously felt they were too important to have to wait for a train.
Cool video, I like how the train crosses those tracks. As I'm driving, I usually do slow down, look and listen before proceeding. In a case when I'm driving a bus, it's required for us to stop, look and listen before crossing.
If a crossing is activated with lights &/or barriers you stop and wait until the crossing deactivates and the lights are off. Should a crossing have no lights you STOP, LOOK, LISTEN...and obey any additional commands (e.g. phone the signaller) which may be posted by the crossing. If the car had been hit the lawyers of the car driver might well have used the 'two locos and half barrier excuse.' But the crossing was working fully and the barriers were down. And, as the crossing activated 40 seconds before the train arrived, there would have been more than enough time for the car to stop.
I was raised in a train driver's family, and was told to never ever cross tracks when gates are closed or the red lights flashing. And, if there are only a rail road crossing sign, ever look twice before even attempting to go ahead. Since then, I never walk or drive willy-nilly over railroad crossings. So, education is more important as having full closing barriers.
Or common sense.
@@CollaredDomWhat's common sense?
I have some family members in the past (before my time) that have worked for the railroad in one form or another, so railroading is in my blood. I myself, have worked for a heritage railroad (all volunteer but treated as a regular full time job). One of the rules in our timetable (although something similar is probably in GCOR or NORAC): Expect a train on any track at any time.
You thought the 'Near Collison' was supposed to happen between the Two Trains, right?
Yepppp
Yes.
Yes sir
We usually don't have gates at both lanes in Germany to prevent cars getting stick between the gates. The only crossing I know which has gates in all lanes has a radar system to stop trains - which causes several issues if a pedestrian decides to cross anyway (its close to a station.
As a European I'm always amazed how slow American trains are. I took the Acela ponce and it was decent - not spectacular but ok-ish. The acela unfortunately is the ecption.
Thank you Ben. I took the Acela about 8 weeks ago and recently posted a video on it. I agree--okay-ish but not spectacular. Love the German trains!!!
Maybe I'm just a cynical bastard, but I look at this as a kind of intelligence test. I do feel sorry for the crews who get elected to thin the herd however.
Natural selection.
yeah but the train personal will suffer from that as well...
You are not cynical. You are just accepting this situation as an unsolvable situation but it is not. You and the others who might live in these locations need to make your overlords quake in their boots. You are the people who have the power, not the overlords who think that laws and courts are for them to use against you. The People have the Power, only they need to wake up.
@@lynnkramer1211 What exactly are you proposing as the solution to magically make reckless drivers have better judgment?
@@Syclone0044 consider! Stopping at a red light and just wait patiently?
I use to love near here and loved watching trains go by and work the yard.
They probably went by extra slow for you folks!
Hello from the UK. Nice video and a great shot of the passenger train snaking over all of the points.
My conclusion is slightly different. In all of these near misses, red lights are flashing and barriers are lowered across the road. Theses are not there for decoration! Cars are not going to win a contest against a train, and a draw is fatal. Impatient risk taking drivers and railways crossings are a very bad combination - the world over.
In the UK you have signals that work. In the US we have signals that shut down roads for hours because they're broken.
In France, crossings are rare nowaday (they are mostly replaced by bridges/tunnels)
but those which are still active have:
-blinking light and siren
-gates closing on both sides of the road
-cameras watching over said crossing.
trying to cross when the blinking light is, of course, forbidden (you are fined if you do so). If you got in between gates unwantingly, these are made so you can push them in case of emergencies.
one last thing, no matter what, the train conductor is not responsible in case of crash.
Close call. Nice Shots
Lo 7
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@@dietmarogaza101 vvvvvvvvvvzvZvzzvvb?zzvcv v
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Imagine, being that close to a 3 day vacation and it’s gone. Damn.
What's wrong with waiting 2 minutes after you see the red lights? Why risk dying in a two-second stunt?
Crazy.
Too many impatient people. They think they are the judge of when they can move, not the barriers and lights.
What a fantastic zoom and high location for this shot!!! Long train snaking the switches is truly an eye candy!
What a gorgeous sinuous piece of track! Great video, thanks! 👍🏻😷🛤🚆
Thank you for watching, English Nerd! I saw some great twisty tracks outside of Norwich during an afternoon of trainspotting once in the 80's. Will never forget that!
At 1:20 the red car is in violation, even though the gates are not lowered. The flashing red lights are the same as any stop sign, or flashing red light at highway intersections. Whether the gates are down or not, a flashing red light means stop. The lights were flashing a full four seconds before the red car reached the stop line on the pavement.
So typical just ignore the gate that is already down, and drive around it.
That Amtrak looked like a Snake wiggling its way on the tracks
I’m surprised no one has picked up on the malfunctioning signal gate that is out of view at the beginning of the clip. You’ll see the power supply for the lights is failing. Blinking, then fading to black, fading back to blink for a few more seconds before fading again and again. Is there no way for that to be communicated to railroads so maintenance can be done?
The fading you see in the video is only what the camera picks you. That is what LED lights do on camera. LEDs are not a steady, they flash are a very rapid rate that they naked eye can not see. However since a camera has a frame rate. The camera will catch the LEDs ether on or off. That is where the fading occurs.
@@justinsrailvideo8195 Excellent explanation 👏🏼👏🏼
Anyone who’s followed a car with LED taillights will notice how instantly they turn both ON and OFF. So the American power grid is A/C current operating at 60Hz and most people still record at 30 FPS for some reason (even though 60 FPS @ 1080 HD has been a choice since iPhone 6). So your camera ends up misaligned with the 60 pulses of electricity and weird effects happen.
It’s much worse when you record a 120 or 240 FPS slow mo and then play it back at 30 FPS. The fix if you’re doing that is to use lamps with incandescent bulbs 💡
@@Syclone0044 All good points. This was filmed at 60 fps and still the sync is off at times.
Gates on both lanes, from what I could tell, could possibly trap a car between the two barriers and on the tracks. Simply stopping when the current gates are down should be sufficient. People going around the barriers is on them. You can’t cure stupidity.
Holy crap. That was sure a close call. They really get some good speed through the turnouts too.
That guy likes living life on the edge or just plain, well you know Willy E Coyote Super Genius 🤣😂
in my jurisdiction, you don't try to go around a gate when it is down, ever! I don't know what the fine for such is, since I've never tested that law, but I expect it would be steep, given the damage that such an inappropriate move could cause. By damage, I don't mean just the physical damage to the car and the engine (though probably less so to the latter, given its size); I mean the psychological harm to the engineer, who, even in the right, would still experience pain, and perhaps grief as well. I also watched the cyclist run through the lights, just seconds before the engine hit the crossing, and can only wonder, what is so important that one couldn't wait the few minutes for the train to pass by!
I'm from Czech Republic. I live near a railway corridor, that goes right trough the forest reservation. Our law states, that after the gates goes up you can cross the crossing only after the red lights stop flashing. Problem is that people are impatient, like the white pick-up truck in your footage, and enter the crossing immediately after the gates start going up, while they are not even up all the way. If the rails are packed with trains, it's not uncommon for the gates to rise up only half the way, before they fall down again, trapping those impatient idiots on the full gated crossing. The gates are made that they break even under slightest force, yet people still hesitate to drive trough them, getting plowed by train, rather than scratching their paint.
Most recent example is few years back when truck driver got stuck between gates, and rather than ramming trough them, he moved the truck so his cabin won't get hit. The metal sheets he was loaded with slashed right trough the whole front section of Pendolino express train. The engineer lost both legs and had to be cut out from the wreckage, while whole side of the first carriage was slashed off killing and seriously injuring people inside. The truck driver got out only with scuffs and bruises, since his cab got torn out from the rest of the truck and stayed practically intact.
Here is the footage recorded by firefighters.
ua-cam.com/video/9OOGbt_QKh4/v-deo.html
Yep, and the whole "rises up half-way then goes down again" thing happens a lot more often than many people would think, at least in my experience with track 130 (Ústí nad Labem-Chomutov).
I mean it's not fun to wait at a level crossing for over 2 minutes, but it's a lot better than being hit by an Express/InterJet train going 160km/h
Thank you for watching. Would love to ride the trains in your beautiful country one day!
As Scott says, didnt see the moving train, but even so, people are always in a big hurray to go nowhere and cant wait for the gates to go up again. I see it all the time. Remember all ties will go to the on coming Train.
When the gates are down and the lights are flashing, and you are on the tracks, ignoring the facts, you can't blame the wreck on the train.
Hi Jacksonville resident here. This crossing has no barrier. It's just the lights and bells and they don't always flash or ring.
The tie always goes to the train.
Hey ive been to that exact intersection while i was trainhopping. Even stopped at the church right on that road the car was driving on and hung out to hear people talk.
WAY TOO CLOSE. oh my lord.....
I'm surprised people drive through the red light! Here in the Netherlands I've never seen anyone do that, even at busy multi-lane railroad crossings. When the gates are opening slowly everyone waits until the lights go out too.
I think they are lulled into complacency by some of the slow freight trains. The passenger service is faster--and deadlier, when a car is hit.
@@ThruAWiderLens How many passenger trains pass on a day?
@@losmeets98 Six pass through. Three going north, three going south. Thank you for watching, Louis!
@@ThruAWiderLens Wow that's not a lot! My closest train station (10 minute walk) is small with only 2 platforms, but a train leaves every 15 mins (every 30 mins in each direction) 😅
They do have 4 gates on each crossing on the UP line from Chicago to St. Louis, and signs at most crossings that read, "trains may exceed 80 mph". Ive seen/timed freights doing close to 80, thats fast, they just dont stop on any kind of money, let alone a dime!
If you’ve seen 80mph FREIGHT trains in USA, you should video and post them because you’ll set a new UA-cam record. The fastest one I’ve seen “Very very very very fast freight train” (yes 4x very) seemed to conclude in the comments that it was a 69mph track limit(?), but boy that train was blistering fast!! Big difference when it’s a heavy freight vs a lightweight short little passenger train at that speed!
@@Syclone0044 from paul smith, since i dont have access to a radar gun, the only means i have are to estimate how long it takes a 60 foot freight car to pass a certain point, if it takes less than one second, its going over 60 mph. The UP line through where i live is designated as a "high speed corridor", and there are signs posted that read, "trains may exceed 80 mph". A few years back, i was filling up with gas, and i heard a train approaching at high speed from the south, it had 3 UP freight engines pulling what appeared to be a disabled Amtrak engine and 5 or 6 cars. The train passed the gas station in right at 4 seconds, so i know those freight engines are capable of speeds greater than 60 mph.
@@Syclone0044 from paul smith again, i googled the speeds allowed by freight trains in the USA, and they ARE allowed to go 80 mph loaded, and about half that empty, so, i guess i was right for a change.
That was a great observation and conclusion. It was not really about the car driver being reckless. He didn't even have a clue about the incoming Amtrack due to a blocked view. Needless to say that railroad crossings can be dangerous specially like these ones. Lastly, if the rail road signal says red don't risk crossing it no matter what.
Yes, no one should cross against a red signal. Unfortunately, some people get impatient. Thanks for watching Sanjay!
A barrier down across the lane, red light flashing, audio signal ringing and a set of tracks crossing the road. Agreed, no clue.
The driver did not need to look for the train. Everything around him was screaming at them to stop right there and wait.
It seems that close call could have been avoided. From the viewpoint you shared, it seemed that both gates were down!
Trees, walls or buildings can also block the view of a moving locomotive and controlled crossings. Still stop.
If it weren´t for the people who have to clean up the mess afterwards, I don´t mind of those idiots get run over. Darwin at his best!
Thinning out the gene pool!
I have a feeling that US trains are always slowly and carefully passing the level crossing. unlike my country that train will pass level crossing with normal speed without reduce speed.
Thank you for watching Bob. Slower speeds in the US are often the result of poorer condition of the tracks.
You can't fix stupid, but sometimes the locomotive will bestow a Darwin Award on it.
Railroad personnel are killed and injured everyday in vehicular collisions. And this was an Amtrak train FULL of people and not toilet paper. What if it was crude oil or propane? Wrong answer.
@@lynnkramer1211 Honestly people like this should be relieved of their driving licence clearly DMV made a clerical error issuing it in the first place as they are obviously not qualified for safe operation of a motor vehicle.
Where I live they upgraded all RR crossings with barriers that close both ways, about 15 years ago. Now they are replacing the most used crossings with bridges. They are doing this without closing the RR or the road.
A small tunnel is excavated below the RR near the crossing, concrete beams are put below the RR without moving it so the RR gets its bridge, and cars then pass underneath. Concrete walls are built around the tunnel ramps so the soil cannot crumble.
When the pasaage is ready, the old crossing gets sealed and traffic is routed through the new tunnel.
A side effect is that the tunnel is offset to the side of the old road, so drivers must slow down to negotiate the new curves
In Germany double barrier crossings are illegal (to be newly built) in the signaling guidelines as cars and pedestrians could get stranded between the closed barriers. That being said driving arround barriers is a road offense that makes you a pedestrian for at least one month if caught...
@@itmkoeln our crossings have barriers that can be opened if you push really hard at their tip, or if you're in panic by flooring your car and forcing your way out.
Better replacing a hood or a windshield than totalling your car under a train.
Most barriers are easy to get around on foot anyway
In Belarus you will lost your driver license for a long time, when you should go to red traffic-light on railroad crossing.
Thanks for watching, Vadim. We could learn something from Belarus!!
Nice Captures . These are AHBs I guess - Automatic Half Barriers . As suggested in the video they close around 40-50 seconds before the train is about to approach the Level Crossing . Now irrespective of the fact whether another train is blocking the view of the Car Driver , the closed gates , ringing bell and the blinking Red Lights are confirmation to the car driver about the approach of the train . In such cases anyways the driver must not start crossing the Level Crossing . He/she would be a fool to do this . Putting entire life in danger just to save 20-30 seconds is sheer madness .
P.S. - The reason for being Half Barrier is to let the vehicle already negotiating the Level Crossing to cross even if the gates close .
Thanks so much for watching, Siddesh. One of the problems with this crossing is that the freight trains move slowly, the passenger trains move much more quickly.
all those cars and those people on the bike ran a red light because the solid red light on the gate at the very end is considered a red lite and they ran it
Same lesson as when a driving instructor instructs you "IF YOU CAN"T SEE ON COMING TRAFFIC YOU CAN'T GO" How many "assholes" have you seen turn left in front of a large transport truck waiting to turn left at a green light with the view of on coming traffic blocked. Or how ten migrant workers in Ontario Canada lost their lives when the driver of a Dodge Maxiwagon Van with 9 workers on board turned left in front of a transport truck doing 50 MPH because the late afternoon sun was in his eyes. IF YOU CAN'T SEE YOU CAN'T GO. AND WHEN RAILWAY SIGNALS ARE FLASHING DO NOT CROSS. Excellent video. I've this stupid action myself many many times in my last 50 years of driving. It is just unbelievable.
You're so right, Corey. If you can't see, proceed with extreme caution!
My conclusion: If there is a gate down or lights are flashing ANYWHERE in the crossing, you stop! Whether you see a train or not!
Just replace the "and" with an "or" and it's perfect.
@@christianbarnay2499 Point taken. I stand corrected.
Thing is, the train in question snaking through the switches at a slower pace than the train used to estimate the signal timing. That one was on the main line and moving faster. Either way, a red light is a red light.
Thanks for watching Donavon. The fact that there are 4 tracks here and that the trains move at different speeds makes this a particularly dangerous crossing for those that choose to drive around the gates.
The car clearly drove around the gates, parked locomotives have nothing to do with it. Telephoto distorts the video anyway.
Remember, this is FloriDUH.
Watch the start of the video closer. They gates never came down while the first train slowly snaked through the multiples switches.
@@BL-jt3qt The gates came down. I was there. Take a closer look at the black mesh area at 0:03 - 0:07. You can see the white arm of the gate moving downward. But one problem is that the gates are too small, and too easily ignored.
As a railroad employee this really pissed me off more than anything. Please stop trying to beat a train, you will pay with your life and limbs and we will have to witness the carnage. Stop trying to be “smart and quick” you will pay for it with your life.
Thank you for watching Chellz, and for your comment. No railroad employee should ever have to witness the carnage caused by an impulsive, reckless driver.
Totally agree with you - People should take grade crossing safely seriously!!! However, I will add this caveat - why do we even have grade Crossings? We're the richest country in the world. I was thinking whether or not I should voice this opinion and then I noticed The Pedestrian / Bicycle Overpass in the background. There's the right idea! I've seen grade crossings flasher activation failures. I would think with the money saved on electronics (and electronic and mechanical maintenance) it makes the overpass/underpass scenario financially feasible in the long run. Amtrak's done this with the Northeast Corridor. I understand there are no public grade Crossings between Boston and Washington.
This is the correct answer.
But, then, how many people would actually USE it?
If the gates are down, don't cross the track unless the train crew waves you through.
But if this is a persistent problem at this particular crossing, FDOT and CSX should look at closing the crossing completely if another crossing or bridge is nearby (provided it won't impact emergency services).
The reason gates only drop over half the road is to allow vehicles to get off the tracks if they are on the tracks when the gates are activated. We used to gate both road lanes, and in some problem areas still do.
I hadn't considered this, but it's a great point James.
One solution I've seen at some crossings in NZ is to have traffic islands in the center of the road on either side of the track to make it harder for cars to drive around the barriers while not blocking cars who were already on the crossing when the gates came down.
Yes, they can put the gates at such a place that even if the train rushes the driver must have sufficient space to retract or go ahead towards the gate. IN INDIA there are many crossings where the same is followed. In case some vehicles crosses the gate it stops at the other gate completely away from tracks.
"Gates on both lanes could prevent cars from crossing."
You mean the single gates, ringing bell and flashing red lights aren't enough of a clue that you should stop?
There is psychological obsession that people have in wanting to beat trains. Even if it’s just a short metro or commuter train.
Was on a commuter train that has to block the crossing to stop at the station (which is actually quite common), and a lady just casually strolls right in front of it, it's horn blaring at her, and she doesn't even look up, just casually strolls to the platform and attempts to get onboard. The conductor was having none of that, read her the riot act, and refused to let her board. LOL
It doesn’t matter whether the view was blocked or not. The gates were down and the signals were working. He ran the gates. That being said, great shots of the train!
Thanks for watching Bill, and for posting a comment!
I love all of your videos and stories on UA-cam on trains everyday
Awesome angle for the opening scene, showing the train rippling along like a steel caterpillar! 😁
I honestly thought at the beginning the csx locomotive was gonna be the closed call
Can also fix the problem with a traffic island at the approach to the crossing. That would keep traffic from going around the gates. The railroads should not be the ones to incur extra expense to counter individual selfishness, carelessness, and stupidity. The warnings in place are adequate.
They need to install cameras at every single rail crossing.
Cameras alone without enforcement is like the police and emergency mop up crews who show up after the carnage is done. Get a clue, and then let the politicians, and the railroad owners and shareholders feel some heat or nothing can change. Fight the corruption, don't just accept it as inevitable.
@@lynnkramer1211 the cameras should be sharp enough to read number plates, and the owner/driver can get a visit from the LE man.
Not sure if it applies everywhere but from my experiences the boom gates go down earlier for Amtrak's as opposed to freight trains for obvious reasons