8 years and 363 days I have been a commuter on the South Shore train, but I will have to say that today will probably go down as one of the most memorable.

 

Today after the Ogden Dunes stop at the Lake/Porter County line road, a car either slid through the traintracks or went around the crossing guard and slid onto the tracks, but the train struck the car and instantly killed the driver. No one on the train was hurt, but the poor engineer and conductor were really shook up. The process was surreal that we had to go through. It took about 15 minutes to get emergency vehicles out there, both because of the location in the middle of the National Lakeshore, plus the horrible road conditions from the 6 inches of snow. There were a couple of doctors (or at least nurses) who were on the train and went to check on the driver, but the poor guy never had a chance. The train personel had to go through and get each person's statements (what they saw, heard-which at 5:30 am was nothing because it was dark and most people were asleep), and then the emergency workers had to go through and check on each passenger individually to make sure they were OK (pretty sure no one on board had any problems). They also had to walk up and down the tracks with flashlights inspecting the train, and looking in the snow for any damaged items that had fallen off between the impact spot, and where the train settled about a half a mile down the tracks (we were at top speed right before impact or 80 MPH).

 

So that was my start to the day. Just be sure to say a prayer for the family of the man in the car, and the train/safety personel who had to witness the incident and secure the scene.

wow. that's crazy. thankfully most people were ok.

 

prayers for the driver as well.

Man, the engineer is going to have some rough nights. Horrible.

Damn, how many times have I gone through those crossings...

I do some copy work for a Metra safety inspector and he was mentioing one time that the insurance rate they pay on train engineers is super-high, because of all the psychological care they need to provide for suicide/death by train incidents. Only about half the engineers ever get back into the train again. Alot of sleepless night there.

Wow! The day I decide to be "sick."

 

 

Alpha, I heard once that train engineers have the highest suicide rate of any job.

Wow! The day I decide to be "sick."

Alpha, I heard once that train engineers have the highest suicide rate of any job.

Yeah, I have read that before as well. Not sure where, though. But I have a friend who is a conductor on the NY Subway system and he loves it, and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Wow! The day I decide to be "sick."

Alpha, I heard once that train engineers have the highest suicide rate of any job.

I thought it was air traffic controllers? Or dentists?

http://www.post-trib.com/684024,gfatal.article

 

Click on the pic for a look at what happens when you try to beat an 8 car passenger train going 80 mph.

To save a few minutes.

 

Down here people park on the tracks all the time. That seems even more stupid.

 

I spoke to a train conductor once who told me that almost every train driver runs someone over at some point or other in their careers, assuming they have a long one.

 

It's awful.

That makes two people that have been killed by trains in Gary since this summer I believe. At home I have to cross over three railroad tracks basically everytime I leave or come home and while it's a pain in the ass, I still very rarely cross. Only if the train is several hundred yards away moving very slowly.