Friday, March 25, 2016

Whistle Stop

"Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance." ~ Paul Simon

There seems to be a lot of recent complaints of noisy train whistles. It's a Federal Law that horns are to be sounded at grade crossings. There are several remedies. Search the net for answers if it bothers you. Then read the rest of this blog.

FRA Logo

Norfolk residents frustrated with train horn noise in neighborhood

How to create a quiet zone

49 CFR Part 229 - RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE SAFETY STANDARDS

Whistle Post (Wiki)


Whistle posts in the United States were traditionally placed about one-quarter mile in advance of a road crossing.
The signs in themselves varied in design from railroad to railroad. Some were marked with – – o –(two longs, one short, and another long) in a similar manner of sending the letter Q in Morse Code. This sequence is known as Rule 14(l) " Rule # 14(l) - Approaching public crossings at grade, to be prolonged or repeated until crossing is reached unless otherwise provided".[1] This rule is applied in almost all U.S. railroad operating rule books[2] even if the advance warning provided by the horn will be less than 15 seconds in duration. This signal is to be prolonged or repeated until the engine or train occupies the crossing; or, where multiple crossing are involved, until the last crossing is occupied. The same rule is practiced when approaching locations such as rail yards, where men may be working on the tracks, as well as bridges, tunnels and other points.
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Local. From a month ago.
"Driver says he didn't see train."



Friday, November 6, 2015

City (Portsmouth) and State (VA) Codes

Sec. 29-5. - Trespassing on track.
(a)
Any person who goes upon the track of a railroad other than to pass over such track at a public or private crossing or who willfully rides, drives or leads any animal, or contrives for any animal to go on such track except to cross as aforesaid, without the consent of the railroad company or other person operating such road, shall be guilty of a class 4 misdemeanor.
(b)
A second violation of the provisions of this section occurring within two years of the first violation shall be punishable as a class 3 misdemeanor. A third or subsequent violation of the provisions of this section occurring within two years of a second or subsequent violation shall be punishable as a class 1 misdemeanor.
(c)
This section shall not apply to any section of track which has been legally abandoned pursuant to an order of a federal or state agency having jurisdiction over the track and is not being used for railroad service. For purposes of this section, "track" shall mean the rail, ties and ballast of the railroad.
(Code 1973, § 30-10; Code 1988, § 29-10; Ord. No. 1993-52, § 1, 6-22-1993)

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State of VA Code 18.2-159


§ 18.2-159

Trespassing on railroad track.

Any person who goes upon the track of a railroad other than to pass over such road at a public or private crossing, or who willfully rides, drives or leads any animal or contrives for any animal to go on such track except to cross as aforesaid, without the consent of the railroad company or person operating such road, shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. A second violation of the provisions of this section occurring within two years of the first violation shall be punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor. A third or subsequent violation of the provisions of this section occurring within two years of a second or a subsequent violation shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. This section shall not apply to any section of track which has been legally abandoned pursuant to an order of a federal or state agency having jurisdiction over the track and is not being used for railroad service.

For purposes of this section, track shall mean the rail, ties, and ballast of the railroad.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Brattleboro: Officials urge safety after Amtrak death

Brattleboro: Officials urge safety after Amtrak death < (click)

Police believe a man was struck by an Amtrak train while trying to cross the railroad bridge over the West River on Sunday, Nov. 1. (photos by Kristopher Radder —Reformer Staff)

Mark Kalina, Jr. on RR Safety

Former Ohio State Student Mark Kalina Jr. talks about the dangers of trespassing on railroad property in this new video for Norfolk Southern.

Norfolk Southern Corp urges everyone to be safe and alert at railroad crossings and to never walk on train tracks. Former Ohio State Student Mark Kalina Jr. talks about the dangers of trespassing on railroad property in this new video for Norfolk Southern. Kalina, who survived a 2012 pedestrian-train incident in Columbus, Ohio, is now a double amputee and national spokesperson for Operation Lifesaver Inc.'s "See Tracks? Think Train!" safety campaign. “Using railroad tracks as a short cut is never worth it,” Kalina said. “Besides being illegal, it can dramatically change - or end - your life." Last year, more than 900 people were injured or killed while trespassing on railroad property throughout the United States, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics.


Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Teen hit by train north of DC was taking photos on tracks

Sixteen-year-old John Martin DeReggi Jr. and his girlfriend were being photographed by her twin sister at a picturesque spot in Boyds, a town about 20 miles north of the nation's capital, on Monday afternoon. But they say when the train came through, the girls went in one direction and DeReggi tried to go in the other, but he didn't get out of the way in time.

An adventurous life cut short on the railroad tracks

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/teen-killed-by-train-was-having-photo-taken-near-tracks-with-girlfriend/2015/09/15/d46f761c-5bc3-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html?tid=sm_tw



http://wjla.com/news/local/teenage-boy-struck-by-amtrak-train-near-boyds-md-pronounced-dead-service-interrupted


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https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/taking-photos-on-train-tracks-a-mistake-you-cant-undo/2015/10/02/99769f94-6218-11e5-9757-e49273f05f65_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.

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