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Train crashes into excavator in Ringgold, Georgia


Sedalia Dave

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I just can't understand how people are that stupid, especially "professional" drivers. Besides pulling onto the tracks to begin with, he then gets out to try to uncouple the trailer...instead of moving 20' forward or 50' backward. What a dumbass.

 

Also, I've never seen a train stop that quickly.

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Now that lady was smart. She did the wisest thing possible in that situation. 
 

Now that truck driver, he needs his arse beat in public. 

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If you look closely...the trailer is high centered on the tracks...he CAN"T MOVE. One of the hazards of pulling a RGN trailer hauling equipment. RGN is removable goose neck. The front part of the trailer detatches and the equipment is loaded and unloaded from the front of the trailer. Car haulers and some livestock trailers are prone to this happening too

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20 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

I just can't understand how people are that stupid, especially "professional" drivers. Besides pulling onto the tracks to begin with, he then gets out to try to uncouple the trailer...instead of moving 20' forward or 50' backward. What a dumbass.

 

Also, I've never seen a train stop that quickly.

 

He was high centered on the tracks and couldn't move. Serious hazard with trailers of that design. 

I don't think he was trying to unhook as that is pretty easy to do. He was trying to raise the trailer up via the neck cylinder.

 

The below video will give you an idea.

 

Not all trailers work exactly like this one but all designs will lift the trailer higher than when in the transport mode to facilitate engaging the locking mechanism.

 

Some trailers are powered by the tractor. Other trailers have a small gas or diesel motor inside the neck assembly of the trailer that powers everything.

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If there is forward pressure on the kingpin...you can't get the fifth wheel to unhook. You have to back up against the kingpin so the fifth wheel can be released. If there is pressure on the jaws of the fifth wheel...it is locked up tight

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7 minutes ago, Old Man Graybeard said:

If you look closely...the trailer is high centered on the tracks...he CAN"T MOVE. One of the hazards of pulling a RGN trailer hauling equipment. RGN is removable goose neck. The front part of the trailer detatches and the equipment is loaded and unloaded from the front of the trailer. Car haulers and some livestock trailers are prone to this happening too

I had those trailers drag going into drive ways.

Bet that tractor had only one drive axle.

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When they get high centered like that...it doesn't matter if there is one or two drive axles. An empty car hauler high centered near home a few years ago. He couldn't move either direction and trying to pull him with my pickup wouldn't budge him either. Just spun my tires on pavement. More weight than you think. It was empty. Had to get a wrecker to get him winched out of the mess he was in

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Big box next to the crossing has an 800# and crossing #. Call it right away to alert rail dispatch.

 

Trust me that driver didn't do that on purpose and is likely unemployed before that train stopped. Even with ongoing rr crossing mssgs that happens more often than you think

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3 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

A driver should know his or her load and its dimensions and act accordingly.  
 

 

And he should also know the exact dimensions and contours of every inch of roadway, right?   I don't recall seeing "Caution High Center Danger" warning signs.

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3 hours ago, Pulp, SASS#28319 said:

Car hauler trailers can get high centered on a hard pack Marlboro box!

This happened pretty close to where I live:

 

 

 

That driver was definitely an IDIOT. It is obvious he is on a road not designed for large trucks and you can tell by looking, that a trailer that low is going to get high centered on that crossing grade.

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5 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

And he should also know the exact dimensions and contours of every inch of roadway, right?   I don't recall seeing "Caution High Center Danger" warning signs.

I stand by what I said. You can see a high center hazard as you come to it. Railroads don’t put surprises in their grade crossings. 

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12 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

I had those trailers drag going into drive ways.

Bet that tractor had only one drive axle.

It was a tandem. This may not necessarily be the drivers fault. That is. Fairly long and moderate approach up to the tracks on the right side and more abrupt on the left. I bet not a local from the area.
Mistakes and misjudgments happen, this being an expensive one. I’ll decline to cast criticism.
And I bet in the town of Ringold, which ain’t very big, mostly 2 lane roads, a new warning sign will going up like this, as I have my doubts they had one up in the first place.

 

image.jpeg

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Curious.   That excavated is heavy and wider than the lowboy.  Should have been a permitted load. Wide load sign hanging from the front bumper. All the permitted loads I have been involved in had the route preset by DOT via permit conditions. Could be the dudes that created the route (DOT) made a boo-boo. Might not be the drivers fault if he was following a preset route. 
 

Sam Sackett 

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I looked at this intersection on Google earth 

I stand by my comments 

There is no high track warning sign I could find to warn an driver.

From the perspective of the driver, it’s a moderate rise and abrupt drop on other side

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12 hours ago, Dirty Dan Dawkins said:

It was a tandem. This may not necessarily be the drivers fault. That is. Fairly long and moderate approach up to the tracks on the right side and more abrupt on the left. I bet not a local from the area.
Mistakes and misjudgments happen, this being an expensive one. I’ll decline to cast criticism.
And I bet in the town of Ringold, which ain’t very big, mostly 2 lane roads, a new warning sign will going up like this, as I have my doubts they had one up in the first place.

 

image.jpeg

 

Thanks!  That's the first time I've seen one of those.

 

48 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Well, one thing is for sure. It wasn’t the train crew’s fault. 

 

I don't think anyone is blaming the crew.   We're just saying that it isn't necessarily the fault of the truck driver.

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