Wow Long Bridge Park is such a great place for watching trains! And I appreciate the Camden Line foaming! Thank you for doing this! As the wise Nathan from Miles in Transit once said, "Tracks are for trains, not for playing games". Common sense should be common, but is increasingly less so! NEVER underestimate the power of a train! I feel for operators having to deal with grade crossings and other vehicles in general! Several drivers underestimate Brightline in South Florida, thinking they can beat the train at the crossing, and that's how many crashes there happen, but it's also on Brightline for all those crossings too! It reminds me of the videos I watch of people and vehicles trying to either beat or get too close to the Prague trams. It also reminds me of a HBLR crash that happened in May 2017 in Jersey City when a fire truck was speeding when it reached a light-rail crossing. It didn't stop, and the firefighters were injured because the fire truck hit the light-rail thanks to their mistake. Respect to both tram and train operators alike for what they have to deal with on a daily basis. You need to have a strong mental state with everything thrown at ya first hand. People have to remember that trains and trams aren't just transit, they're absolute tanks! A great example of a big grade-separation project is the LIRR's Babylon Branch! On the LIRR, the Babylon Branch runs along NY State Route 27 or Sunrise Highway, however, the Babylon Branch came way before the highway as it originally opened in the 1860s while the highway first opened in the mid-1920s. So the highway follows the trains, not the other way around. When it got its start in the 1860s as part of the South Side Railroad of Long Island, it was all grade crossings, and this became a problem as Sunrise Highway got built and more people moved to the south shore of Long Island, leading to busier crossings. So a mega project was launched in the 1950s to build the stations on elevated viaducts, with the last station along the branch to be elevated was Massapequa Park in 1980. To supplement Route 27, there is parking to lure people off the highway and different NICE and Suffolk Transit buses serve the stations as well, with the addition of Jones Beach bus service from Freeport making it possible to go to Jones Beach concerts by transit!
I noticed in NJ when NJT buses drive through grade crossings, they briefly open the front door and the close it once the bus passes through the crossing regardless if there’s only one train a day through the tracks.
When I was in high school, there was a railroad crossing by the school that was very busy. The mornings were notorious for being stopped by trains. Trains would normally stop for minutes on end. Students from the school were climbing through the cars to get to school. It got so bad that the principal found out and started issuing disciplinary actions to those who did. Thank God that no one ever got hurt or killed. Yes it was frustrating, but it was better to be late than killed.
@ck4426 I went to Harold L. Richards in Oak Lawn. The IHB crossing on Central Ave is the one I'm referring to. Trains would be stopped by the signal at the Metra Southwest Service interlocking almost every day.
We have a special rule here: Railway crossing on tracks with more than 160 km/h are forbidden. By the way: Be careful with light rails and subways either.
On a MARC to DC a the conductor told us about the new safety system for the windows and he told me a story about how the new windows take 15 seconds to open and a man tried to un alive himself at new carrolten. He couldn’t figure out how the window opens and by the time he could jumped out he landed in front of Metro police and got the help he needed.
My mom had me take pictures on the railroad in our small town back in 2017 for my high school graduation. It's so embarrassing in hindsight. You really never know when trains are gonna come! I've since let my mom know how dangerous it is
Great video TRA! In Australia we have these gates for every pedestrian crossing so there's an extra level of safety. They make a sort of beeping noise and close whenever a train is coming to pedestrians don't have to always cross at a road and there can be separate crossings. I'm not surprised pedestrian infrastructure like this isn't a thing in America
Hi there Thom, I am thinking and wondering, when the brand new Amtrak Acela Liberty train is introduced into passenger traffic on the North East Corridor between Washington DC - New York - Boston, will the current, existing fleet of forty Amtrak Acela trains be cascaded onto the slower North East Corridor services, replacing locomotive hauled stock (are these Amfleet cars?)? Do you agree with me regarding this and does it seem a logical solution that Amtrak may decide to do? Best wishes and take care. Kind regards, Peter Skuce, St Albans. Hertfordshire. England.
I don’t believe that will happen. The Acelas are not in great shape and are also not owned by Amtrak but leased from other companies. Amtrak will be eager to return them. As for the Northeast Regional, they will receive brand new Siemens trains based off the Austrian railjet. The current trains will hold up until then. Thanks for the great question!
If your vehicle gets stuck on the crossing and you have to abandon it due to an approaching train. Run towards the train. Not away. TOWARDS! If you run away you could be struck by falling debris.
Some more advice: Do not run directly at the train. Instead, imagine two 45-degree lines extending outward from the point where the train and your vehicle would collide, forming a triangle. Avoid the area within this triangle. It may be instinctive to run directly away from danger, but in this situation, that could be more dangerous. Being in the way of a train is dangerous, but once you’re out of your car and off the track, the biggest threat becomes your car. The train could turn your vehicle into a projectile, launching debris. Running to the left or right (don’t cross front of the train obviously) is better than away, but the safest choice is to run at a 45-degree angle away from the tracks and towards the direction the train is coming from. If possible get past the train. This is the best way to avoid any debris from the collision. Don’t run away. Run towards the train (just the general direction, not like a homing missile).
I just had another thought: Running towards the train makes you more visible to the locomotive engineer. From their point of view, seeing you get bigger and moving to safety can give them some relief, knowing you are out of the car and in a better position. Reduce their stress a little in a very difficult situation.
I have a railroad safety guide and an emergency report keychain of what to do if there’s a problem such as your car being stalled on the tracks as mentioned in this video. I also have a railroad crossing keychain attached to my car keys with the Metra and operation lifesaver logos on the back. I got them all from the Franklin Park Railroad Days ever since I started going every year since 2015, not all at the same one though during the same year. I have plans to be at the next one in a week from Saturday which I’ll have to be in town for. My dad and brother and I leave for Chicago next Wednesday by road trip which will take 9-10 hours which is because we’re coming from Chattanooga once again.
Great video! One might think railfans should know about railroad safety, but I've seen fellow foamers doing unsafe things. Bet you have too? So thank you again for reminding us all, especially now that a lot of lines are seeing faster trains than in the past.
I saw some people crossing the northeast corridor by foot when I was in Philadelphia. I knew a train was coming. Felt a little nauseous. No one was hurt in the end.
Where I am at in Wisconsin, all the crossings that don't have crossing signals, have stop signs. Yet, people have blown the stop signs and hit the side of moving trains. Fortunately most of the tracks around here have only 25-30 MPH limits (not the case where the Borealis runs!) About 100 years ago, New York & Chicago spent millions of grade crossing elimination programs, that's why all the viaducts in the city of Chicago. Maybe those programs need to make a comeback.
6:08 I gonna recall here when one or many times I've watched about one video about near close calls between Metra train and cop Car in Chicago. How did that happen, from the start the Sherrif cam POV shows he having normal day patroling around the road and once starts approach railroad crossings, Metra Train camed out of nowhere zipping by ane Cop car manager to avoid it by reering left and its not a street its a stroad a high speed traffic that are dangerous BUT, ALSO the cop car is not even go around a gate or because the Chaser, THAT railroad gate signal MALFUNCTIONED, which it didn't come down until just when Metra train passed by which is like a death sentence since you would Never Know that coming At ALL, SO YES Malfunctions on Railroad crossing signal are rare but it happens, the way to fix is slower traffic or grade separation
An interesting this about the Metra’s grade separation, between Indian Hill and Hubbard Woods on the UP-N they dug a trench during the Great Depression due to a large number of pedestrian fatalities. As far as I know, this is the only setup that used to be at-grade then was switched to below grade.
I remember I was at a Metra station and an elderly couple thought that they were about to miss their train and were about to book it (lights and bells were starting to flash) and I yelled at them to not cross. About 5 seconds later, an Amtrak train sped by at what seemed like 60 MPH. I still think about how if I didn't intervene, they might've been killed by a train that wasn't even the one they were trying to catch. Stay safe out there.
As someone who was on a train that hit a car pretty recently, you're also affecting the passengers who have to sit on a train with no power (and thus no air conditioning) for hours waiting for police clearance. the entire line was closed for hours which caused delays and inconvenience for even more people. luckily no one was injured but the car was totaled and Arrow that hit the car is probably in the shops right now. Crossings also make for great railfanning spots since trains are required to blow the horn at most of them but the lack of common sense around them that I've seen is crazy.
@@Thom-TRA the engineer said that it wasn't his first time and it could have been a lot worse. the person drove around the gate but thankfully we only hit the back of the car where there wasn't any people.
What train # was that at 7:45? DC-Riverdale Park (or College Park/Greenbelt) trips are quite interesting, as MARC is obscenely priced for impromptu journeys ($6 each way for a 6 mile trip, but many employers do cover its costs). I've used the station for my commute (in the Baltimore direction). I've never been the only one on/off, but I'm sure its daily ridership is
Years ago, I was on a train from East Lansing to Chicago. While we tooled along through rural Michigan, a guy in a pickup truck didn't make it across the tracks. I didn't even know why we had stopped, until the train backed up and I saw the wreck. Alas, unforgettable.
Thank you for the safety video. I hope it reaches a lot of people. I advocate for railroad safety and wish more people in my town would pay attention around the railroad tracks. We have several at-grade crossings. Several of these crossings have gates that can be driven around. I see people do this and I just shake my head. Our town has quiet time between 10 PM and 7 AM; no train horn. The latest issue is that people are turning onto the tracks at crossings and getting stuck. I do not know if they are intoxicated or following navigation; there are parking lots along the tracks. It takes a tow truck to get the cars off the tracks. Our town had to put up signs at crossings stating not to turn onto the tracks. Luckily, the AMTRAK and VRE trains coming through town are at a slow speed due to the station being in town. However, the daily gravel train comes through a bit faster than the passenger trains.
The fact that we even need this kind of program is a sad commentary of US drivers and trespassers. As a retired railroader I enjoy watching UA-cam videos shot from the head-end. In videos from Europe and Asia you never hear the engineer/driver on NS (the European one), DB, SNCF, RENFE, SJ or JR having to blow the horn at crossings or for trespassers. You are correct about calling the 800 number on the blue signs. Do not, repeat DO NOT call 911 first. That only adds time and steps to the process of notifying the train crew. The 800 number will connect you to the railroad police who will either directly notify the train on the nearest radio base or notify the dispatcher who controls that section. After that then you can call 911. I did get a laugh on the "High Speed Trains" sign at Riverdale. I believe on CSX freights are limited to 60 MPH and passengers trains to 70 MPH. That folks is "high speed" in the US.
Once a train stopped for 8 hours blocking every grade crossing in town. There are 7.5 grade crossing in my town. With an intersection of two highways with tracks passing through
Well done, Thom, on a subject that is dear to my heart. That orange/black livery also appears on our RUOK media assisting persons with mental health issues. Your examples of grade crossing safety are spot on. Cheers from Michael in Melbourne, Australia.🙂🙂🙂
Barely any of Omaha’s bus routes cross a railroad crossing, thanks to the UP mainline being fully grade separated from the yard in Council Bluffs all the way to Elkhorn on the other side of the city, and the BNSF line the California Zephyr takes not having very many either. All of the ones that do exist, aside from one the Blue bus crosses way out on the east side of Council Bluffs, are small industrial tracks, so buses and trains rarely mix.
Preachy is just fine if it saves a life. We have all seen the videos of fools who cross when the lights are flashing. The most dangerous scenario is when a train has passed but the gate is still down and the lights still flashing. Some know-it-all will assume it is a malfunction and not realize (as you pointed out) that a train is coming the other way. And it works both ways. A certain freight carrier in our area knew for two weeks that a crossing signal was defective and directed trains to stop and the conductor (a position they lobbied to eliminate) was instructed to stop traffic. The engineer (who should not have been made responsible for this lack of maintenance) mixed up the crossings and went through at only 30 mph with the gate open. Two people in a car died as a result.
Thank you for this excellent video which I thoroughly enjoyed. The special livery for Genesis #203 is certainly eye-catching ! Good to see your location at L’Enfant, and near to Crystal City ! I guess the Silver Star was pretty well on time, as there were no VRE trains in view !
I don't see a lot of light rail services participate in OLI but back in 2018 where I am from some teens got smushed by a tram because they chose to deliberately go around the gate rather than wait the 30 seconds for the LRT to pass
Saw 642 on the Keystone at the beginning of the month. I saw The Longest Johns in Ardmore (PA, obviously) and it was interesting to see the skeleton of the new station. I should explore Ardmore more closer to when the station is finished
Here in the US, all railroad grade crossings are limited to 110 mph (177 kph), for intercity trains wanting to exceed 90+ mph(144+kph), this will require serious upgrades to many of their level crossings like adding quad gates and a installing new fencing along the tracks in order to keep people off the tracks and out of the way of an oncoming train
The real reason why the many of these level crossings are limited to 110 is because of the regulations that was implemented by the Federal Railroad Administration and most of the tracks on the entire railway network being owned and operated by the various privately owned freight railroads
Thanks for doing this. Interesting that you should use the Queensbury Rd. crossing. When I was a CSX engineer over 15 years ago I just about made a hood ornament out of a Cadillac Escalade there going around the gates, before the county put in four-way gates. A local fan just happened to be standing on the platform at the Riverdale station and caught it on video. It was so close that the Caddy disappeared from view below my windshield, so within 15 to 20 feet. I'm going to try and attach a link to that video. ua-cam.com/video/cmra0WpCIDA/v-deo.html Also, notice how much the bushes have grown up around the ends of the station platforms on both sides of the tracks since 2007. PG County needs to do some trimming so it is easier for anyone on the platform or coming up to the grade crossing to see trains coming.
It's all about common sense. When you follow the rules the chance is almost zero that you will be in trouble. Great that you brought up this item. Groeten, Ralf
OUTSTANDING! You incorporated a railroad crossing safety lesson done by you! I LOVE IT. GREAT JOB! Please preach away because many people need to be reminded. We see it all the time as rail fans.
8:09 From here I recall when I watched a video about a collision between a Brightline train and a stupid car driver who thought he or she can pass the crossing since the freight train had passed the crossing. He or she was stupid enough not to notice another is coming if the barrier arm is still down. On the other hand, on the same video, I saw a comment which was defending the car driver and said "why do you operate a dangerous machine which cannot stop immediately" Well... did he or she mean that we all should stop using all the vehicles and just walk?
Traffic laws around us require that you should not cross if the lights are still flashing. Even if the crossing arms are up, wait until the lights stop. Trains can be coming in the other direction and trains can go both directions on the same track. If you are a pedestrian, wait until you can see the other tracks before crossing.
Another thing that was told to people when crossing a railway, at least from my country, is to always look right and left whenever crossing a railway, even the crossing are not closed. This is due to many case that even guarded level crossing in here can have human error where the guard don't close the gate even the train are coming.
im very glad rail crossing safety was a mandatory part of our traffic class in primary school. crossings are a lot safer here generally as well (all railways are fenced off, for example), though some people still think the rules dont apply to them :/
Wow Long Bridge Park is such a great place for watching trains! And I appreciate the Camden Line foaming! Thank you for doing this! As the wise Nathan from Miles in Transit once said, "Tracks are for trains, not for playing games". Common sense should be common, but is increasingly less so! NEVER underestimate the power of a train! I feel for operators having to deal with grade crossings and other vehicles in general! Several drivers underestimate Brightline in South Florida, thinking they can beat the train at the crossing, and that's how many crashes there happen, but it's also on Brightline for all those crossings too! It reminds me of the videos I watch of people and vehicles trying to either beat or get too close to the Prague trams. It also reminds me of a HBLR crash that happened in May 2017 in Jersey City when a fire truck was speeding when it reached a light-rail crossing. It didn't stop, and the firefighters were injured because the fire truck hit the light-rail thanks to their mistake. Respect to both tram and train operators alike for what they have to deal with on a daily basis. You need to have a strong mental state with everything thrown at ya first hand. People have to remember that trains and trams aren't just transit, they're absolute tanks!
A great example of a big grade-separation project is the LIRR's Babylon Branch! On the LIRR, the Babylon Branch runs along NY State Route 27 or Sunrise Highway, however, the Babylon Branch came way before the highway as it originally opened in the 1860s while the highway first opened in the mid-1920s. So the highway follows the trains, not the other way around. When it got its start in the 1860s as part of the South Side Railroad of Long Island, it was all grade crossings, and this became a problem as Sunrise Highway got built and more people moved to the south shore of Long Island, leading to busier crossings. So a mega project was launched in the 1950s to build the stations on elevated viaducts, with the last station along the branch to be elevated was Massapequa Park in 1980. To supplement Route 27, there is parking to lure people off the highway and different NICE and Suffolk Transit buses serve the stations as well, with the addition of Jones Beach bus service from Freeport making it possible to go to Jones Beach concerts by transit!
Dang Thom you get that FRA money ? Haha. Keep up the good work and stay safe
Man, real trains can’t even get that FRA money
I noticed in NJ when NJT buses drive through grade crossings, they briefly open the front door and the close it once the bus passes through the crossing regardless if there’s only one train a day through the tracks.
Yep, they do that to “listen”
When I was in high school, there was a railroad crossing by the school that was very busy. The mornings were notorious for being stopped by trains. Trains would normally stop for minutes on end. Students from the school were climbing through the cars to get to school. It got so bad that the principal found out and started issuing disciplinary actions to those who did. Thank God that no one ever got hurt or killed. Yes it was frustrating, but it was better to be late than killed.
I got stuck in a park once where the only entrance was a railroad crossing. And a train got stuck. Same thing happened.
I remember that! Wasn’t it in Chicago?
@ck4426 I went to Harold L. Richards in Oak Lawn. The IHB crossing on Central Ave is the one I'm referring to. Trains would be stopped by the signal at the Metra Southwest Service interlocking almost every day.
@@alexlorenz4103 I was responding to Thom’s comment.
@@ck4426 yeah, Ping Tom Park!
We have a special rule here: Railway crossing on tracks with more than 160 km/h are forbidden. By the way: Be careful with light rails and subways either.
Speaking of Germany....
That should be a rule here too. But it’s not.
In the US and Canada it’s actually 200km/h. Crossings are allowed between 130-199 km/h but has stricter regulations, like four-quadrant gates.
This "preachy" video is much appreciated! We need more videos like this.
@@realadrienoThe limit in Canada is 110 mph (177 km/h) not 200 km/h. Source: Transport Canada Grade Crossing Handbook Section G Article 29.
Thank you for the Veterans Unit Hightlight. This Vet and many others appreciate it.
I’d been waiting a long time to film it
@Thom-TRA give us some time and we can recruit you!
@@tokugawa12able probably not lol
On a MARC to DC a the conductor told us about the new safety system for the windows and he told me a story about how the new windows take 15 seconds to open and a man tried to un alive himself at new carrolten. He couldn’t figure out how the window opens and by the time he could jumped out he landed in front of Metro police and got the help he needed.
“See tracks think train”
I’m always thinking about trains. I don’t need tracks to do that.
lol true!
Sadly none of this applies in SE Asia
aw, I should have known :(
My mom had me take pictures on the railroad in our small town back in 2017 for my high school graduation. It's so embarrassing in hindsight. You really never know when trains are gonna come! I've since let my mom know how dangerous it is
Mine too, like 10 years ago, on an active rail line smh
Thanks 😊👍
Great video TRA! In Australia we have these gates for every pedestrian crossing so there's an extra level of safety. They make a sort of beeping noise and close whenever a train is coming to pedestrians don't have to always cross at a road and there can be separate crossings. I'm not surprised pedestrian infrastructure like this isn't a thing in America
That’s interesting! I’ll have to look for some examples. Do you have any on your channel?
@@Thom-TRA No, I probably could put a video up though!
Hi there Thom, I am thinking and wondering, when the brand new Amtrak Acela Liberty train is introduced into passenger traffic on the North East Corridor between Washington DC - New York - Boston, will the current, existing fleet of forty Amtrak Acela trains be cascaded onto the slower North East Corridor services, replacing locomotive hauled stock (are these Amfleet cars?)? Do you agree with me regarding this and does it seem a logical solution that Amtrak may decide to do?
Best wishes and take care. Kind regards, Peter Skuce, St Albans. Hertfordshire. England.
I don’t believe that will happen. The Acelas are not in great shape and are also not owned by Amtrak but leased from other companies. Amtrak will be eager to return them.
As for the Northeast Regional, they will receive brand new Siemens trains based off the Austrian railjet. The current trains will hold up until then.
Thanks for the great question!
If your vehicle gets stuck on the crossing and you have to abandon it due to an approaching train. Run towards the train. Not away. TOWARDS! If you run away you could be struck by falling debris.
I didn’t know this!
Some more advice:
Do not run directly at the train. Instead, imagine two 45-degree lines extending outward from the point where the train and your vehicle would collide, forming a triangle. Avoid the area within this triangle.
It may be instinctive to run directly away from danger, but in this situation, that could be more dangerous. Being in the way of a train is dangerous, but once you’re out of your car and off the track, the biggest threat becomes your car. The train could turn your vehicle into a projectile, launching debris.
Running to the left or right (don’t cross front of the train obviously) is better than away, but the safest choice is to run at a 45-degree angle away from the tracks and towards the direction the train is coming from. If possible get past the train. This is the best way to avoid any debris from the collision.
Don’t run away. Run towards the train (just the general direction, not like a homing missile).
I just had another thought:
Running towards the train makes you more visible to the locomotive engineer. From their point of view, seeing you get bigger and moving to safety can give them some relief, knowing you are out of the car and in a better position. Reduce their stress a little in a very difficult situation.
Wow, on the video, you can see the old prr catnary, a reminder of the railroad that used to run here.
I have a railroad safety guide and an emergency report keychain of what to do if there’s a problem such as your car being stalled on the tracks as mentioned in this video. I also have a railroad crossing keychain attached to my car keys with the Metra and operation lifesaver logos on the back. I got them all from the Franklin Park Railroad Days ever since I started going every year since 2015, not all at the same one though during the same year. I have plans to be at the next one in a week from Saturday which I’ll have to be in town for. My dad and brother and I leave for Chicago next Wednesday by road trip which will take 9-10 hours which is because we’re coming from Chattanooga once again.
That’s awesome!
What are your plans in Chicago?
@@Thom-TRA Some other plans I have there is to visit some friends and family and ride all kinds of public transportation in that area.
9:45 nothing is worth taking the risk not even when you're rushing to get home because that new trains are awesome video just dropped
This is very quant. I like it!
Glad you like it!
Great video! One might think railfans should know about railroad safety, but I've seen fellow foamers doing unsafe things. Bet you have too? So thank you again for reminding us all, especially now that a lot of lines are seeing faster trains than in the past.
I saw some people crossing the northeast corridor by foot when I was in Philadelphia. I knew a train was coming. Felt a little nauseous. No one was hurt in the end.
Where I am at in Wisconsin, all the crossings that don't have crossing signals, have stop signs. Yet, people have blown the stop signs and hit the side of moving trains. Fortunately most of the tracks around here have only 25-30 MPH limits (not the case where the Borealis runs!)
About 100 years ago, New York & Chicago spent millions of grade crossing elimination programs, that's why all the viaducts in the city of Chicago. Maybe those programs need to make a comeback.
To have a train hit you could potentially be bad luck. To hit a train, that’s just plain dumb! 😂
6:08 I gonna recall here when one or many times I've watched about one video about near close calls between Metra train and cop Car in Chicago. How did that happen, from the start the Sherrif cam POV shows he having normal day patroling around the road and once starts approach railroad crossings, Metra Train camed out of nowhere zipping by ane Cop car manager to avoid it by reering left and its not a street its a stroad a high speed traffic that are dangerous BUT, ALSO the cop car is not even go around a gate or because the Chaser, THAT railroad gate signal MALFUNCTIONED, which it didn't come down until just when Metra train passed by which is like a death sentence since you would Never Know that coming At ALL, SO YES Malfunctions on Railroad crossing signal are rare but it happens, the way to fix is slower traffic or grade separation
An interesting this about the Metra’s grade separation, between Indian Hill and Hubbard Woods on the UP-N they dug a trench during the Great Depression due to a large number of pedestrian fatalities. As far as I know, this is the only setup that used to be at-grade then was switched to below grade.
This pulled the City of New Orleans that I went on. Very interesting locomotive.
I wish that theme would be good if you be acs 64
It's very important to take precautions around railways in Australia where i live most railways are fenced off
I remember I was at a Metra station and an elderly couple thought that they were about to miss their train and were about to book it (lights and bells were starting to flash) and I yelled at them to not cross. About 5 seconds later, an Amtrak train sped by at what seemed like 60 MPH. I still think about how if I didn't intervene, they might've been killed by a train that wasn't even the one they were trying to catch. Stay safe out there.
Hero moment right there
As someone who was on a train that hit a car pretty recently, you're also affecting the passengers who have to sit on a train with no power (and thus no air conditioning) for hours waiting for police clearance. the entire line was closed for hours which caused delays and inconvenience for even more people. luckily no one was injured but the car was totaled and Arrow that hit the car is probably in the shops right now. Crossings also make for great railfanning spots since trains are required to blow the horn at most of them but the lack of common sense around them that I've seen is crazy.
Yep. Been in that situation several times.
Not to mention the trauma for the engineer.
@@Thom-TRA the engineer said that it wasn't his first time and it could have been a lot worse. the person drove around the gate but thankfully we only hit the back of the car where there wasn't any people.
It’s giving Rio Grande vibes.
I stop at all railroad crossings…to see if a train is coming.
What train # was that at 7:45? DC-Riverdale Park (or College Park/Greenbelt) trips are quite interesting, as MARC is obscenely priced for impromptu journeys ($6 each way for a 6 mile trip, but many employers do cover its costs).
I've used the station for my commute (in the Baltimore direction). I've never been the only one on/off, but I'm sure its daily ridership is
It’s 848 from Union to Dorsey!
Years ago, I was on a train from East Lansing to Chicago. While we tooled along through rural Michigan, a guy in a pickup truck didn't make it across the tracks. I didn't even know why we had stopped, until the train backed up and I saw the wreck. Alas, unforgettable.
That’s so horrible
Thom, what you're telling us is common sense, but you know what Voltaire said about common sense: "It's not all that common."
And decreasingly so
The operation lifesaver loco is parked in the Union Station Amtrak yard as of 6/6/24, just saw it on my commute home today.
Which Union station, DC?
203 visits Los Angeles Union Station all the time for Train Fest (usually in September)
I’ve heard it’s been on the Chief a lot recently
Thank you for the safety video. I hope it reaches a lot of people. I advocate for railroad safety and wish more people in my town would pay attention around the railroad tracks. We have several at-grade crossings. Several of these crossings have gates that can be driven around. I see people do this and I just shake my head. Our town has quiet time between 10 PM and 7 AM; no train horn. The latest issue is that people are turning onto the tracks at crossings and getting stuck. I do not know if they are intoxicated or following navigation; there are parking lots along the tracks. It takes a tow truck to get the cars off the tracks. Our town had to put up signs at crossings stating not to turn onto the tracks. Luckily, the AMTRAK and VRE trains coming through town are at a slow speed due to the station being in town. However, the daily gravel train comes through a bit faster than the passenger trains.
What town is this?
@Thom-TRA Manassas, VA. We are having a railroad festival on Saturday June 1.
@@Boss42n I will be there!
I love 💕 it
Thank you
talk about bikes. bikeers never stop at tracks and go around the gates. so many accidents because people go around the gates.
Same rules apply
Shame that Elephants can't read as i was reading recently about all the Elephants that get killed by trains in India.
That’s probably not very good for the train either…
The fact that we even need this kind of program is a sad commentary of US drivers and trespassers. As a retired railroader I enjoy watching UA-cam videos shot from the head-end. In videos from Europe and Asia you never hear the engineer/driver on NS (the European one), DB, SNCF, RENFE, SJ or JR having to blow the horn at crossings or for trespassers.
You are correct about calling the 800 number on the blue signs. Do not, repeat DO NOT call 911 first. That only adds time and steps to the process of notifying the train crew. The 800 number will connect you to the railroad police who will either directly notify the train on the nearest radio base or notify the dispatcher who controls that section. After that then you can call 911.
I did get a laugh on the "High Speed Trains" sign at Riverdale. I believe on CSX freights are limited to 60 MPH and passengers trains to 70 MPH. That folks is "high speed" in the US.
i caught this in the rain on a Wednesday in Rockville. my favorite video I took
Awesome!
Once a train stopped for 8 hours blocking every grade crossing in town. There are 7.5 grade crossing in my town. With an intersection of two highways with tracks passing through
That’s insane. Hope no one needed emergency services.
@@Thom-TRA there are three bridges located around
Well done, Thom, on a subject that is dear to my heart. That orange/black livery also appears on our RUOK media assisting persons with mental health issues. Your examples of grade crossing safety are spot on. Cheers from Michael in Melbourne, Australia.🙂🙂🙂
I love the operation life saver livery! OUTSTANDING 👍🔥
❤ my engine 203
Barely any of Omaha’s bus routes cross a railroad crossing, thanks to the UP mainline being fully grade separated from the yard in Council Bluffs all the way to Elkhorn on the other side of the city, and the BNSF line the California Zephyr takes not having very many either. All of the ones that do exist, aside from one the Blue bus crosses way out on the east side of Council Bluffs, are small industrial tracks, so buses and trains rarely mix.
Cool that such a loco exist, but sad that such an organisation AND your refresher needs to exist. Anyways, thanks for sharing it with us, Thom!
Preachy is just fine if it saves a life. We have all seen the videos of fools who cross when the lights are flashing. The most dangerous scenario is when a train has passed but the gate is still down and the lights still flashing. Some know-it-all will assume it is a malfunction and not realize (as you pointed out) that a train is coming the other way. And it works both ways. A certain freight carrier in our area knew for two weeks that a crossing signal was defective and directed trains to stop and the conductor (a position they lobbied to eliminate) was instructed to stop traffic. The engineer (who should not have been made responsible for this lack of maintenance) mixed up the crossings and went through at only 30 mph with the gate open. Two people in a car died as a result.
Wow Thom I can’t believe you Amtrak 203 in a good stopping position. I have seen Amtrak 203 three times and thanks for the reminder lesson.
Thank you for this excellent video which I thoroughly enjoyed. The special livery for Genesis #203 is certainly eye-catching ! Good to see your location at L’Enfant, and near to Crystal City ! I guess the Silver Star was pretty well on time, as there were no VRE trains in view !
I don't see a lot of light rail services participate in OLI but back in 2018 where I am from some teens got smushed by a tram because they chose to deliberately go around the gate rather than wait the 30 seconds for the LRT to pass
Like the front on view of 203 with the yellow and black.
Most trains in New South Wales in Australia for safety reason
Wow, the DC metro sure seems to have a ton of fomaer metro stations right on the NEC.
NoMa, and a few on the orange line.
Saw 642 on the Keystone at the beginning of the month. I saw The Longest Johns in Ardmore (PA, obviously) and it was interesting to see the skeleton of the new station. I should explore Ardmore more closer to when the station is finished
Here in the US, all railroad grade crossings are limited to 110 mph (177 kph), for intercity trains wanting to exceed 90+ mph(144+kph), this will require serious upgrades to many of their level crossings like adding quad gates and a installing new fencing along the tracks in order to keep people off the tracks and out of the way of an oncoming train
To me, 110 is still too fast for crossings tbh
The real reason why the many of these level crossings are limited to 110 is because of the regulations that was implemented by the Federal Railroad Administration and most of the tracks on the entire railway network being owned and operated by the various privately owned freight railroads
Thanks for doing this. Interesting that you should use the Queensbury Rd. crossing. When I was a CSX engineer over 15 years ago I just about made a hood ornament out of a Cadillac Escalade there going around the gates, before the county put in four-way gates. A local fan just happened to be standing on the platform at the Riverdale station and caught it on video. It was so close that the Caddy disappeared from view below my windshield, so within 15 to 20 feet. I'm going to try and attach a link to that video. ua-cam.com/video/cmra0WpCIDA/v-deo.html
Also, notice how much the bushes have grown up around the ends of the station platforms on both sides of the tracks since 2007. PG County needs to do some trimming so it is easier for anyone on the platform or coming up to the grade crossing to see trains coming.
Oh no, I’m sorry you had to experience that!
@@Thom-TRA Don't be, that's life on the railroad. The war stories are an important part of the experience.
This is some really awesome information for train safety!!! Thank you for posting this important information to save lives!!!
I love it
It's all about common sense. When you follow the rules the chance is almost zero that you will be in trouble. Great that you brought up this item. Groeten, Ralf
Great video sir, shame about the dodgy looking guy that kept appearing in your video lol.
The OL led train had a stop signal at RO so that coal train could get out of the way from track #2 to track #1.
642
I hope that engine never hits anyone/anything!
That would be ironic
I love all the livers for Amtrak, both old and new.❤
OUTSTANDING! You incorporated a railroad crossing safety lesson done by you! I LOVE IT. GREAT JOB! Please preach away because many people need to be reminded. We see it all the time as rail fans.
Thank you very much!!
8:09 From here I recall when I watched a video about a collision between a Brightline train and a stupid car driver who thought he or she can pass the crossing since the freight train had passed the crossing. He or she was stupid enough not to notice another is coming if the barrier arm is still down.
On the other hand, on the same video, I saw a comment which was defending the car driver and said "why do you operate a dangerous machine which cannot stop immediately" Well... did he or she mean that we all should stop using all the vehicles and just walk?
lol blaming brightline for obeying the laws of physics, when they should have just obeyed the laws of traffic… 😂
Traffic laws around us require that you should not cross if the lights are still flashing. Even if the crossing arms are up, wait until the lights stop. Trains can be coming in the other direction and trains can go both directions on the same track. If you are a pedestrian, wait until you can see the other tracks before crossing.
Yep! Sadly a lot of people don’t obey this
Another thing that was told to people when crossing a railway, at least from my country, is to always look right and left whenever crossing a railway, even the crossing are not closed. This is due to many case that even guarded level crossing in here can have human error where the guard don't close the gate even the train are coming.
Looking is always a good idea
I have a OL HAT
Cool!
I've noticed at crossings sometimes, the gates go down and the lights flash, and a train doesn't come.
I’ve noticed that too
A new phase
A new p42\dc
I enjoyed the video👍👍
Can you keep 203? Us in the LA area are tired of it being on chief
I’d be happy to take it back
@@Thom-TRA You'd be doing all of us a favor! Hahaha! We're all still salty over 203 having to be on the front of Santa Fe 3751
Some crossings have blue signs to report problems
Do you mean the blue signs I talk about explicitly at 10:05?
👍
im very glad rail crossing safety was a mandatory part of our traffic class in primary school. crossings are a lot safer here generally as well (all railways are fenced off, for example), though some people still think the rules dont apply to them :/
Most people have seen truck vs train and it applies for buses, cars, and people 🫤 stay safe