CP Holiday Train vs Officer

Yow! That was too close!

Peter

 

WOW..That really was a close call. Hope the officer was not injured too bad. The close of the train with some daylight made looking at the cars very intresting. Glad it was not tragic.

This is ridiculous. Does anyone really think that it was that officer who was keeping people back from the train? People would naturally move back when the train comes by...all by themselves. Gee...what a concept.

 

That officer, walking with his BACK to the oncoming train, was the biggest safety hazard there! I also wonder why the engineer didn't sound the horn a couple of times or have the bell ringing. No bell in that situation is a rules violation.

Thanks for fixing the video Mr. Melvin. He had the bell going, and Im sure that the horn was sounded prior to the engine moving. Just gotta stay back from the tracks.

"Mr. Melvin" was my father.     You're welcome.

 

Yes, I now see he did have the bell on. With all the up-close crowd noise it was not audible until the engine goes by the camera.

Someone should instruct those people in the crowd that it's perfectly politically correct to grab the police officer's jacket and pull him to safety, rather than to allow him to get squished by a train. What a bunch of ____________ fill in the blank; I'm too frustrated to continue.

How about some blame for the town/village for not having a temporary fence set up to keep people at a safe distance.

Amazing!!!!??

That suggestion would be appropriate if you were dealing with a herd of cattle or a flock of sheep.

Well, in the town where I see it (Libertyville, IL) there is fence and I've never seen anyone almost run over.

And risk getting charged with assaulting an officer?   I'd yell, but I'd never put my hands on a cop.

There also was a chain link fence in Milwaukee when it was there last week eh

I'd say dmestan and pennsyk4 sorta have it correct. Yes a fence would be needed to keep the SHEEPLE out of their own harms' way, as most sheeple don't have a lick o' common sense these days. As I watched that video I was aghast at how close the sheeple were to the tracks.  And blowing the horn would've helped..........BTW Merry Christmas to all Forumites!!!!!!

I am wondering, if the sheep herding police officer was injured,(and I hope he wasn't) will he be suing the rr for his medical expenses and suffering? if so, will the Christmas Train become a thing of youtube? All that will take place will be videos of the Christmas train at whatever folks are calling the season of the year we are currently in?

Why on earth was he walking on the ties?  If he had been walking on the ground he'd been out of harms way.  I guess some people don't realize that trains stick out past the rails.  Glad he wasn't killed.

After watching the video a few times I am thinking the officer was a female. Not that that had anything to do with her almost having a real bad day. Lucky for her she was far enough off the rails so she was not seriously injured.

 

JohnB

Last Friday I just rode on the "Train of Lights" Christmas train in Niles Canyon.  There were no fences...and no close calls with passengers, on-lookers...or cops!  Was a lack of common sense with that cop. 

I really hope you are kidding?

Blame the town?  Oh boy...  How about everyone be responsible for themselves and pay attention to whats going on.  As for the ofc....poor situational awareness is the problem there.

Big time officer safety boo boo!!!! Hopefully he/she is ok,

The officer was female. The locomotive's bell was ringing. Someone who saw this developing should have shouted or grabbed her, if necessary. The crowd IS too close to the tracks.

 

When this train arrives in Gurnee, IL, the snow fence is set back 20' or more from the tracks. Spectators stay behind it. Cops and officials can walk between the tracks and the snow fence. Nevertheless, no one gets hurt and everyone has a good time.

Yes they should have.

"Citizen's arrayest!  Citizen's arrayest!"

I have worked CSX's Santa Train several times and railroad special agents, not local police officers, use police line tape to hold onlookers at a safe distance until the train has stopped and clearance is given to allow people onto the tracks at the rear.  Looks to me like CP should handle in the same manner. 

Curt

Guess this might be a reason for Hunter to pull the train next year!

We were told here in Delanson N.Y if we could not control the people the train would no longer stop. Does anyone know if the person that was hit was injured badly? Al

Listen to the video

She is an auxiliary police officer in Hamilton, Ontario and was knocked down by the train when it clipped her left shoulder.  The Hamilton-Spectator news story is  here along with a different version of the above.

 

 

As an auxiliary she does not get paid, is just a volunteer mainly for community events.  They have some training but not as much as career officers.

That video was shot by a TRUE Railfan, an officer gets struck by the train, and the camera's point of focus doesn't even flinch.

 

Doug

I'm going to put the blame on her. She's trying to tell people to stand back but she herself isn't paying attention to where she is walking. Should safety protocols be put in place to keep people back from the tracks? Perhaps. Should someone have tried grabbing her? Perhaps. This of course is contingent upon someone within arms reach of her realizing that she was about to get hit. I'm sure she wasn't what people were focusing on. If she had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened.

I have all the respect in the world for police officers.  They put their lives at risk everyday but she was just plain STUPID.  You would think someone in that position would know better.   

 

I knew an engineer at NS that had his spine ripped from his body by the end of the snowplow on the front of an engine.  Not a pleasant sight.  That would have ruined that day for a lot of people I'm sure.

 

Rick

Where were the CP rail cops?? And why didn't a  crew member put the train into emergency? after all (we know now) the train did  hit her. Isn't there a 2 main crew in the engine?  One on the left side of the engine?  Talk about poor safety.

Ah yes, another well experienced EXPERT!!!

Expert??      More like common sense,, I've been a number of the CP rail Christmas train outings . Have you?  I'm an old school CN  conductor, What's your take on this?

 

 

 

 

Well, I think we all have more than enough information now, to either string her up, or at the very least, tar & feather her and run her out of town on a split rail!

 We don't want to do that to her.  We just don't want to see anyone get hurt or killed.

Hi Gregg, I am an X NS conductor and you are right to a point.  I was trained that in a situation like that, if you throw the train into emergency, you have to take into consideration the train possibly derailing when going into emergency.  IF, that were to happen, with that many people that close to the tracks, how many people would get hurt or killed?  Very difficult decisions indeed.

 

Rick

 

 

The Christmas train  is a really small  train.. maybe 10 cars tops. It's not going to derail..Yes pulling the air on a heavy  or long freight   is probably not a good idea.

This girl was very lucky...