Dude rescued from plane right before train hits it
- Thread starter sj
- Start date
WhiskeyMike
MEMBER
West Boxford MA
Let's "re-fund" not defund the police. They deserve it. Bravo to those guys.
Heck of a way to remove the tail cone. Plus another missile landed in the street. Wouldn't want to catch that piece of shrapnel in the noggin.
Heck of a way to remove the tail cone. Plus another missile landed in the street. Wouldn't want to catch that piece of shrapnel in the noggin.
courierguy
MEMBER
Inkom, Idaho
After the NSTB gets done with the Trevor Howard/T-Craft "crash", they will have their hands full with this one. I know several long time locomotive engineers, and they have some pretty good stories, but this train driver's story will top them all.
HalfTonChamp
FRIEND
palmer arkansas
For some reason Wile-e coyote comes to mind.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
They don't even slow down when there is something on "their" tracks.
StalledOut
MEMBER
Anchorage
Really depends on what it is on the tracks but yes, often it's throttle 5 and blow it out of the right of way.
Sunday the passenger coming down from Fairbanks came upon lots of moose on the tracks in the Denali canyon. Someone estimated 38, from pictures we've counted about 26. A single moose is history but we were able to brake and slow the train and more or less goose the moose off the tracks. We don't smack everything.
Sunday the passenger coming down from Fairbanks came upon lots of moose on the tracks in the Denali canyon. Someone estimated 38, from pictures we've counted about 26. A single moose is history but we were able to brake and slow the train and more or less goose the moose off the tracks. We don't smack everything.
md11freighter
FRIEND
Wasilla
My brother runs trains for the Union Pacific. His favorite is when they go through a flock of sheep. He said it’s like cottton balls.
courierguy
MEMBER
Inkom, Idaho
On a business flying trip to Helena MT once with a train driver buddy, (he was also a cabinet maker, and was meeting with a plane kit maker to discuss making his wooden ribs) we concluded our days business, and then set out in the rental car to find a place to have an adult beverage. He gave me directions, left, right, etc., and we ended up at a great little place and had a fine old time. I asked him later how he knew of the place, and he told me he had never been in Helena before, but an old railroader trick in a western town, was to go to the lowest part of town, where the tracks are, where the good bars are! This same buddy took out 40 or 50 elk once, tragic.
On the commercial flight back to Pocatello, there was a delay in boarding, turned out the late Desmond Tutu and party was up in first class, having just given a speech in town. You can't make this stuff up.
A excellent review and explanation from a local pilot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2R8cX2KrY
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HalfTonChamp
FRIEND
palmer arkansas
Fuel hauler friend got hit at a crossing carrying 6000 gals of gasoline. Said he heard the locomotive go to full throttle right before impact.
Nobody wants to stop in the middle of a fire. Miraculously there was not one. Very informative video there, courierguy.
Nobody wants to stop in the middle of a fire. Miraculously there was not one. Very informative video there, courierguy.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Interesting thought on this. Assume sitting in that truck as the train is approaching. Wouldn't that sound automatically get louder the closer the source of the sound got to the ears of the truck driver? Under the heat of the situation, how could the truck driver determine whether the engineer actually opened the throttle or was it just getting closer and thus louder?
Kid Durango
FRIEND
Rangely, Co
I beg to differ. When running full tilt away from the accident site it would be hard to hear anything other than your own screaming. Possibly?
HalfTonChamp
FRIEND
palmer arkansas
Fair point. And with the doppler effect we're accustomed to hearing with trains. My information comes from the truck driver and he said the train driver said he did that. Whether that is policy or not I don't know. I'd never thought of that before as I always assumed a train would attempt to stop. In this case it would seem to make perfect sense to carry as much energy as possible through the accident location and beyond. Also this was a couple of engines only and why the truck driver missed them as he was looking along the track for a longer train. I drive an 18 wheeler part of the year and it's amazing what can hide behind those big mirrors. Also a mystery as to why a full trailer of gasoline didn't result in a catastrophic fire. Maybe 'Mythbusters' will take this one on. In the plane/train video in question in this thread, it seems the train driver just 'kept on truckin'. As it were.
courierguy
MEMBER
Inkom, Idaho
A jet blew thru the end of the Hailey ID airport years ago, (found it:https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930826-1), and a local truck driver I know saw the whole thing. Hwy 75 runs alongside the runway for most of it's length, quite close to the road, then at the north end it turns left and anything running off the strip will cross a busy 2 lane highway. My friend watched it touch down, abeam his rig, and then blow thru the fence. IF the timing would have been just a few seconds different, the jet would have impacted the double trailer gasoline trailer he was driving.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
That makes sense. You didn't mention originally that the truck driver spoke to the engineer. Under the circumstances, had I been the engineer, I think I may have done the same thing.
Kid Durango
FRIEND
Rangely, Co
Okay, seriously this time! It makes sense that the train operator would throttle up. Granted they don’t stop on a dime, but the last thing one would want is for it to stop in the middle of an inferno somewhere in the cars. I would guess most folks would think there would be a fire on collision.
