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Level crossing stupidity...


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14 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

It was a light engine that started moving, not a heavy train stopping.

 

But even 160 tonnes of engine doesn't stop that quickly.

 

Looking at the comments in the video, it seems that it was well known for trucks to ride the lights at that crossing.

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On 15/10/2020 at 16:32, Hobby said:

It's easy to put an auto in the wrong section and unlike a manual there nothing to stop you doing it like having to lift or depress the lever to get it into reverse. 

That is the biggest heap of horse dung I've read about auto boxes

 

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17 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

But even 160 tonnes of engine doesn't stop that quickly.

 

 

It is not about the engine stopping, it is about the engine starting.  It was stationary just a few feet from the crossing, and then started moving despite there being an almost constant stream of trucks passing in front of it against the red light.  It should have remained stationary until the crossing was clear and traffic had actually stopped.

Edited by Titan
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10 minutes ago, Titan said:

 

It is not about the engine stopping, it is about the engine starting.  It was stationary just a few feet from the crossing, and then started moving despite there being an almost constant stream of trucks passing in front of it against the red light.  It should have remained stationary until the crossing was clear and traffic had actually stopped.

 

When the loco is waved forward, the trucks are virtually at a standstill.

I'll bet the white truck driver was actually more distracted with the antics of the black unit cutting across the front of him around the 45-50s mark.

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3 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

When the loco is waved forward, the trucks are virtually at a standstill.

I'll bet the white truck driver was actually more distracted with the antics of the black unit cutting across the front of him around the 45-50s mark.

 

I said actually stopped.  "virtually at a standstill" is still inexcusable where safety is concerned.

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31 minutes ago, Titan said:

 

It is not about the engine stopping, it is about the engine starting.  It was stationary just a few feet from the crossing, and then started moving despite there being an almost constant stream of trucks passing in front of it against the red light.  It should have remained stationary until the crossing was clear and traffic had actually stopped.

About what year do you think that might happen?

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32 minutes ago, LMS2968 said:

About what year do you think that might happen?

 

It would only take a moment for the shunter to safely stop the traffic without putting himself in danger. And besides, impatience is no excuse either, and the same goes for the trucks!

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1 hour ago, Titan said:

 

It would only take a moment for the shunter to safely stop the traffic without putting himself in danger. And besides, impatience is no excuse either, and the same goes for the trucks!

 

Maybe they could implement a system whereby when a train is going to use the crossing some lights show red ...

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9 minutes ago, beast66606 said:

 

Maybe they could implement a system whereby when a train is going to use the crossing some lights show red ...

 

I did wonder whether it might have had barriers, but they maybe they were getting broken off too frequently...

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My auto box (DSG 7 speed) will not shift from Neutral (or Park) into Drive, Sport or Reverse without the use of a detent override lever. It is also impossible to move from Drive to Sport or Drive to Reverse without using the detent override. The only move possible is from Drive or Reverse to Neutral.

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47 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

In what way? 

Saves me writing it:

 

16 minutes ago, Richard E said:

My auto box (DSG 7 speed) will not shift from Neutral (or Park) into Drive, Sport or Reverse without the use of a detent override lever. It is also impossible to move from Drive to Sport or Drive to Reverse without using the detent override. The only move possible is from Drive or Reverse to Neutral.

 

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If you keep the button depressed the lever will go from P through R and N and to D and all the way back. That it what happens. Granted you shouldn't keep the button depressed but it is still possible and people will do it. Thats why such accidents happen. So, with respect, what I said was right. 

 

2017 Golf 7 DSG. 

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Remember, not all auto boxes work like that anyway these days. Take Jaguar's rotary knob for example, it emerges from the dashboard when you switch on the ignition, you just turn it through P-R-N-D to whichever you wish to do.

 

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7 hours ago, Titan said:

 

It is not about the engine stopping, it is about the engine starting.  It was stationary just a few feet from the crossing, and then started moving despite there being an almost constant stream of trucks passing in front of it against the red light.  It should have remained stationary until the crossing was clear and traffic had actually stopped.

As I stated above, the engineer could not see anything on that side of the locomotive. The truck that the locomotive hit should not have crossed, its as simple as that.

 

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If, as mentioned earlier, the crossing has a reputation for red light running, it would not surprise me if it had become SOP for locos to move, regardless of road traffic running the lights. It may be the most effective way of getting road users to actually stop. 

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20 minutes ago, PatB said:

If, as mentioned earlier, the crossing has a reputation for red light running, it would not surprise me if it had become SOP for locos to move, regardless of road traffic running the lights. It may be the most effective way of getting road users to actually stop. 

Second most effective, seeing a semi get skewered will be more effective, I'll bet not much ran the lights for a little while after!

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6 hours ago, PatB said:

If, as mentioned earlier, the crossing has a reputation for red light running, it would not surprise me if it had become SOP for locos to move, regardless of road traffic running the lights. It may be the most effective way of getting road users to actually stop. 

The situation seems to be that, regardless of the lights, unless a train is seen to be moving (and close) the road traffic doesn't stop, and if the loco doesn't move until the road traffic has stopped, the driver / engineer is going to accrue a lot of overtime while he sits there waiting.

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8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

As I stated above, the engineer could not see anything on that side of the locomotive. The truck that the locomotive hit should not have crossed, its as simple as that.

 

The Engineer is on the right side of the engine - that's him over the cab number at the end of the clip. Hence he was taking signals directly from the switchman on the pilot. It's the 'semi' driver sitting on the left of his cab who has the blind spot to his right.

Seems like a bit of a complicated road junction, certainly, but there also seems to be a culture of "beat the train" in the USA, since in the majority of cases if you're stopped at the crossing you're going to be there a while, as 100-plus freight cars roll past you....

 

 

 

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45 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said:

The Engineer is on the right side of the engine - that's him over the cab number at the end of the clip. Hence he was taking signals directly from the switchman on the pilot. It's the 'semi' driver sitting on the left of his cab who has the blind spot to his right.

Seems like a bit of a complicated road junction, certainly, but there also seems to be a culture of "beat the train" in the USA, since in the majority of cases if you're stopped at the crossing you're going to be there a while, as 100-plus freight cars roll past you....

 

 

 

Are you sure that was the engineer? Most American locomotives are right hand drive. It still doesn't alter the fact that none of the three trucks should have crossed. 

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11 hours ago, Hobby said:

If you keep the button depressed the lever will go from P through R and N and to D and all the way back. That it what happens. Granted you shouldn't keep the button depressed but it is still possible and people will do it. Thats why such accidents happen. So, with respect, what I said was right. 

 

2017 Golf 7 DSG. 

Yes, but istr you also have to keep your foot holding down on the brake pedal as well.

 

So you have to two physically separate  functions to get the car into forward or reverse gear.

 

Plus on the auto box there is now an indicator showing the mode you are in lilluminated on the dashboard

 

It's not the car or gearbox that is a problem but the human interface.

 

One of the biggest problems with people who switch to driving an automatic vehicle and 'get the pedals mixed up' (If you look at an auto boxed car, the huge pedal is for the brake, and the little pedal is for the power)  is because they seem to think they need to drive with the right foot on the gas pedal and the left foot on the brake.   This is a poor practice,  because having been taught  only to use the right foot for power or brakes, after 20 years + of driving a manual this technique is imprinted on their brain so in a high stress/panic situation where they are invariably driving in an unconscious /competent mode, the auto reflex of the imprinting takes over.

 

Because their left foot is already on the brake pedal, they right foot stamp on the gas pedal to try and stop and then we have lift off.

Edited by Happy Hippo
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Just now, Happy Hippo said:

Yes, but istr you also have to keep your foot holding down on the brake pedal as well.

 

So you have to two physically separate  functions to get the car into forward or reverse gear.

 

Plus on the auto box there is now an indicator showing the mode you are in illuminated on the dashboard

 

It's not the car or gearbox that is a problem, but the human interface.

 

One of the biggest problems with people who switch to driving an automatic vehicle and 'get the pedals mixed up' (If you look at an auto boxed car, the huge pedal is for the brake, and the little pedal is for the power)  is because they seem to think they need to drive with the right foot on the gas pedal and the left foot on the brake.   This is a poor practice,  because having been taught  only to use the right foot for power or brakes, after 20 years + of driving a manual this technique is imprinted on their brain so in a high stress/panic situation where they are invariably driving in an unconscious /competent mode, the auto reflex of the imprinting takes over.

 

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