Eastern Railroad Discussion > Two NS Dispatchers Answering An Emergency Tone

Yesterday morning both the Alabama East End Dispatcher and the Georgia Chief responded to an emergency tone fired off by west bound NS 187 ( MACON, GA – BIRMINGHAM, ALA) from Temple Georgia on the NS Alabama Division. The response..”Your not going to believe this but we came within 6” of hitting a house” Turns out it might be a tad over a foot but given the circumstances at the time it is fully understandable on the initial distance reported. Thank goodness there was no collision and no one was physically hurt. Turns out the second half of a double wide wasn't as lucky to make it over the Ringer Crossroad crossing just east of town as the first half did. And as a heavy manifest reported to be doing 22 mph the engineer was able to stop just short of hitting the mobile home. 

This is the same road crossing where last year a flat bed rig carrying wooden spools was stuck on the tracks and ended up being hit by east bound NS 290 (MCCALLA, AL - CROXTON, NJ).

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4538242,4538242#msg-4538242

Also see post dated 3.11.19   https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4751069
for continued conversation on this topic.


The road crossing at Ringer Crossroad is less then 50ft off US Hi-way 78 and I have maintained for years that it is NOT properly marked for east / west traffic wanting to turn off of US 78 at Ringer Crossroad as a “NO TRUCKS” crossing. At least not like other crossings along this busy east/west hi-way through west Georgia. Yet the last road crossing at the west end of Temple is more then sufficiently marked even indicating what the fine will be if you even attempt to cross the tracks. Why is that? As it turns out this crossing location is not considered within the city limits of Temple. So the county and/or the state are failing to meet their responsibility as I see it!! And yet no matter the signage posted... there will always be those (Like the Darwins of the group on Friday) that will ignore the warnings!! 

#1. West bound NS 187 manages to stop short of a collision with a mobile home at MP675.6 at Ringer Crossroad. 

#2. The view looking south on Ringer Crossroad. The mobile home to the left managed to make it over the tracks. The other half of the double wide was not as fortunate. Believe height of the truck mounted hitch caused the hangup as they swapped the trucks around that were moving this double wide mobile home. 
...more to follow...

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/19 07:02 by NSSpike.

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#3. Signs posted at the north end of Temple pretty well spell out what it will cost you!!! 

#4. At the north end of Ringer Crossroads after one turns off of East Johnson St heading toward the tracks and US 78 this is the only signage posted.

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

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---

The intelligence of people (or lack of) continues to AMAZE me.......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/19 07:08 by ns1000.

That's a well told story, thanks for the narrative and map.

I wonder if the county would consider paying "bounty hunters" to photograph trucks making the illegal crossing?  And, split the $750 with them.

(Get paid to watch trains, not that there's anyhting wrong with that...)

Step one ... choose your crossings wisely. There are times where a "no trucks" route must be used (if the destination is on that segment or there is no other route) but such use should be coordinated.

Step two ... if something goes wrong call for help. Apparently the moving crew missed or doesn't know about the little blue signs at the crossing with an emergency contact. They were probably spending their time trying to figure out how to clear the crossing instead of warning the railroad (a common mistake). Someone should have called the number and had the dispatcher stop the trains. There needs to be more awareness of the signs.

Not the truck that got stuck, it was the house! Need another warning sign as the first one didn't seem to make an impression. Glad no one was hurt.

You got that right I see this in healthcare people can’t read and it’s scary

Gary

ns1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The intelligence of people (or lack of) continues
> to AMAZE me.......

Posted from iPhone

King_Coal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not the truck that got stuck, it was the house!
> Need another warning sign as the first one didn't
> seem to make an impression. Glad no one was hurt.

You could post 50 signs and some people would STILL IGNORE ALL of them..??!!

At my workplace, we have a HUGE sign telling trucks where to go. Some STILL TRY to go in the employee only entrance or ASK where to go (when the sign is RIGHT THERE)!!

Posted from Android

ns1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> You could post 50 signs and some people would
> STILL IGNORE ALL of them..??!!

The 11 foot 8 bridge videos on YouTube are

• Fascinating
• Amazing
• Sad

...and then some.

The bridge is protected from damage by a steel beam structure. There are clearance signs. There is an overheight detector connected to a lighted sign on the traffic signal cantilever just before the bridge. Some of the vehicles that hit the structure, passing all that warning, aren't even close to clearing. Some even run the red traffic signal in addition to ignoring the lighted sign instructing them to turn. Some of them hit the bridge at 30ish mph. There are so many that someone has set up webcams just ro record the overheight strikes. There are so many strikes that there are even compilations of the best. That is a lot of folks either not looking out the window, can't read, are color blind, or all three. A lot of these are rentals - show the license you bought at Walgreens and rent a big truck, no questions asked. Too many of them, however, appear to be CDL drivers.

PTC (Positive Truck Control) anyone?

TAW

How about the obvious solution... fix the crossing so it is reasonably level to solve all the problems?

Planting a bunch of signs with no place to safely turn a truck around or displaying an alternate route is stupidity at its best.

Try counting the number of streets which have "No Trucks" signs on the but only AFTER you turn onto those streets. Yeah I'll just stop in traffic and back up into the intersection and go some other route.

Michael

Do truckers have their own version of WAZE or Google maps highlighting restricted bridges, or height locations?

Given all the restrictions on trucks it would seem like a no-brainer..

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do truckers have their own version of WAZE or
> Google maps highlighting restricted bridges, or
> height locations?
>
> Given all the restrictions on trucks it would seem
> like a no-brainer..

Yes. Cost about $300-600.

TAW

Nice idea but think of the expense to replace those crossings. Take their license away!!!

Gary


emd_mrs1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about the obvious solution... fix the crossing
> so it is reasonably level to solve all the
> problems?
>
> Planting a bunch of signs with no place to safely
> turn a truck around or displaying an alternate
> route is stupidity at its best.
>
> Try counting the number of streets which have "No
> Trucks" signs on the but only AFTER you turn onto
> those streets. Yeah I'll just stop in traffic and
> back up into the intersection and go some other
> route.
>
> Michael

Posted from iPhone

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Do truckers have their own version of WAZE or
> > Google maps highlighting restricted bridges, or
> > height locations?
> >
> > Given all the restrictions on trucks it would
> seem
> > like a no-brainer..
>
> Yes. Cost about $300-600.
>
> TAW

The accuracy of those $600 ones isnt much better than a regular one from the limited information I have.

There is a new Android app which is "crowd sourced" to improve routing, and it is free. Not a lot of routes are completed yet but its on the way. Includes low bridges, weight restricted bridges, humpback rail crossings and roads marked "no trucks" or "no thru trucks". Also marks "difficult routes" when there is a better alternate route. Other nice features include scale status, rest area status, available parking status, speed traps and DOT inspection traps.

My truck has a standard GPS so I have to watch out for all of these hazards myself, especially bad routing by the GPS.

Michael

Guess the $750 fine indicated by the sign is not enough of a deterrent. Maybe it should be raised to a $2500 fine - plus any costs for emergency responders. Maybe that would be enough to make them think twice before attempting to use this particular crossing.

I had to get a new Garmin Dezl GPS as my old one kept taking days off. To my surprise when a cross street has a no truck crossing it shows up before you get to intersection. As I've said many times before a real driver can look at crossing or corner and tell it's not going to work
Michael t Kerner
Collinsville, IL

Posted from Android

emd_mrs1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TAW Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Do truckers have their own version of WAZE or
> > > Google maps highlighting restricted bridges,
> or
> > > height locations?
> > >
> > > Given all the restrictions on trucks it would
> > seem
> > > like a no-brainer..
> >
> > Yes. Cost about $300-600.
> >
> > TAW
>
> The accuracy of those $600 ones isnt much better
> than a regular one from the limited information I
> have.
>
> There is a new Android app which is "crowd
> sourced" to improve routing, and it is free. Not
> a lot of routes are completed yet but its on the
> way. Includes low bridges, weight restricted
> bridges, humpback rail crossings and roads marked
> "no trucks" or "no thru trucks". Also marks
> "difficult routes" when there is a better
> alternate route. Other nice features include
> scale status, rest area status, available parking
> status, speed traps and DOT inspection traps.
>
> My truck has a standard GPS so I have to watch out
> for all of these hazards myself, especially bad
> routing by the GPS.
>
> Michael

What's the app called?

Posted from Android

Trucker Path (I think - I have to double-check to be sure)

Its quite good in some instances and areas.


Michael


ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> emd_mrs1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > TAW Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Do truckers have their own version of WAZE
> or
> > > > Google maps highlighting restricted
> bridges,
> > or
> > > > height locations?
> > > >
> > > > Given all the restrictions on trucks it
> would
> > > seem
> > > > like a no-brainer..
> > >
> > > Yes. Cost about $300-600.
> > >
> > > TAW
> >
> > The accuracy of those $600 ones isnt much
> better
> > than a regular one from the limited information
> I
> > have.
> >
> > There is a new Android app which is "crowd
> > sourced" to improve routing, and it is free.
> Not
> > a lot of routes are completed yet but its on
> the
> > way. Includes low bridges, weight restricted
> > bridges, humpback rail crossings and roads
> marked
> > "no trucks" or "no thru trucks". Also marks
> > "difficult routes" when there is a better
> > alternate route. Other nice features include
> > scale status, rest area status, available
> parking
> > status, speed traps and DOT inspection traps.
> >
> > My truck has a standard GPS so I have to watch
> out
> > for all of these hazards myself, especially bad
> > routing by the GPS.
> >
> > Michael
>
> What's the app called?
>
> Posted from Android

One of my favorite sites... Fasinates me the level of genius put forth by some of these folks


TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ns1000 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > You could post 50 signs and some people would
> > STILL IGNORE ALL of them..??!!
>
> The 11 foot 8 bridge videos on YouTube are
>
>

• Fascinating
  >
• Amazing
  >
• Sad
  >
  > ...and then some.
  >
  > The bridge is protected from damage by a steel
  > beam structure. There are clearance signs. There
  > is an overheight detector connected to a lighted
  > sign on the traffic signal cantilever just before
  > the bridge. Some of the vehicles that hit the
  > structure, passing all that warning, aren't even
  > close to clearing. Some even run the red traffic
  > signal in addition to ignoring the lighted sign
  > instructing them to turn. Some of them hit the
  > bridge at 30ish mph. There are so many that
  > someone has set up webcams just ro record the
  > overheight strikes. There are so many strikes that
  > there are even compilations of the best. That is a
  > lot of folks either not looking out the window,
  > can't read, are color blind, or all three. A lot
  > of these are rentals - show the license you bought
  > at Walgreens and rent a big truck, no questions
  > asked. Too many of them, however, appear to be CDL
  > drivers.
  >
  > PTC (Positive Truck Control) anyone?
  >
  > TAW

emd_mrs1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Trucker Path (I think - I have to double-check to
> be sure)
>
> Its quite good in some instances and areas.
>
>
> Michael
>
>
> ALCO630 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > emd_mrs1 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > TAW Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > >
> > > > -----
> > > > > Do truckers have their own version of
> WAZE
> > or
> > > > > Google maps highlighting restricted
> > bridges,
> > > or
> > > > > height locations?
> > > > >
> > > > > Given all the restrictions on trucks it
> > would
> > > > seem
> > > > > like a no-brainer..
> > > >
> > > > Yes. Cost about $300-600.
> > > >
> > > > TAW
> > >
> > > The accuracy of those $600 ones isnt much
> > better
> > > than a regular one from the limited
> information
> > I
> > > have.
> > >
> > > There is a new Android app which is "crowd
> > > sourced" to improve routing, and it is free.
> > Not
> > > a lot of routes are completed yet but its on
> > the
> > > way. Includes low bridges, weight restricted
> > > bridges, humpback rail crossings and roads
> > marked
> > > "no trucks" or "no thru trucks". Also marks
> > > "difficult routes" when there is a better
> > > alternate route. Other nice features include
> > > scale status, rest area status, available
> > parking
> > > status, speed traps and DOT inspection traps.
> > >
> > > My truck has a standard GPS so I have to
> watch
> > out
> > > for all of these hazards myself, especially
> bad
> > > routing by the GPS.
> > >
> > > Michael
> >
> > What's the app called?
> >
> > Posted from Android


Thanks. I must check that out. Even though I can read signs and can judge roads it's one more tool in the tool box