Metra BNSF Alert

[BusHunter]

A train just struck a box truck about an hour ago in the location of the Clarendon hills station. Metra BNSF service has been suspended according to the news

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/metra-bnsf-line-train-hits-semi-truck-causing-fire-in-clarendon-hills/?fbclid=IwAR1awFH2lRaVlUTxINwkO2Vdf7mgdb0I9NRx5GCL4fnFt3jiSywBeItZJfU

[artthouwill]

7 hours ago, BusHunter said:

A train just struck a box truck about an hour ago in the location of the Clarendon hills station. Metra BNSF service has been suspended according to the news

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/metra-bnsf-line-train-hits-semi-truck-causing-fire-in-clarendon-hills/?fbclid=IwAR1awFH2lRaVlUTxINwkO2Vdf7mgdb0I9NRx5GCL4fnFt3jiSywBeItZJfU

According to the story,  it was a semi truck, not a box truck.  Either way, the truck driver should know not to cross the track un less he knows he can get the entire truck across the tracks without getting stuck on the tracks.

It's rare that a passenger gets killed in those accidents,  but seeing as the lead car was a passenger car, it's possible, especially if she was seated or standing in the very front.  There's really no cushion between the frame and the first seats.  The engineers have a slight edge sitting on the second level.

EDIT:  Apparently the story has it wrong, it was a box truck after all.  

[BusHunter]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

According to the story,  it was a semi truck, not a box truck.  Either way, the truck driver should know not to cross the track un less he knows he can get the entire truck across the tracks without getting stuck on the tracks.

It's rare that a passenger gets killed in those accidents,  but seeing as the lead car was a passenger car, it's possible, especially if she was seated or standing in the very front.  There's really no cushion between the frame and the first seats.  The engineers have a slight edge sitting on the second level.

EDIT:  Apparently the story has it wrong, it was a box truck after all.  

Yeah that's why I changed my story. It didn't look like a semi. It would have jacknifed. This went flying in the air did a 180. I've crossed that crossing quite a bit with the bus. I first told my employer cause he has routes that go through there.  It's slow going everything meets up at one place. They were rough grooving the street so there was a hump guess the truck stalled out there. There's a curve in the track you can't see the train from the west. Sounded like a train had just cleared and another came. That's why it's called the racetrack. Probably the busiest tracks in chicago.  Unfortunately it was a train 1242 that is always local but today it was late going express from fairview to Lagrange. It was going full speed. The guy couldn't see the train and the train couldn't see him. 

[artthouwill]

19 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Yeah that's why I changed my story. It didn't look like a semi. It would have jacknifed. This went flying in the air did a 180. I've crossed that crossing quite a bit with the bus. I first told my employer cause he has routes that go through there.  It's slow going everything meets up at one place. They were rough grooving the street so there was a hump guess the truck stalled out there. There's a curve in the track you can't see the train from the west. Sounded like a train had just cleared and another came. That's why it's called the racetrack. Probably the busiest tracks in chicago.  Unfortunately it was a train 1242 that is always local but today it was late going express from fairview to Lagrange. It was going full speed. The guy couldn't see the train and the train couldn't see him. 

I have ridden the expresses from Fairview to downtown as well as the expresses from Naperville to downtown.  Those trains easily hit 70 plus mph.

As for the truck, most box trucks today are automatics.  There's really no reason for them to stall out.  If you are crossing the track  you should be hitting the accelerator.   I was trained to never cross the tracks until I knew there was room for me on the other side.  When driving a stick, I was trained to never shift gears while crossing tracks.  This eliminates the possibility of stalling.

It's been awhile since I have been in Clarendon Hills station but I don't think there are traffic signals at that crossing.   In fact, Downers Grove, Main Street,  Harlem and Berwyn  are the only BNSF stations i can recall with traffic signals. I

However I can't say that truck didn't stall out, but my understanding was that he was stuck behind another car while on the tracks .  If I remember correctly,  cars aren't allowed to make left turns immediately after crossing those tracks.

[Busjack]

The ABC7Chicago report showed that the right side of the cab car was gashed, and also the crossing was under construction, which may be why the truck was stuck. The text of the linked version of the story (seems later than the one I saw) says that the passenger was ejected from the train.

[BusHunter]

Usually what they have there is like many of the Lagrange crossings like Wolf or Brainard or willow spring rd.they have a road beside the tracks. Theres a stop sign at the intersection with the road approaching the tracks. In the direction of travel leaving the tracks there is no stop sign and your supposed to cross both the street and crossing with no stop. The side street has stop signs on both sides and is supposed to yield to the vehicle leaving the tracks. If someone doesn't do their part of this delicate ballet then things back up. If one train is leaving and another ones within seconds everyone is rushing and cutting each other off and this happens. I was trained to be hitting the gas on a crossing. If a train collision is iminate we are trained to push the car in front and basically push ourself out of harms way better to have an accident than trash the bus. If people are involved you have to abandon ship. 

[artthouwill]

Just saw a video of the actual crash.  The truck was on the tracks.  There was no traffic obstructing his path.  I saw this on the CBS2 YouTube channel.   A southbound driver waiting near the crossing took video of the northbound truck and the actual crash.

[BusHunter]

10 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Just saw a video of the actual crash.  The truck was on the tracks.  There was no traffic obstructing his path.  I saw this on the CBS2 YouTube channel.   A southbound driver waiting near the crossing took video of the northbound truck and the actual crash.

I was thinking maybe he couldn't get the truck started cause it was in drive at the time. I had a not so proud moment in our yard when I called my dispatcher saying my bus won't start to find out it was in drive. I was like doh!! But if the guy sees the train coming he might panic. He doesn't have the time to think so he starts the truck without putting it in neutral. I would be checking the wreckage to see what is the Trans setting in the truck. It's like on those aviation shows he was mentally incompassitated. That seems to make the most sense right now. 

[dailycommuter62]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ntsb/albums/72177720298876121

closeup photos of the cab car from the NTSB

 

[artthouwill]

55 minutes ago, dailycommuter62 said:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ntsb/albums/72177720298876121

closeup photos of the cab car from the NTSB

 

The truck driver holds the key to this investigation.   Why was he on the tracks?  It's too bad there weren't cameras located at the crossing.   The cell phone footage really only shows the truck on the tracks just before impact.

[strictures]

1 minute ago, artthouwill said:

The truck driver holds the key to this investigation.   Why was he on the tracks?  It's too bad there weren't cameras located at the crossing.   The cell phone footage really only shows the truck on the tracks just before impact.

I thought Metra had cameras at both the locomotives & cab cars.

[Busjack]

56 minutes ago, dailycommuter62 said:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ntsb/albums/72177720298876121

closeup photos of the cab car from the NTSB

 

I guess it will take video from the car cameras to determine how the side got peeled off like that. The picture from inside the car was too small to really see anything.

[Busjack]

15 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

The truck driver holds the key to this investigation.   Why was he on the tracks?  It's too bad there weren't cameras located at the crossing.   The cell phone footage really only shows the truck on the tracks just before impact.

As has been related in the various news reports, that is essentially not the key issue. Various witnesses said that the truck was stuck, apparently by construction plates. Anyway, that will be determined by the NTSB, not by this fan site.

Update: This article says that is one of the things the NTSB is investigating, as well as how the passenger was thrown through the window.

If anyone here had their picture included in the photo of the congregating white hats, let us know.

[Busjack]

23 minutes ago, strictures said:

I thought Metra had cameras at both the locomotives & cab cars.

From the article cited above:

Quote

Investigators will also be reviewing video from cameras inside the train cab that show the engineer at the controls as well as what is in front of the train.

Investigators have already determined that the train engineer applied the brakes well in advance of the impact.