THE TRAIN DIDN’T STOP
SAFETY
After two cars collided beside a railroad track, fire fighters tried to halt the train traffic. The next train got the wrong message.
The Lake Park, Fla., Fire Department responded to the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and Northlake Blvd. at 10:37 p.m. last july 16 for a reported gasoline spill after a collision. The wreckage lay less than 20 feet from a Florida East Coast Railroad crossing.
Traffic on the six-lane highway was heavy. All eastbound vehicles were rerouted to limit congestion on the scene. Engine 24 was directed by local police to locate on the crossing. Despite that direction, Engine 24 located just short of the crossing. An ambulance unit was positioned on the tracks.
The accident obstructed two lanes of the boulevard. Gasoline flowing from the accident site ran downhill and covered a section of the third lane. One of the vehicles was smoking heavily. Victims were being removed for transport.
Fire dispatch was directed to contact railroad personnel, advise them of the accident and request that any railroad traffic be halted. It was learned that a train was due at the crossing approximately 15 minutes later. But assurance had been given that the train had been advised and would stop.
Several minutes later, the crossing gates began to close. Two of the crew on Engine 24 held the gate to keep it from striking the apparatus. One fire fighter was positioned near the tracks with a high-intensity hand light for signaling purposes. The light was used to further signify the accident location as the train approached
The train not only failed to stop, but it proceeded through the crossing at an estimated 35 mph. Fortunately, the ambulance had left the scene five minutes earlier and was no longer on the tracks.
While investigating the incident, the chief train dispatcher was contacted to determine why the train failed to stop. It was found that the train dispatcher had interpreted the location of the crossing as the first intersection north of Park Ave. since Northlake Blvd. was not listed. Ordinarily this method of locating a crossing would have been reasonable; however, the dispatcher had located Park Ave. in Lake Worth instead of Lake Park. Consequently, the train engineer had been advised to stop at a crossing some 20 miles beyond the accident scene!
As with any problem discovered, circumstances were evaluated in an attempt to avoid future recurrence. In this case, and others like it, exact identification of crossing locations is essential. Street names obviously do not provide an adequate means of crossing identification.
Railroads and specific points along their route are designated by milepost markers not unlike those found on interstate highways. Crossings are pinpointed by their location relative to the nearest milepost marker. Should a crossing be located between mileposts, its location will be indicated as a specific number of feet from the highest numbered marker preceding the crossing. For example, milepost 292 + 3265 feet.
To ensure, as much as possible, that emergency scenes on or near a crossing are not further complicated by railroad traffic, railroad officials should immediately be advised of the nature of the incident, of the milepost location of the affected crossing and that railroad traffic is to prepare to stop. If this information is not provided, the engineer and/or dispatcher will consider the message only advisory. The train will probably reduce speed but will proceed through the crossing.
In addition, it was learned that railroad engineers will probably not take note of flagmen in places where they are not normally present, i.e., an emergency scene. It was also pointed out that engineers pay little attention to lights other than those used for railroad purposes. Therefore, emergency equipment even with lights displayed may remain unnoticed unless contact has previously been made with the train via the radio dispatcher.
jurisdictions responsible for emergency operations involving railroad properties would be well advised to note milepost locations of crossings, bridges, etc., for future use. This information is readily available from the chief train dispatcher for railroads within any given area.
Additionally, standard operating procedures should be developed and used when confronted with an incident involving railroad property. In many cases, individual railroads offer information and training upon request to agencies dealing with emergency situations. It is generally free for the asking. So ask!
