What really happened

The sad thing for the crew of the train is it's almost never their fault.  Good post, we don't often spend enough time thinking about the long term effects on the train crew.

@ThatGuy:
Thank you for a most thought-provoking post from the perspective of those in the front cab. 👍

"While many people found it fun or interesting to try to figure out if the accident was insurance fraud or something else, very few people wanted to know what happened to the crew. There was plenty of speculation about what happened to the owner of the car and did anyone get arrested. This I found disturbing... "

Those are horrible experiences. I hope you have been able to come to accept that you were in no way at fault, and that you don't need to feel any guilt.

In most of the cases presented on this and other train enthusiast forums, I have never seen or read anything but support and concern for the train people involved. It's human nature (unfortunately) to do some Monday morning quarterbacking, (some people with, shall we say, limited social sophistication or empathy do it without even realizing that they are doing it, I think) but I have never gotten the impression that the posters were doing it for fun or any other ulterior motive.

We stand by you.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

The sad thing for the crew of the train is it's almost never their fault.  Good post, we don't often spend enough time thinking about the long term effects on the train crew.

Thank you very much John.

@Yellowstone Special posted:

@ThatGuy:
Thank you for a most thought-provoking post from the prospective of those in the front cab. 👍

Thank you, that is all I wanted to do.

@Arthur P. Bloom posted:

"While many people found it fun or interesting to try to figure out if the accident was insurance fraud or something else, very few people wanted to know what happened to the crew. There was plenty of speculation about what happened to the owner of the car and did anyone get arrested. This I found disturbing... "

Those are horrible experiences. I hope you have been able to come to accept that you were in no way at fault, and that you don't need to feel any guilt.

In most of the cases presented on this and other train enthusiast forums, I have never seen or read anything but support and concern for the train people involved. It's human nature (unfortunately) to do some Monday morning quarterbacking, (some people with, shall we say, limited social sophistication or empathy do it without even realizing that they are doing it, I think) but I have never gotten the impression that the posters were doing it for fun or any other ulterior motive.

We stand by you.

Thank you, I do not think people do it with malicious but I also think sometimes we just need to take a minute and think.

I'm really sorry you had to experience those two incidents. It's downright horrible and disgusting and that doesn't even begin to sum it up. Time will help but the truth of the matter is you will never recover from it.

@Bill Sherry posted:

I'm really sorry you had to experience those two incidents. It's downright horrible and disgusting and that doesn't even begin to sum it up. Time will help but the truth of the matter is you will never recover from it.

Thank you , that is why I wrote the piece to let people know there are silent victims that never forget. I still see her face as clear as the day it happened. You always wonder could have I done more?

Its scary how it comes back as clear as day just like a movie; the hurt never leaves you ever. You always wonder could I have do more?

Thank you for sharing your story. I will keep you in my prayers and hope you can be relieved of that burden. Very sorry for what happened to you.

I do certainly recognize how terrible it must be for the train crew in a grade crossing incident of any kind. However, I would point out in this case, the person parked the car on the tracks in a well-lighted city crossing,  with the lead engine's headlight shining on them, then calmly walked away. I'm sure the crew saw the whole thing so most likely were under the correct assumption they were hitting an empty car - but I suppose they couldn't be 100% certain.

@ThatGuy
Thank you for your post. I feel for you and agree that many do not appreciate what the crew experiences. My son has been an engineer for NJT for 22 years. He is carrying baggage from 3 incidents; one drunk and two grade crossings. He puts up a good front; but I know he's hurting.

@wjstix posted:

I do certainly recognize how terrible it must be for the train crew in a grade crossing incident of any kind. However, I would point out in this case, the person parked the car on the tracks in a well-lighted city crossing,  with the lead engine's headlight shining on them, then calmly walked away. I'm sure the crew saw the whole thing so most likely were under the correct assumption they were hitting an empty car - but I suppose they couldn't be 100% certain.

The answer is no they do not, first they do not know if anyone else is in the car? Is this murder? The crew only see the accident as just that, could have I done more? It may not be as bad as a death but it will stay with them for ever.

@pennsyfan posted:

@ThatGuy
Thank you for your post. I feel for you and agree that many do not appreciate what the crew experiences. My son has been an engineer for NJT for 22 years. He is carrying baggage from 3 incidents; one drunk and two grade crossings. He puts up a good front; but I know he's hurting.

Tell your son I feel for him, I know what he always has in the back of his mind at every grade crossing. The pain never leaves you ever. Please pass on that as an engineer he always does all he can to stop the collision. Tell him if he ever feels he needs to talk to another brother please contact me via private message and I will give you my number. It is a brotherhood.

Thank you very much for your post and chilling perspective.

Peter

To That Guy, were you around Bowie/Glendale?

@ThatGuy- thanks for giving some perspective to the daily dangers engineers face. I can't imagine what a helpless feeling it must be knowing the 1000's of tons of steel behind you won't stop in time no matter how hard you stand on the brakes.
My sympathies to you and all of the railroad brotherhood that must deal with these tragedies each and every day.

For the record....Here's my post from that thread.

I was on the Ashland camera this morning and the chat was trending toward an intentional act.

I watched the incident several times on live rewind and it certainly looked like an intentional act to me. The gates and lights had activated well before the car appeared. Other than brake failure, the driver could have stopped in time. The driver was way too calm as he (?) got out of the car and wandered away. He didn't even go over to look at the car after the crash from what I could see on the north cam.

Gotta feel for the train crew. They don't know who else may have been in the car. If this was intentional, they should press all the charges they can.

The followup was that minor charges were filed against the driver.

Bob

@ThatGuy  Just saw this post - what an awful experience. Unlike most of us who may have experienced close calls while driving our cars and trucks, we have the ability to swerve or stop pretty quickly. We all know trains can't swerve nor stop on a dime. You can see the collision coming and there is not much you can do except, as you say, buy a few seconds. On top of it making eye contact with the person is unimaginable and unforgettable.  Thank you for sharing. Somehow responding to your post with a "like" just does not seem right. Jeff

from a recently retired engineer that was a great post , made it thru my whole career without killing or injuring anyone. I consider myself very lucky as most of my fellow workers could not say the same.

@Rick Rubino posted:

from a recently retired engineer that was a great post , made it thru my whole career without killing or injuring anyone. I consider myself very lucky as most of my fellow workers could not say the same.

Thank you very much, praise from a member of the craft means a lot

@ScoutingDad posted:

@ThatGuy  Just saw this post - what an awful experience. Unlike most of us who may have experienced close calls while driving our cars and trucks, we have the ability to swerve or stop pretty quickly. We all know trains can't swerve nor stop on a dime. You can see the collision coming and there is not much you can do except, as you say, buy a few seconds. On top of it making eye contact with the person is unimaginable and unforgettable.  Thank you for sharing. Somehow responding to your post with a "like" just does not seem right. Jeff

Thank you very much for you comment. Her face is forever burned into my memory

@RSJB18 posted:

@ThatGuy- thanks for giving some perspective to the daily dangers engineers face. I can't imagine what a helpless feeling it must be knowing the 1000's of tons of steel behind you won't stop in time no matter how hard you stand on the brakes.
My sympathies to you and all of the railroad brotherhood that must deal with these tragedies each and every day.

For the record....Here's my post from that thread.

I was on the Ashland camera this morning and the chat was trending toward an intentional act.

I watched the incident several times on live rewind and it certainly looked like an intentional act to me. The gates and lights had activated well before the car appeared. Other than brake failure, the driver could have stopped in time. The driver was way too calm as he (?) got out of the car and wandered away. He didn't even go over to look at the car after the crash from what I could see on the north cam.

Gotta feel for the train crew. They don't know who else may have been in the car. If this was intentional, they should press all the charges they can.

The followup was that minor charges were filed against the driver.

Bob

Yours was one of the few that mentioned the crew, a few did most did not. That is why I decided to post, I rally tell the story. My wife convinced me to post on this.

Just a reminder that Virtual Railfan is a railfan organization with a number of members and subscribers. They would not have posted the video if anyone in the car or on the train had been injured. So by the time the discussion began here, we knew no one had been hurt.

I'm sure it must have been terrifying for the crew when it happened, and for the people living near the crossing who were suddenly woken up with the sound of the crash. But I don't think the folks here were being intentionally uncaring or callous to speculate on why the person did what they did (since this was clearly an intentional act, not an accident).

Truckers have some of the same experiences thru the windshield.

@wb47 posted:

Truckers have some of the same experiences thru the windshield.

Truckers and bus drivers, people think these big vehicles can stop on a dime.