Western Railroad Discussion > Another one, smack!

It seems people in Riverside like getting hit by trains!

Bicyclist survives train crash in Riverside - The Press-Enterprise

A bicyclist was hit by a train this afternoon, suffering head trauma and broken bones, but he remains alive at a Riverside hospital.

The cyclist, who was not named, and his girlfriend, also on a bicycle, waited at the railroad crossing on Adams Street, east of Highway 91, for a train to pass just after noon, Riverside police said in a news release.

After the westbound train had cleared the crossing, the man rode around the still-down crossing arms and into the path of an eastbound BNSF Railway freight train on a parallel track, police said.

Riverside fire and American Medical Response paramedics arrived on scene and treated the man for the head wound and broken bones. He was taken by ambulance to Riverside Community Hospital.

The hospital would not release any information on the man's condition.

This is the third time in recent memory that someone has crossed railroad tracks in Riverside after a train passed only to be struck by a train coming from the other direction on a parallel track.

Alana Joy Kerr, 15, was struck and killed Feb. 8 by a westbound Metrolink train after she waited for an eastbound freight train to pass on tracks crossing Buchanan Street near Magnolia Avenue.

Despite the crossing gate being down and the lights continuing to flash, Alana walked into the path of the commuter train on a parallel track.

In April 2009, Arlington High School student Samuel Sung-Jae Shin, 14, was killed when he was hit by an eastbound Metrolink train at the Jackson Street crossing in Riverside on his way to school.

That death prompted the city to install signs at rail crossings warning people of multiple tracks with trains coming from both directions.

—STEVEN BARRIE

sbarrie@PE.com

Dave Toussaint
Riverside, CA
SoCalRailFan.com

I believe this is in a QZ w/ wayside horns, so the cyclist would not have heard the 2nd train sounding the horn, somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

ats90mph Wrote:
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> I believe this is in a QZ w/ wayside horns, so the
> cyclist would not have heard the 2nd train
> sounding the horn, somebody correct me if I'm
> wrong.

You're wrong. Regular crossing with Lights, gates and bells.

The wayside horns are on the UNION PACIFIC tracks on the other side of town.

Even if it did have wayside horns they will go off if there's another train. I observed this on the UP in Kearney, Nebraska even if one train is occupying the crossing they will sound.

nwkrailfan Wrote:
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> Even if it did have wayside horns they will go off
> if there's another train. I observed this on the
> UP in Kearney, Nebraska even if one train is
> occupying the crossing they will sound.


It depends on the system... Some systems will stop sounding the horn once the first train occupies the crossing, the red X will stop flashing until that train clears, thus another train coming through the intersection at the same time is required to blow. Don't know what system is used where....

The horns on the UP tracks in Riverside will keep sounding until the circuit(s) are clear.

This is one of the problems I have with the low-mount horn arrangement on a lot of newer passenger equipment. The low mounted horns are blocked by the opposing train as you're approaching an intersection, meaning somebody on the side of the tracks closest to the first train wouldn't hear the second train until the first train has cleared out of the way. If that's only a matter of seconds before the second train reaches the intersection then there's no time for an idiot who doesn't wait for the gates to react to it. Add to it that Metrolink's low-mounted P2s are not exactly the loudest thing on the earth and I'm sure that the two people who ran behind one train and tied with an opposing Metrolink never had a clue the train was coming because it simply wasn't possible to hear the horn. Admittedly they shouldn't have been there to begin with, but the effect of the warning device (horn) has been diminished by the NIMBYs...

PHall Wrote:
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> ats90mph Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I believe this is in a QZ w/ wayside horns, so
> the
> > cyclist would not have heard the 2nd train
> > sounding the horn, somebody correct me if I'm
> > wrong.
>
> You're wrong. Regular crossing with Lights, gates
> and bells.
>
> The wayside horns are on the UNION PACIFIC tracks
> on the other side of town.

Thank you for correcting me in such a respectful manner.

Regardless of whether he could/couldn't hear a wayside horn/locomotive mounted horn, I know the guy wasn't blind, because he was riding a bike. Obviously he had his other senses to fall back on, like LOOKING for a train.

Pump

<<<<<<Thank you for correcting me in such a respectful manner.>>>>>>>>

That was funny and very satirical. Pity the old guy though, the geezer doesn't have anyone to lash out at.

FYI - The bicyclist involved in this incident died two hours after being hit.

JMW

UPTRAIN Wrote:
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> Regardless of whether he could/couldn't hear a wayside horn/locomotive mounted horn, I know the
> guy wasn't blind, because he was riding a bike. Obviously he had his other senses to fall back on,
> like LOOKING for a train.


He could have tried THINKING for once...would have saved his life.

It's too bad that he died, and my sympathy goes to the crew and to his family, but, good God, when are people going to learn that the gates being down means that there's likely a train coming?