Jill-of-all-Trades wrote in post #16664293
I do believe that there was nearly a catastrophe right outside the house!
An eastbound freight train came screeching through in full emergency stop with the horn blasting. It sat for maybe about ten minutes and then departed. Minutes after it was past, a westbound freight pulled through.
The line out here is a single track, but has a long siding that starts/ends right in front of our house. The double track section is about 17 kms long, but I'm not exactly sure where the main switch is located at the other end. Parts of the siding at that end may just be used for storage, as it is at this end.
I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, it caused panic! Judging from the sound of the horn, the front of the train was 1/2 to 1 mile past here by the time they laid off the horn. The next controlled crossing is 4 kms down, and there is only one uncontrolled crossing (on a road that is not serviced in the winter), and a handful of private crossings. I'm guessing something happened either with the switches, or the train that went onto the siding.
Times like these I really wish I had a scanner.
I do believe that there was nearly a catastrophe right outside the house!
An eastbound freight train came screeching through in full emergency stop with the horn blasting. It sat for maybe about ten minutes and then departed. Minutes after it was past, a westbound freight pulled through.
The line out here is a single track, but has a long siding that starts/ends right in front of our house. The double track section is about 17 kms long, but I'm not exactly sure where the main switch is located at the other end. Parts of the siding at that end may just be used for storage, as it is at this end.
I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, it caused panic! Judging from the sound of the horn, the front of the train was 1/2 to 1 mile past here by the time they laid off the horn. The next controlled crossing is 4 kms down, and there is only one uncontrolled crossing (on a road that is not serviced in the winter), and a handful of private crossings. I'm guessing something happened either with the switches, or the train that went onto the siding.
Times like these I really wish I had a scanner.
There are any number of things that might cause a train to go into emergency. A coupler could have broken, causing the train to come apart or a "glad hand" (the air connection between cars) could have come loose. Any sudden loss of air pressure in the train brake pipe will cause the brakes to be applied automatically and suddenly. It's also possible there was something on the tracks and the engineer put the train in emergency.
The ten minute delay would be so the train crew could inspect the train and also to let the brake system charge back up to full pressure again.
If you're interested in a scanner, I have an older one here that I might be willing to part with. PM me if you're interested...
