[PRCo] Re: Darwin Award Candidates

[John Swindler]

>Fred Schneider commented:
>
>
>I know for example that British Railways do not have grade crossing 
>accidents because they do not grade crossings.  Take that back ... I 
>remember being told that several locomotives assigned to one line up north 
>in Britain had headlights because that line had the only grade crossing in 
>Britain.  But a lack of grade crossings does not stop lorries from driving 
>rapidly under low bridges and pushing the track out of alignment.
>


Still quite a few grade crossings - and lots of idiots in Britain.  About 
two months ago, news article noted a grade crossing accident on a rural line 
- and rural farm lane.  There were gates to block the road at all times.  
Auto driver - in this case, usually just occasional farm workers - had to 
get out of their vehicle, open gate, drive across rr tracks, then close 
gate.  Except some illegal migrant farm workers from Balkans got lazy, and 
left gates open.  You guessed it - on their return trip,  freight train 
compacted part of their van and several of the workers.

Otherwise, grade crossing tend to be very few and far between.  Certainly 
none on high speed lines.  Then the problem is careless drivers who drive 
off side of bridge and fall onto right of way.  Also happened couple months 
ago - think it was on East Coast main line.


Concerning Roger's comment about brain-dead drivers:  Best story was link to 
news article sent to me by Russ Jackson couple years ago.  Involved a grade 
crossing accident -sort of- in Illinois - or might have been Iowa.  Anyway, 
guy racing train drives around closed crossing gates - and manages to 
collide with driver in opposite direction who also was attempting to go 
around closed rr crossing gates.  Train wasn't involved, and point of impact 
took place  off of rr right of way.

John

>rogertrolley.1 at juno.com wrote:
>
> > You certainly cannot help the BRAIN-DEAD people that drive around 
>lowered gates at RR or Lightrail crossings. They are apparently suicidal or 
>on drugs. When the LAMETRO Blue line opened to Long Beach, there was 
>numerous collisions between trains and cars which drove thru  clossed 
>gates!! One paricular gruesome one was a taxi that raced the train down to 
>the next crossing with 5 passengers aboard, and turned in front of the 
>light rail train and was broad-side and pushed down the track. Everbody 
>died in the taxi !!  The europeans have it right. A barricade rises out of 
>the pavement that cannot be breached by a speeding auto which destroys 
>itself on the barricade and allows the train a an accident free passage !!! 
>     rogertrolley
>
>
>

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