The only type of emergency call I have received is my dispatcher told me I needed to direct rail traffic because a car tried to beat the GP-40-2 we use on our short line
"On average, a person or motor vehicle is involved in a collision with a train every three hours." I wonder what stats the video is citing. Those figures represent 8 a day, or about 2,920 a year. In 2016, the FRA had 1,779 incidents reported to them. 1,131 were derailments, which are not a concern addressed in this video. 85 were in categories that only concern trains (or other rail vehicles/equipment) striking each other. Another is "fire/ violent rupture", with 71 incidents. Again, not the issues here. That leaves 492 incidents. Of the 492, 170 were "highway-rail impact" incidents, which means that a train struck a person or vehicle at a designated grade crossing. Those qualify. 63 were "obstruction impact" incidents, many of which involve a vehicle on the tracks in an area other than a designated highway grade crossing. We'll consider those too. So we have 233 incidents that involve, or probably involve, vehicles or trespassers. That is about 0.64 incidents per day. Then the table lists two broad categories: "other impacts" (144) and "other events" (115). Between 1975 and 2016, the mean number of "highway-rail impact" incidents is 196 per year. The mean number of "obstruction impacts" is close to 59. So where do these numbers come from? SOURCE: safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/publicsite/Query/TrainAccidentDamage.aspx
You could start by querying the correct data. You're talking about reportable incident statistics that railroads are required to submit to the Federal Railroad Administration when their equipment is damaged beyond a dollar amount threshold. Not all crossing or trespasser incidents result in a reportable amount of damage to equipment, but the ones that do fall under that category. For instance: when a train hits a semi and derails. The statistic in the video is referring to trespassers and/or vehicles hit by trains, which falls under highway-rail incidents; tabulated regardless of the amount of damage incurred by the railroad. safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/publicsite/query/gxrtally1.aspx
Communicating just by using English is probably not always a good idea. That is because let’s say the caller wasn’t born in the United States such as if they came from a Spanish speaking country such as Mexico but immigrated to the United States at some point and therefore doesn’t speak English. In that case you will likely not understand what they are saying. Therefore you should either learn how to speak other languages such as Spanish or find someone who speaks both English and Spanish and have them serve as a translator. That way they can then understand what the caller is saying and then can tell you about what they said thus making it easier for you to know what is going on.
this is why trains are dangerous and should not have the right of way. plus, by law emergency vehicles have the right of way over all vehicles including trains. take the freight trains off the rails and put it on trucks. we are safer and more reliable.
Joseph Richardson you are actually wrong on multiple facts: first, trucks can only carry 1/3 of what a freight car can carry. second, they can't stop like road vehicles. Finally, trains always has the right of way
In 2007, Soo Line averaged 517.8 revenue ton-miles per gallon of diesel fuel; to equal this, a lightweight 80,000-lb tractor-semitrailer combination vehicle hauling 40,000 pounds of freight would have to average 25.89 loaded mpg. Is a 40,000-lb tare weight for an interstate hauler achievable? Sure: just spec lightweight components all the way down to Alcoa X-One wide-base drive and trailer wheels. Is a 25.89-mpg fleet average currently achievable from any on-road vehicle averaging 40,000 pounds of freight carted for each mile it travels? H-E-double-toothpicks NO! You won't even get there at the tare weight of 40,000 pounds. The average revenue ton-miles-per-gallon (diesel fuel) for *all* US railroads (including short lines and switching operations, starting and idling, spillage and other waste) was: 235 in 1980 (equal to 11.75 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 282 in 1985 (equal to 14.10 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 332 in 1990 (equal to 16.60 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 375 in 1995 (equal to 18.75 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 396 in 2000 (equal to 19.80 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 414 in 2005 (equal to 20.70 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 436 in 2007 (equal to 21.80 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 457 in 2008 (equal to 22.85 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 480 in 2009 (equal to 24.00 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 484 in 2010 (equal to 24.20 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 476 in 2012 (equal to 23.80 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was 468 in 2016 (equal to 23.40 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload). Most OTR (sleeper-cab, 53x102 van trailer, 162-inch overall height) tractor-semitrailer combination vehicles are going to tare closer to 44,000 pounds, so non-permited typical "max legal" payloads are going to be in the 35,000-36,000 pound range -- AND your fuel burn for idle time and deadhead miles (and spillage and other waste) counts, too -- as does your revenue payload (zero, for deadhead miles). So, let's say your 18-wheeler can legally haul 36,000 pounds, and 92 percent of your miles are loaded (8 percent deadhead, 0 loss to idle or waste): to get to 468 tmpg (2016 US freight rail), you'll have to average MORE THAN 28.26 mpg for all miles driven. Any trucker that can honestly average *almost* half that -- (viz. 233.9928 tmpg (or 14.13 mpg with an average payload of 33,120 pounds for all miles driven in a year, including idle burn, spillage and other fuel loss) -- can DOMINATE the road freight market anywhere in the USA or, for that matter, anywhere in the world!
emergency vehicles don't have the right of way. Trains do because of speed and lack of stopping capability. However,I assume trains have load limits to fit the crossing gate time limits (which aren't assumed and really do exist). These time limits are to make sure emergency vehicles don't have to wait too long. 50 minutes is the maximum crossing gate time, although railroads normally use multiple locomotives and have smaller trains in order to reduce this.
One of the scariest things to see at a railroad crossing is a tanker semi hauling flammable liquid beating an oncoming train.
I wonder if being able to give the crossing number to the dispatcher will help him/her?
Me: Guys and kids, don't beat the trains, somebody always gets hurt or killed.
The only type of emergency call I have received is my dispatcher told me I needed to direct rail traffic because a car tried to beat the GP-40-2 we use on our short line
The people who put this video together have clearly never spent any time in a PSAP. Most of this is "no shit, Shirlock" territory for a dispatcher...
Wow the dispatcher on the call, yikes! No Bueno!!
Asking 911 to ask the railroad where the locomotive was that hit them at the time of the coision may be useful in locating the incident
"On average, a person or motor vehicle is involved in a collision with a train every three hours."
I wonder what stats the video is citing. Those figures represent 8 a day, or about 2,920 a year.
In 2016, the FRA had 1,779 incidents reported to them.
1,131 were derailments, which are not a concern addressed in this video.
85 were in categories that only concern trains (or other rail vehicles/equipment) striking each other. Another is "fire/ violent rupture", with 71 incidents. Again, not the issues here.
That leaves 492 incidents.
Of the 492, 170 were "highway-rail impact" incidents, which means that a train struck a person or vehicle at a designated grade crossing. Those qualify.
63 were "obstruction impact" incidents, many of which involve a vehicle on the tracks in an
area other than a designated highway grade crossing. We'll consider those too.
So we have 233 incidents that involve, or probably involve, vehicles or trespassers. That is about 0.64 incidents per day.
Then the table lists two broad categories: "other impacts" (144) and "other events" (115).
Between 1975 and 2016, the mean number of "highway-rail impact" incidents is 196 per year. The mean number of "obstruction impacts" is close to 59.
So where do these numbers come from?
SOURCE: safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/publicsite/Query/TrainAccidentDamage.aspx
You could start by querying the correct data. You're talking about reportable incident statistics that railroads are required to submit to the Federal Railroad Administration when their equipment is damaged beyond a dollar amount threshold. Not all crossing or trespasser incidents result in a reportable amount of damage to equipment, but the ones that do fall under that category. For instance: when a train hits a semi and derails.
The statistic in the video is referring to trespassers and/or vehicles hit by trains, which falls under highway-rail incidents; tabulated regardless of the amount of damage incurred by the railroad.
safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/publicsite/query/gxrtally1.aspx
Communicating just by using English is probably not always a good idea. That is because let’s say the caller wasn’t born in the United States such as if they came from a Spanish speaking country such as Mexico but immigrated to the United States at some point and therefore doesn’t speak English. In that case you will likely not understand what they are saying. Therefore you should either learn how to speak other languages such as Spanish or find someone who speaks both English and Spanish and have them serve as a translator. That way they can then understand what the caller is saying and then can tell you about what they said thus making it easier for you to know what is going on.
shunt the damn signal system by hooking your jumper cables up to the rails------the fastest way to stop a train; from a retired locomotive engineer!
Bad advice; especially in non-signaled territory.
This is illegal, i'm guessing.
this is why trains are dangerous and should not have the right of way. plus, by law emergency vehicles have the right of way over all vehicles including trains. take the freight trains off the rails and put it on trucks. we are safer and more reliable.
Joseph Richardson you are actually wrong on multiple facts: first, trucks can only carry 1/3 of what a freight car can carry. second, they can't stop like road vehicles. Finally, trains always has the right of way
In 2007, Soo Line averaged 517.8 revenue ton-miles per gallon of diesel fuel; to equal this, a lightweight 80,000-lb tractor-semitrailer combination vehicle hauling 40,000 pounds of freight would have to average 25.89 loaded mpg.
Is a 40,000-lb tare weight for an interstate hauler achievable? Sure: just spec lightweight components all the way down to Alcoa X-One wide-base drive and trailer wheels. Is a 25.89-mpg fleet average currently achievable from any on-road vehicle averaging 40,000 pounds of freight carted for each mile it travels? H-E-double-toothpicks NO! You won't even get there at the tare weight of 40,000 pounds.
The average revenue ton-miles-per-gallon (diesel fuel) for *all* US railroads (including short lines and switching operations, starting and idling, spillage and other waste) was:
235 in 1980 (equal to 11.75 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
282 in 1985 (equal to 14.10 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
332 in 1990 (equal to 16.60 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
375 in 1995 (equal to 18.75 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
396 in 2000 (equal to 19.80 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
414 in 2005 (equal to 20.70 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
436 in 2007 (equal to 21.80 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
457 in 2008 (equal to 22.85 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
480 in 2009 (equal to 24.00 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
484 in 2010 (equal to 24.20 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
476 in 2012 (equal to 23.80 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload); and it was
468 in 2016 (equal to 23.40 mpg while hauling a 40,000-lb payload).
Most OTR (sleeper-cab, 53x102 van trailer, 162-inch overall height) tractor-semitrailer combination vehicles are going to tare closer to 44,000 pounds, so non-permited typical "max legal" payloads are going to be in the 35,000-36,000 pound range -- AND your fuel burn for idle time and deadhead miles (and spillage and other waste) counts, too -- as does your revenue payload (zero, for deadhead miles).
So, let's say your 18-wheeler can legally haul 36,000 pounds, and 92 percent of your miles are loaded (8 percent deadhead, 0 loss to idle or waste): to get to 468 tmpg (2016 US freight rail), you'll have to average MORE THAN 28.26 mpg for all miles driven.
Any trucker that can honestly average *almost* half that -- (viz. 233.9928 tmpg (or 14.13 mpg with an average payload of 33,120 pounds for all miles driven in a year, including idle burn, spillage and other fuel loss) -- can DOMINATE the road freight market anywhere in the USA or, for that matter, anywhere in the world!
emergency vehicles don't have the right of way. Trains do because of speed and lack of stopping capability. However,I assume trains have load limits to fit the crossing gate time limits (which aren't assumed and really do exist). These time limits are to make sure emergency vehicles don't have to wait too long. 50 minutes is the maximum crossing gate time, although railroads normally use multiple locomotives and have smaller trains in order to reduce this.
4:10 trains ALWAYS have the right of way
Amen Joseph!