Steam & Excursion > Close call

Iowa Interstate 6988 ran 5 trips today (Saturday May 18, 2019) between Chillicothe to just north of Sparland, Illinois as a fundraiser for some of the local fire departments.  After riding the 9 a.m. trip I photographed 3 of the following runs.  On the 1:30 trip I set up at Sparland and caught this driver attempting to beat the train to the crossing.  He succeeded but not by much.  I did post this on other social media and there were a couple of suggestions that this photo was staged, or the train stopped or that it was photoshopped.  To set the record straight I did photoshop exposure, color, detail, etc.  

Roger Holmes

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You just cant fix this kind of STUPID!!!!!!!

Yes you can! I've seen it done - not something you will ever forget, but...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Gee, And I thought all the stupid people were out in Eastern Wyoming on Saturday. I had to leave Medicine Bow before departure. I just couldn't watch anymore.
Steve

wpjones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gee, And I thought all the stupid people were out
> in Eastern Wyoming on Saturday. I had to leave
> Medicine Bow before departure. I just couldn't
> watch anymore.
> Steve

Why what happened?

Posted from Android

People crossing both mains and walking in the gauge and when one of the two Special Agents would thry to stop them they would argue with the Officers. Also setting up tripods a foot away from the rail as the engines approched
all with five Busses worth of School kids watching. This was not just a few but dozens.
Steve

bankshotone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wpjones Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Gee, And I thought all the stupid people were
> out
> > in Eastern Wyoming on Saturday. I had to leave
> > Medicine Bow before departure. I just couldn't
> > watch anymore.
> > Steve
>
> Why what happened?
>
> Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/19 20:25 by wpjones.

When I worked at Amtrak's LA Round House, I hated cleaning the remains off the plow where the 480 cables were .

It was definitely a colossal zoo when the 4014 arrived at medicine bow. The thing I couldn't understand is why the special agents allowed people to be on the tracks for so long to begin with, then after people went to the other side
They prohibited them to recross. With as long as they were parked there it left some folks stuck you might say. By the time they departed 95% of the folks were gone. In my opinion the real craziness started after we started moving again, morons passing multiple vehicles on hills, no passing zones, curves there was nearly a head on collision right beside me and the guy that was trying to pass nearly side swiped the car behind me trying to get out of the way.





wpjones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> People crossing both mains and walking in the
> gauge and when one of the two Special Agents would
> thry to stop them they would argue with the
> Officers. Also setting up tripods a foot away from
> the rail as the engines approched
> all with five Busses worth of School kids
> watching. This was not just a few but dozens.
> Steve
>
> bankshotone Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > wpjones Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Gee, And I thought all the stupid people were
> > out
> > > in Eastern Wyoming on Saturday. I had to
> leave
> > > Medicine Bow before departure. I just
> couldn't
> > > watch anymore.
> > > Steve
> >
> > Why what happened?
> >
> > Posted from Android

Too bad you didn't get the licence plate and report the offender to authorities. 

Like a lot of things, there is a relatively easy step that could be taken that would stop a lot of this nonsense at grade crossings: up the penalty for conviction for ignoring crossing signs, lights or gates to a minimum one year driver's license suspension and minimum $1,000 fine.  Double the penalty for a second conviction within 5 years.  Third conviction in 5 years gets a permanent revocation and mandatory jail time.  I'd bet crossing violations would drop dramatically.

WW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Like a lot of things, there is a relatively easy
> step that could be taken that would stop a lot of
> this nonsense at grade crossings: up the penalty
> for conviction for ignoring crossing signs, lights
> or gates to a minimum one year driver's license
> suspension and minimum $1,000 fine.  Double the
> penalty for a second conviction within 5 years. 
> Third conviction in 5 years gets a permanent
> revocation and mandatory jail time.  I'd bet
> crossing violations would drop dramatically.

There is already a very large penalty in place for those that are not successful in their timing and it is generally imposed immediately.

-Fred-

Last Sunday on the move from Ogden to Evanston we set up just after the curve into Echo Canyon figuring we could get it again up the Canyon near Castle Rock for another shot.  WRONG!!!   
We never could catch the train till we got to Evanston.  We finally caught them when we got to the station in Evanston.  We chalked it up to the Pacers and the fact that it was a Sunday and all the locals were out. 
Before Echo they made a couple short stops where we were able to get in front again while everyone else stopped, so it wasn't too bad.
On Monday from Evanston east it was a "work day" plus it was more in the middle of nowhere not next to I-80 so it wasn't bad at all!!  Just the "serious chasers"!!
It was loads of fun though
Mike