UP Train Accident - Luling, TX

I don't know what the procedures are for a long load like that at a railroad crossing but there did not seem to be much time between the gates coming down and the train's arrival.  This is based on the bad language video.  (I feel it is better to watch with the sound turned off.)

The time from gate lights activating and impact leave no room for the driver to realize it is coming, that would happen 10 out of 10 times with it set as it is and a long slow load crossing.

"Luling police and Union Pacific railroad police are still investigating the crash."

What's to investigate?  The idiot sat on the tracks!

Balance of the load, roughness of the crossing and speed limit all influence drivers with oversized loads. It has been 12 years since I sold my trucking company, but the restrictions and routes oversized loads can travel as well as times, local speed limits can channel incidents like this to happen. It may have been listed on the permits, only the NTSB, DOT issuing office and the driver really know for now.

@Ron_S posted:

Balance of the load, roughness of the crossing and speed limit all influence drivers with oversized loads. It has been 12 years since I sold my trucking company, but the restrictions and routes oversized loads can travel as well as times, local speed limits can channel incidents like this to happen. It may have been listed on the permits, only the NTSB, DOT issuing office and the driver really know for now.

If this was indeed a "permitted oversize load", shouldn't the trucking company have notified the railroad about the day & time of the move across the tracks?

I see all the comments on the videos blaming the train, I'd sure like to hear exactly what some of those "experts" think the train should do different!  Maybe stop running trains?

@Hot Water  There are no requirements I know of, there certainly were none when I was contracting oversized loads. His length was probably never taken into consideration when timing the warning lights or his routing by the DOT issuing authority. I would have to look at Texas's rules as to whether a pilot truck was needed or not. Every state is quite different, not only on where they are required but when.

The type of cradle trailer he is hauling is not made for speed across tracks or road construction. Once he passed the warning lights he probably never looked back except to check traffic to make sure someone didn't drive under his tail, which happens all too often when drivers are not watching.

His length was probably over 100 feet, at 20-25 mph that keeps him on the tracks twice as long as a semi truck and eons longer than cars.

I am sure that NTSB, as well as state DOT, insurance companies and maybe even legislatures will eventually address this issue. With all the green energy programs, more wind turbines are going to be on the roads in the future.

I feel for the contractor waiting for the blade, they are balanced and matched, he might be weeks waiting for a replacement.

Sadly John, Many fail to consider trains inertia, much like drivers fail to consider how far a semi has to travel when braking.  I would like to read the NTSB report to see what lead up to it and whether driver was cited or not.

The truck was making a wide turn.  I think one question is about the amount of time between when the lights started flashing and the train arrived.  Was the amount of time it was set for too little or was there a malfunction and it started later than it was supposed to?  Another question is whether there are procedures that require trucking companies with a load like that to coordinate with the railroad before crossing.  Hence the need to investigate.  I don't see anything in the videos themselves that suggests the train crew was at fault.   

Ron S,

Would there have been, or better yet SHOULD there have been, a "pilot" vehicle involved with such a long load?

There was a lead vehicle which can be seen in the bad language video.  You can see the lead vehicle driver running and jumping into his truck and taking off and both vehicles trying to clear the crossing.  I feel bad for everybody involved and just hope there were no serious injuries.  Inasmuch as that video shows more than the other videos, it is worth viewing with a recommendation to mute the sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SbiaOM43tY

@Hot Water  A pilot truck should have the schedules of the trains, construction delays, and have places designated for roadside stops to keep within the hours allowed. As with any enterprise, not every operation is staffed by trained and professional people. I have had drivers so fit to be tied from the service a pilot company gave they needed a break for a few days before able to take another load. They are costly, and often not included with a contract if not state law requiring it for that load and route.

It might come down to a bunch of finger pointing, no one will know until NTSB files its report.

@PGentieu posted:

There was a lead vehicle which can be seen in the bad language video.  You can see the lead vehicle driver running and jumping into his truck and taking off and both vehicles trying to clear the crossing.  I feel bad for everybody involved and just hope there were no serious injuries.  Inasmuch as that video shows more than the other videos, it is worth viewing with a recommendation to mute the sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SbiaOM43tY

That is actually a shorter version of the full length from that driver.  If you watch the one below (sound off), you will see the gates come down and throughout, the truck does not move until they realize a train is coming.

Here is the full length (mute it).  Here you will see the truck within the video not moving for ~25 seconds, and who knows how much longer it was before the video started.

https://www.kvue.com/article/n...66-a6ae-a5ffc6557171

Ron, as you know for the most part there is no "schedule" for freight trains that a pilot vehicle can refer to for accurate time at any specific crossing.

Regardless, looks like the train did what it was supposed to - not sure how to find fault with the crew based on the little information I can see.

Paul

@Railrunnin  I do know, even the ones running near my house vary up to 30 minutes. 

@C&O Allan  If the pilot truck is ahead of him, then not only is he at fault for stopping him on the tracks, whether it is traffic stopped in front of him or any reason, the driver should have known his tail was stopped on the tracks, and goosed the pilot truck.  If the pilot truck is at fault, that fine will be hefty and possibly cost certification if not the first infraction. I shudder to think what the insurance bill is going to be on this one, thankfully no one was killed.

Ron - I agree.  I am wondering if they stopped to make sure they wouldn't clip the gates on the left side as it looks like the blade is close to it at the end of the rig.

@C&O Allan  The second video does show failure on the part of the pilot truck, there was NO obstacle in front of him and he should have shepherded that load off the tracks ASAP, whether fatigue, inattention or just a brain dump, that was inexcusable.  The driver shooting the video could have called on the CB and gotten that truck moving, but it was definitely the pilot truck and driver of the oversized loads fault from what I see in the second video.

@C&O Allan The truck had plenty of room to swing wider and avoid clipping it, I am shaking my head, a driver moving oversized has to adjust and there was no clear reason he couldn't have steered over 20 feet and used radius of turn to clear the tracks.

Here's the view from the other side. The blade already hit the cross buck. They were scrambling to move but ran out of time.

Is it really too much to ask a truck driver, particularly one with a quite exotic load, to "stop, look and listen" before attempting to cross railroad tracks?

Another issue:

If that truck was coming off I10 WB, instead of exiting at US283/US90, maybe going west on I10, then to SH 80 NB.  Then the truck would not have needed to make a right turn at the intersection.

Need to wait for NSTB report.

Question:  With PTC, could pilot cars have receivers in them telling how close a train is?  Of course that does not replace following the law and Operation Lifesaver training.r

@Dominic Mazoch posted:

Question:  With PTC, could pilot cars have receivers in them telling how close a train is?

Just my opinion but, I can NOT see any railroad providing such information. All the permitted "oversize load" had to do was contact the railroad in order to learn when the best time to cross the track would be.

  Of course that does not replace following the law and Operation Lifesaver training.r

Bingo!

Part of the problem is the driver was probably following the law. Oversize permits direct exact routes and if you deviate the fines are jaw dropping, ruinous if a small company or independent driver.

The law doesn't offer any correct way to handle notifications, but the problem with calling a train company for the BEST time to cross, WHEN is a train EXACTLY on time? Even if he contacted the railroad, if they were off 5 minutes or 2 hours, he still has no way of knowing if the train came through if he wasn't near the tracks when it came through.

The driver was at fault for hitting the gate, but all of the would of, could have,  should have would have a perfect timetable won't change common sense, which he should have used and cleared the gate, he already damaged the load, so tugging clear was the safest option and face the music.

No matter how much you say contact should be made with a railroad, they still would have to be on time for that info to mean anything.

@Ron_S posted:

Part of the problem is the driver was probably following the law. Oversize permits direct exact routes and if you deviate the fines are jaw dropping, ruinous if a small company or independent driver.

The law doesn't offer any correct way to handle notifications, but the problem with calling a train company for the BEST time to cross, WHEN is a train EXACTLY on time? Even if he contacted the railroad, if they were off 5 minutes or 2 hours, he still has no way of knowing if the train came through if he wasn't near the tracks when it came through.

The driver was at fault for hitting the gate, but all of the would of, could have,  should have would have a perfect timetable won't change common sense, which he should have used and cleared the gate, he already damaged the load, so tugging clear was the safest option and face the music.

No matter how much you say contact should be made with a railroad, they still would have to be on time for that info to mean anything.

Not really. All the Dispatcher has to do is notify the train/trains approaching that town to watch out for a permitted oversized load at such-and-such grade crossing, between the hours of XXXX and XXXX. It would have been up to the trucking company to notify the railroad and/or local law enforcement dept. of their timing through that town.

That is fine and well Hot Water, the train still could not stop if the truck was trying to clear the gate he hooked. No matter how you make the rules, exceptions will happen, not by the book, but his short turn caused him to clip the gate, and lack of judgement , probably trying to finesse it so he could quietly slip off without fessing up to the damage, but he was in a bad spot, at a bad time.

If he is an independent trucker, he will have trouble finding brokers now to load with, if a company driver he is toast and doubtful he can get any work long haul, and lucky if he can find construction work with his CDL.

@Ron_S posted:

That is fine and well Hot Water, the train still could not stop if the truck was trying to clear the gate he hooked. No matter how you make the rules, exceptions will happen, not by the book, but his short turn caused him to clip the gate, and lack of judgement , probably trying to finesse it so he could quietly slip off without fessing up to the damage, but he was in a bad spot, at a bad time.

Over on Trainorders.com a poster, who must be a local resident and very familiar with that grade crossing, and stated that the UP Signal Maintainers are CONSTANTLY making repairs to the crossing gate arms. Sometimes trains even have to stop and flag that crossing due to the damage and it being "out of service". That crossing is apparently a very, VERY busy place. Thus, for a "permitted oversize load", wouldn't you think that the Police should have been involved, and in contact with the railroad?

If he is an independent trucker, he will have trouble finding brokers now to load with, if a company driver he is toast and doubtful he can get any work long haul, and lucky if he can find construction work with his CDL.

@Hot Water, think about that statement, most police departments are undermanned, and being called and asked to escort an oversized load (special heavy or extreme oversized loads require police escort and cost thousands of dollars) got laughs (There were exceptions with some departments, especially in the mid-west farm country ) when we ran loads in residential or rural areas with difficult crossings.

If the gates are taking a beating, it sounds like the RR and municipality or state, whichever has jurisdiction, needs to change the crossing to better accommodate traffic. Trucks run all highways and have a choice in their route, where oversized is directed by each state DOT as to the route and times they can run.

Looking at the tape it appears that the truck driver drove into the path of the train at virtually the last moment. What a goof!    But a bit of poor impulse control has killed many a person.

Remember that wind turbine blades come in sets of three...

Obviously this was not the only blade to traverse these roads. Somebody screwed up and will pay dearly for this accident.

Years ago, here on Long Island a  trucker pulling an excavator on a low boy got the trailer hung up on a high grade crossing. A LIRR Express train obliterated the machine and trailer. Two locos wound up on their sides and many people were injured. After this accident, NYS required all truckers to notify the RR when crossing the tracks with these loads. They put the liability on them too.

@RSJB18 posted:

Remember that wind turbine blades come in sets of three...

Plus, from what I've read, those blades are balanced in sets of three. Thus, the other two blades for that new wind turbine are also potentially scrap.

Obviously this was not the only blade to traverse these roads. Somebody screwed up and will pay dearly for this accident.

Years ago, here on Long Island a  trucker pulling an excavator on a low boy got the trailer hung up on a high grade crossing. A LIRR Express train obliterated the machine and trailer. Two locos wound up on their sides and many people were injured. After this accident, NYS required all truckers to notify the RR when crossing the tracks with these loads. They put the liability on them too.

@Hot Water posted:

Knowing how dynamic balancing of fans motors and pumps works, I would agree 100%.

Well I know who is not at fault, the train crew...

Trucker didn't gauge his load crossing time correctly.   Train has right of way, it outweighs the truck by like a MILLION lbs!   Trucker wrong- Engineer/Conductor right.    Oh, for those out of towners, Luling TX is about 1.5-2 hours west of Houston and has some of the best BBQ for about 4 hours in any direction.

Oops.