Gotta admit I hadn't heard of this incident. I was off on my normal wed/Thurs round trip, but I have seen the car sitting on the lead by MP 88. This answers the question I had about it sitting there. Seems to me that ever since the "dunkin donuts incident", and ever since traffic has increased through the city, the whiners have come out in full force. Then CSX just recently upped the speed on the main track through town. It used to be from Flatbush Ave to the south end of the Wilber bridges( MP QR 88.8 to QR 86.4) was always 35 MPH. It is now 50 MPH, although therre is a temporary 40 MPH slow order over the bridge over Rondout Creek and the subsequent short tunnel immediately north of it. Think anyone in town noticed the 15 MPH speed increase?(the siding however still is at "restricted" speed, not in excess of 15 MPH, this has not changed)
As for the mayor and the rest of the locals, there is certainly something to be said for community relations, but it has to be a two way street. This falls under the "@%$@ happens category, and just like the dunkin donuts story, a few facts got lost in the shuffle, although this incident seems to actually highlight a mechanical problem with the car being the cause of the problems. Broadway goes under the tracks, so the town wasn't exactly isolated, although perhaps the crossings should have been cut to open at least a couple if not all the affected streets.
The railroad has had town meetings with the locals but still they are not satisfied. I have an idea, lets take just one train's freight and route it through the town via truck. Better yet, lets do this with the equivilent of all the freight that goes through town in a 24 hour period. The railroad was there over 150 years ago, and will outlast all those living today,so get used to it. Manure is gonna hit the air conditioner occasionally, and reactions such as this only exascerbate contacts between the railroad and the city. I for one will now make sure when I traverse the city, REGARDLESS of the hour of day or night, that I am in full compliance with all operating rules regarding horn/whistle signals. "Just doin my job, officer, looked like I was gonna hit someone on the tracks!"
I know I'm getting old... My insurance company sent me only half a calendar this year!