Railroad crossings

[Robert Gift]

Originally Posted by WitchDoctor

If they were sitting within 30 ft of the track, they could have heard the rails singing for several minutes before the train got there.

NO.
You will not hear the rails "singing".
Myth - just like all religions.

If surprised on a trestle, (why were you not looking and listening for approaching trains?), lie down as far away from the track as possible.
The train will pass safely by.

Wave to the engineer so he will not report a body on the track and hopefully not apply brakes.

Don't be like idiot yuppies on their new mountain bicycles.
They tried to ride off a long trestle as Amtrak approached at 89 mph.
One made it. The other dead not.

If you are going to do stupid and illegal things on railroad private property, at least figure out ahead what to do if a train comes.
This guy is a Duh-rwin Award winner.

[fsquid]

In Memphis there is a line that runs right through town and it seems once a year, there is a high schooler who is killed at a train crossing.

[Zeerow6]

Originally Posted by fsquid

In Memphis there is a line that runs right through town and it seems once a year, there is a high schooler who is killed at a train crossing.

Same thing happened in St. Augustine in '75. Some students were taking a short cut across the trestle at US 1 and King St. and got caught in the midddle with no place to go. Two or three were killed. Other students who chose the long way around, were just lucky or smart enough to stay off the trestle.

[Robert Gift]

Originally Posted by Zeerow6

Same thing happened in St. Augustine in '75. Some students were taking a short cut across the trestle at US 1 and King St. and got caught in the midddle with no place to go. ...

With no brains is more appropriate.
When my friends and I trespassed, we planned ahead of time that if a train came, we would lie down on the track as far out from the rails as possible
and give the engineer a thumbs up as the train rolled safely by.

[Sensei Han]

Originally Posted by Robert Gift

With no brains is more appropriate.
When my friends and I trespassed, we planned ahead of time that if a train came, we would lie down on the track as far out from the rails as possible
and give the engineer a thumbs up as the train rolled safely by.

I'm from big city and never saw RR crossings unless we went on an outing upstate or NJ.

I played in the Rail Yard but kept away from the main line.

My question is with this "lie down" thing. Why would you lay down? I've just never heard of this.

[Robert Gift]

Originally Posted by Sensei Han

I'm from big city and never saw RR crossings unless we went on an outing upstate or NJ.
I played in the Rail Yard but kept away from the main line.
My question is with this "lie down" thing. Why would you lay down? I've just never heard of this.

If one cannot run off the trestle in time (it is difficult to run because there is empty space between each cross-tie) and there is no other place to go, just lie down on the ties.
There is sufficient clearance above you for the locomotive and cars to roll by without touching you.
You don't want the engineer to apply the brakes, so give him a thumbs up and hopefully he will not. He will realize there is also room and that you will be OK.
If he puts the train in emergency (full brake application) there is a small chance some cars on the train could derail. That could ruin your day.

When my friends and I trespassed on railroad property, we figured out what to do ahead of time.
We listened for trains blasting their horns for distant grade crossings.
We were never surprised by a train.