Watch a freight train loaded with new cars lose a fight with a low bridge

[Robert59]

In life, there are bad days, and then there are extra-bad, "you just caused $2 million in damages" days. An anonymous train conductor experienced the latter when he lost an ambitious battle against a low bridge.

Footage posted on YouTube shows freight cars slowly getting decapitated one at a time as the train gradually comes to a full stop. Oddly, one of the railcars is already severely damaged before it goes under the bridge, which suggests that it was likely taller than the rest and that it fell victim to a different bridge.


https://autos.yahoo.com/watch-freight-train-loaded-cars-151400617.html

 

[peramangkelder]

 

[win231]

If they were American cars, no big loss.

Why did it take so long for the train to stop? It wasn't going very fast.

 

[fmdog44]

Very cool video

 

[Lewkat]

I wouldn't want to be in that engineer's shoes.

 

[jujube]

I wouldn't want to be in that engineer's shoes.

I would imagine those shoes are presently standing in line at the unemployment office.....

 

[JustBonee]

 

[macgeek]

hate when that happens.

 

[Keesha]

Wow! I guess someone is losing their job. It doesn’t seem like a complicated solution as much as one made from greed. Risk of damage VS more money.

 

[raybar]

It's probably not the engineer's fault. Someone higher up determines the schedule and routing of the trains, not the engineers. I think.

 

[Aunt Marg]

It's probably not the engineer's fault. Someone higher up determines the schedule and routing of the trains, not the engineers. I think.

One would think someone would know better.

 

[Aunt Marg]

If they were American cars, no big loss.

Why did it take so long for the train to stop? It wasn't going very fast.

I noticed that, too.

 

[rgp]

It's probably not the engineer's fault. Someone higher up determines the schedule and routing of the trains, not the engineers. I think.

That's what I'm thinking. I mean the bridge has been there for some time ? So I doubt it got shorter. And, are the train cars new ? taller ? I would imagine [as you noted] the route,etc. is etched in stone, long before the engineer steps aboard. ?

And , even if he saw a clearance sign, and knew the cars were to tall ?.......could he get stopped in time ?

Hard to believe it even happened.

 

[911]

Check a couple of these videos out. I investigated a few of these accidents myself. I had a Mayflower truck get caught under a bridge and everything inside was damaged and written off by the insurance company. I also had an independent carrier carrying a new tank for delivery to an Army Depot that also got stuck under the bridge and damaged the tank.

 

[macgeek]

I had a CDL for years, who's driving these trucks, probably people that don't speak or read English well? You should know the height/clearance of the truck you're driving and the clearance of any bridge or overpass before you go under it. It's very simple (not rocket science).

 

[Aunt Marg]

I can't remember the last time I laughed so much!

The Penski trucks really took a beating in this video!

My first thought was... what in the world is going on here?

My second thought was... why don't they make the overpasses higher, but then logic clicked in... build the overpasses higher, they'll build trucks taller.

Just like highway speeds, when the posted speed is 100, they'll always be a few that will want to go 200, increase the speed to 200, and they'll be those that will go 300.

In ode to the funny video, I present this song that should have been the background music for the video!

 

[raybar]

If I'm not mistaken, that's the Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass in Durham North Carolina. I believe it was raised 8 inches to 12' 4" last year, which is still considerably lower than the current 14 foot standard.

 

[FastTrax]

This incident was obviously the result of CN's well documented nonproductive use of the failed and more so dangerous RCL program. BLE-T warned the railroad's about this so called cost cutting fiasco years ago. However if this yard move was using a fully crewed train then all parties involved like the movement bureau manager, the route dispatcher, the yardmaster, the conductor and possibly the engineer and any brakemen or yard crew directly responsible for the safe yet efficient movement of this train will have to submit to a urinalysis and meet other investigative criteria. From the looks of the video this appears to be a single track lead to the CN Harrison Yard in Memphis. Knowing the vile contemptable way's of Class 1's and FRA and possibly NTSB nowadays in the end the train crew will ultimately take the hit for this. Shame.











www.railroad.net/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=172107

www.ble-t.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=7956

www.joc.com/economy-watch/cn-subsidiary-develops-beltpack-operate-locomotives-remote_19941120.html

www.cn.ca/en/

If any scanner equipped railfans are in close proximity to CN's Harrison Yard in Memphis program the VHF Yard frequencies in 12.5 khz narrowband mode and UHF RCL frequencies in 12.5 khz narrowband mode and give a listen.

161.2800 MHz AAR:78 Yard

161.4600 MHz AAR:90 Yard
The RCL frequencies are just data signals but if you hear them that means RCL is in use.

452.9250 MHz
452.9500 MHz
452.9625 MHz