Pecos Derailment - NEW DETAILS

Thanks to an NTSB preliminary report, we now have new details about the fatal derailment in Pecos, Texas.
Follow me on social media!
Instagram: www.instagram....
#train #railway #news

[@lefauxpas]

With these oversize loads and lowboy loads, I don’t know why they don’t require that somebody is actually standing there watching the truck and trailer as it approaches the track if it looks like it’s going to get hung up, then stop and back up. Seems like this would be so simple. I don’t know why these accidents have to keep happening.

[@michaelgrosscup]

Because people are lazy. Also they need to do away with grade crossings on high speed rail lines, or have a reduced speed limit for trains when going through towns and cities.

[@cacline72]

@@michaelgrosscup If you think 65 MPH is high speed then perhaps we should just close down every single railroad crossing ever built.

[@Bitterrootbackroads]

Might not be possible to “stop & back up” depending on the type of trailer? I don’t the proper names for the different trailer axle layouts but those extended tag along things look like they are follow mode only. Backing up they would instantly jackknife sideways and bind up.

[@WorthlessGollywogs]

DEI

[@brucekatkin5310]

The truck drivers know what the grade crossings are like. The routes are planned out meticulously, this entails the driver knowing what crossings require them to stop and raise the trailer to get over the crossing. That being said, some crossings are so elevated even normal trailers get caught on it by the landing gear.

[@N-Scale]

So Sorry for the Families of the operators

[@SAXTProductions]

One thing I like about you and Danny Harmon, you both get straight to the point with verified facts. Then your videos are very informative and enjoyable to watch. Keep up the good work, my compliments to you.

[@williammoore9862]

This fix is simple. Texas Department of Transportation needs to coordinate this moves with the railroads before they approve them. We’ve seen this happen way too often. When moves like this are taking place, the railroad should have a flag man in place to coordinate the move. This was a common practice for my former railroad. The flag man would coordinate the train traffic via a “Form B” or similar protection method for the limits (milepost) of the grade crossing. It’s a very simple and effective method.

[@whiteknightcat]

Actually, I believe it's the responsibility of the shipper to do this as times are also involved. I saw a video from another trucker showing a similar load he had just delivered via that same route. He stated his company notified the railroads before they got near the crossing locations and they were met on site with rail employees who insured coordination with rail traffic. In one case, he was directed to wait for an expected train to pass before being given clearance to cross.

[@Titus_2_11-12]

These days people seem to too busy to think every detail through. The customer needs their stuff on time. In this case who’s going to be responsible?

[@davidstewart5694]

@williammoore9862 the state dot, issuing permit authority knows the dates of the move, approximate times in between locations, but they do not know the specific times of a crossing etc. All info required for the move is issued, including specific numbers to contact railroads for such moves. It is carrier responsibility, those on the ground to initiate these rules. This was clearly not done. USDOT has pounded on these topics hard for 30 years. The incident in TN north of Chattanooga several years ago was caused by neglecting these responsibilities. Plain and simple.

[@Mike44460]

I believe it was a comment on the Collagedale wreck that the trucking company must coordinate crossing active rails with a superload. I would think this would be nationwide DOT regulations. I worked where we shipped superloads and the truck didn't pull out of the building until the DOT and highway patrol and escorts we ready.

[@rossbryan6102]

IT WOULD BE QUITE DIFFICULT TO TO SCHEDULE BOTH TRUCK AND TRAIN MEETING TIMES, AS NEITHER HAVE FIXED SCHEDULES!!

[@rodchallis8031]

These crossings where oversize loads or irregular vehicles get hung up on don't pop up over night, nor is the geometry hidden. I don't understand how this happens.

[@TheObsesedAnimeFreaks]

the real world isn't a text book. just because on paper something should fit does not mean it will. you can measure 5 times do the math 6 times then when you actually go to do the move, you hit something or get stuck.

[@Bitterrootbackroads]

Agreed. Thinking of the geometry involved there are several factors. The crossing & approach grades are easy enough to map out, but the potential truck / trailer / load combos are highly variable & no way to know what will show up. Weight, length, axles, and trailer bed ground clearance all affect what can be safely crossed, and changing one affects others. I used to get windmill blade trucks passing by. The lead pilot vehicle had a pole of the required height clearance, mounted vertically on front bumper. Pole touches anything overhead = truck stops. My low end iPhone has accelerometers, GPS, compass, levels, time & distance measurement features built in. I can envision an app for pilot cars. Give it 3 measurements of the load to program it, and the running app measures and maps the crossing geometry. A conflict in load & crossing dimensions triggers the alarm before the truck is on the tracks. It seems todays technology could do a better job of predicting conflicts than eyeballs.

[@TheObsesedAnimeFreaks]

@ as an app developer, your phone is no where near accurate enough to actually do that kind of work. even today, the current cost of something that accurate would be 10s of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. you aren't going to map the geometry of a racetrack with a phone you are going to rent some equipment that is going to be extremely accurate for the purposes you are using it for. an app like what you are considering is never going to be able to deal with the demands of the trucking industry, which is why they still use the old tried and true techniques. something else you might not be thinking about, the truck probably got stuck, but it probably wasn't going to be on the tracks for long at all. 2-3 minutes to power up the hydrollic system and raise the front and back end of the trailer. the truck would then be unstuck and they could move forward. The timing of the cross is typically the issue in this case. at the end of the day these truckers aren't trying to make high precision moves.they don't need ultra high tech instruments to determine if they will or will not make it over something. their trailers are adjustable and usually a stick is more then good enough to get under a bridge. generally speaking these trailers are built in such a way that getting stuck on the tracks is not usually an issue. it only becomes an issue if they get stuck, and there happens to be a train coming and they can't get free in time,. youtube: you gonna let me post today?

[@railfan475productions3]

@@TheObsesedAnimeFreaks that doesn't excuse the fact that nobody made an effort to find the little blue sign at the crossing and let it sit on the tracks for over an hour.

[@3fives-j5w]

@@rodchallis8031 There isn't a public database where you can see the dimensions of crossings. Only a list of crossings.

[@timothystevenhoward]

I have some minor experience with permit routing (not train related nor cargo related per-se) and in my experience the GIS/AI does not take into account specific site issues, road grades, etc. You really need a human or something that can look at the route and determine if the route is feasible, etc. Just because a line on a map in 2D tells you its the best route doesn't always mean it will work. In the situation I found myself in, there was an old system in place and when the new "AI" lets call it was turned on, I was flooded with issues and constant checks to verify the routes. Turns out, there were issues with the data in the model that caused red flags. If the data is not 100% correct in the model, problems will arise.

[@samandbritt224]

How about any permit with railroad crossings be required to be hauled on a trailer with a hydraulic neck, and the neck must be raised to the full upright position before crossing. Used to do this very thing when I did heavy haul, never got hung on tracks even with 168,000 on a steep grade. Most permit loads that require law enforcement and multiple escorts also require a route survey before the load departs its origin location, specifically for the purpose of.identifying potential hazards and checking for alternate routes to avoid them. In the case of railroad crossings, especially long stretches such as this one, avoiding crossings is often not an option.

[@Ghauster]

I believe this comes down to complacency. Whomever approved it did a rubber stamp without checking all the details.

[@JPC1982]

Thanks for the update on this accident. Such a sad and preventable tragedy.

[@CaveSkiSAR]

Simple: just call the number on the crossing, get approval to block the tracks, BEFORE any crossing activity that might take more than a "normal amount of time." Even a double length tractor trailer should be able to cross a grade crossing before the gates drop. This load was too long and slow to cross safely.

[@Ronald.Golleher]

The load was simply too low of a trailer and got hung up on the crest of the hill for crossing the tracks. Arguably a function of its length, but definitely something that should have been spotted or at least watched by someone before attempting to fully cross (monitoring the space between the trailer and the road/tracks to stop driver before making contact and allowing to reverse).

[@kennethfuller8347]

Thanks for sharing the NTSB report with us, Charlie, but I, like many other commentors are skeptical about the lenth of time the truck was stuck on the crossing. Things just don't add up with that assessment.

[@thomasmackowiak]

Thank you for the update on this tragic incident in Pecos, Texas. Please keep us informed of any updates that you come across. (Poste on 1 February 2025 at 1141 CST.)

[@Nathan_A_RF]

We had a crash like this in the UK in the late 1960s. After that, every single automatic crossing in the country got massive blue signs on approach that say any large or slow vehicles must phone and get permission to cross. Every single automatic crossing also has telephones direct to the signalling centre.

[@Akcd11r2002]

"Hello Dispatch, this is XYZ Heavy Haul, we are about to traverse crossing number blah blah blah, do you have any trains on approach in case we get hung up on the rails??"

[@ironmatic1]

They will not give that out over the phone. In certain situations, they'll send someone out.

[@tenrailfan]

bold to assume they would call

[@brucewoods9377]

Why should the be a problem “getting hung-up” on the rails? Oh yeah, I forgot, yanks have “Grade” crossings instead of “Level” crossings

[@Ghauster]

@@brucewoods9377 🤣🤣🤣

[@Peter-mt6lg]

That's what i said, let the RR know your gonna make a truck move like that in case they get hung up on the track.

[@Delbert127]

Godspeed to all those involved so sad. So many times oversized loads get hung up on grade changes at crossings. Thanks for your content.

[@Ronald.Golleher]

Glad to at least hear that the truck wasn't actually there for nearly 45 minutes like some of the initial comments were saying. All the videos I'd seen didn't look like it had been that long, no police presence of any kind or any people really walking about as if trying to get unstuck.

[@jimratliff2753]

Sad indeed. 100% preventable. All these heavy-haul contractors need to do is to know their lowbed's lowest clearance and if the lengths, angles and clear-space under the lowest part of their load will clear the radial angle of the grade crossing. They do all kinds of scouting and work for vertical clearances with telescopic wands on the front pilot vehicle, they do radius calc's and studies to see if the load has the correct and allowable swing-radius for horizontal turns, they know their minimum widths for wide clearances but do NOT know the trailer/loads vertical clearances at grade changes. Why? Because not enough crashes drive the requirement for the permit to include this. Why do they not have a requirement for the RR's to view the permit and have a rep at all conflict crossings with instant radio contact to nearby trains, notifying them of potential crossing hazards coming up?

[@Fronzel.Neekburm]

Congratulations on hitting 100k subs mate, way way way overdue. Hopefully its downhill from now and those subs and views keep going up.

[@povertyspec9651]

It's TXDOT's fault for approving the route with a crossing that can get long loads hung up on. You can see several scratches in the pavement from long loads at the crossing in Google Street View. They should know the profiles of the roadway at the crossing and it's easy to determine with software if a long load could get hung up.

[@ed-gw3ov]

Hey, it's Texas.........what else did you expect.

[@robindenker2504]

No! Drivers fault, just because route is approved drivers need to be sure their equipment can safely and adequately clear all road ways including train crossings!

[@FerromexGEVO]

@@robindenker2504fr

[@haroldbenton979]

Wrong Texas Department of Transportation was given all dimensions of the load were it was going the height above the ground and overall height. Texas Department of Transportation routed it through this crossing and they failed to measure the height of the railroad crossing.

[@ed-gw3ov]

@ It’s Texas, what did you expect??? Another republican ran state whose leaders have failed at everything except putting fear into people.

[@PCBill0622]

Good report. I also keep the Class 1’s emergency numbers on my phone contacts. These phone numbers are directly to the railroad’s dispatch center-in the case of UP, the Harriman Center In Omaha.

[@kc8rbk73]

I'm thinking oversize loads should be treated the same as construction zones around the railroad. Require a railroad representative on site anytime a permit loads is crossing a grade. It would be a headache but this keeps happening every couple months...

[@TickledFunnyBone]

I spoke with BNSF Safety supervisor about railfaning and asked if it was a good idea to wear the bright reflective vests when railfaning and his response was YES!. those emergency tags have emergency phone number and are a federal railroad standard on all railroad crossings. i have for the longest time had that phone number on speed dial.

[@Paul070]

Just remember this, hi viz vest or not if you stand in the wrong spot. You're going to get hit or sucked into the train if going fast enough or run over and rolled under the engines. Trust me, I have seen it twice in my 30 years of service.

[@FFred-us9tw]

Vests are for people standing on or near tracks. As a railfan, you should never be trespassing on railroad property which means you should never be close enough to need a vest.

[@paulboger3101]

Thanks for this update. It is clear concise, and no speculation. Just the facts at this point in time.

[@lamarcutts2511]

Our Condolences To The Family's Who Lost Loved One's. And As Always Thanks For The Update And We Appreciate The Work You Do And Info Contained In All Your Videos. 😊

[@cosmicraysshotsintothelight]

Good reporting. Good video. No bs included. Glad you did not blame it on DEI.

[@MUUKOW3]

Oh shut up

[@j0hnnykn0xv1lle]

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@cosmicraysshotsintothelight]

@ The only thing in the entire world more stupid than Donald John "Tantrum Boy" Trump is a Trump supporter.

[@theblackbear211]

Thanks for a clear and concise report.

[@Bessemer905]

Rip for those train crew

[@ronaldrondeau7870]

thanks for the report

[@Iconoclasher]

That's crazy. There were escort trucks. Nobody thought just maybe the low-belly might not clear the high rails? Nobody thought to get out of the truck and monitor the situation beforehand? Or go slow enough so if it hits the rail they can stop and back up?

[@PhilipMcCaig]

1) Lazy 2) Not my job 3) I thought Joe did it. 4) On the phone with someone back at the office. 5), etc Really sorry about the crew who perished and their families. These accidents continue to happen because people don't stop to think. I worked on a railroad 35 years and had close calls many times. It's dangerous work. The engineers are vulnerable to hitting gasoline tankers and propane trucks, for example, at crossings, also.

[@yungkidnf]

So glad you are keeping a focus on this

[@randydobson1863]

Hello V12 Productions & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks V12 Productions & Friends Randy

[@ffjsb]

Lowboy trailers should be equipped with a couple of sets of steel rollers in the middle of the trailer like the ones on the big roll off dumpsters. That would help prevent it from bottoming out on RR crossings and such.

[@gordonvincent731]

There is a locomotive engineer who runs the train, and a conductor. The engineer, like myself, put the train into emergency. It pisses me off no end with this generic term, "operating crews". I feel very very sorry for the two who died because of that truck driver.

[@natethetrainboy9864]

Nice to hear more information about that crash from the NTSB. RIP to those Union Pacific crew members who died. That video of the crash is insane, I think one of the few times to see a train crash caught on camera. Just so you know the derailment derailed the 4 head end locomotives and 25 intermodal cars out of 103 cars, you can see it in the video. One last thing, the NTSB also said they recovered near by surveillance footage and the onboard forward facing video from the lead locomotive, UP 8245.

[@Brandonbuilt]

New law, from now on, with an oversized load that requires any permits or escorts also requires a representative from any railroad it needs to cross to confirm no trains are coming and then the truck and trailer has to be walked with as they cross to make sure it doesn't get snared.

[@robindenker2504]

Non issue! Drivers crossing railroad tracks should always ensure there is no train traffic approaching crossing! Drivers crossing railroad tracks should also ensure they have adequate clearance to cross tracks before making crossing!

[@Brandonbuilt]

@ non issue?

[@johndettmann6785]

I would like to know how much time passed between the trailer getting stuck and the impact from the train. It's shocking that so few truck drivers know about that blue sign on the crossing signal. In many cases the trains could have been stopped in plenty of time to avoid these tragedies.

[@robertglietz7178]

The 4th paragraph of the NTSB report states that the vehicle entered the crossing about 1 minute before the collision. So no time to stop the train even if someone had called the phone number on the crossing.

[@Benjamin_999]

The truck was stuck there for about 45 minutes before the train came according to articles and social posts so they had plenty of time to do something and this could’ve easily been prevented.

[@FFred-us9tw]

@@Benjamin_999it was less than 60 seconds. It’s right in the NTSB report as well as UP statements.

[@vancepomerening4794]

Good job again V12!

[@whiteknightcat]

I still find it hard to believe that the NTSB believes (preliminarily) that the truck was on the crossing for only a minute despite multiple witness reports of it having been there for much longer, as well as there having been enough time for at least two citizens to line up their phone cameras on the crossing (which showed a long line of vehicles backed up). At one minute before impact, the train's headlight would have been visible about 1.2 miles distant to the east.

[@clarkmorrison7243]

"Day of" news reports quoted local law enforcement as saying the truck was on the tracks for approximately 45 seconds. I think the internet game of "telephone" somehow morphed that into "45 minutes" as commenters hundreds of miles away chimed in as "eyewitnesses." As for cars backed up, that's to be expected if the blockage was very recent; after 10 or 15 minutes drivers would be avoiding the area. As for "lining up" your phone to record video most phones today have an icon to tap to start recording even if the phone is locked, so no more than a few seconds. If there is a positive outcome from this, I hope it would be that publishers of navigation apps can tap into real-time data on the movements of trains, so that motorists can find alternate routes if need be, or oversize loads like this wait for the train to pass.

[@whiteknightcat]

@@clarkmorrison7243 Real time data already exists for rail equipment movements, to a limited extent. UP used to have a public trace where you could enter the reporting marks of particular equipment to locate it in the country. It was for use by shippers tracing their cargo, but railfans loved this as they knew where to set up for pictures of something. After 9/11, all that public access disappeared. Now only bonafide shippers are allowed access.

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

1) Stop building railroad crossings with such insanely steep grades. 2) Personally, I don't think 20 seconds is enough advanced warning of an approaching train. Especially one at speed.

[@Foomba]

In no way am I admonishing you for posting the video of the impact. Yes, hard to watch knowing people lost their lives. Made me well up.

[@charleshaggard4341]

The loads using a lowboy trailer shouldn't be authorized over any RR crossing. The same thing happened at a crossing 6 miles from my house when a lowboy carrying a trackhoe hung up on a crossing and they couldn't get the train notified in time and it hit it. Thanks for the update.

[@yougoof]

Need to build a trailer that lifts and/or 5th wheel that lifts. A railway crossing trailer.

[@LUNITICWILL]

NTSB says 1 minute from getting stuck to the collision. a train going that fast with that much weight would take a bit longer than that to stop.

[@SD40Fan_Jason]

There needs to be a 20-second rule. If you cannot safely traverse the crossing and clear up in 20 seconds, you should be required to call the railroad and get permission to occupy the crossing in the same manner that a maintenance of way vehicle would access it.

[@billnict1]

One thing you missed is "the combination vehicle entered the highway-railroad grade crossing about 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE COLLISION." Even if they did call the the number on the blue sign at the crossing after getting stuck, 1 minute is not enough time for the railroad dispatcher to contact the train crew. This on Texas Department of Transportation, which doesn't surprise me since it is a Texas governmental agency. Going forward they need to have a railroad employee onsite in contact with their dispatcher and stop any trains that are even remotely in the vicinity until these high and wide oversized loads are safely across the tracks...

[@Cnw8701]

The remnants of this derailment are currently sitting in Alfalfa Yard in El Paso, TX. I've taken photos of the containers, crossing signal, and GEVOs that were wrecked and are currently being scrapped as of this writing.

[@espeescotty]

Thanks for the update on this incident. With under a minute from the truck getting stuck to impact, dialing the number on the blue sign wouldn't have helped anything....and that is assuming there is a strong enough cell phone signal in this town. I guess we need to be sure there is a way to contact the dispatcher BEFORE these huge loads even attempt to enter the crossing. It is cheap insurance for there to be a stipulation in the permits that there be a railroad employee with radio communications at every RR crossing in the path of these oversize moves -- Just in case. As the saying goes, "Many safety rules have been written in blood." This should be a new one. On a different note, as I was watching, I noticed that your subscriber number was showing "99.9K". I immediately subscribed in hopes that I may have been the one that tipped you over the magical 100K mark. I wasn't. 😕 Very soon, though. It'll be neat to get your silver "Play Button". 🤠👍

[@jeffjohnson1302]

Happens all time that trailers get stuck on tracks. There is a slight grade on both sides of track that cause heavy loads to get stuck on tracks. They need to level roads for a distance put both directions with tracks to prevent this.

[@jeffreyharkness8551]

Blessings to the train crew and their families. These collisions are always preventable, especially with all of the escort vehicles. It is the escort job to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

[@Random_Sh9945]

0:37 that one locomotive that got its whole body sheered off next to those containers was 8245 with the two crewman inside…..

[@citxsd70m-2]

8245 was the lead locomotive.

[@csxtrainfan319]

You meant 8245

[@Random_Sh9945]

@ oh ye I forgot my bad💀

[@BryanTorok]

I have often wondered about the protection of the train crew in accidents like this. I've seen videos of several accidents involving car haulers that typically have low ground clearance. In at least one accident, several cars came off the top of the trailer and flew up into the air. At least one went over the top of the locomotive. I would like to see the section of the NTSB report that discusses train crew survivability. Does the crew even have seat belts? If the engine derails and rolls on its side, the crew could get injured just from being thrown around the inside of the cab.

[@darthvirago]

In the UK they are called level crossings because they are level. With the rack and road at the same hight nothing gets stuck.

[@kbtred51]

Not really it's just the English way of saying at-grade crossing

[@davecooper3238]

Nice clear report without any histrionics.

[@The_DuMont_Network]

Why not tighter coordination with the railroad? A Heads up to the railroad when the load is approaching a crossing. Maybe even an authority from the railroad before the load can cross? In this age of instant communication and geolocation, it sounds like a no brainer.

[@AmtrakandAWVRFan]

exactly my thoughts. Regardless if the load was stuck on the track for 60 seconds or 45 minutes (as many initially thought), they should have called the number on the blue sign to let the railroad know a large load was to cross their tracks. Either case, it was preventable and the crew members that passed would, and should, still be with us.

[@WesleyEast-RRfan]

are you going to do more on site railfanning videos soon?

[@v12productions]

Yep, I plan to!

[@frankym274]

Thank You For The Update on This Tragic Union Pacific Train Accident At Pecos Texas Please Keep us Informed of Any Updates That You Come Across UP 8245 UP 8210 Was Wreck Scrapped And UP 7894 UP 5614 Repair Service 0:36

[@robertf3479]

While I hate to say it, it appears to me that Federal intervention and required remedies may be necessary to reduce or eliminate these elevated grade crossings. Perhaps modifications or replacement of the current generation of "low-boy" trailers to ensure sufficient clearance of these and other obstructions. In this day and age of instantaneous communications, data and voice communications between the local authorities, "pilot" vehicles, trucks and RAILROAD Dispatch should be one of several remedies are necessary.

[@StevieWonder737]

This was not a standard low-boy trailer, it was a hydraulic lift trailer that can be raised or lowered for clearance purposes. I don't know why it got stuck on the tracks but I suspect it was a mechanical malfunction in the trailer lift mechanism or the power feed to that mechanism. The uniformed police officer is an off-duty police officer on a privately owned motorcycle paid to escort the truck and trailer and to escort it through stop lights and otherwise manage traffic where necessary. It was NOT a on-duty police officer or an official police vehicle. This is similar to the off-duty police you see stationary at construction sites with lights flashing to slow down traffic, most typically where there is a lane closure.

[@reallovechannel1309]

I am praying for the families of the conductor and engineer🙏

[@jean-louisdorget170]

Theoritically, the warning lights were twinkling when the heavy freight train approached the crossing, so WHY didn't the truck stopped?

[@T82975]

The unfortunate thing is that the Locomotive derailed. If you watch the video a few times you notice the lead engine nose rise upon impact which means the front low loader frame got under the wheels. Maybe the Locomotive designer's could have something that drops downing front of the wheels to push the car,truck or whatever away.

[@truckinpoppop6777]

So was the semi actually stuck or waiting on a stop light?

[@whiteknightcat]

The driver had already gone through "downtown" Pecos traveling north - there are no traffic lights or stop signs on US 285 north of downtown.

[@truckinpoppop6777]

@ So why did he stop? Bottomed out or just timed it wrong? I’d think it would be a simple phone call by the escorts to the railroad saying they would be crossing at a certain window of time so they could slow or stop the train.

[@whiteknightcat]

@ Those are the questions the NTSB will be investigating. That information is unknown at this time.

[@DetroitLove4U]

The honest tool in the history of life is learning from the unforeseen fatal/catastrophic perils and even fairly predictable ones at that of tragedies and the establishing precedents for engineering /medical protocol. This isn't the first time and far from it that an event like this has happened. So it is more and more concerning. Many aspects in safety provisions and procedures seem to derive from re-active avenues rather than proactive ones.

[@danielneeley5480]

This was preventable, no doubt, and who is going to answer for the crews death? I realize the investigation is still going on and trucks and trailers and the load can be replaced but not the crews lives, good job on your reporting Mr Charlie, its nice to get details from you on this type of accident otherwise many of us wouldn't even know an accident took place.

[@RailfanSam]

Yesterday AMTK cascades train 509 smashed into a car causing the car to go up in flames. I was on that train and the car was on the crossing for about 20 min before it was struck.

[@shotgunsniper1530]

simple solution: a Call to the railcompany "Hey Heavy Haul XYZ here, we are planning a haul and noticed that we need to cross your line here and there. can we get on date x a Safety guard to cross those crossings. Can you help with that?"

[@seymoarsalvage]

They should bring back Long Hood Lead lol. With modern cameras, you wouldn't have a visibility issue, and have the whole locomotive as your safety barrier

[@carknocker16]

Have you ever run a locomotive with long hood forward. I have. cameras won't show you all that you need to see. speak from experience or shut up!

[@davecooper3238]

In Europe grade crossings sometimes have. Risk of grounding signs. Don’t remember seeing that in the US. But I have seen videos showing railroad incidents that seen to be down to vehicles grounding.

[@roberthale8407]

They have them all over where you will get stuck on a crossing.

[@trainman707]

So was the trailer not visible to the train crew longer than a min before the crash?

[@gronmic]

Good report

[@u2bear377]

Why isn't there an emergency button on the crossing stand that triggers a red signal for trains (and trips the track circuit that activates cab signalling alarm and emergency brake application)? Oh yes, it may be abused. But losing lives is much worse.

[@DPBGMODELRAILROAD]

I wouldn't say that such a button may be abused, but will be abused.

[@HustleMuscleGhias]

Not only do you have to worry about abuse, but you have to worry about stupid is as stupid does. You will have all sorts of stupidity involved with such a button ranging from general mischief by teenagers and drunks, to acts of protest and vandalism by environmental groups stopping oil trains, and people stopping traffic for photographs. Stopped trains are also subject to general mischief such as individuals disconnecting air hoses, closing air valves, messing with cargo such as but not limited to opening valves on tank cars potentially releasing toxic chemicals into the air or water , draining hoppers of grain, plastic pellets, or maybe ammonia nitrate, general looting, and even messing with couplers disconnecting cars.

[@u2bear377]

@ All that can be done with other means ranging from fraudulent calls to the number on a Blue Sign to messing with the track circuit. But The Button may save lives. P.S. Maybe not just a button but a button with a two-way voice communication and video cameras. It makes possible alerting the RR about the emergency without depending on mobile phones.

[@cgagnon0513]

Smart Railroad Crossings do this. They use loops in the road that detect if there is something occupying the crossing or not. If there is something in the crossing, the exit gates will rise and the trains cab signals will drop to restricting. I feel as if smart crossings were implemented on all railroads, a lot less of these accidents with vehicles being struck by a train would become less.

[@NS-8101]

question, 1. how did it derail that fast? 2. did anyone get charged with anything? 3. i have no 3erd question congrats of almost hitting 100k! wounder what he is going to do on that day?

[@AirshBornely]

Okay hearing it was only a minute makes so much more sense than what I heard sas "45 minutes" Once again can't always believe what you hear on the Internet.

[@SimonTekConley]

They do not always pick up right away. I've called and waited 5+ mins to talk to someone before.

[@persistentwind]

Ok I am finally subscribing.... I'm gonna dub you the blancolirio of the rails.

[@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel]

and don't forget Sal Mercogliano who is the Juan Browne of shipping (Sal actually says "ok, let's Juan Browne this" LOL www.youtube.com/@wgowshipping)

[@persistentwind]

@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel that's hilarious already subd thanks to Juan!

[@JohnWright-kr8ms]

Those blue and yellow is tdot. Any oversize load is escorted through Texas or NY by tdot or ny dot

[@deriko8144]

What was the first unit number? loco were the 2 crew was killed in

[@robinroberts3335]

Fantastic strike nice catch . To bad head end crew .RIP

[@rickybobby7285]

These loads are supposed to be scheduled in advance with the railroad, so there’s no possibility of an interaction like this. As a former lowboy driver, it’s very easy to become high centered, then stressed which further reduces the driver’s efficiency in finding a solution. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims.

[@Hybris51129]

This is the first I have heard of this but I am already seeing multiple failures here. 1. Uniformed police officer didn't radio in that the truck he was escorting was stuck. If for some reason you can't find one of the signs to call the railroad people are told to call 911 so they can pass it along to the railroad. A police officer in a escort role should be able to do this with no issue. 2. Engine crew. The aerial view shows the track approaching the impact site to be straight and wide open so why wasn't the obstruction not seen sooner and brakes applied sooner even if to start slowing down far more than what was found? 3. Routing. Lowboys and railroads crossing don't mix well usually and this is common knowledge for truckers especially anyone looking to get into heavy haul. So were there any other alternate routes that would avoid meeting a railroad at all?

[@StevieWonder737]

The uniformed police officer is an off-duty police officer on a privately owned motorcycle paid to escort the truck and trailer and to escort it through stop lights and otherwise manage traffic where necessary. It was NOT a on-duty police officer or an official police vehicle. This is similar to the off-duty police you see stationary at construction sites with lights flashing to slow down traffic, most typically where there is a lane closure.

[@u2bear377]

An escort must have a radio transceiver tuned to the train frequency, the freq that traincrews can hear directly. Must broadcast: "STOP STOP STOP! LINE OBSTRUCTED! STOP!".

[@Jake266]

If train crews stopped for every person, vehicle or object on the tracks in line of sight, the train would never make it to its destination. In the 116 mile trip that I run daily, there are countless gate runners, cars on the tracks until the last minute, people walking in the gauge, objects in the tracks whether intentional or not. The train crew should hold absolutely ZERO responsibility in this accident.

[@StevieWonder737]

@@u2bear377 No way. Any idiot with a radio can transmit on the railroad frequency. That frequency varies from railroad to railroad to location. You realize there are literally thousands of combinations. Police departments have a lot of different frequencies. The local PD and the sheriff most likely don't share a frequency even in rural areas.

[@u2bear377]

@ An agency that escorts a truck over _that particular_ railroad crossing must have _that particular_ railroad's train frequency. If any idiot with a radio can transmit, then does it take an idiot to do that? And also simple red flares / directional lights. And even the knowledge and the equipment to short the track circuit.

[@reginald2004]

I think every railroader that has ever hit anything was having flashbacks watching that original video. Having been in the position of having to make decisions on whether or not to plug it (put the train in emergency) it's always going to be better to err on the side of caution. Also there is a collective mentality amongst railroaders that you don't plug it until impact. I hate to say it but at that track speed there is no way to avoid a collision. What needs to be worked on is how the crew responded. Just how much time did they have to instantly make a critical decision that the load was NOT going to clear the crossing no matter how hard and long the whistle was blown. The cabs on those engines are designed to take significant impacts but there are limits. A lower speed impact would save lives and even if the load did clear you'd still be alive to feel a bit foolish. Time after time you see these high centered load accidents and yes it's not the RR's fault but are the crews being taught how to instantly recognize the situation for what it is" Then assume the worst, you ARE gonna hit it.

[@RAILS_OF_STEEL]

And how did the all the emergency vehicles get there before the derailment

[@kingjames8283]

The fact remains, the oversize load entered a railroad grade crossing without a representative from the railroad being physically on-site to grant permission to cross. This requires the transportation company calling ahead to the railroad to advise which crossings they need to cross so that trains headed towards that location can be stopped, and all rail traffic paused until the oversize load can safely make it across and clear the tracks. As in this case where the trailer of the oversize load high-centered the crossing, had a railroad rep been present, no catastrophe would've occurred because rail traffic would've already been paused. All heavy haul transportation companies and truckers know the rules or should know the rules, and in this case the state of Texas should've known as well when issuing the permit so that specific language regarding railroad crossings could be added mandating contact with all affected railroads along the permit route so that they could post railroad representatives at each crossing with that person having direct contact with train dispatchers. I know this because I've hauled many dozens of oversize / heavy haul loads and no railroad tracks can be crossed without authorization by the railroad person on-site.

[@kbtred51]

Why was MSM reporting on a 45 min delay on the day, so misleading

[@herbcraven7146]

It seems that the permitting entity doesn't take the grade crossing slope into account when designating routes for such oversized loads. That said, the pilot vehicle driver should have been trained to notice the distinct possibility of this load getting high-centered on this crossing and stopped the truck before allowing it to cross. I do think railroads should be notified in advance of these kinds of movements as well.

[@kevinheard8364]

I am sincerely dumbfounded by this. The following is borne out of frustration in all the possibilities: how in the world did nobody catch the 'dangerous route' - specifically the crossing?; how didn't either of the two-vehicle escort even look down the tracks and say, "oh crap - don't cross yet"?; how did the police escort - who is presumably the 'ranking member of the entourage' - not go forward enough to check the crossing area for an approaching train?; how did the driver not see/respond?; how is it possible that nobody called the blue sign number - presuming that the train would have already been in the process of stopping? Just frustration talking here... that's all.

[@michaelmenard6088]

My heart goes to these men. This couldve been avoided with proper scheduling.

[@Last_day_events]

1:20 the truck entered the crossing 1 minute before the collision. No time to stop the train.

[@ellisjackson336]

The walls of the cabs of these locomotives above the nose are thin. Tens of thousands of tons at speed is a lot of momentum to fight against. But the cab greenhouses could definitely be reinforced. Thicker metal at the very least

[@reallovechannel1309]

There MUST be a coordination of the delivery companies, the police escorts and the railroads!

[@nigelwatkins558]

what about train timetables ???????

[@jocktulloch3499]

Did anyone CALL the number on the blue sign? Does the sign need to be bigger, or a more visible colour?

[@StevieWonder737]

Yes a call was made but the timeline was very short.

[@u2bear377]

There must be a BIG RED BUTTON, not a sign "call this number...".

[@SouthernArkansasTrains]

Well people on my Facebook definitely lied about it being stuck for 45 minutes 🙄🙄 At least this video gave some good details for sure because other people were just talking and don’t even know exactly what happened, yet again on Facebook.

[@ProtonTheProtogen]

This shows why the companies behind oversized loads need to contact railroads to tell them about the load

[@markpell8979]

I live in TX, I thought I was well-informed, but this is the very first news report I've seen of this massive derailment incident as of Feb 2, about 6wks after it happened. I guess all the recent aviation incidents are stealing the attention?

[@MARINECORPS61992113]

Those big steel boxes are at every crossing. On one side it has the name of rail road and bunch of other info including the 1800 number that's on the blue and white signs. My first yr driving trucks we had someone come to orientation from the railroad give us info. That's was back in 2012

[@sirblack1619]

The big signs on the relay case have been around for a long time now. That is how I figure out who's railway it is.

[@frzstat]

We may need new safety policies for oversized loads transiting level crossings. The truck driver or escort driver could call the railroad before crossing for clearance, and then let them know when the crossing is clear. Every State has a call before you dig policy (811.)

[@rossbryan6102]

MY ONE QUESTION IS HOW LONG BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCURRED WAS THE TRUCK STUCK ON THE CROSSING?? WITH REGARD TO CAB CREW SURVIVABILITY ISSUES, THE HEIGHT OF THE TRUCK TRAILER LOAD , NEGATED THE COLLISION CAB NOSE FRAME REINFORCEMENT! IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FRAMING AND REINFORCEMENTS AT WINDSHIELD LEVEL AND ABOVE! KEEP THEM ROLLING BROTHERS,SAFELY!! 🏴🏴

[@MokkaMatti]

Oh, just another thing to happen in Texas. Whatever. Bless your hearts. Good night and good luck.

[@AlanMullen-w1f]

❤s go out to the familys

[@kennardjohnson7875]

I would not have driven on the tracks, several things should have been done, adjust the air ride suspension all the way up, called that number and asked when the next train approach would be, crept up on the tracks to check clearance, if no go call a lumber yard for twenty 2x12 what ever length and slid them where ever to keep the frame rails off the tracks, a hydraulic rgn of can left the front of the trailer way up,but if you have a fixed mechanical you better come up with a plan. I'm glad I'm long past the heavy haul headaches and make it with a van trailer.

[@seaboard544]

for 100K subs you should do a heritage unit compilation

[@kens.3729]

Hello 👋 Charlie. Thanks for the Great Update. Less than 400 Subscribers to GO to Reach 100k. Keep up the Strong 💪 Efforts. Thanks! 👍🙏