Safety Device for Trucks stuck on grade crossings to alert oncoming trains.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

In order for the driving public to remember the 800 number, I suggest (after decades of thought on this subject) that the 800 number be changed to...oh, I don't know...something easy to remember...say...911.  

Then instruct every PSAP manager to instruct his/her employees with the necessity to contact the RR dispatcher having jurisdiction as quickly as possible in the event that they get a call from a stuck trucker.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...fety_answering_point

That's far too sensible Arthur, it'll never fly!

And for good reason.  I've heard way too many instances where 911 callers were asked to "please hold".  That is unlikely to happen with this 800 number on the blue signs.  Plus; the system is already in place.  If 911 were to be used; every sign at every grade crossing in the country would have to be replaced.  Additionally; some sort of interface between every local 911 call center and the DOT would have to be created to eliminate the possibility of one operator giving another the wrong crossing ID number. 

The reality is the blue signs work if people would just phone the number shown on them.  And; as I mentioned earlier in the thread; I think a better job of educating the public as to their purpose could be done.

Curt

There is prior art going back a hundred years and tbe patent examiner would have to be in 'la la' land to grant this patent. Other than that I don't think much of the idea for the reasons expressed by other posters.

Just call the phone number on the blue sign. The call center is a direct link to a constantly attended location that has a direct line to dispatch. 

There was an Amtrak accident down in FLA. or GA with the police on site trying to clear the truck and the train still hit it. No one called the number on the blue board.  

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

In order for the driving public to remember the 800 number, I suggest (after decades of thought on this subject) that the 800 number be changed to...oh, I don't know...something easy to remember...say...911.  

Then instruct every PSAP manager to instruct his/her employees with the necessity to contact the RR dispatcher having jurisdiction as quickly as possible in the event that they get a call from a stuck trucker.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...fety_answering_point

Well, one problem with using 911 instead of the number on the Little Blue Sign, is that the Little Blue Sign has a DOT number that identifies that specific crossing.  The caller to 911 may not properly identify the crossing and usually would have no idea which railroad.  "I'm stuck on the Elm Street crossing," is no help if Norfolk Southern and CSX both cross Elm Street within a block of each other.  Or, sometimes Elm Street crosses two CSX lines that run through town at 45-degree angles to all the streets and cross each other at 90 degrees on a diamond.  Or maybe Elm Street is curved and crosses railroads that are not parallel to each other.

Using the Little Blue Sign gets the call directly to the proper railroad's emergency center, and has the DOT crossing number that the railroad call center knows how to use to

1. identify the exact crossing and
2. quickly alert the proper Train Dispatcher.

Call 911 for medical emergencies, traffic accidents, police emergencies, etc.  Call the railroad, using information on the Little Blue Sign for vehicles stuck on road crossings.  Time and accuracy are essential factors.

At the CN crossing of Riley Avenue 3/4 mile east of Indianapolis Boulevard in East Chicago, Indiana.  Similar signs (slightly smaller) are on the pole at the base of each crossing gate.

John in Lansing, ILL

Last think I need is another electronic thing with lights buzzers vibrations.. I have my e log.. my vnomics, on guard system buzzes when I cross a line beeps when I get to close. Radio, cb, my delivery handheld computer.. 

I was on an RCE grain train from Newton to Ark City, KS years ago. We were south of Wichita South Jct, and were running out of signals. We stopped and a red "Stop and proceed", whistled off and began flagging. Not too far from the first road crossing, we found a piece of galvanized pipe laying across the rail. We didn't even stop for that, but that's what was causing our red signal. I've heard of steel banding falling off a train on an adjacent track, causing the same thing. No need for anything complicated to drop the signals. Pipe, crow bar, jumper cables, whatever you can find if you have to.

Silly question but don't many locos have some form of a cab signal? If not, maybe the F.R.A. regs should require it since many of these short lines eventually have to interchange with a bigger RR that has cab signaling.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Silly question but don't many locos have some form of a cab signal?

No.

If not, maybe the F.R.A. regs should require it since many of these short lines eventually have to interchange with a bigger RR that has cab signaling.

THAT is what PTC is all about, i.e. Positive Train Control. However, neither cab signals not PTC would be capable of preventing/stopping some/any idiot from driving right out in front of the train!

With modern cars getting equipped with transponders, and the driverless cars right around the corner (plus trains for that matter).   Cars will be able to talk to each other to prevent accidents/collisions.   I'm sure trains will also have transponders that can communicate with smart cars to let them know they are approaching a crossing.   just like in Aviation with TCAS with mode S transponders.   Every aircraft knows where every other aircraft is in the sky and the computer will compute a collision is pending and to take action to avoid it.

Of course anything with a computer in it and communication to the outside world is a risk of getting hacked.

Some who have posted here have noble intentions, but it is extremely dangerous for anybody to try to manipulate the signals to stop a train.

A phone call to the toll-free number on the Little Blue Sign is the only proven, reliable, method for the public to stop an approaching train.  Railroad personnel will answer the phone and do the work.  Only they can provide reliable and timely actions, based on a phone call identifying the DOT number of the crossing.

Self help - NO!  Blue sign - YES!

I have used the phone number on the crossing sign to alert a railroad of a potential problem.  This was prior to the blue signs, the phone number was stenciled on the crossing relay box. The system worked well.  There was a crossing gate that was damaged. This was right at the beginning of commute operations in the afternoon. I called the number and a person answered, ask questions about the problem and about the exact location.  About twenty minutes later the first train showed up going about ten mph instead of the usual sixty.  A few minutes after that the signal maintainer show up and fixed the problem prior to the next train.