Heard it on the evening news! A two man train crew got "hungry" and stopped their train to go to a diner in Nyack, NY., and after blocking a crossing for I don't know how long, promptly got themselves arrested! Some man was unable to get to his pharmacy to get his heart meds, and some charges additional charges may follow because of that too! (Don't forget people up there were snowed in all weekend!) I assume it was a CSX crew. More to follow if it hits the papers tomorrow which I am sure it will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they tried to make a run for it, I wonder if the cops would shoot out the tires! I can't believe the story didn't make the Daily News or the Post!
What is further incredible, the article said that after the police located the crew, the crew refused to stop eating and move the train. The road they were blocking was to a 20 home development with this road as only access.
Here you go Boxcab. WEST NYACK, N.Y. - Two CSX employees who left their southbound Hudson River Line train unattended to eat breakfast, while it was blocking a grade crossing, were arrested Monday morning by an officer of the Clarkstown, N.Y. police department. They were charged with obstructing a railroad crossing and obstructing governmental administration, second degree. According to police department spokesman Sgt. Harry Baumann, the men, Reginald Henderson of Edison, N.J. and Arthur King of Dumont, N.J., were found at the West Nyack Deli. When approached by the officer, they seemed unconcerned about the blocked grade crossing on Pineview Road, a dead-end with no other way in or out for 20 single-family homes. “They were not even forthcoming on identifying themselves,” said Baumann. The men were transported to police headquarters and arraigned at 4 p.m. that afternoon. They were released on their own recognizance. According to city documents, CSX sent a relief crew to remove the train at 9:45 a.m. “We certainly regret any inconvenience experienced by the community as a result of the blockage,” said CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan. “We very much appreciate the work law of enforcement agencies throughout our system and try to cooperate with them in every way possible. As to the events of Monday, we are in the process of reviewing what occurred, talking to police, talking to the crew, reviewing records, and will take whatever internal actions are appropriate.” According to Sullivan, the train was stopped due to track maintenance farther down the line. West Nyack is 20 miles north of New York City on the west side of the Hudson River. Bob
In that situation where a train is going to block crossings for an extended length of time for maintenance up ahead, and no siding is available, I think it used to be expected that the train would have been uncoupled and pulled ahead to clear any crossings. It would be re-coupled and continue on its way when repairs were finished. Maybe they don't do that anymore today.
I'm sure this will cost them their jobs, or at least a suspension. Of course, one never knows. It took the City over a month to fire the ferry boat captain that was missing from the bridge at the time of the terrible accident that claimed ten lives, and injured more than 60 people. I was discussing grade crossing problems with my cousin Sandra who lives near Sand Patch. She said that crossings in Cumberland, Md. can be blocked for up to a half hour at a time, but at least that's because of backup getting into the yard, not because two pinheads went off to feed their faces in a greasy spoon. No matter what stopped them at that time, they abandoned their train without a darn good reason! I would like to know what the estimated delay was expected to be because of the track work being done. I hope Bobcat can keep us posted if he hears any more news on this. As I mentioned, the local papers have had no mention of the incident. [ 13. December 2003, 19:21: Message edited by: Johnny Trains ]
Here are a couple of reference links. The first is from the FRA http://www.fra.dot.gov/Content3.asp?P=907 The next is something I found in Oklahoma law. Scroll down to section 165:32-1-8. http://www.occ.state.ok.us/TEXT_FILES/Transwebsite/Website/Rules/RRRules7-1-01.pdf Those two references seem to indicate there are still limits on how long a crossing can be blocked.
Congressional Record 107th Congress First Session Tuesday, June 12, 2001 The Railroad Crossing Delay Reduction Act Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Railroad Crossing Delay Reduction Act with Senator Stabenow and Senator Durban. This legislation requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations within one year to address the safety concerns that arise when trains block traffic at railroad crossings. Sixteen states and many more municipalities have passed statutes and ordinances limiting the amount of time a train is allowed to stop at and thus block a railroad grade crossing. There are specific safety reasons for limiting the time roadways can be blocked by trains. However, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan struck down a Michigan statute regulating the length of time that a train may block a roadway, opening up the safety issues that my bill will address. The ordinance in question prohibited trains from obstructing free passage of any street for longer than five minutes in order to minimize safety problems within communities. The court concluded that the ordinance was preempted by the Federal Railway Safety Act (FRSA). Unfortunately, there is no federal regulation addressing the length of time a train may block a grade crossing. That means the State of Michigan and all of its political subdivisions are now without the authority to provide this regulation and have no other remedy. They are urging the passage of federal legislation to regulate the length of time a train may block a roadway in the interest of public health and safety. They are calling for federal action to give them relief from the 45 minutes or more that trains are currently sitting in railway crossings and blocking their roadways. Mr. President, believe it or not, trains actually stop in the middle of intersections for 45 minutes or longer at a time. I have been given examples of trains in Michigan that have sat for hours at crossings. Mr. President, you can imagine the ramifications of major intersections being completely blocked for so long. This nationwide problem is amplified in Southeast Michigan because of the number of rail lines in the region. For example, this lack of regulation is causing a lot of problems for some of the older municipalities in Michigan as train tracks literally cris-cross their cities. For instance, in Trenton, Michigan, there is an entire neighborhood that is bordered on one side by water on two sides by train tracks, forming a triangle. If two trains block the tracks at the same time, which has happened, the residents are literally trapped. Worse than the residents being trapped is the fact that ambulances, police and fire trucks are trapped out of town, or delayed in getting to their emergency destinations. Unless we take action and require the FRA to act, communities with rail crossings are vulnerable. The problems range from the problem of traffic congestion and delays to the literal inability of emergency vehicles to get in or out of a community. Many Michigan cities have railroad crossings at a number of important intersections that, when closed by trains, severely limits their ability to provide emergency service to its residents. Medical emergency crews in Michigan have specifically complained to me that they face the daily problem of trains blocking road traffic. They tell me this has the potential to put in jeopardy their patients best chance of recovery. As we all understand, time is of the essence in emergency situations. Trains blocking railroad crossings also poses a threat for pedestrians and children who may be tempted to crawl under or between rail cars during long waits in order get to or from school. Vehicles may also be tempted to speed around a train before it gets to the crossing in order to avoid long delays. Both situations unnecessarily put lives in danger. Michigan businesses have also complained to me that trains have blocked important roads for extensive periods of time during plant shift changes. This has resulted in unnecessary lost wages and lost production when employees cannot get to work. Dozens of Michigan's towns and cities have pleaded for federal action to resolve this intolerable situation and have even passed resolutions in support of this legislation. They include: Charter Township of Huron, City of Lincoln Park, City of Plymouth, City of Riverview, City of Rockwood, City of Southgate, City of Trenton, City of Westland, to name only a few. Our community leaders believe it is essential to the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of their cities that blocked crossings be kept to a reasonable minimum, so that emergency vehicles may have ready access to their citizens. The legislation I am introducing today will give the Federal Railroad Administration the push it needs to enact much needed regulations to address this safety problem. My bill would simply require the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations addressing these safety concerns. It is a reasonable approach with nothing controversial or complicated about it. Congressman Dingell has sponsored an identical bill in the House. We need to stop the delays and remove potentially dangerous situations by minimizing how long trains can stop at grade crossings. Its time to address this lingering safety concern and reduce the risk to motorists, pedestrians, and citizens at large. This is a very simple bill that aims to stop the abuse of trains unnecessarily blocking railroad crossings. It simply directs the FRA, the agency tasked with overseeing railroad safety, to take action in this area. I hope this legislation will be enacted quickly. The Railroad Crossing Delay Reduction Act has the support of local mayors, fire and police departments and emergency organizations. There is currently no federal limit to how long trains can sit and block railroad crossings. This bill would require that one be instituted, in the name of the public's safety. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in the Record following my statement. # # # Carl's Bio* Photo Gallery* Michigan Services* Senate Activity Press Page* Federal Links* Student Info* Contact Carl
You Do Not Block A Crossing To Go And Have Breakfast-Not In Canada Anyway!Crew Should Have Been Fired!:thumbs_down:
Well,....everyone knows that breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!! If it makes you happy, I hear that they had Canadian bacon that morning (sorry couldn't resist) LOL Russ
Common sense tells ya' that, "Hey we might be blocking this crossing for awhile. Maybe we should get the DS on the radio, back up, or split the train at the crossing". Duh!!!:no:
We still cut crossings when it is needed. Just like any other job, some trian crews are inconsiterate idiots. It wasn't like they didn't know they were going to be sitting there for a while. Adam
