masterwelder Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 (edited) Train looks ok… truck, trailer and excavator….. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/train-collides-with-semi-truck-stuck-on-tracks/vi-AA18d3zn Here is another link to it. https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2023/mar/01/subtext-oh-no-oh-no-video-shows-train-plow-into/ Edited March 7, 2023 by masterwelder 2 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Licensed to kill Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 Bummer. I bet that drivers heart was racing and his brain was going a million miles an hour with "WHAT DO I DO???????. " 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526691 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 Start looking for another job. I always map out my route before leaving the yard. In 53 years I have never hung a truck up. I have however unstuck a few. It is amazing how most drivers do not know how to lift the deck for more clearance. 1 Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526692 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBWhite Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 Here's a YouTube link in case it doesn't show up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUP-RXdhYjg&t=41s Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526693 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Licensed to kill said: Bummer. I bet that drivers heart was racing and his brain was going a million miles an hour with "WHAT DO I DO???????. " I reckon your spot on, very hard to say what any of us would do in that situation Paul 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526695 Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterwelder Posted March 7, 2023 Author Share Posted March 7, 2023 If I have any doubt at all I raise the neck and rear. Some trailers and especially the older ones needed blocks or wedges added to support the neck if you had to temporarily raise, and spring suspension didn’t give you much to work with as far as raising the height in the rear. But any newer, modern, well built trailer has several settings on the neck, and generally the same on the rear with air suspensions these days. My Fontaine has at least five height settings on the neck and five in the rear. You can get a pretty good ground clearance if you have to. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526696 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 My 1960 Rodgers 75 ton was able to lift the front almost 14 inches, which gave the rear an extra 5 inches clearance. 1 Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526697 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mechohaulic Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 positive side no one killed/hurt. wouldn't want to be the one calling the owner of the excavator if driver wasn't owner. totaled machine/trailer. damage to train . insurance co gets to see video. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526699 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Licensed to kill Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 3 hours ago, masterwelder said: If I have any doubt at all I raise the neck and rear. Some trailers and especially the older ones needed blocks or wedges added to support the neck if you had to temporarily raise, and spring suspension didn’t give you much to work with as far as raising the height in the rear. But any newer, modern, well built trailer has several settings on the neck, and generally the same on the rear with air suspensions these days. My Fontaine has at least five height settings on the neck and five in the rear. You can get a pretty good ground clearance if you have to. How long does it take to make such adjustments?? The driver did go to the trailer neck but quickly had to abandon whatever it was he was intending as the train was right there. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526707 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 24 minutes ago, Licensed to kill said: How long does it take to make such adjustments?? The driver did go to the trailer neck but quickly had to abandon whatever it was he was intending as the train was right there. Spot on, we have no idea how long this may of been since he got stuck, may of been only moments before hand Dunno if we should be arm chair experts on what happened as we weren't there But, hang I'll make that a BIG BUT we can all learn from this I have got hung up a few times with my old float (low boy) and always when I'm off road No fangled adjustments, a jack and blocks of wood and we are soon on the move again I just jack the drive axles up and stick blocks of wood under and back out of were I was Thats me and as far as on road, our trailers are higher off the ground than the U.S. trailers as I think we are allowed higher loads 4.5 meters is normal thats 14 feet 9 and a bit inches in the old money 4.6 meters for stock trailers, thats a poofteenth over 15 feet 4.65 with a permit you just down load and so on Dunno what the U.S. is as in height amd axle loadings but they are very different than Australia's rules Paul Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526710 Share on other sites More sharing options...
70mackMB Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 lt sucks hanging one up crossways in a major intersection while turning. Never mind having a train coming at you! Just mentioning this for a friend. .....Hippy Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526715 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 1 hour ago, mrsmackpaul said: Spot on, we have no idea how long this may of been since he got stuck, may of been only moments before hand Dunno if we should be arm chair experts on what happened as we weren't there But, hang I'll make that a BIG BUT we can all learn from this I have got hung up a few times with my old float (low boy) and always when I'm off road No fangled adjustments, a jack and blocks of wood and we are soon on the move again I just jack the drive axles up and stick blocks of wood under and back out of were I was Thats me and as far as on road, our trailers are higher off the ground than the U.S. trailers as I think we are allowed higher loads 4.5 meters is normal thats 14 feet 9 and a bit inches in the old money 4.6 meters for stock trailers, thats a poofteenth over 15 feet 4.65 with a permit you just down load and so on Dunno what the U.S. is as in height amd axle loadings but they are very different than Australia's rules Paul Paul, we are limited to 13 foot 6 inches. anything over that needs an oversize permit and escort. Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526717 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 17 minutes ago, 70mackMB said: lt sucks hanging one up crossways in a major intersection while turning. Never mind having a train coming at you! Just mentioning this for a friend. .....Hippy two months ago someone was delivering a 75 foot long 12 foot wide over weight bulk tank to an asphalt plant. instead of making the jughandle to cross the highway, he made a left turn through the opening in the center divider. from the right lane of a three lane each way. because of the way he twisted the stretch frame trailer, he hung it up across all 6 lanes. than he tried tugging it, and ripped the kingpin off the gooseneck. took close to 5 hours to reopen the highway. plant had to send two 100 ton cranes to lift it off the trailer and load it on another trailer. \than they had to split the trailer and load that on two trailers to get it off the road. driver got a dozen or so tickets, and close to 1 million recovery and cleanup bill. Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526719 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 The gal in the car summed it up about right: "oooohhh noooo....." 1 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526726 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mechohaulic Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 fortunately gal in car had enough common sense to back up far away. easy to say what I/we would have -should have done after the fact. first look i thought a beam trailer with the excavator tracks hanging up. it was the trailer it self hanging up. any doubt before crossing ,raising the trailer with the blocks would have been a no brainer. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526728 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 problem is most drivers these days are steering wheel holders... and as such, do not have any brains to use. 1 1 Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526738 Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterwelder Posted March 8, 2023 Author Share Posted March 8, 2023 17 hours ago, Licensed to kill said: How long does it take to make such adjustments?? The driver did go to the trailer neck but quickly had to abandon whatever it was he was intending as the train was right there. Engage wetline, get out of cab, push lever up…. Under normal circumstances, not running or jumping, around a minute to raise neck fully and walk back to raise rear I would estimate. Could I have gotten the trailer raised and out of the way of the train in the video?? I don’t think so…. The train was on him fast according to what I saw. Then add the fear and adrenaline…. Looked like he had less than half a minute and I think he was trying to start a pony motor on the trailer to raise the deck, that takes even more time. Back in the late 90’s early 2000’s I worked directly for the railroad in the 2nd largest rail yard in the country and today as a contractor. In the yard we could cross a hundred crossings in one shift, not to mention vehicles sharing a tunnel with the trains- had to back out quickly a time or two! Seen some unbelievable and heartbreaking things. The power and mass that is involved is hard to covey to the common person. My saying is “complacency kills”. Just when you think you don’t have to think, you will be reminded usually in a bad way. I hate to speculate with out knowing all of the facts but being in a rush or not knowing your equipment or both cause a lot of trouble. It also looks to me like a lot of excavator for 5 axles. Not sure if that played a part. Glad it appears just the equipment was damaged and no one seriously injured. That poor man will probably never get the sound of that trains whistle out of his head. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526750 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Licensed to kill Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 There certainly was no time to do much. The woman in the car videoing said that the truck got stuck just moments before the train showed up. Having never hauled a drop deck before, I probably would have made the same mistake as the hump in the crossing does not look like much. Your observation about the size of the load vs axles is a good one. However, with most stuff being air ride these days I would THINK that the levelling valve would have ensure that ride height would be maintained regardless of the load. Then again, lowboys like that are MADE to flex under load and if overloaded might flex TOO much putting the belly that much closer to the ground (which is probably what you were suggesting). Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526754 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mechohaulic Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 possibly driver was trying to race over the crossing as lights were on and gates were coming down but figured wrong. the lights and crossing bars are usually working long before a train shows up. study video closely. he's on the track better then half way across , you can see lights are flashing with crossing gates dropping. I've sat at crossing wondering " Were's the train?" . realize under the -I fu---ed up situation , minutes go like seconds. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526756 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjc transport Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 yup, i noticed the arms coming down on the trailer..... that meant the lights were flashing before he tried crossing. i bet he also tried shifting on the tracks to grab a higher gear, which is a BIG no no. 1 Quote when you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp.. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526760 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 He could have been stuck long before the train also. Long enough it wasn't an instant concern, until the train showed up. Just an observation. He did pull the latch on the 5th wheel. Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526764 Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rubber Duck 006 Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Personally I wouldn't have crossed there with a lowboy. Just my observation. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526767 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Google Street View of the intersection doesn't show any low ground clearance signage, I'd be harping after the municipality and CSX that they should have had signs up with minimum ground clearance requirement signs. I've never driven a low boy, but I have seen ground clearance signs for exactly this type of thing... Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526802 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brocky Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Larry, I do NOT think he was even trying to unlatch the 5th wheel... And if it had pulling tension on it the 5th wheel would not unlatch.. I think he was trying to raise the deck. 1 Quote Brocky Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526812 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Licensed to kill Posted March 9, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted March 9, 2023 7 hours ago, The Rubber Duck 006 said: Personally I wouldn't have crossed there with a lowboy. Just my observation. Pretty sure that, in hindsight, the driver in question would hold a similar opinion as would anyone that saw the video. 3 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/72578-lowboy-with-excavator-hit-buy-train-video/#findComment-526816 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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