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I wouldn't have believed there was enough clearance to not be hit by the snowplow on the front of the engine.  (or whatever they call a cow catcher these days.  )

 

That had to be extremely frightening.  I climbed into a small concrete bridge once when a train went over and the sound and pounding of the wheels was incredible.

This was on CBS last night and this morning....I, too would not have believed there was  enough room under a car's trucks, much less the pilot, to clear a skinny ten

year old, much less grown women.  The amazing thing is...they must have really

kissed the ties and had sense enough to stay down, and that both of them had that

good sense.  I, as described above, have sat on the concrete abutment under a trestle, as a train passed over, and then I was leery of falling objects, coal lumps, whatever, but that was as a kid before everything became illegal.  And the station master warned us kids NOT to get on the trestle, and we did not...

First thing that came to mind was how wonderful it was that the train didn't derail going into emergency coming out of a curve as the front wheels hit the bridge. Dangerous enough to dump the air on a straight track on firm ground.

 

Second thing that came to mind was who the heck is stupid enough to go out on a bridge 80 feet high with no means of escape and thinking "i doubt a train will come through on these railroad tracks"...

 

And once again no one gives a $%#$ that the engineer and conductor had to watch this in slow motion as they think they killed two girls.

 

Paul

 

Paul

Originally Posted by colorado hirailer:

I, too would not have believed there was enough room under a car's trucks, much less the pilot, to clear a skinny ten year old, much less grown women. 

Are you kidding? There's PLENTY of room. The plows don't skim along the tops of the rail, for pete's sake. They did exactly what I would have done, had I been stupid enough to put myself in that situation in the first place.

Last edited by smd4
Originally Posted by Matt Makens:

I thought the traction motors and gears cut the clearance down to less than that

The traction motors don't extend beyond the diameter of the wheel.

 

If that's 132 pound rail, it's over 7 inches tall. The pilot is several inches above that, and the traction motors higher still. I'm sure some of the, um, stouter among us might have guts that are taller than a foot while lying flat, but I best most folks would clear.

 

You'd be surprised how much room there is.

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