Derailment Reporting

Funny but how is it that my auto, and I'm sure those of many others around here, has a radar device that will bring the auto to a stop before plowing into any obstruction.

For railroads, it would be an extension of Positive Train Control.

But as noted earlier, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Funny, but I'm not so pessimistic after hearing at least one Class 1 CEO talking recently about improving grade crossing performance with technological innovation. All one has to do is read their morning reports to get to the outsized full scope of the issue and not only around safety.

Not only do sensors cost money (but not that much), sensors that can reliably detect and recognize ground hazards farther than the stopping distance of the train likely require either optics that won't fit existing dynamic envelopes, transmitters that would be radiation hazards to the train crew and nearby people in their own right.

But all that said, if the truck was only on the crossing for a minute, sensors monitoring the tracks or crossing could only mitigage but not avert this tragedy since the train wouldn't have been able to completely stop within a minute. It's clear the hualage company didn't coordinate this move ahead of time with the railroad and the only precaution against slow moving vehicle not getting ahead of a train would be to run trains at speeds where stopping distance is always less than line of sight, but running Intermodal trains at 20 MPH max would be a disaster both financially for railroads and for the economy overall.

Funny how I've been to Granger WY when I was on a road trip last during '21. There is an X-ing there on which a flat bed could get "hung up". However, there is a sign there stating if you haven't got so much ground clearance, call this number before attempting to X.

Hey, if they have such a sign at Granger, why not Pecos? Same road in which this author holds a Long position.

Enough with the Texas political arguments; this tragedy has nothing to do with politics and the worthiness of Texas rail fans. I've cleaned up the thread. Further references to politics will be met with administrative action.

Locomotive engineer Clay Burt, a member of BLET Division 212 in Sweetwater, Texas, was severely injured and rushed to a hospital in Odessa, but he passed away a short time later. The conductor, Phillip Araujo of Del Rio, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three other people were injured when debris from the violent collision smashed into the Pecos Chamber of Commerce building located near the tracks.

The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to investigate the tragedy, and the BLET Safety Task Force has been granted Party Status to assist with the investigation.

BLET National President Eddie Hall said: “Our hearts go out to the families of Brother Burt and conductor Araujo who lost their lives. This was a tragic accident, and a reminder that much more needs to be done to make railroading safer.”

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk