Eastern Railroad Discussion > Mid-Hudson News: Schumer: CSX-stop stone falling from trestle

Was this a GPS-programmed stone train gone rogue?

https://midhudsonnews.com/2019/09/07/schumer-calls-on-csx-to-increase-safety-precautions-in-kingston-following-falling-rocks/

Sunday night TV news in NYC always features Chuck Schumer holding forth on the issues of the day.  It can be as simple as hot dog push carts not being properly inspected, or as complicated as foreign powers intervening in US elections.

I've never attended one, but it would make sense that he covers a few sound bites appropriate to various media markets in the Empire State.

Anybody passing underneath a train trestle of any railroad should realize that there could be falling objects...   Growing up near the C&O in Virginia with coal chunks occasionally falling off passing hopper cars that was obvious.  That is why the railroad owns the right of way near (and under) the tracks (and bridges).   Anybody who has any common sense - and yes I realize that may rule out some politicians on both side of the aisle - should realize that and thus not dilly-dally below the tracks or make a big deal of items falling off of a train and onto railroad property below.  It would be typical of some politicians to try to use it against a major company (to get votes from those who see all corporations as bad).

Anybody walking or driving through railroad property while a train is passing above is doing that at their own risk.  At one time that was common knowledge.

PS.  I wonder if Mr Schumer is aware of where the human waste from passenger trains and cabooses used to go...   I guess someday he'll do a report on the lewd acts of passing pigeons.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/19 10:17 by CSX602.

CSX602 Wrote:
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> PS.  I wonder if Mr Schumer is aware of where the
> human waste from passenger trains and cabooses
> used to go...   I guess someday he'll do a
> report on the lewd acts of passing pigeons.

If it gets him 20 seconds of air time on the news?  No doubt about it.

I don't care who the messenger is, Shumer or anyone else.  It's ridiculous to say that CSX somehow has the right to drop debris onto a public street below the trestle. 

A few years ago a good friend used to run the marina right there directly under the trestle and had to go up to the CSX office and pitch a fit, because when the tie gang went through they were just dropping the spikes, one of which went clean through somebodys boat.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/19 17:44 by sixaxlecentury.

CSX602 Wrote:
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> Anybody walking or driving through railroad
> property while a train is passing above is doing
> that at their own risk.  At one time that was
> common knowledge.
>
Seriously? 

In many cities, including Pittsburgh where I live, railroads were elevated to eliminate train/motor vehicle conflicts.  Do you really think all motor vehicle traffic should come to a halt every time a train passes through?

Additionally, the Interstate highway linking Pittsburgh with its western suburbs and the airport is crossed not once, but twice by the Wheeling & Lake Erie.  There would be massive chaos of motorists headed your advice to suddenly stop prior to passing under the railroad bridge every time they saw a train.

It's not always possible to know in advance when a train will be passing overhead.  By your way of thinking, maybe railroads should be required to install devices warning pedestrians and motorists of trains approaching overpasses.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/19 20:28 by RuleG.

RuleG Wrote:
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> CSX602 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Anybody walking or driving through railroad
> > property while a train is passing above is
> doing
> > that at their own risk.  At one time that was
> > common knowledge.


>>> Seriously? 


Yep, that is seriously how some people think. the railroad should have free reign to do whatever they want and get away with ever they want and just can't comprehend that there are actually people who think they should be held accountable for their arrogance.

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

Similar concept:

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/03/15/for-3rd-time-piece-of-debris-plunges-from-elevated-7-train-station-onto-car-below/

It is the rail owner's responsibility to secure loose object or put up netting. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time such as with a spike or rock will not turn out well in a lawsuit. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 10:10 by joemvcnj.

Here's more to the story of rocks falling off the trestle at Kingston: https://www.wamc.org/post/schumer-calls-csx-implement-safety-measures-kingston-bridge

Excerpts: 
 "...Kingston resident Mary Ranges was on her way to meet a friend for lunch July 30, driving along Abeel Street, when debris from 140 feet above began hitting her car.“But then it was clear that was not just a couple of stones,” Ranges says. “This was like the sky was falling.” She says the rocks came through her car, scattering on her dashboard and elsewhere. “And then, it was really upsetting to see there was holes in the metal, holes all the way through the metal on the car,” Ranges says. “And I really found that alarming.” She says rocks came through her sun roof, casting shards of glass everywhere and sending Ranges to the emergency room. Schumer wants CSX to immediately install safety netting under the trestle..."

and as to root cause of this specific event:

"...Schumer, who penned a letter to the CSX president and CEO on the matter, says, about a month ago, maintenance crew on a work train was dropping ballast rock in front of the entrance to the CSX trestle. Before crossing the trestle, the ballast rock dropping was intended to stop yet it did not. “The work train continued to lay ballast rock on the tarcks [sic] purchased [perched?] on the trestle, and it was this ballast rock that striking vehicles and passengers…” says Schumer....”

radar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't care who the messenger is, Shumer or
> anyone else.  It's ridiculous to say that CSX
> somehow has the right to drop debris onto a public
> street below the trestle. 

Not only CSX but any railroad...   If the railroad owns the property below then anybody passing across that property - even on a public street - is doing so at their own risk...  I recall N&W used to have some signs at underpasses warning people to beware of potential falling objects.

Where public roadways were built below on a relocation project (and the highway department actually owns the ROW under the railroad), then yes, the railroad has to build the sides and take measures to prevent objects from falling onto the highway ROW...   So it all really boils down to who was there first and owns the ROW.

If you are at a highway grade crossing and a rock falls off of a passing train then it all gones down to were you stopped on railroad ROW (and in many cases the public street within 50' of the crossing is on railroad ROW).  If you are standing 5' from the rails and a loose metal band from a freight car cuts you, well... you were standing too close and good luck getting anything from the railroad on that.

These and many other points go back to the days when the country wanted railroads building west, and thus gave the railroads huge powers over their railroad right of way...
 

Mary Ranges,the lady injured by the falling debris, will likely file a notice of claim and seek money. That, in turn, may give rise to case law.

It wouldn't surprise me if CSX settled with a few bucks, and put up a sign warning drivers etc of the risk. If NY law allows them to own the public street below, a sign would be a cheap and durable solution. It's not like CSX crews air-dump ballast or spikes off the bridge a few times daily

The Rondout Creek bridge is very high, and impressive. Dropping spikes or rocks from 150 feet up could do some serious damage.