Gives a new meaning to a clean shave

[deepNdirt]

This is exactly what I was thinking. As soon as the near side train passed, operator probably romped on the throttle only to meet up with the far side train.

I dont know this to be for sure, But my son has a friend that is a train conductor if thats what they call them now-w-days? I think I heard mention of 2 trains could not pass each other moving, one or the other had to become fully stopped while the other passes, but as i said I'm not 100% sure of this? I'll find out though...

 

[mjncad]

Looks like a case of tractor OE (Operator Error) due to cell phone usage. The way the front of the tractor is sheared off, I'd say the train struck the tractor and not the other way around.

 

[coreshot]

I dont know this to be for sure, But my son has a friend that is a train conductor if thats what they call them now-w-days? I think I heard mention of 2 trains could not pass each other moving, one or the other had to become fully stopped while the other passes, but as i said I'm not 100% sure of this? I'll find out though...

Not true. I am a conductor for the Union Pacific. In territory with 2 main lines, they work just like automobile traffic. Each main is for a specific direction of traffic. It's quite a rush when your doing 70mph and pass another train going the same same speed in the opposite direction. The mains are only about 8-10 feet apart, so you've got a 140mph difference close enough to reach out of the window and touch it (not that I would).

In single main territory, they use sidings for trains going opposite directions to meet. One train goes into the siding, and waits for the other train to go by. Then the first train can come out and proceed. This may have been what he wa referring to.

It would surprise you how many people can't seem to see or hear a freight train coming to a crossing. I believe cell phone usage and people thinking their daily tasks are more important than anyone else's are to blame. We had an old boy pulling a horse trailer with a brand new Duramax drive right into the side of our THIRD locomotive! That means that 2 100 foot long locos got through the crossing before he made impact. He was on the cell phone not paying attention. He was lucky, just a bunch of broken bones and a messed up truck and trailer. Even the cow he had in the trailer survived.

 

[The Haymaker]

Seeing this thread made me think of some pictures I had. I came across this in the town of Patten Maine. The story I was told was that he was an "older" local who had just retired, bought the tractor and picked up the local roadside mowing bid. He made a u-turn in front of this 100,000 pound truck.

Yes, he died.

As a professional driver, this crap scares the bejesus out of me. I can control my truck, I have faith in my skills, but sooner or later someone is going to commit suicide by truck and I'm the one who has to live with it.

Pay attention, your life or mine may depend on it!

 

[dmccarty]

Over the holidays we had a couple of car vs train collisions. In one the mother and a child died. In another the kids died. In one case the mother was stuck between the gates.

In the other case the mother was on the cell phone when the collision happened.

I used to drive a route that took me over train tracks twice a day. The morning could be very bad due to traffic. People would just inch up on the track as traffic moved forward. They would just sit there in their own little world. Trains ran down this track every day at this time. I would always leave enough space for the idiots in case they had to back up.

People just aint got a clue....

Later,
Dan

 

[Gary Fowler]

With all the information overload devices on tractors today, the driver could have had the stereo cranked up loud and couldnt hear the train. Could have been talking or texting on the phone or surfing the web or been playing with the GPS that lots of farm tractors have now or maybe he was really good and doing all of the above.
Or maybe he was just a D.A. and wasnt doing anything but daydreaming.

 

[D7E]

These are good....!

YouTube - Grain Truck Hit By Train
YouTube - Truck Hit by a Train - Stupid videos

 

[firefighter9208]

I had a buddy that drove an OTR truck. He hit a ROW mower on the interstate. The guy on the tractor was driving down the right side of the interstate mowing. My buddy got into the left lane. When he got almost to the tractor the guy on the tractor turned left and drove across 2 lanes of traffic. My buddy T-boned him. Broke the tractor in half etc.... The guy on the tractor lived.

My buddy lost his CDL over the incident. The accident came back as his fault. Seemed that the state he was in had a law that if you hit a mower it was automatically your fault. They said that he was warned, because there were signs that said "Warning Mowers Ahead". It should have said, "Warning Idiots that don't look on Mowers Ahead".

I went to Missouri back in the spring. There were signs everywhere that said, "Hit a construction worker, $10,000 fine and loose your license". What if they guy walked out in front of you??? I know there needs to be stiff penalties, but how about a little common sense.

I am in a Volunteer Fire Department and see things that happen every day that could be avoided, but isn't that why they call it "an accident" and not an "on purpose".

Putting flame suit on now.

Chris

 

[Renze]

He hit a ROW mower on the interstate. The guy on the tractor was driving down the right side of the interstate mowing. My buddy got into the left lane. When he got almost to the tractor the guy on the tractor turned left and drove across 2 lanes of traffic. My buddy T-boned him. Broke the tractor in half etc.... The guy on the tractor lived.

My brother in law had a summer job at a ROW mowing contractor when he was 18. He said they werent even allowed to reverse on a roadside, if they forget a strip, they have to drive to the end of the road section, take the overpass, drive around it and get back by driving only WITH the direction of traffic... Let alone turning on a 2 lane traffic road...

 

[brin]

Cell phones and even worse these MP3 players !!!!!!!!!!!!

I just can not understand why anyone would operate a car or a TRACTOR especially with headphones on and listening to an MP3 or the radio..I would never operate my tractor if I could not hear what the tractor and equipment I was pulling behind me was doing. In my opinion headphones do not belong in a car or on a tractor especially...you are just asking for it..Sorry..had to vent !