Railroad crossing gates are down, lights are flashing and bells are ringing

Talio

Talio

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Gads. So many firefighters hurt! Hope not too seriously. Odd circumstance: perfect storm. Two calls, different fires...firetrucks going every which a way! From the article it seems the Truck 111 driver didn't realize a second train was behind the one nearest him! NTSB investigating to prevent future duplicate cases.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Gads. So many firefighters hurt! Hope not too seriously. Odd circumstance: perfect storm. Two calls, different fires...firetrucks going every which a way! From the article it seems the Truck 111 driver didn't realize a second train was behind the one nearest him! NTSB investigating to prevent future duplicate cases.
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There is an interesting backstory about Southeast Florida's rabid resistance to Brightline. Every political fight to halt negotiations for their initial buildout from Miami to West Palm Beach failed even when a few years ago it had the record of being the deadliest train in America killing 99 people in one year. Stay tuned.
 

I feel it could be accomplished however FDOT, FEC, Brightline and each city would have to contribute their share of building overpasses and just with my limited knowledge of what's involved in at least three heavily trafficed counties I believe the minimum estimate would cost hundreds of millions of dollars without resident taxes. I know South Florida and if they had to be taxed for a high speed passenger railroad nobody in the big three counties, cities would burn.
 
Talio said:
I feel it could be accomplished however FDOT, FEC, Brightline and each city would have to contribute their share of building overpasses and just with my limited knowledge of what's involved in at least three heavily trafficed counties I believe the minimum estimate would cost hundreds of millions of dollars without resident taxes. I know South Florida and if they had to be taxed for a high speed passenger railroad nobody in the big three counties, cities would burn.
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Emergency vehicle-only RR overpasses don't need to be wide; 2 lanes max; don't need a walkway, and don't need nearly as much acreage as overpasses for normal traffic, so I'm sure the cost is well below your estimate.

In Calif, the newer ones require a chain-mail type safety cover, caution signs, and drop-rails with flashing lights. That probably cost several hundred additional bucks. In fact, I don't think any have been built since those requirements came into play.
 
Murrmurr said:
Emergency vehicle-only RR overpasses don't need to be wide; 2 lanes max; don't need a walkway, and don't need nearly as much acreage as overpasses for normal traffic, so I'm sure the cost is well below your estimate.

In Calif, the newer ones require a chain-mail type safety cover, caution signs, and drop-rails with flashing lights. That probably cost several hundred additional bucks. In fact, I don't think any have been built since those requirements came into play.
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Sounds like a good cost effective solution. Does the overpass stay in place or movable when emergency vehicles need to transverse the tracks. Are they remote controlled?
 
Talio said:
Sounds like a good cost effective solution. Does the overpass stay in place or movable when emergency vehicles need to transverse the tracks. Are they remote controlled?
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They're stationary. The early drop rails relied on RR employees to lower and lift them; I'm not sure how. Later, emergency vehicles controlled them. Again, I'm not sure how. They could also open the gate at the gated community I used to live in without punching in a code or swiping a fob...so, same method, I assume.
 
Sounds like the intersection control strobe lighting system installed on the top of fire vehicles until hackers made strobes to tamper with the system.
 
Murrmurr said:
They're stationary. The early drop rails relied on RR employees to lower and lift them; I'm not sure how.
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Probably via radio or phone calls from fire and police stations and ambulance services.
Murrmurr said:
Later, emergency vehicles controlled them. Again, I'm not sure how. They could also open the gate at the gated community I used to live in without punching in a code or swiping a fob...so, same method, I assume.
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I was told emerg vehicles use a radio frequency to open those community gates. I'm skeptical, but I don't know what other kind of magic they'd use. I do remember the gates opened quickly as a cop or 1st responder approached. They slowed down slightly, then zipped through.
 
Ok, now I see why overpasses for emergency vehicles only are impractical. They don't need much acreage, but the rail is too near the coast. And overpasses for the rail would indeed be very expensive because the FEC's bread & butter is heavy cargo. A LOT of high grade material would have to be used.
 
Murrmurr said:
Ok, now I see why overpasses for emergency vehicles only are impractical. They don't need much acreage, but the rail is too near the coast. And overpasses for the rail would indeed be very expensive because the FEC's bread & butter is heavy cargo. A LOT of high grade material would have to be used.
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Not to mention the growth of high rise condos and high priced apartments all with #1 walk scores. All the homeless people have been relocated to GOD knows where. Unfortunately the NIMBY gang won the no horn zone corridors which stresses the FEC and Brightline engineers as if they don't have enough to worry about. Many areas in all three counties have many streets with bars and clubs adjacent to the tracks rife with drunkards and dope fiends adding to the mix. Okay soap box away. All Aboard Florida tomorrow.
 
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I remember a City near St. Louis that did an overpass of the railroad, about 10 years ago. Amtrac shot into town too.
It works well, just a slight detour to get to the street with the bridge over the tracks.
 




This is two intersections South of where the train collided with the Delray Beach fire wagon. You can actually see and hear the drunkards, coke heads and the club music they dance the scooby doo to.

 
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Think Drivers are beginning to ignore train track crossings?
That smart phone on the Dash holder is so addicting to some.
Well, thas a thought to fling out there. They can't do anything
without the mouth / ear and phone a going. When people are
in motion above walking speeds the phone should shut off.
It needs to go to the supreme courts of the land. One can
easily understand the need of emergency stuff. Pull over, stop
and the phone relays the message, call do what ya need to
but no driving / moving quickly with the phone in the eyeballs/
Ear and Mouth a going.

Of course Jet pilots need to use communication. Military etc.
But no private moving conversations, games /cellular stuff.
 
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When I am driving I don't listen to anything. When I don't drivee I have scanner radios to monitor airplanes, trains ad boats. Monitoring trains are boring because they hardly say anything and sometimes when I don't hear anything on the scanner a train flies by. An engineer told me if you hear a voice on the radio that sounds like a robot talking about axles milepost and no defects that means a train should be fairly close so be careful and never bend your over the edge of the platform looking one way and a train will be coming from behind you.
 
Placing blame, finger pointing, fire chief using excuses that Florida State Statute 316.1575 does not apply to fire wagons yet he suspended firemen on the fire wagon, fire department command staff put on paid leave. The city of Delray Beach risk management lawsuits from the attorneys representing the injured Brightline passengers and damage to the Brightline engine, damage to FEC who owns the grade crossing equipment and the dreaded NTSB investigation.
 

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