Railroad Forums 

  • Trains and severe weather

  • General discussion about railroad operations, related facilities, maps, and other resources.
General discussion about railroad operations, related facilities, maps, and other resources.

Moderator: Robert Paniagua

 #223886  by emd_SD_60
 
When there's a weather advisory (such as a Tornado Warning) for a particular county a rail line passes through, do they stop the train just short of the affected area, or let it go thru at a restricted speed? Since we've been having severe weather down here the past few days, this got me wondering. :wink:

 #224195  by GOLDEN-ARM
 
Yes, and yes. I have worked on roads, where all work ceases, and all employees have to remain inside, until warning is over. Other places, I was told to "do what I have to do", if I saw a funnel cloud, approaching the train. (take a lot of pix, I suppose :-D ) It depends on where you're at, and who you work for. I have seen freight cars toppled, by a tornado, but never an engine, not to say it hasn't happened, but I have not seen one, myself. Regards :wink:
 #224257  by jg greenwood
 
emd_SD_60 wrote:When there's a weather advisory (such as a Tornado Warning) for a particular county a rail line passes through, do they stop the train just short of the affected area, or let it go thru at a restricted speed? Since we've been having severe weather down here the past few days, this got me wondering. :wink:
Chris,
Recent "happenings" in your neck of the woods:
Effective 0900 hours Thursday March 2, 2006. High water detector @ MP 317.8 will be converted to a radio talker. When high water is detected the message will broadcast, "ALARM, ALARM, ALARM, high water detector activated @ MP 317.8 Centralia Subdivision." A track circuit will be displayed on the RTC's screen, and northward trains should not pass Anna and southward trains should not pass Carbondale until the track has been inspected and the detector has been reset.

 #224820  by BlackDog
 
GOLDEN-ARM wrote:Yes, and yes. I have worked on roads, where all work ceases, and all employees have to remain inside, until warning is over. Other places, I was told to "do what I have to do", if I saw a funnel cloud, approaching the train. (take a lot of pix, I suppose :-D ) It depends on where you're at, and who you work for. I have seen freight cars toppled, by a tornado, but never an engine, not to say it hasn't happened, but I have not seen one, myself. Regards :wink:
UP had (still has?) in their Special Instructions a section about severe weather, including stopping the train and crawling into a culvert. Though it is unlikely that a tornado would knock a locomotive over (somewhere there is a picture of an F unit on display in Ladysmith, WI that survived a tornado while the coaches behind it were blown over), there is nothing that says a tree couldn't be blown into the cab.

 #224839  by Engineer James
 
I was wondering about this. The National Geographic Channel had a special on TWISTER CHASERS, well, in one of the shots there was a BNSF SD60, and Dash 9 going past. A few frames later the train had come to a complete stop, sparks annd all. He stopped so quick for how fast he was going. So, if the crew is near a home and they have a shelter, does the crew have the right to get into the shelter, or do they HAVE do stay with the train?

 #225019  by JLJ061
 
If it were me I would personally ditch the train and go for cover. I've never heard of a locomotive getting tossed by a twister, but that's not to say it can't happen! :P