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Area drivers need to respect railroad tracks

Published on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 6:14 PM MST

I am a conductor for the Yellowstone Valley Railroad here in Sidney. Last Friday on County Road 128 at 5 p.m., I was doing some switching and a female ran into the train. It could have been much worse than it was.

She was visibly shaken up but otherwise OK. I believe the car was totaled. I do understand people do not want to get caught by a train, normally if I see you at a crossing I will clear it and let you go by. I don't like holding you up either. But please everyone..respect the train tracks.

I see people run the crossings that have the stop signs, let alone the ones that just have the crossing signs. It's a whole different issue why a lot of our roads don't have stop signs or even speed limit signs for that matter on these county roads that approach the tracks. Please everyone, we do watch for you, please watch for our trains and obey the stop signs. Thank you.

Ricky Lee Edwards

Sidney

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Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of the Sidney Herald.

jerry olsen wrote on Jan 5, 2008 6:50 AM:

" reading your comments on that conductor accident, i have to laugh when i read how those people can tell the man how to do his job ha ha kinda like a bunch of,i can fix the world people!! i drove semi for 35 yrs cross country, and i seen the people with cell phones,and ear plugs and wild music all in one, and to heck with watching for trains.he who gits hit by train, or runs into train, is not paying attention to what they are doing "

Rick Edwards wrote on Dec 20, 2007 7:42 PM:

" To another quick, I only stopped on the crossing because I was switching out semstream. The switch is north of the crossing and I was 8 cars away. That is why it was stopped. Thank the lord we were'nt moving. I am only doing my job. I don't want to hurt anyone and I don't understand why there are no stop signs or speed limit signs at these crossings. I am on your side here. I DO know that God was with both of us. When the car was pulled out from under the car, I could not beleive she wasn't hurt. I came home and said a prayer. I agree with you in regards to the small amount of sight line by the depot. That is because of Bearpaw. For what ever reason we have way too many cars. Cars they don't even use but yet we store them. I would like to address this problem as well, And give the drivers more sight distance at crossings. I only ask that folks be a little aware. I will do my best for the time being.. for JJ and I will stop the train in town for the reverse shoves and flag the crossing. I want to get along and work with the people of Sidney "

Robert Pines wrote on Dec 13, 2007 8:01 PM:

" I see train idiots blowing 70 mph through crossings with 5 mph sight lines http://csx-sucks.com/SiteDist.pdf Duh, idiot ---where were your two road guards? "

another quick ? wrote on Dec 12, 2007 11:41 PM:

" Why wouldn't a conductor clear the crossing to change cars, instead of stopping on it. I understand this was a bizarre accident and not all factors involving are disclosed. I also don't doubt Mr. Edwards that you a very responsible conductor and you too were shooken up at the thought that someone could have lost a life on your shift. I agree that drivers do need to respect the trains, but it blows my mind that any conductor would stop at an intersection or that this may be a common practice for any conductors, especially in a town that doesn't have a safer railroad or train awareness system for as much railway traffic that Sidney has. God was with both the conductor and the driver of that car and instead of shifting blame or responsibility of this one accident on either parties, maybe how to avoid this ever happening again should be addressed more in depth. "

JJ wrote on Dec 12, 2007 11:14 AM:

" Quick question, while working a week or so ago, I had to cross the tracks by the sand elevator in Sidney. I looked both ways and saw nothing but train cars blocking the view of anything behind them. I began crossing slowly, because the tracks there are horribly rough, looked over and there was a train coming about 50 yards away. Since my view was blocked, there was no one at the blind crossing to tell me anything about a train coming, and I didnt hear a whistle; what could I have done besides speed up and try to not get hit, to avoid this? "

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