forums
new posts
donate
UER Store
events
location db
db map
search
members
faq
terms of service
privacy policy
register
login




 1 2 3 
UER Forum > UE Main > The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train (Viewed 17153 times)
ZenCanadian 


Location: High Park, Toronto
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 524 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 40 on 10/31/2014 4:00 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
I'm a track maintainer for CN Rail and I can tell you this, if there are tracks, train time is anytime. Always treat all tracks as live and that a train can come around at any time and more importantly, a freight train going 35mph+ coming from behind you is pretty damn quiet. We also have to inspect trains when they go by us for problems, including things dragging. Lying down under a train can work, but it is still risky. If you go out on your own or even with people, do not listen to tunes and have your head on a swivel!

Stay safe.




Zen and the art of infiltration...
http://www.flikr.com/photos/zenslens
Zen is an uber explorer, a demi god of craning and purveyor of the finer things in life.
Esoterik 


Location: Kansas City
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 122 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 41 on 11/1/2014 5:53 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum




“You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.”
Granuaile 


Location: Cincinnati
Gender: Female
Total Likes: 158 likes


Enveloped in a sentiment

 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 42 on 11/2/2014 7:47 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Esoterik



That was intense.




"First rule of space travel, kids, is always answer distress beacons. 9 out of 10 times it's a ship full of dead bodies and free shit."
unyi5465 


Total Likes: 1 like




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 43 on 12/5/2014 3:36 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Granuaile


I get kinda freaked out too! I mean like even though I know there is no trains..


I am even paranoid on abandoned tracks. Really any tracks I find myself on make me super alert. I hope they send out a notice to people letting them know the trains are running again....






Salty Trees 


Location: Utah
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 26 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 44 on 12/7/2014 1:26 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
This summer me and my buddies were hanging out by this railroad and for some reason the train that runs on the line was stopped right close to where we are even though there was no reason for it to be stopped there. After about 15 minutes of it just sitting there it started to move again. My buddy started running along with the train and then hopped on. I don't think he realized how fast it got going and he quickly had to jump and roll into the gravel before it got going even faster. That provided him a quick deserved scare lol




Starve the Ego, Feed the Soul
superss 


Total Likes: 15 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 45 on 12/8/2014 12:50 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by ZenCanadian
Always treat all tracks as live and that a train can come around at any time and more importantly, a freight train going 35mph+ coming from behind you is pretty damn quiet. ...................If you go out on your own or even with people, do not listen to tunes and have your head on a swivel!



I grew up in an area of multiple train tracks & a maintenance yard, we were around trains on an almost daily basis. If we were walking to the lacrosse box or hockey rink we were probably hopping the tracks. During the summer we would be climbing trains or racing jiggers up & down the side tracks.

We were much more aware of the dangers of trains, we had experienced the silent stationary train with it's engine running & realized the surprise as you stepped off to the side. We had experienced the moving rails as the trains approached or been fooled by which track the train was really on. We had moved out of the way of one train to only realize there was another on the next set of tracks. Thank God we didn't blindly jump onto that other track.

Despite our familiarity with trains, I think most of us kids that grew up there would have an "oh shit" story.

The "have your head on a swivel" comment is great advise, I remember doing that with each set of the dozen plus tracks we would cross. The other bit of advise, have an out or don't do it.




Harvestman 


Location: Somewhere in SORTA/TANK Territory!
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 565 likes


Everything about me has a poker face.

 |  |  | Don't you dare click this
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 46 on 12/8/2014 7:15 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Light__
348116.jpg (67 kb, 400x600)
click to view



A while ago, I went hiking with three friends and crossed a bridge similar to this, but about twice as high - it was the only way to go apart from crossing the river, unfortunately. Suddenly I thought I heard something and turned around, only to see smoke. I checked the tracks, and they were humming. Holy fucking hell I'm going to jump or die, went my thought process. I shout "TRAIN" at the top of my voice and everyone starts literally running for their lives.

Unfortunately my friend Vern is terrified of two things: falling off of tall bridges, and trains. He chooses to let his fears take over his walnut-sized brain and clings to the bridge like it's his mother. Needless to say, I don't want to see someone die, especially a friend of mine (I'm also behind him, so there's that), so I pull him off the tracks and we try to outrun this big fucking train headed straight toward us. We ended up jumping off the embankment just before we were caught by the train, but I swear we couldn't have been more than five feet away.

I also ended up getting a crotch full of leeches on that hiking trip, but that's a non-train-related story for another time.




Oh good, my slow clap processor made it into this thing.
Aran 


Location: Kansas City
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 1839 likes


Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 47 on 12/9/2014 1:52 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Yeah, I live in a small city, so most of the trains don't break 15 mph within city limits, and sound their horns before every crossing. As a result, I haven't developed the wariness many other people seem to possess, especially seeing as I usually only walk along the tracks to get to railside abandonments. Like someone else here said "You have to be a drunk old many in a wheelchair to get hit by one." Hell, I even know people who jump on moving trains as a game, though that seems about as stupid as playing "Chicken".


However, a friend of mine is always wary on the tracks. She grew up in Chicago, so train safety was ingrained like fire safety in elementary schools. So I'm always looking over my shoulder near tracks, since I trust her judgement.

You know, I was driving out in the country once, and saw a train that was easily keeping pace with me while I was doing 65 on the highway. It really drove home the power these things have.




"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

blackhawk 

This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.


Location: Mission Control
Total Likes: 3996 likes


UER newbie

 |  |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 48 on 9/24/2017 1:26 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
A Chance Encounter at Black Rock

I was about 600-800 feet into the north side of the Black Rock tunnel located near Phoenixville PA, a roughly 1900 foot long tunnel.
I was walking to its south end.
It's active.
It's a single track and it's not fun to plant your face in the gravel and hope nothing is hanging off the freight train cars as they pass you.
Then I heard the rumble and coming around the bend on the south end was a train. Fuck.
And fuck eating gravel!

I sprinted down the RR ties as fast as I could knowing a misstep would be costly.
Quick glance back, still winning the race to the safety of the open track area by the end of the bridge that lies after the tunnel.
Beat the train by 5-8 seconds but the engineer let me know he wasn't pleased by laying on the air horn.

Bah-ha-ha-ha-ha, I did enjoy that, but didn't plan it.
If you ever do this, make sure your estimate of the train and your speed is spot on, and don't misstep even once.
I've know people killed and injured trying to beat a train out of a tunnel in Chester County.
If you can't get out, lay flat as close to the tunnel way as possible, face down, and cover your head with your arms.
It's not fun to kiss gravel... but better than being DRT.





Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
algorithm 


Total Likes: 2 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 49 on 11/13/2017 11:30 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Benched_it



Most people don't realize it's illegal to be on the tracks and/or the right of way for the tracks. It's trespassing and they take it seriously. All train crews are instructed to call in any thing they see by the tracks. I've heard them call in on me before on my scanner. Two weeks ago they had to stop a train and wait while the railroad police looked for people riding four wheelers on the tracks.

Last Friday I caught this car crossing the tracks while the lights were flashing and the gates were starting to come down. You have approx 20 seconds from the time the train activates the crossing arms until it passes. I counted off about 8 seconds before I took the pic so they had about 12 seconds left. The train took one minute and 24 seconds to pass. They risked their lives to save one minute and 24 seconds.

I don't mean to harp on this subject but the idiots doing stupid things makes it bad for the railfans that love trains like myself. All train related accidents involving the public can be prevented...

https://farm3.stat...9_50e5d83e10_c.jpg


Going across as the lights begin flashing is fair game. The cutoff is once the gate is about halfway down. hell i grew up literally a stone's throw from one of the busiest commuter railroads in the world.

Going over just as the crossing goes down is almost always fair game. There are special circumstances, however.I.E two track railroads and the Northeast Corridor. But on the diesel territory of the LIRR Port Jeff branch it's fair game. The trains were so predictable in their nature, and they were so nearly perfectly on time that i could predict when i would meet one and go under the trestle instead of taking the crossing.





Watcher 


Location: Louisiana
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 21 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 50 on 11/21/2017 9:49 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
I am always surprised by the amount of car vs. train accidents that happen here. I used to live in Kansas City, which had a fair amount of railroads running into it, but it was also a bigger city and had a lot of overpasses and what not. Here, it's a smaller town and though we only have two or three railroad lines they all have ground level crossings without gates and there's always someone that thinks they can beat the train.

Spoiler alert: You can't.



[last edit 11/21/2017 9:51 PM by Watcher - edited 1 times]

"Well, let me just jump into my time machine, go back to the Twelfth Century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show."
Xante 


Total Likes: 0 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 51 on 12/7/2017 8:51 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Never had a close encounter myself. However, both me and my fiancé are first responders, that being said, things have been seen...

No horror stories to speak of as yet, most of the calls we have responded to are train vs logging truck or train vs car. So far haven't had to respond to a fatality, some injuries, but no splatter.

Thankfully we both left a fire department that gets more calls than the other department we are with. The department we left has it's main station sitting maybe 50-100ft away from two very active tracks. If you are trainspotting in the US, and in Georgia, visit Charlton County, GA. Folkston has some spotting area's setup so that train watchers can watch, video, photograph from a safe distance. They also have live streaming http://virtualrail...m/chessie-cams-hd/





SaladKing 


Total Likes: 181 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 52 on 12/8/2017 1:27 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Back in 2011 a couple and friends and I found a way onto the rails that ran through our town after a boredom bikeride through the waterfront area. We climbed up the hill they ran atop of, walked through a missing section of fence, and walked maybe a hundred feet down the tracks, stepping on the concrete ties or balancing on the steel rails.

Eventually we reached a parking lot along the side and saw people walking around there so we turned back to avoid being caught. Made it back to the hole in the fence, walked on through, and were off the tracks for maybe a whole five seconds when suddenly forty tons of screeching metal and power materialized on the rails beside us. The head of the train had already passed before we even knew it was coming. Never went back on the tracks again after that.




NeuroticMatt 


Gender: Male
Total Likes: 298 likes




 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 53 on 12/8/2017 1:47 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Harvestman


A while ago, I went hiking with three friends and crossed a bridge similar to this, but about twice as high - it was the only way to go apart from crossing the river, unfortunately. Suddenly I thought I heard something and turned around, only to see smoke. I checked the tracks, and they were humming. Holy fucking hell I'm going to jump or die, went my thought process. I shout "TRAIN" at the top of my voice and everyone starts literally running for their lives.

Unfortunately my friend Vern is terrified of two things: falling off of tall bridges, and trains. He chooses to let his fears take over his walnut-sized brain and clings to the bridge like it's his mother. Needless to say, I don't want to see someone die, especially a friend of mine (I'm also behind him, so there's that), so I pull him off the tracks and we try to outrun this big fucking train headed straight toward us. We ended up jumping off the embankment just before we were caught by the train, but I swear we couldn't have been more than five feet away.

I also ended up getting a crotch full of leeches on that hiking trip, but that's a non-train-related story for another time.


If only Ray Brower had been so lucky. That train knocked him right out of his Keds if I recall correctly.




Aran 


Location: Kansas City
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 1839 likes


Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

 |  | 
Re: The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train
< Reply # 54 on 12/8/2017 2:13 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by NeuroticMatt

If only Ray Brower had been so lucky. That train knocked him right out of his Keds if I recall correctly.


Was he the guy in the "In Memoriam" section who was thrown from a roofop by a train? That's a pretty bad way to go.



[last edit 12/8/2017 2:13 AM by Aran - edited 1 times]

"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

UER Forum > UE Main > The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train (Viewed 17153 times)
 1 2 3 


Add a poll to this thread



This thread is in a public category, and can't be made private.



All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 125 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 737008659 pages have been generated.