Except that any movement of a vehicle of this size over tracks should be coordinated with the railroad company. The truck's crossing over the tracks could take longer than the crossing circuit warning time even without the truck being hung up.
Sounds like what needs to be done in the future is have these large loads on special trailers stop and get clearance from the railroads before crossing. The RR can be sure any trains are far enough away to emergency stop before a crossing is attempted.
That's what good operations do. I am a former train dispatcher and have had companies call and ask for my permission to cross the tracks. I gave them permission and held traffic accordingly for just a couple minutes. No big deal!
Yep, this should definitely be done. Part of the route planning could be picking a spot out of the way to stop until clearance is obtained so they aren’t blocking road traffic either. This would ensure that even if they had trouble making it across, there still wouldn’t be a collision
@peeterl.2016 local business have the truck on camera longer on the tracks . Mind you it takes more than a minute to disconnect a trailer pulling forward waiting on a wrecker to pull a trailer . If his tuck was still hooked up he would have went for a ride .
@@Texas.T You have zero credibility. why are you on here still discussing this? You are an absolute clown. stop commenting on sh%t you know nothing about
And where is the "source" that all of a sudden this truck was on the tracks for less than a minute? Its not exactly a blind curve there. I know the road. A truck driver attempting to cross should have EASILY been able to see the train if it was close enough to hit in 1 minute. Keep in mind crossing signals are mandated to have a minimum of 30 seconds warning time between activation and the computer estimated time the train should hit the crossing (all done by computers and sensors in the boxes lineside). If that train was 30 seconds away from hitting the approach circuits even at 70 he would have still been within view of the crossing. Only a certified idiot would have tried to cross. I dont buy that it was "a minute" its not physically possible that the train wasnt visible to traffic if it was that close to hit the truck that quickly.
I agree with you - being a bus driver myself - you have to stop, look as listen - that all would have been visible to the truck driver. Something isn’t adding up here.
Federal minimum warning time for crossing apparatus is 20 seconds. Most railroads use 30 seconds, but I believe UP goes with 20. The article about the flatbed parade truck in Midland a few years ago noted that timing. 20 seconds warning time would require about 2100 ft. of approach circuit. There is a slight curve of the track approximately 2000 feet east of the crossing. This was a westbound train possibly looking into a bright sun low in the sky (about 1 hour before sunset). I'm sure a lot of the info out there will be amended as time goes on, but the driver or escort might not have seen the train in the distance and the warning probably started right around the time it became visible. This whole timeline will have to be looked at during the investigation. I wonder if they will do some type of re-enactment to get a better picture?
@@alwhalen3488FRA says 20 seconds minimum. Depending on speed of track, type of equipment, and frequency used determines the approach to that crossing. Every crossing is different.
@@Texas.T Dude you are now lying. 1 minute came from the traffic camera. 45min story was always a lie from youtube comment section, no news has not even reported it was stuck 45 minutes.
@peeterl.2016 girl do sum actual research the City building had a camera facing the tracks 45min is a long time to be stopped. Besides I have knowledge of the Derailment becuse I work here
With so much advancement in the technology, is is not possible to install CCTV cameras at railroad crossings to give live information to the railway control rooms or the locomotive drivers/engineers?
@@sirblack1619 this post was not talking about cell phone video. It is talking about the need to install safety cameras at road crossings to upload livestream video, which would warn trains of danger ahead that they cannot otherwise see, with enough time to take crash avoidance action. This technology is already being used in a few locations, you can even find streaming camera video on youtube. For safety, these cameras need to be deployed in a lot more areas.
I don't know what the truth is but I did take a look at the local railway way crossing here in Niagara, Ontario, and CN has blue signs with phone numbers and location information clearly posted in both directions. Now I know what to do, thanks!
I still say the logistics company in charge of the haul should have coordinated with the railroad ahead of time and then called their contact once at the crossing to get the go ahead to cross once the rail block was clear/closed to rail traffic. This should happen at all major railroad crossings on routes like this. And for people saying the truck driver is at fault? With a big load like this, I doubt that he/she was the one in charge of the haul. That person would be the one at fault, whoever made the decision to continue across the tracks.
If this case is as it appears, the driver is at fault. He is the "captain of his ship", it's his call to proceed. That call may have been made with bad information, and that obviously opens up a bunch more legal mess, but ultimately the driver, and by extension, the company.
But you are correct about the operation could have been coordinated better. This is by far not the biggest load moved, doubtful not the even biggest over this crossing, but the risk associated with it sure makes it seem they could have taken a couple of extra precautions. (At least it's easy for us to say that now)
The trucking company AND the Texas DOT are completely AT FAULT for this incident. The people who planned the route (Texas DOT) and the trucks who were escorting this large load. These guys are supposed to clear the path ahead and make sure there are no issues such as an uneven grossing grade. These guys failed miserably!! And I’ll bet not a single person in the detail were aware of any railroad crossings on their route and if they were I’ll bet not a single person had a phone number to call the railroads to let them know their crossing was blocked. Losers, scum…..and yet another example of people showing up to work and not doing their job. Freaking shame.
Reports of this truck stuck on the grade crossing for a couple of mins verse witnesses reporting 45 minutes don't add up.. I suspect someone is lying and a cover up... Question: Who mapped the route this truck traveled through the Peco's city streets and approved it without verification if the truck's trailer could clear the railroad crossing without getting stuck? Did someone call Union Pacific to tell them about this truck load routing plans prior to travel on Peco's city street crossing their grade crossing? Did Peco's city officials knew of this oversized load traveling on their city streets prior to day of travel? These are serious ❓ questions I'm not hearing being asked by news reporters to Peco's city officials and the trucking company.... It's shameful and straight up terrible two lives were lost in this incident that seem some things were apparently overlooked and not checked!!! My prayers go out to the families of the two Union Pacific train operators in this accident...
@bigbluetruck3464 Were you at the accident site? What caused the truck from moving forward across the railroad crossing? Was it the trailer or tractor or both? I didn't say anything was wrong with the route. . My question again is who approved this truck travel on this route without checking to see if load and trailer can clear railroad crossing? With common sense someone would had contacted Union Pacific prior of this oversized load traveling on a route where their grade crossing is to reroute trains from this area.. Or are you one of those truck drivers who don't give a darn about driving your 🚛 rig across a railroad crossing trying to beat a train when it's coming only to get hit because you're not taking to account that a train can come at anytime of day or night? We've all seen way to many truck and train grade crossing accidents like this because the truck driver doing stupid unsafe driving to beat a train at the railroad crossing!! I have no respect for a truck driver who is careless about road safety of others on the road including themselves just to get paid... Life is more important!. Getting home to your family safely is more important than chasing that money 💰 bag.....
@@rodcurry6387 you looking at the lastest update and clearly you can see that crossing the RR x wasn't a issue... you do know what hydraulic lift means?? The report says it was on the tracks for about 1 min...I guess you still stuck on the 45 minutes theory!?
@@rodcurry6387 there are all kinds of trailers in use, there is no "checking" to determine if the trailer can pass over the crossing; every crossing is also different. Weight of loads is always different, so trailers are not going to always have the same ground clearance. People trying to "standardize" these events are missing the point. It is not the truck and trailer. Livestream camera technology is readily available these days, and railroads should be using it, to avoid these crashes. The engineer could have stopped this train outside of town with proper visual monitoring at the crossing ahead.
So much for all of the expert foamers and armchair inspectors the past few days who have been ranting that the truck was stuck for 45 minutes. This is why, as a professional railroader, I don't speculate on accidents.
45 minutes is better (giving benefit of the doubt to the trucking company) than 1 minute. 45 minutes means the trucking company maybe coordinated with railroad as they were supposed to, but just didn't inform railroad when they got stuck. 1 minute means the trucking company did not inform railroad at all, despite being legally required to during a heavy haul like this. 1 minute means the trucking company was even more negligent and at fault than 45 minutes.
@@monarchcoTexas permit says nothing about notifying the R/R when you’re crossing. There is no law to notify. The last section of a Texas permit conditions says to notify the R/R should an issue arise.
@@monarchco here’s a copy/paste from an actual Texas superload permit. It’s Condition 30 on the permit. “Use Caution at all Railroad crossings. In case of emergency, please contact the appropriate railroad.” Followed by the numbers to the various R/R companies.
@@skullspaws7607 That's common sense. So...was it 45 minutes and either no one called, or no one notified the train crew? Or were they dialing the phone when the train showed up?
equipment failure is not criminal negligence in any courtroom in the country, the truck driver had time to cross the tracks when he started over them, the gates were not flashing or coming down; the railroad having a 70 mph speed limit through that town is actually criminal negligence.
@@johnandrus3901 again John, governments have authority over railroads, and they can do whatever they determine to be the safety limit. New rules are established when unforeseen events happen, like this one. Get ready for more speed limits on trains through populated areas.
@@rayrussell6258 No, they don't. State or local governments don't have that authority. If the did, you could never imagine the mess of thousands of regulations would create in freight movements. The cost of delays and fuel would be immense. The railroads were there first and then towns were built around them. If they want to build separated grade crossings or a bypass around the town, then they have to fund that themselves. Either that, or close all but couple of crossings through town. Then, let the complaints begin.
This is why you don't judge prematurely. It takes time to sort out the circumstances of a major event like this. And the camera eye is almost always a more reliable witness than people.
Less than a minute??? So perfect timing, it started across just as the crossing signals started to function🤔 They want us to believe all the holes in the swiss cheese lines up on this??? I smell something fishy.
Crossing guards are required to give a minimum of 20 seconds warning for a train at track speed. That still gives you 39 more seconds that truck could have been there before the gates
Everything about this sudden "1 minute before impact" is sketchy, so it was just perfectly timed as the train approached or the trucker crossed as the gates were lowering@@awboat
No, it just takes time to do a thorough job, and it's not like this is the only accident they have on their plate. They do a darned good job, and unlike the FAA or the FRA, they have no conflicting agendas to promote airlines or railroads. The are there to promote safety, and to come up with recommendations to prevent things like this from happening again - and it is a pity that they can't mandate changes.
@@PhartYeOlde After a month it will start to become a fog. The right hand will not remember what the left hand is doing. The investigation will become useless. Government waste!!! The investigators will not prevent another tragedy. The tragedy will be the waste of money paid by the taxpayers.
In the UK, any sort of abnormal load is required to stop and obtain permission to cross the railway. Surely something similar applies in the USA? You havd to make sure no train is approaching and that trains are told to stop before a slow moving or long load can start to cross, then phone again when it is clear of the crossing
@@Texassince1836 Even if your vehicle is crossing on your private road (posted according to local law), over your private railroad on your private property (insular), federal rules require your locomotive to have a working horn, the crossing must be free of vegetation or other things that limit visibility, and parking is not permitted too close to the rails. There is likely more government involvement but these are what I came up with.
Nope! This did not happen in a minute. With a train moving at 68MPH the crossing would have been active just before the truck got to the crossing. The federal law states that there must be 30 seconds at least for the grade crossing signals to activate and the time that the train gets to the crossing.
Federal law requires the lights to start flashing, and the gates to begin moving down no less than 20 secconds before the train arrives. That leaves 39 more secconds for the truck to have been there prior to the gate becoming active.
If you travel at 68 mph, you will travel approximately 1.13 miles in one minute. That train was probably doing 70 before going into emergency just before the collision. Take into account the human factor... noticing an obstruction on the rails, realizing it's not going to move/stuck and putting the train into emergency all from a mile away? far less distance considering those other factors... Those poor souls didn't have a chance.
Was there witness that say atleast 45 minutes? After watching the video, i mean its hard to see but it sure looks like a step deck trailer that extends to 60 feet to me
Wonder if anyone has video (from a dashcam maybe) taken say 20-30 minutes before the crash? That would resolve the ‘stuck for 45 minutes’ argument one way or the other.
You do understand that crossing has a traffic camera and that's how they know how long the truck was stuck? 45 minutes story came from the comments section here on youtube, no news reported about it.
no it is not; larger cities have ordinances regulating train speed, and sometimes even the maximim number of cars in the train. Railroad speeds need to be regulated by an independent agency instead of being set by railroads, when outside of city limits. And livestream cameras uploading video should be mandated at all gated crossings in the US. This would have provided early warning that this crossing was blocked, and given the engineer time to slow down or stop the train outside of town, not crash into it at full speed. A 70 mph speed limit through this small town was negligence by the railroad.
@@rayrussell6258railroads are federal. Cities do not set the speed a train can operate. Railroads are built on private property, not a public right of way like highways.
70mph is the Speed limit through Pecos on the rails. 80mph on the interstate highway system. The rails have moved more freight with fewer fatalities than the parallel I20 through Pecos.
It doesn’t matter if it was a minute or an hour. The trucking company hauling the equipment is still responsible for evaluating circumstances before attempting to cross a graded railroad. If it was in fact only a minute, then the escort didn’t look both ways before crossing the tracks.
An outsize load like that should not have entered the crossing before gaining permission to cross from the rail operators, that should be a no-brainer.
☑️ okay so, what if it was you, or I driving that same truck, and we had that same stuck problem. But with a little more force, and effort we made it across . But the only thing, we didn't "NOTICE!!!" that we damaged some of the Spikes, Ties, and warped one of the Rails in the process of crossing. ☑️An hour, or so later a train traveling at 68 MPH crossing at the Pecos, Tx RR crossing derailed because the tracks were unstable. ☑️ An hour and 30 minutes later while crossing at a RR Crossing successfully 3 towns away from the city of Pecos, state troopers track us down wanting to investigate, and ask questions, and maybe ticket us , and also charge us with what happened back at Pecos. ☑️ Keep in mind that mostly (But not all) everybody are saying that an official from the RR must be present to withness all the heavy haul RR crossings. Also keep in mind we been gone from the city of Pecos for an hour, and ain't no telling what all has transpired at that crossing sense we been gone. You just gonna take the state troopers word on it, or are you going to keep your mouth closed, and instead lawyer-up like me? Because they might just want to stick us with it. I been driving along time now, and I don't think I have never hopped out to check on the rail road tracks to see if it's Ok after I have crossed it.😊 LOL
I've said for years that news media personnel should be licensed individually and subject to loss of license and job if they report inaccurate information.
Why two years to complete the investigation? Anyone can see that the truck driver was at fault for trying to to cross the tracks , the trucking company should have notified the railroad afore hand
the cell phone footage shows the truck driver out walking around before the crash.......and crossing arms come down more than a minute before a train appears, especially on 70mph track.
Crossing guards are required to begin coming down no less than 20 secconds before a train at track speed gets there. That means a train at 1/3 track speed would trigger the gates 60 secconds before it got there. Most gates are triggered at a set distance out.
That train was going really fast on top of everything else. I doubt that truck and trailer were sitting on the tracks for a minute.That doesn't make any sense. Very sad about the two men that passed away.🙏
That truck was definitely not there for 45 minutes. It was there long enough for the crew to see and apply emergency brakes. They were already dropping speed on impact.
"survival factors" and "emergency response" better include a failure of railroads to use streaming cameras at all gated railroad crossings, and on-board visual monitors on trains, so the train engineers can see far enough ahead to take crash avoidance action far sooner than this one did. This train was traveling far too fast, even if the railroad had a 70 mph speed limit on this stretch of track. That excessive speed limit is negligence by the railroads.
Nah. I'll say that you are incorrect on all counts. Thousands of trains each day pass through towns, like this, at 60 or more mph, without incident. Tens of thousands of gated crossings are in the US, so it would be virtually impossible to supply visual monitors at every crossing. This train was coming around a curve and it most likely wasn't visible to the truck driver or his escorts. There are so many factors to consider here and everyone is an expert. The NTSB will do a thorough investigation and and issue their findings. Until then, we won't know the whole story.
@@johnandrus3901 it was too fast, the incidental resulting damage and injuries to bystanders in the city office is all the evidence needed. And at one time, naysayers like you were adamant that crossing gates could never be installed in all crossings, but they have been, all but a few with wide open spaces and no population. It's NOT impossible. Cameras eliminate the curve and siteline issue. This implementation of camera technology is a no-brainer.
@@rayrussell6258 Crossing warning lights were first installed in the early 1900's and automatic gates in the 1930's. Previous to that, gates were manual and controlled by a gate man, at busy crossings. Installing cameras at all crossings and video screens in each locomotive, would be a virtual impossibility. As I've stated, thousands or trains pass through towns each day, over multiple crossings, at 60+ mph, without incident.
@@johnandrus3901 oh sure ..... until they don't!!!! Like this time! Thanks for the history lesson, but the rest of us will move forward, looking back at you stuck in your mud.
@@johnandrus3901yes .... until they don't! thanks for the history lesson, but the rest of us will move forward, including government safety regulators, John.
That amount of weight with that much inertia? Nothing was going to stop that train, the fate of those workers was sealed because of that hauling company's stupidity
@@Texassince1836damn so from what I'm hearing by the thousands of comments truckers lack common sense. "Let me cross this steep crossing with this low clearance oversized load, because my permit says so." Peak trucker moment
vehicles will inevitably get stuck on a crossing from time to time. the rail road operator should have a system in place that deals with such scenarios in a safe way, rather than allowing trains to crash directly into such scenarios.
we've seen the video, we've heard from witness' at the scene, did the democrats give u this 'new' information because it certainly doesnt coincide with what we were told by how many people whom filmed it? why the coverup??
That's pretty normal for UP because more than likely at least one of them was probably dead. And as far as the speed 68 MPH, that's truckin for UP, they can't keep things on the track at 40 where I live.
That place is a hell hole driving anytime between 06:00-10:00 AM . all these people shoot on those tiny on ramps going 70 mph expecting you to get out of the way. I don’t miss it.
Do you ever watch youtube channels livestreaming trains? I do occasionally. There are dozens and dozens of them. Railroad junkies all know the train schedules, and will tell each other that trains are off schedule, and with many valid reasons. It happens continually. lol, I won't answer your question about "are you just a moron". Only providing you information that may change your story about trains always being "same time daily or weekly" They aren't.
I agree with you. I made a similar comment on another video of this accident, and was completely ridiculed by a railroad employee for saying the speeds of the train should be slower going through towns. Apparently safety to the Railroad means - we put a blue sign up with our phone number, and we put another sign up saying don't stop on the tracks........ That's all we can do folks.
@@Texassince1836 the difference is civil engineers who design & update safety features of the highway systems do everything possible to protect motorists from their own mistakes. For example in the median of many 2 lane divided highways there is cable guard, the cable guard prevents crossover accidents because people driving are not paying attention. I believe the railroads can do more to improve their safety.
@@dand3975 What do you think the train was running on? Streaks of rust? That's part of the sunset route. Has very high standards or else 20 trains a day wouldn't be using it
And how do you suggest fright gets moved around the country? Facts the speed limit on that line is 70 MPH because the type of rail is designed for that type of weight and speed. If people are to stupid to know before you cross any tracks do so with caution. A load that big and heavy the truck driver should stop look to see if a train was coming frist second he should see if he had enough Clarence under his truck to make it across with out bottom out . I been a truck driver for 14 years. The driver and the glide car driver are going to be held accountable. I also worked in a safety department for one company did dispatch and routing for another company and was a driver supervisor. My last company i was a shop Stewart for two years. Trains were made to go that fast they been doing it for over 60 years now. It's stupid people that don't have common sense that make things dangerous and should not be driven a car never mind a truck.
Imagine if the truck wasn't stucked there and have cleared the railroad on time. That accident wouldn't happen and the speed of the train wouldn't matter at all.
Lmfao. You want us to stop at every crossing too? Get out of here. We are already regulated enough as is. We don't need anymore silly rules because the news media makes you scared.
It is not the train crews fault for doing the track speed. It was the idiots in the trucking company who chose to drive across then get stuck. Also, are you trying to say you want trains to stop at every crossing? You really would hate that when a 18000 ton 2.5 mile long train has to stop for 15 crossings in town. It would take hours for a single train to get anywhere. 70 mph is fine for trains, They need to build crossings though where you can not go around the gates
wow dude, that is like a really stupid take. You really want trains to stop at every intersection??? Damn dude. That is one of the more ignorant takes I have seen.
some kinda change from truck on the crossing for 45 minutes to less than a minute. somebody been lying
MmmmHmmm.
That’s why I wait because the news media wants to blow up the story with fake information.
fer realz!
That's called CNNing the news.
I like that phrase. I'm gonna start using that.
45 minutes to 1 is a big difference, that makes more sense on how this could happen.
Except that any movement of a vehicle of this size over tracks should be coordinated with the railroad company. The truck's crossing over the tracks could take longer than the crossing circuit warning time even without the truck being hung up.
The media would never sensationalize anything. Right?
Neither one makes sense.
@@rjb5847 It was coordinated and local DOT office assigned the route.
Sounds like what needs to be done in the future is have these large loads on special trailers stop and get clearance from the railroads before crossing. The RR can be sure any trains are far enough away to emergency stop before a crossing is attempted.
That's what good operations do. I am a former train dispatcher and have had companies call and ask for my permission to cross the tracks. I gave them permission and held traffic accordingly for just a couple minutes. No big deal!
Yep, this should definitely be done. Part of the route planning could be picking a spot out of the way to stop until clearance is obtained so they aren’t blocking road traffic either. This would ensure that even if they had trouble making it across, there still wouldn’t be a collision
Someone should make an app fir that
45 minutes to 1 minute????? Yeah check those cameras and it will tell a whole different story
They did check the cameras, that's where the 1 minute story now comes. 45 minute story came from some random dude on the street.
@peeterl.2016 local business have the truck on camera longer on the tracks . Mind you it takes more than a minute to disconnect a trailer pulling forward waiting on a wrecker to pull a trailer . If his tuck was still hooked up he would have went for a ride .
@@Texas.T You have zero credibility. why are you on here still discussing this? You are an absolute clown. stop commenting on sh%t you know nothing about
If this is correct..then the escort drivers is responsible because he didn't look
And where is the "source" that all of a sudden this truck was on the tracks for less than a minute? Its not exactly a blind curve there. I know the road. A truck driver attempting to cross should have EASILY been able to see the train if it was close enough to hit in 1 minute. Keep in mind crossing signals are mandated to have a minimum of 30 seconds warning time between activation and the computer estimated time the train should hit the crossing (all done by computers and sensors in the boxes lineside). If that train was 30 seconds away from hitting the approach circuits even at 70 he would have still been within view of the crossing. Only a certified idiot would have tried to cross. I dont buy that it was "a minute" its not physically possible that the train wasnt visible to traffic if it was that close to hit the truck that quickly.
I agree with you - being a bus driver myself - you have to stop, look as listen - that all would have been visible to the truck driver. Something isn’t adding up here.
Federal minimum warning time for crossing apparatus is 20 seconds. Most railroads use 30 seconds, but I believe UP goes with 20. The article about the flatbed parade truck in Midland a few years ago noted that timing. 20 seconds warning time would require about 2100 ft. of approach circuit. There is a slight curve of the track approximately 2000 feet east of the crossing. This was a westbound train possibly looking into a bright sun low in the sky (about 1 hour before sunset). I'm sure a lot of the info out there will be amended as time goes on, but the driver or escort might not have seen the train in the distance and the warning probably started right around the time it became visible. This whole timeline will have to be looked at during the investigation. I wonder if they will do some type of re-enactment to get a better picture?
@@alwhalen3488FRA says 20 seconds minimum. Depending on speed of track, type of equipment, and frequency used determines the approach to that crossing. Every crossing is different.
Good post, this is true.@@alwhalen3488
@@Danvers97 You're preaching the gospel of road safety 🙌🙌🙌🦺🦺🦺..... I agree with you...
just over a minute? there was NOT enough time for the train to stop, hell to even call the number.
It was a lie 45mins via camera confirmation
@@Texas.T Dude you are now lying. 1 minute came from the traffic camera. 45min story was always a lie from youtube comment section, no news has not even reported it was stuck 45 minutes.
@peeterl.2016 girl do sum actual research the City building had a camera facing the tracks 45min is a long time to be stopped. Besides I have knowledge of the Derailment becuse I work here
@@Texas.T truck was not stuck 45 min's
@peeterl.2016 it was im a union pacific employee what are you?
With so much advancement in the technology, is is not possible to install CCTV cameras at railroad crossings to give live information to the railway control rooms or the locomotive drivers/engineers?
I am sure that there is more video somewhere it just hasn't surfaced.
@@sirblack1619 this post was not talking about cell phone video. It is talking about the need to install safety cameras at road crossings to upload livestream video, which would warn trains of danger ahead that they cannot otherwise see, with enough time to take crash avoidance action.
This technology is already being used in a few locations, you can even find streaming camera video on youtube. For safety, these cameras need to be deployed in a lot more areas.
I don't know what the truth is but I did take a look at the local railway way crossing here in Niagara, Ontario, and CN has blue signs with phone numbers and location information clearly posted in both directions. Now I know what to do, thanks!
I still say the logistics company in charge of the haul should have coordinated with the railroad ahead of time and then called their contact once at the crossing to get the go ahead to cross once the rail block was clear/closed to rail traffic. This should happen at all major railroad crossings on routes like this.
And for people saying the truck driver is at fault? With a big load like this, I doubt that he/she was the one in charge of the haul. That person would be the one at fault, whoever made the decision to continue across the tracks.
If this case is as it appears, the driver is at fault. He is the "captain of his ship", it's his call to proceed. That call may have been made with bad information, and that obviously opens up a bunch more legal mess, but ultimately the driver, and by extension, the company.
But you are correct about the operation could have been coordinated better. This is by far not the biggest load moved, doubtful not the even biggest over this crossing, but the risk associated with it sure makes it seem they could have taken a couple of extra precautions. (At least it's easy for us to say that now)
The trucking company AND the Texas DOT are completely AT FAULT for this incident. The people who planned the route (Texas DOT) and the trucks who were escorting this large load. These guys are supposed to clear the path ahead and make sure there are no issues such as an uneven grossing grade. These guys failed miserably!! And I’ll bet not a single person in the detail were aware of any railroad crossings on their route and if they were I’ll bet not a single person had a phone number to call the railroads to let them know their crossing was blocked. Losers, scum…..and yet another example of people showing up to work and not doing their job. Freaking shame.
PREMATURE ... you don't know why it stopped. Could easily be a mechanical malfunction at the worst possible time.
But jump to unjustified conclusions
Reports of this truck stuck on the grade crossing for a couple of mins verse witnesses reporting 45 minutes don't add up.. I suspect someone is lying and a cover up...
Question: Who mapped the route this truck traveled through the Peco's city streets and approved it without verification if the truck's trailer could clear the railroad crossing without getting stuck?
Did someone call Union Pacific to tell them about this truck load routing plans prior to travel on Peco's city street crossing their grade crossing?
Did Peco's city officials knew of this oversized load traveling on their city streets prior to day of travel?
These are serious ❓ questions I'm not hearing being asked by news reporters to Peco's city officials and the trucking company....
It's shameful and straight up terrible two lives were lost in this incident that seem some things were apparently overlooked and not checked!!!
My prayers go out to the families of the two Union Pacific train operators in this accident...
None of what you saying and asking matters.. wasn't nothing wrong with the routing... stop fishing!... the truck wasn't stuck..it was a lift trailer
@bigbluetruck3464 Were you at the accident site? What caused the truck from moving forward across the railroad crossing?
Was it the trailer or tractor or both?
I didn't say anything was wrong with the route. .
My question again is who approved this truck travel on this route without checking to see if load and trailer can clear railroad crossing?
With common sense someone would had contacted Union Pacific prior of this oversized load traveling on a route where their grade crossing is to reroute trains from this area..
Or are you one of those truck drivers who don't give a darn about driving your 🚛 rig across a railroad crossing trying to beat a train when it's coming only to get hit because you're not taking to account that a train can come at anytime of day or night? We've all seen way to many truck and train grade crossing accidents like this because the truck driver doing stupid unsafe driving to beat a train at the railroad crossing!!
I have no respect for a truck driver who is careless about road safety of others on the road including themselves just to get paid...
Life is more important!. Getting home to your family safely is more important than chasing that money 💰 bag.....
@@rodcurry6387 you looking at the lastest update and clearly you can see that crossing the RR x wasn't a issue... you do know what hydraulic lift means?? The report says it was on the tracks for about 1 min...I guess you still stuck on the 45 minutes theory!?
@@rodcurry6387 there are all kinds of trailers in use, there is no "checking" to determine if the trailer can pass over the crossing; every crossing is also different. Weight of loads is always different, so trailers are not going to always have the same ground clearance.
People trying to "standardize" these events are missing the point. It is not the truck and trailer. Livestream camera technology is readily available these days, and railroads should be using it, to avoid these crashes. The engineer could have stopped this train outside of town with proper visual monitoring at the crossing ahead.
So much for all of the expert foamers and armchair inspectors the past few days who have been ranting that the truck was stuck for 45 minutes. This is why, as a professional railroader, I don't speculate on accidents.
45 minutes is better (giving benefit of the doubt to the trucking company) than 1 minute.
45 minutes means the trucking company maybe coordinated with railroad as they were supposed to, but just didn't inform railroad when they got stuck.
1 minute means the trucking company did not inform railroad at all, despite being legally required to during a heavy haul like this.
1 minute means the trucking company was even more negligent and at fault than 45 minutes.
@@monarchcoTexas permit says nothing about notifying the R/R when you’re crossing. There is no law to notify. The last section of a Texas permit conditions says to notify the
R/R should an issue arise.
@@monarchco here’s a copy/paste from an actual Texas superload permit. It’s Condition 30 on the permit.
“Use Caution at all Railroad crossings. In case of emergency, please contact the appropriate railroad.”
Followed by the numbers to the various R/R companies.
The 45 minutes was only believed because that’s what people said it makes since for it to be a minute but people can’t seem to get anything right
@@skullspaws7607 That's common sense. So...was it 45 minutes and either no one called, or no one notified the train crew? Or were they dialing the phone when the train showed up?
Traveling at 60/70mph takes forever for a train to stop. Driver of truck was criminally negligent imho.
Not if they got state oversized permits to take that route
equipment failure is not criminal negligence in any courtroom in the country, the truck driver had time to cross the tracks when he started over them, the gates were not flashing or coming down; the railroad having a 70 mph speed limit through that town is actually criminal negligence.
@@rayrussell6258 No, it's not. Thousands of trains pass through towns at 60 or more each day, without incident.
@@johnandrus3901 again John, governments have authority over railroads, and they can do whatever they determine to be the safety limit. New rules are established when unforeseen events happen, like this one. Get ready for more speed limits on trains through populated areas.
@@rayrussell6258 No, they don't. State or local governments don't have that authority. If the did, you could never imagine the mess of thousands of regulations would create in freight movements. The cost of delays and fuel would be immense. The railroads were there first and then towns were built around them. If they want to build separated grade crossings or a bypass around the town, then they have to fund that themselves. Either that, or close all but couple of crossings through town. Then, let the complaints begin.
This is why you don't judge prematurely. It takes time to sort out the circumstances of a major event like this. And the camera eye is almost always a more reliable witness than people.
Less than a minute??? So perfect timing, it started across just as the crossing signals started to function🤔
They want us to believe all the holes in the swiss cheese lines up on this??? I smell something fishy.
What exactly are you fishy about? What do you mean? Really. Seriously, what are suggesting?
*🦬💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 JUST LIKE THE JOE BLOW LIEDEN BIDEN CRIMINALIZATION ORGANIZATION ADMINISTRATION FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!*
Crossing guards are required to give a minimum of 20 seconds warning for a train at track speed.
That still gives you 39 more seconds that truck could have been there before the gates
Everything about this sudden "1 minute before impact" is sketchy, so it was just perfectly timed as the train approached or the trucker crossed as the gates were lowering@@awboat
2 years to complete investigation??? There is some government waste!
No, it just takes time to do a thorough job, and it's not like this is the only accident they have on their plate. They do a darned good job, and unlike the FAA or the FRA, they have no conflicting agendas to promote airlines or railroads. The are there to promote safety, and to come up with recommendations to prevent things like this from happening again - and it is a pity that they can't mandate changes.
@@PhartYeOlde After a month it will start to become a fog. The right hand will not remember what the left hand is doing. The investigation will become useless. Government waste!!! The investigators will not prevent another tragedy. The tragedy will be the waste of money paid by the taxpayers.
In the UK, any sort of abnormal load is required to stop and obtain permission to cross the railway. Surely something similar applies in the USA? You havd to make sure no train is approaching and that trains are told to stop before a slow moving or long load can start to cross, then phone again when it is clear of the crossing
We are citizens, not subjects.
@@Texassince1836A nonsense response to a sensible solution.
We already have laws in place for that. Doesn't mean people follow them
@WMRRFIREBALL If my Privately owned vehicle is crossing a Privately owned rail line how is the government involved?
@@Texassince1836 Even if your vehicle is crossing on your private road (posted according to local law), over your private railroad on your private property (insular), federal rules require your locomotive to have a working horn, the crossing must be free of vegetation or other things that limit visibility, and parking is not permitted too close to the rails. There is likely more government involvement but these are what I came up with.
How much information can you get wrong? Please, only provide the facts.
Just so weird that if a truck (trailer) gets stuck on a railroad crossing, a train is not far behind.....
Nope! This did not happen in a minute. With a train moving at 68MPH the crossing would have been active just before the truck got to the crossing. The federal law states that there must be 30 seconds at least for the grade crossing signals to activate and the time that the train gets to the crossing.
There literally is camera footage from the traffic camera, truck WAS stuck ~1 minute.
Federal law requires the lights to start flashing, and the gates to begin moving down no less than 20 secconds before the train arrives. That leaves 39 more secconds for the truck to have been there prior to the gate becoming active.
20 seconds.
If you travel at 68 mph, you will travel approximately 1.13 miles in one minute.
That train was probably doing 70 before going into emergency just before the collision. Take into account the human factor... noticing an obstruction on the rails, realizing it's not going to move/stuck and putting the train into emergency all from a mile away? far less distance considering those other factors... Those poor souls didn't have a chance.
How long was the truck stuck and blocking the tracks?
So sad. Prayer for repose of all souls that are victims of traumatic death. Amen
Was there witness that say atleast 45 minutes? After watching the video, i mean its hard to see but it sure looks like a step deck trailer that extends to 60 feet to me
Wonder if anyone has video (from a dashcam maybe) taken say 20-30 minutes before the crash? That would resolve the ‘stuck for 45 minutes’ argument one way or the other.
You do understand that crossing has a traffic camera and that's how they know how long the truck was stuck? 45 minutes story came from the comments section here on youtube, no news reported about it.
Why are crossing not flat enough to allow such trucks to pass?
Some are but most are not. from my understanding this truck wasn't stuck. just crossing slowly
Is it normal for trains to go that fast through residential populated areas?
It's only as normal for trains to go that fast through populated areas as it is for autos and semis to go that fast on the highway through downtown.
no it is not; larger cities have ordinances regulating train speed, and sometimes even the maximim number of cars in the train. Railroad speeds need to be regulated by an independent agency instead of being set by railroads, when outside of city limits. And livestream cameras uploading video should be mandated at all gated crossings in the US. This would have provided early warning that this crossing was blocked, and given the engineer time to slow down or stop the train outside of town, not crash into it at full speed. A 70 mph speed limit through this small town was negligence by the railroad.
@@rayrussell6258railroads are federal. Cities do not set the speed a train can operate.
Railroads are built on private property, not a public right of way like highways.
70mph is the Speed limit through Pecos on the rails. 80mph on the interstate highway system.
The rails have moved more freight with fewer fatalities than the parallel I20 through Pecos.
@@rayrussell6258 No, they do not. They have no authority to govern railroad movements.
It doesn’t matter if it was a minute or an hour. The trucking company hauling the equipment is still responsible for evaluating circumstances before attempting to cross a graded railroad. If it was in fact only a minute, then the escort didn’t look both ways before crossing the tracks.
In 1 minute at that speed the train would have been 5950 feet away. 1 1/8 miles
QUIT speculating. You just look stupid. But maybe you are. Engage your brain, I think your clutch is slipping
Bruh. The truck was there for more than a hour
How much loss you suppose there was in dollar figures?
$30 to $35 million or more
An outsize load like that should not have entered the crossing before gaining permission to cross from the rail operators, that should be a no-brainer.
they had permission, if they had a permit issued by the State. Oversize loads always require a permit.
So you are changing all these details that you reported falsely...🤔
Showing the same photos...😅
Don't forget that all these details were reported by people over the Internet and not any people that were actually there.
@@yungkidnfhe's a airhead....
☑️ okay so, what if it was you, or I driving that same truck, and we had that same stuck problem. But with a little more force, and effort we made it across . But the only thing, we didn't "NOTICE!!!" that we damaged some of the Spikes, Ties, and warped one of the Rails in the process of crossing.
☑️An hour, or so later a train traveling at 68 MPH crossing at the Pecos, Tx RR crossing derailed because the tracks were unstable.
☑️ An hour and 30 minutes later while crossing at a RR Crossing successfully 3 towns away from the city of Pecos, state troopers track us down wanting to investigate, and ask questions, and maybe ticket us , and also charge us with what happened back at Pecos.
☑️ Keep in mind that mostly (But not all) everybody are saying that an official from the RR must be present to withness all the heavy haul RR crossings. Also keep in mind we been gone from the city of Pecos for an hour, and ain't no telling what all has transpired at that crossing sense we been gone. You just gonna take the state troopers word on it, or are you going to keep your mouth closed, and instead lawyer-up like me? Because they might just want to stick us with it. I been driving along time now, and I don't think I have never hopped out to check on the rail road tracks to see if it's Ok after I have crossed it.😊 LOL
I don't get the hypothetical? What are you getting at?
70 miles an hour thru town , WTF !
I wonder how much in damages this crash will cost and obviously the people that died their lives are priceless this was a terrible crash
Can we focus on fining a news outlet? It was either 45min or something else so who lied?
I've said for years that news media personnel should be licensed individually and subject to loss of license and job if they report inaccurate information.
No news have said anything about 45 minutes.
@@peeterl.2016 it was widely reported
@@peeterl.2016 widely reported info
@@rayrussell6258 Then recanted. The 45 minutes was nonsense
Why are bystanders saying they waited 45 minutes for help to move the truck off the tracks
Because they actually were not there.
Why two years to complete the investigation? Anyone can see that the truck driver was at fault for trying to to cross the tracks , the trucking company should have notified the railroad afore hand
What happened to the traindriver?
I believe I read that both died on impact.
Damn....😭
They were killed in the derailment actually
Ask the question of WHO might have ROUTED the truck in that direction? Was it the company or TXDOT? Hmmm?
Whoever it was, I’d say both the driver and whoever directed him to said crossing would both be responsible for all this.
the cell phone footage shows the truck driver out walking around before the crash.......and crossing arms come down more than a minute before a train appears, especially on 70mph track.
Crossing guards are required to begin coming down no less than 20 secconds before a train at track speed gets there.
That means a train at 1/3 track speed would trigger the gates 60 secconds before it got there. Most gates are triggered at a set distance out.
That train was going really fast on top of everything else. I doubt that truck and trailer were sitting on the tracks for a minute.That doesn't make any sense. Very sad about the two men that passed away.🙏
Why would it not make sense? If the truck has been there a few extra minutes the train could have stopped
Peak journalism moment
In Europe they have done away with level. Crossing. Us needs to upgrade their infrastructure
That truck was on the track way longer than a minute....thats a lie
1 minute or 45 minutes. One person who might be able to tell us is the person who took the video of the accident.
I think the discrepancy is 45 seconds got changed to 45 minutes by our always political news media.
That truck was definitely not there for 45 minutes. It was there long enough for the crew to see and apply emergency brakes. They were already dropping speed on impact.
"survival factors" and "emergency response" better include a failure of railroads to use streaming cameras at all gated railroad crossings, and on-board visual monitors on trains, so the train engineers can see far enough ahead to take crash avoidance action far sooner than this one did. This train was traveling far too fast, even if the railroad had a 70 mph speed limit on this stretch of track. That excessive speed limit is negligence by the railroads.
Nah. I'll say that you are incorrect on all counts. Thousands of trains each day pass through towns, like this, at 60 or more mph, without incident. Tens of thousands of gated crossings are in the US, so it would be virtually impossible to supply visual monitors at every crossing. This train was coming around a curve and it most likely wasn't visible to the truck driver or his escorts. There are so many factors to consider here and everyone is an expert. The NTSB will do a thorough investigation and and issue their findings. Until then, we won't know the whole story.
@@johnandrus3901 it was too fast, the incidental resulting damage and injuries to bystanders in the city office is all the evidence needed.
And at one time, naysayers like you were adamant that crossing gates could never be installed in all crossings, but they have been, all but a few with wide open spaces and no population. It's NOT impossible.
Cameras eliminate the curve and siteline issue. This implementation of camera technology is a no-brainer.
@@rayrussell6258 Crossing warning lights were first installed in the early 1900's and automatic gates in the 1930's. Previous to that, gates were manual and controlled by a gate man, at busy crossings. Installing cameras at all crossings and video screens in each locomotive, would be a virtual impossibility. As I've stated, thousands or trains pass through towns each day, over multiple crossings, at 60+ mph, without incident.
@@johnandrus3901 oh sure ..... until they don't!!!! Like this time!
Thanks for the history lesson, but the rest of us will move forward, looking back at you stuck in your mud.
@@johnandrus3901yes .... until they don't!
thanks for the history lesson, but the rest of us will move forward, including government safety regulators, John.
Truck trailers need larger wheels, capable of reaching across any RR Xing.
Truck drivers fault 100%
Did state oversize permits tell that trucking company to use that route is the real question
Yes. He's on US Highway 285, the only way North out of Pecos
That amount of weight with that much inertia? Nothing was going to stop that train, the fate of those workers was sealed because of that hauling company's stupidity
The State assigned the truck to that route. Oversize permits come with routes.
@@Texassince1836damn so from what I'm hearing by the thousands of comments truckers lack common sense. "Let me cross this steep crossing with this low clearance oversized load, because my permit says so." Peak trucker moment
These are the same investigators that are investigating the drones flying over New Jersey also I bet.
Nothing that is being told makes sense
again and again..many more truck and train collision...very big damage...stupid people??
It was vessel on trailer
Vessel? All that I saw was a pipe, not a boat.
@ it seems you know nothing about liquified natural gas, and the process in which it goes through
vehicles will inevitably get stuck on a crossing from time to time. the rail road operator should have a system in place that deals with such scenarios in a safe way, rather than allowing trains to crash directly into such scenarios.
we've seen the video, we've heard from witness' at the scene, did the democrats give u this 'new' information because it certainly doesnt coincide with what we were told by how many people whom filmed it? why the coverup??
Just over a minute? I guess the cop on the bike just happened to be there.
someone calling 911 would have gotten the police response that quick in a town this size
That was not even a cop, but the lead vehicle of the escort.
@@peeterl.2016 in the video I saw, there was police graphics visible.
@peeterl.2016 the lead vehicle was ahead of the truck in the street, with lights flashing. "Police escorts" are not a requirement for oversize loads.
Those are OFF-DUTY contract escorts. Not local police with any jurisdiction
Boss heavy haul LLC ...limited liability corporation, llc for a reason
You realize your local burger joint is probably an LLC?
The trucking operation has been in business for 50 years.
A minute try 45 minutes
FALSE
1 minute then train and crossings are activated.....nah....
Nothing new.
I counted 3 engines
There were four. Watch the video again.
and, what does that matter. Really, what does it matter?
That's pretty normal for UP because more than likely at least one of them was probably dead. And as far as the speed 68 MPH, that's truckin for UP, they can't keep things on the track at 40 where I live.
I hope at the end of that 2 years the truck driver is into his life long sentence in prison.
That place is a hell hole driving anytime between 06:00-10:00 AM . all these people shoot on those tiny on ramps going 70 mph expecting you to get out of the way. I don’t miss it.
IN Pecos??? And, your comment has NOTHING to do with the accident. What are you even talking about?
"Highball area" designated by UPRR...fast for within city limits imo
Lie
trains are on a schedule im familiar living by tracks . same time daily or weekly . did ANYONE check the schedule!!!! or am i just a moron??
Do you ever watch youtube channels livestreaming trains? I do occasionally. There are dozens and dozens of them. Railroad junkies all know the train schedules, and will tell each other that trains are off schedule, and with many valid reasons. It happens continually.
lol, I won't answer your question about "are you just a moron". Only providing you information that may change your story about trains always being "same time daily or weekly" They aren't.
yeah. two years to come up with something other than the truth.
Ruh roh now the gubbment gonna tell us what happened. 😂
Trains should never be allowed to drive at such high speeds in any city or town . With all that weight brakes are just an ornament.
I agree with you. I made a similar comment on another video of this accident, and was completely ridiculed by a railroad employee for saying the speeds of the train should be slower going through towns. Apparently safety to the Railroad means - we put a blue sign up with our phone number, and we put another sign up saying don't stop on the tracks........ That's all we can do folks.
Do you whine and cry about the speed limit on the US interstate highway system every time there's a wreck?
@@Texassince1836 the difference is civil engineers who design & update safety features of the highway systems do everything possible to protect motorists from their own mistakes. For example in the median of many 2 lane divided highways there is cable guard, the cable guard prevents crossover accidents because people driving are not paying attention. I believe the railroads can do more to improve their safety.
@@dand3975 What do you think the train was running on? Streaks of rust? That's part of the sunset route. Has very high standards or else 20 trains a day wouldn't be using it
And the award for being a complete moron goes to the truck driver.
Anyway, a train going 70 miles even in a town is way too fast. 🤔
And how do you suggest fright gets moved around the country? Facts the speed limit on that line is 70 MPH because the type of rail is designed for that type of weight and speed. If people are to stupid to know before you cross any tracks do so with caution. A load that big and heavy the truck driver should stop look to see if a train was coming frist second he should see if he had enough Clarence under his truck to make it across with out bottom out . I been a truck driver for 14 years. The driver and the glide car driver are going to be held accountable. I also worked in a safety department for one company did dispatch and routing for another company and was a driver supervisor. My last company i was a shop Stewart for two years. Trains were made to go that fast they been doing it for over 60 years now. It's stupid people that don't have common sense that make things dangerous and should not be driven a car never mind a truck.
70 is fine. Cars and trucks on highways do 70 or higher though towns on highways all the time
@@Island_Line_Rail_Productions Whats even funnier is more people in cars die at 70miles per hour than trains. I guess we gotta ban trains.
Stop talking
@@SiliconDrifter He talking crap because in Mehico they dont have trains like this rolling through town with a drop top.
imagine if trains going through towns was 45mph, totally different outcome
Imagine if the truck wasn't stucked there and have cleared the railroad on time. That accident wouldn't happen and the speed of the train wouldn't matter at all.
@@djharml3ss Thats the same person who thinks guns shoot people.
no
Why you blaming the RR? This is all on the driver. He is in charge.
This has nothing to do with the railroad. Responsibility falls on the escorts and the driver.
Trains need severe regulation when coming into city limits. Cars and truck need to stop at intersection but trains dont, yeah time for change.
Lmfao. You want us to stop at every crossing too? Get out of here. We are already regulated enough as is. We don't need anymore silly rules because the news media makes you scared.
The truck driver caused the accident not the railroad. People need to follow the laws
It is not the train crews fault for doing the track speed. It was the idiots in the trucking company who chose to drive across then get stuck.
Also, are you trying to say you want trains to stop at every crossing? You really would hate that when a 18000 ton 2.5 mile long train has to stop for 15 crossings in town. It would take hours for a single train to get anywhere. 70 mph is fine for trains, They need to build crossings though where you can not go around the gates
Trains always have right or way. If you are on their tracks then you are on their right of way.
wow dude, that is like a really stupid take. You really want trains to stop at every intersection??? Damn dude. That is one of the more ignorant takes I have seen.
Toot Toot.