Official Notice from U.P.

Union Pacific Railroad Company has observed a growing trend involving professional and amateur photographers who trespass on railroad property for photo shoots.

Trespassing on railroad property is not only against the law, it is extremely dangerous. Union Pacific will prosecute those found trespassing on its property to the fullest extent allowed by law. Your apprehension on railroad property may to only result indoor arrest, but, in the event of a tragedy, you may become involved as a defendant in a civil personal injury litigation.

We urge you to reject any requests for photo shoots on railroad property. Any photo shoots on our property that come to U. P.'s attention will be subject to investigation and prosecution.

For additional information contact Union Pacific Safety Manager Kevin Barnett, kbarnett@up.com, 402-708-3434.

Union Pacific RR Website

Silent Killer

How soon can you hear an approaching train ?

http://www.today.com/video/rossen-reports-update-see-how-long-it-can-take-to-hear-a-train-coming-911815235593

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_(2010%E2%80%93present)

March 29, 2017 -
http://turnto10.com/news/local/woman-found-dead-on-tracks-in-mansfield

https://oli.org/about-us/news/collisions-casulties

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Stop Track Portraits !

Another FB Page to enlighten the public.

Stop Railroad Track Portraits/  < link to Facebook Page


Facebook Page with photos and information on why this is dangerous and illegal.


This page was created by a Railroad enthusiast, for other Rail Enthusiasts, railroad officials and safety officers, to educate the dangers of posing their subjects on railroad tracks.

Why? Its Dangerous, and is Trespassing on Private Property. Would you want someone taking portraits of people you don't know in your own home?

A lot of people are doing it, but not ONE of them was taken legally.

Anyone who is caught posing people on railroad tracks, either Active, or abandoned, can be charged with Trespassing, and depending on the state you live in, Endangering the welfare of the public, Endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, and, to the most extreme if a person is injured, involuntary manslaughter.

A train CAN NOT stop on a dime, they can take up to 10,000 feet to come to a complete stop, and also remember,the train crew are humans, if they do hit and kill someone, they must live with that for the rest of their lives, knowing that they killed someone and there was nothing that they could do.

Tracks are for trains, NOT for Portrait studios to pose people.

Remember Operation Lifesavers motto: "See Tracks? Think Train!"

Blinn student killed by train during photo shoot in Navasota

Blinn student killed by train during photo shoot in Navasota TX

NAVASOTA, Tex. (KBTX) - A Blinn student died Friday afternoon during a photo shoot along train tracks in Navasota.

The victim has been identified as Fredzania Thompson, 19, of College Station. She's a Navasota native and 2015 graduate of Navasota High School. She studied Kinesiology at Blinn.

Investigators say Thompson was with a photographer when, for an unknown reason, she stepped into the path of a Union Pacific train and was hit.

It happened around 12:45 p.m. Friday, on the train tracks near Hollister and Lee Street.

Witnesses say she was given CPR until emergency responders arrived on the scene. She was taken to a hospital where she later passed away from her injuries.

News 3's Clay Falls spoke with members of her family at the scene of the accident. They are in shock to learn what happened.

Joe McNeal, Sr. is a close family friend and he says this is a tragic event that's stunned everyone.

The train was haulting 101 grain cars from Oklahoma and is now on its way its final stop in Beaumont.

A spokesman for Union Pacific says train typically go an estimated 50 miles-per-hour in the area of downtown Navasota. 

Also > Navasota Examiner

http://heavy.com/news/2017/03/fredzania-thompson-texas-model-train/

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/16/us/texas-teen-model-train-death-trnd/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/pregnant-texas-woman-killed-train-photos-article-1.2998908

Police Video

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=42974092&nid=148&title=police-video-crossing-arms-not-active-when-frontrunner-train-hit-semitrailer

Crossing Arms not active when FrontRunner train hit semitrailer.

NORTH SALT LAKE — Police video that captured a FrontRunner train slamming into a semitrailer Saturday shows that the railroad crossing arms were not lowered or flashing to warn drivers.

A North Salt Lake police officer was among the vehicles approaching the crossing at 1100 North about 10 a.m., and his dashboard camera recorded as the southbound FrontRunner train smashed into a FedEx semitrailer pulling two trailers.

The train crashed through the first of two trailers, missing the truck's cab. Two drivers in the vehicle narrowly escaped injury, and the 82 passengers on the train were unharmed, according to the Utah Transit Authority. Two individuals reported feeling whiplash in the crash.

The FedEx truck was one of several vehicles — including another semitrailer — in the area of the crossing at the time, the video shows. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Dave Goeres, UTA chief safety and security officer, called the crash "unprecedented." As of Tuesday, no mechanical or system issues have been identified, he said. UTA is conducting an investigation of all its systems and is interviewing employees to determine what caused the accident and whether human error occurred.

Initial indications are that the crossing arms were affected by snow and ice from Saturday's storm, Goeres said, causing them to drop into the safety default "lowered and active" position, where they remained for about 12 minutes prior to the crash.

A UTA employee was dispatched to the crossing and was at the scene when the crossing arms raised, Goeres said. The employee was still at the crossing when the crash occurred.

It is unknown why the gates remained up as the train approached, Goeres said. UTA is still investigating how long the crossing arms had been raised before the train arrived, and why they activated and lowered again moments after the crash.

"That's what we're looking into is why the gates went up prior to the accident and why the gates went back down afterward," Goeres said.

MORE >

Selfie Tragedy Forever Impacts Those Left Behind

Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster, both 15, and Kelsea’s little sister, Savannah, waved at a westbound train crew and squeezed in for a selfie as it rolled through Utah’s scenic Spanish Fork Canyon October 2011.

“We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward.”

Conductor John Anderson

“No one should have to go through this and I hope people will seriously think about the campaign’s rail safety message and share it with their loved ones.”

Jayna Webster

Union Pacific Post 12-7-2016

http://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/selfie-tragedy-12-7-2016.htm

9 Lives