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  • Downeast Scenic Railroad (DSRX) Discussion

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

Moderators: MEC407, NHN503

 #1176388  by MEC407
 
From the Bangor Daily News:
Bangor Daily News wrote:Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians Down East will need to pay closer attention to railroad tracks after Saturday, as the Downeast Scenic Railroad gears up for the summer season.

Starting April 27, the railroad will begin operating work trains on tracks that serve the excursion rail service. The railroad will begin offering weekend and holiday trips on Saturday, May 25, the opening day of its five-month season.
Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/22/n ... h-hancock/
 #1196465  by MEC407
 
From WCSH-6:
WCSH-6 wrote:Today Downeast Horizons teamed up with the Downeast Scenic Railroad to give an opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities to ride the rails in Ellsworth - at no cost to them.
. . .
While riders were learning a lot, it was also a therapeutic train ride helping individuals with development disabilities to progress.
Read more at: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.a ... yid=247939" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1197201  by jwhite07
 
Kudos to the DSRX staff and crews for providing this opportunity and being the asset to the community that they are.

I only wish the reporting wasn't so sloppy...
Since the 1950's, passengers have been riding along the Downeast Scenic Railroad, a train packed with history and scenic views.
Really? :wink:
 #1209113  by bml1149
 
Good evening,
Ridership has been good this year. Last year we opened the wye at Washington Junction which gives us about 5 miles of in service track now. I will be running both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, so feel free to come up and visit.
Leverett Fernald
 #1209145  by GE45tonner
 
bml1149 wrote:Good evening,
Ridership has been good this year. Last year we opened the wye at Washington Junction which gives us about 5 miles of in service track now. I will be running both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, so feel free to come up and visit.
Leverett Fernald
Thanks, glad to hear things still doing great.

I hope I can make it up there soon!
 #1211502  by MEC407
 
From the Bangor Daily News:
Bangor Daily News wrote:Gabriella Just, 25, of Ellsworth had been driving east on Davis Street at 2:10 p.m. when she apparently failed to notice the Downeast Scenic Railroad train coming towards her, said Patrol Officer Kelvin Mote of the Ellsworth Police Department. The train hit her 2005 Subaru Legacy sedan in the driver’s side, crumpling it, and spun the car around.
Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/09/02/n ... ing-train/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1211513  by GE45tonner
 
Seems like the article is referring to the engineer as the "conductor" :P

In all seriousness, the lady should pay for the damage she did to the train.
 #1211577  by jwhite07
 
Thankfully nobody was injured seriously. Reading through the article's reader comments, aside from the usual silliness, my reaction ranged from cringing at the comment that all of the crossings should have gates and lights, to laughing at the observation "Don't bring a car to a train fight". At least nobody's beating their drum about the "evil dangerous trains in my backyard". Good.

Mr. Fernald, if you were at the throttle, or whomever was, hope you are okay as well. That's gotta be a memorable occasion, and not in a good way.
 #1230870  by gokeefe
 
Discussion regarding the pending sale and purchase of MEC #470 has given rise to questions about the connection of the DSRX to live PAR rails in Brewer. Can anyone summarize how much mileage needs to be reconnected and/or what the condition of the track is?
 #1230952  by p42thedowneaster
 
I'm a little confused about the rail weight on this section of the Calais. Is it only 85lb rail or is it heavier going into Ellsworth? From what I've read, 470 would be restricted to 99lb rail or better. However, we have evidence of 470 being used on the Bar Harbor Express.
 #1231034  by Watchman318
 
GE45tonner wrote:Seems like the article is referring to the engineer as the "conductor" :P
A lot of "news" articles seem to do that. Dunno why, when there are a lot of small children who know an engineer operates the locomotive. Oh, well . . .
In all seriousness, the lady should pay for the damage she did to the train.
Yeah, but when was the last time you heard of a driver involved in a crash with a train even getting a summons for failing to yield at the crossing?

I'm glad she only got a little bump on the head from it, and that no one on the train was hurt. This could have been a case of "I saw how far away the train was, and figured I could beat it," but those are usually at crossings with flashers. My best bet would be TDI, "Total Driver Inattention." (It's really a struggle for me to not use the term "HUA" for a case like this. Oops, I guess I just said it. :-P)

The last comment on the BDN site puts it in a nutshell: "Everyone is supposed to look both directions before crossing train tracks." Yep; whether the crossing has active signals or not, that's the law. She's probably more cautious around crossings now, but too many people still don't slow down before they cross a track, and hardly anyone bothers to "observe in both directions" as required.

On a more cheerful note, that WABI story about the DSRX was great. Leverett, I hope you and your crew can keep those rails shined up for years to come. Good work.
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