Even train buffs are sometimes hit by a train.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brower-train-tracks-2638142-police-accident
Too bad, as such accidents are avoidable with a little common sense. Unfortunately things like this just make it harder on railfans who are not so careless.
You’d think it’d be hard to miss those big noisy things with blaring horns, but people do it.
Not much info from the OC Register article to figure out why this happened.
I live really close to this area and have occasionally done some rail photography along this route. Although I have a preferred spot several miles east of the location where this incident took place.
Tom Ruby said:You'd be surprised how quiet the Metrolink and Pacific Surfliner trains that run on these rails are. I've been surprised a few times before I knew they were coming.
You'd think it'd be hard to miss those big noisy things with blaring horns, but people do it.
The freights are easier to hear off in the distance, although the newer BNSF locos are also pretty quiet. Many of the grade crossings in the area have been eliminated with underpasses. So this means no more horns. For an eastbound freight, you get little to no warning as they approach. The only real way to know is to watch the signals. If it’s green, then something is coming fast. If you look at the map where this happened, you’ll find no grade crossings. Lemon Street is an underpass, so no advance warning there. Same goes for Harbor Blvd. So one has to wonder how much warning they really had until the time when the engineer blew a warning blast. Pretty hard to see anything at night around there until it’s too late, and there is a sweeping blind curve out of the Fullerton depot as well. So you’ve got to feel bad for the engine crew here. The two should not have been near or on the tracks to begin with, but I wanted to clarify what the area is like for those unfamiliar.
If there’s a freeway or busy highway nearby that also makes it difficult to hear trains coming. The tracks going through Rose Canyon near our house, pass under the 805 freeway. For a considerable distance on either side of the freeway, you can’t hear approaching trains over the sound of the freeway until the train is practically on top of you.