How in god's name do you hit a train?

[Azi Dahaka]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10616284

seriousally wtf it is not like trains are had to miss they are big and make alot of noise at least he aint dead i supose

[Foxzee]

Oh....that doesn't sound good......

[awayatc]

Playing chicken......?

[EgliHonda]

Yeah was kinda wondering the same thing...?
Seems cars manage it ok but they're normally boneheads in some kind of self-absorbed insulated trance. Bit different on a bike I would have thought...

[Azi Dahaka]

i seriously just wonder was he riding along with earplugs in and his eyes closed or something chalk one up for ACC

[p.dath]

You have to remember this is an article written to draw your attention so that the site can generate more advertising revenue.

Did the motorcyclists hit the train, or was it the other way around. Perhaps there were other mitigating factors. Perhaps one of them was actualy stationary.

I find it very hard to believe that someone actually rode into a train.

[steve_t]

Dirty old media sensationalism :mad:

[Mom]

Did the motorcyclists hit the train, or was it the other way around. Perhaps there were other mitigating factors. Perhaps one of them was actualy stationary.

I find it very hard to believe that someone actually rode into a train.

Unless I am very much mistaken, trains run on tracks and because of that fact they follow a predetermined path. It is impossible for a train to run into you, unless you are on the tracks in front of it.

[Bald Eagle]

Lets not be jumping to conclusion here, it's not automatically the bikers fault. lots of possibilities, think only for the downed rider and his family.

[Slyer]

Unless I am very much mistaken, trains run on tracks and because of that fact they follow a predetermined path. It is impossible for a train to run into you, unless you are on the tracks in front of it.
Yes I think they would have mentioned if it jumped off the track.

[NighthawkNZ]

Did the motorcyclists hit the train, or was it the other way around. Perhaps there were other mitigating factors. Perhaps one of them was actualy stationary.

I find it very hard to believe that someone actually rode into a train.

But he obviously didn't stop and check... and I am sure the train would be able to if it wanted to... I have to agree withthe orginal poster on this... maybe the warning bells weren't going... but even then you are not suppose to rely on them... hence why passenager vehicles buses etc must stop and look...

either way how do you hit or get hit by a train?

[StoneY]

There is this one dirty old train crossing on the road between Palmy and Fielding...its hidden in a dip, has poor signage, and the road crosses the tracks at a 45% angle to the right....
Trains heading north are really hard to see, as you have to look left and back, not just left (if you know what I mean) and its signals only with no arm, and the dip in the road hides the signals till last few seconds at open road speed

IF this guy was not familiar with the road, and IF he was travelling to Fielding and IF it happened at THAT crossing.....

it might not be entirley his fault
Lot of IFs tho



I had a real close call with a train there myself in a truck, we (the truck firm JD Lyons) complained to TRANZIT (at the time) regarding the setup and signage...nothing happened




:lol:

[The Everlasting]

I would say the rider wasn't looking for trains before crossing,and then got hit...

[Genie]

only the rider would know...poor buggar....he'll be in some pain. OUCH!!!

[James Deuce]

Motion Camouflage. The train is so big it doesn't appear to be moving relative to the background until it is right on top of you. Motorcycles are similarly afflicted in that they are single track and appear to speed up relative to the background as they get closer, hence the "I didn't see you comment", and the "He was speeding offficer" that always accompanies a car pulling out of an intersection in front of a motorcycle.

http://www.dcs.qmul.ac.uk/~aja/motion_cam.html

http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.twhhyjzpxapzkouq&pageId=146841

[crazyhorse]

.............How on earth do you hit a train

Well, its like this..... you walk up to it, hit it with your hand, and run away as fast as you can :killingme :killingme :rofl: :rofl:

[Genie]

Well, its like this..... you walk up to it, hit it with your hand, and run away as fast as you can :killingme :killingme :rofl: :rofl:

oh and who's a clever wee girl then.....I like the running away part.:banana:

[Azi Dahaka]

oh and who's a clever wee girl then.....I like the running away part.:banana:

well in the bikers case it is more like beign throwen some distance form the force of the train

[Tank]

a trainspotter with target fixation?

[snuffles]

what he fuck was the train doing on my tracks:(

[Tank]

Do you think that there is a 'katman' on a train forum somewhere saying how its the Train drivers fault and that how his actions are going to cause a lot more morotcyclist to hate train drivers?

[grusomhat]

Maybe it was an off roader where they shouldn't have been?

[Tank]

Maybe it was an off roader where they shouldn't have been?

I didnt know that there was such a thing as off road trains?

[StoneY]

I didnt know that there was such a thing as off road trains?

Im pertty sure he meant the Biker Tank m8.....


DOH!

(trolled)

[mashman]

6am, sunrise, couldn't see flashing lights, no barriers, loud pipes don't save lives, train didn't look like it was going that quick relative to his speed... plenty of reasons, hope he heals up quickly and then they can factor that into the ACC probability calculation...

[StoneY]

Wow, mashman thats gonna quadrple our next levy hike!

Fark!

:lol:

[Mikkel]

Maybe something as simple as a signals breakdown? I know I should, but I really do not do a proper check every time I pass through a level crossing. Do you? Every time?


I didnt know that there was such a thing as off road trains?

All trains are off road trains most of the time, unless we are talking about a road train of course... but I think we are derailing the discussion now.

[pritch]

Back in the pre-compulsory crash helmet days a friend of mine was hit by a railcar. He thought he could beat it to the crossing. He nearly did too!

He can remember looking down at people in the railcar looking up at him before he hit something hard and the lights went out. Total injuries: one sprained ankle, one written-off Triumph.

In more recent years, same crossing, the driver of a video rental van tried the same trick with a similar result. Video tapes everywhere as if a bomb had gone off.

[Katman]

Do you think that there is a 'katman' on a train forum somewhere saying how its the Train drivers fault and that how his actions are going to cause a lot more morotcyclist to hate train drivers?

You're fixated, aren't you?

[quickbuck]

In more recent years, same crossing, the driver of a video rental van tried the same trick with a similar result. Video tapes everywhere as if a bomb had gone off.

Don't mean to be flippant, BUT I had to chuckle at that one!
Maybe I do need help....??

[NighthawkNZ]

Rule number one for riding a bike... "don't argue with any other vehicle... be it bus, car, train, or another bike... because you will come off second best"

If and that is a big IF... he knew the train was coming then trying to race it... why would want to risk that in the first place... I mean whats a couple of minutes wait if it is a long train.


If and that is a big IF ... he didn't know the train was coming but knew the rail crossing was ahead he should be slowing down for it anyway to be checking for trains... its not as if they can get out of the way.

If and that is a big IF ... didn't know either the train coming, or the lines were ahead then he didn't read the road right as I am positive there are signs saying railway crossing...

[Bald Eagle]

Rule number one for riding a bike... "don't argue with any other vehicle... be it bus, car, train, or another bike... because you will come off second best"

If and that is a big IF... he knew the train was coming then trying to race it... why would want to risk that in the first place... I mean whats a couple of minutes wait if it is a long train.


If and that is a big IF ... he didn't know the train was coming but knew the rail crossing was ahead he should be slowing down for it anyway to be checking for trains... its not as if they can get out of the way.

If and that is a big IF ... didn't know either the train coming, or the lines were ahead then he didn't read the road right as I am positive there are signs saying railway crossing...

more interesting question is the equipment. SV shows that x-ing has lights bells and barrier arms ?

[Tank]

You're fixated, aren't you?

Fixated on you - nah. Simply making a joke at your expense based on observations of your usual boring and predictable post.

It call a sense of humour - I'll email you one for Christmas. :2thumbsup

[pritch]

Don't mean to be flippant, BUT I had to chuckle at that one!
Maybe I do need help....??

Feel free to be as flippant as you like. :yes:

People who try to beat trains are exceedingly lucky if they are still around to be laughed at. I won't laugh though, I cross that same crossing several times most days. Not many trains now, but it only needs one...

There is a crossing on The Forgotten World Highway where the road approaches at an acute angle. My neck can't twist far enough around to check properly. My usual technique is to cross it at Warp factor 3 so as to minimise my exposure. It would be safer to stop but...

OK Katman I know, I know!

[PrincessBandit]

Fatality this morning at Takanini - varying reports (from train staff) as to what happened. version 1, he was drunk; version 2, he was playing chicken.
Oh, he was a pedestrian not a rider or driver so I know it's not bike relevant, but does prove that playing chicken with a train regardless of mode of transport is a stupid idea.

[YellowDog]

Unless I am very much mistaken, trains run on tracks and because of that fact they follow a predetermined path. It is impossible for a train to run into you, unless you are on the tracks in front of it.
Rubbish!

The train jumped out without any indication.

Some years ago the train driver lost his wife to a biker and has been waiting to get his own back ever since.

His wife's name was Karma!

[trustme]

Were there 2 sets of tracks. I knew a couple of girls who stopped for a train, didn't wait for the bells to stop & took off as soon as the train passed. They never saw the train coming the other way on the tracks further away.
They lived but only just.

[Conquiztador]

I sincerely hope the rider is ok!

But I started wondering: Will ACC record this as a train accident or a bike accident? I mean, in the ACC stats I have seen there is no train stats.

[Nasty]

I sincerely hope the rider is ok!

But I started wondering: Will ACC record this as a train accident or a bike accident? I mean, in the ACC stats I have seen there is no train stats.

Depends on the interpretation of where the accident was .. on the road .. or a traintrack.

[crazyhorse]

Rubbish!

The train jumped out without any indication.

Some years ago the train driver lost his wife to a biker and has been waiting to get his own back ever since.

His wife's name was Karma!

:rofl: :rofl:

[munster]

Unless I am very much mistaken, trains run on tracks and because of that fact they follow a predetermined path. It is impossible for a train to run into you, unless you are on the tracks in front of it.

Totally agree. A basic loco is 87 - 100 tons, a train can be anywhere up to 2000 tons and take 1.5 km or more to stop.

It has a set path, cannot speed up or slow down in a hurry, has no ability to veer left or right.

There are no train accidents at crossings, only vehicle. Trains are where they're supposed to be, on the tracks.

[James Deuce]

Trains are where they're supposed to be, on the tracks.

Shame they're so schedule challenged though. They might well be where they're supposed to be, just seldom when.

[sunhuntin]

Maybe something as simple as a signals breakdown? I know I should, but I really do not do a proper check every time I pass through a level crossing. Do you? Every time?

i never stop when coming up to a crossing unless i cant see clearly. all of the lines ive crossed have had great visibility in both directions. i do usually slow down to check though.
i dont know the crossing mentioned in fielding, so cant comment on that.

[breakaway]

Looks like natural selection to me.

[Mrs Cowboyz]

A friend of mine was at the scene....the idiot was speeding trying to beat the train and tried to go between the barrier arms already down.....he himself didnt get hit by the train only his bike.....he suffered a broken leg at the most.

thanks mate another count for acc!

[James Deuce]

A friend of mine was at the scene....the idiot was speeding trying to beat the train and tried to go between the barrier arms already down.....he himself didnt get hit by the train only his bike.....he suffered a broken leg at the most.
Awesome friend. I would have broken his neck not his leg.

[Ronin]

A friend of mine was at the scene....the idiot was speeding trying to beat the train and tried to go between the barrier arms already down.....he himself didnt get hit by the train only his bike.....he suffered a broken leg at the most.

thanks mate another count for acc!

Yep, pretty hard to blame anyone else for that one. Darwin at his finest.

[jim.cox]

How in god's name do you hit a train?

By mis- judgement , thats how...

Misjudging the speed mostly I recon - small frontal area, and the trains actually are moving fast - faster than the victims realise.

That, and the crossings that jump out at you - go into them too hot, not realisng you you dont actually have much sight distance and not leaving your self enough space to brake when it tuins out that there IS a train there.

And the crossings are slippery - all that crap on the road from the waiting vehicles, metal rails, diesel from the trains etc etc... So its easy to go down when you do take that big handful of brake or throttle.

And then of course there is " taget fixation"

The causes are miriid - ya just gotta be careful out there

[Nasty]

By mis- judgement , thats how...

Misjudging the speed mostly I recon - small frontal area, and the trains actually are moving fast - faster than the victims realise.

That, and the crossings that jump out at you - go into them too hot, not realisng you you dont actually have much sight distance and not leaving your self enough space to brake when it tuins out that there IS a train there.

And the crossings are slippery - all that crap on the road from the waiting vehicles, metal rails, diesel from the trains etc etc... So its easy to go down when you do take that big handful of brake or throttle.

And then of course there is " taget fixation"

The causes are mirid - ya just gotta be careful out there

I hope that you are not calling this person a "victim" ... that is the train driver who is the victim, by this one persons actions. I know for a number of drivers this is one of their worst fears - that some person who did not think - call it fixation if you will - will try to beat a train and get hurt in the fall out of it.

[Genie]

A friend of mine was at the scene....the idiot was speeding trying to beat the train and tried to go between the barrier arms already down.....he himself didnt get hit by the train only his bike.....he suffered a broken leg at the most.

thanks mate another count for acc!

Well, that's just bloody silly and selfish....stupid stupid idiot. could have been killed, bet his mother/girlfriend will give him a good slap around the ears!!!!!! Well I hope somebody does!!!

[jim.cox]

I hope that you are not calling this person a "victim" ... that is the train driver who is the victim, by this one persons actions. I know for a number of drivers this is one of their worst fears - that some person who did not think - call it fixation if you will - will try to beat a train and get hurt in the fall out of it.

There's more than one victim in most accidents :(

[dipshit]

Well, that's just bloody silly and selfish....stupid stupid idiot.


Oh no... motorcyclist's shit doesn't stink... it must have been the train's fault!

[Kickaha]

Oh no... motorcyclist's shit doesn't stink... it must have been the train's fault!

Of course it was the trains fault, are you fucking mad trying to imply a motorcyclist may be at fault?

[dipshit]

Of course it was the trains fault, are you fucking mad trying to imply a motorcyclist may be at fault?

How anyone in here could try to blame something else other than rider error is beyond me and shows how fucked in the head some motorcyclists are.

[Dean]

HAHA I was browsing the threads until I found this:
Thread title. "How in god's name do you hit a train"
Latest post by. "Dipshit".

[klingon]

Were there 2 sets of tracks. I knew a couple of girls who stopped for a train, didn't wait for the bells to stop & took off as soon as the train passed. They never saw the train coming the other way on the tracks further away.
They lived but only just.

I saw a pedestrian do exactly the same thing. Auckland's Western Line is in the process of being double-tracked. People have been used to crossing a single track for years. Bells go, train passes, people step out onto the track. BUT WAIT! Now there's another train coming the other way!

The pedestrian I saw didn't get hit, but he must have got the fright of his life. He literally ran backwards off the track. He won't be doing that again.

The lights and barriers at our local crossing regularly malfunction. The barriers come down even when there's no train coming, with the bells and lights going and the whole drama. The queue of traffic starts to build and nobody seems to know what to do, then inevitably someone decides to drive around the barriers. The first car goes very cautiously, then the rest of them just follow like sheep!

One day a train really will show up and someone's going to get hit. I just hope I'm not around to see it, because that will be nasty. :(

[Genie]

I saw a pedestrian do exactly the same thing. Auckland's Western Line is in the process of being double-tracked. People have been used to crossing a single track for years. Bells go, train passes, people step out onto the track. BUT WAIT! Now there's another train coming the other way!

The pedestrian I saw didn't get hit, but he must have got the fright of his life. He literally ran backwards off the track. He won't be doing that again.

The lights and barriers at our local crossing regularly malfunction. The barriers come down even when there's no train coming, with the bells and lights going and the whole drama. The queue of traffic starts to build and nobody seems to know what to do, then inevitably someone decides to drive around the barriers. The first car goes very cautiously, then the rest of them just follow like sheep!

One day a train really will show up and someone's going to get hit. I just hope I'm not around to see it, because that will be nasty. :(

Shit, I find this very scarey. We don't have trains down this way and I'm glad. Train crossings give me the shits!!!!

Have you informed the rail company about this faulty crossing?

Geez, you'd think they'd be out fixing that pronto.

[Pedrostt500]

Ah I see you haver all solved the mystery, I was going to chalk it up to a Nija Trains, yep they pop up out of no where, knock you off your bike then run and hide behind a tree, and laugh at you.
The other thing you have to be aware of is flying purple cabooses, they may drop on you while you are swimming.

[Fluffy Cat]

i think you mean flying purple caribou as these are much more dangerous and knowing their behaviour the train had probably swerved to avoid the fore mentioned herbivore on its way to a quick haircut methinks.:2thumbsup

[YellowDog]

How anyone in here could try to blame something else other than rider error is beyond me and shows how fucked in the head some motorcyclists are.
I don't think anyone seriously was.

[dipshit]

I don't think anyone seriously was.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

[Skyryder]

I find it very hard to believe that someone actually rode into a train.

I know of one fatality. Years back in Woodend north of Chch.



Skyryder

[red mermaid]

Im wondering why the train didn't swerve when the bike was there to be seen?

[slofox]

I regularly cross a railway track on my bike meanderings...never really think too much about it. Maybe I'll think a little more deeply from now on.

Thing is, whilst you can see along the track one way, on the other side is a bloody great hedge that totally obscures any vision along the rails that way...

I always assume the barriers and bells will be working. Maybe I should think again...

[klingon]

Shit, I find this very scarey. We don't have trains down this way and I'm glad. Train crossings give me the shits!!!!

Have you informed the rail company about this faulty crossing?

Geez, you'd think they'd be out fixing that pronto.

Yes, I inform them every time it happens. I also call *555 and report it as a road hazard. Unfortunately it's all to do with the work on the tracks - the heavy machines run over the sensors or bury them under gravel, or something. So it just keeps happening.

[Genie]

Yes, I inform them every time it happens. I also call *555 and report it as a road hazard. Unfortunately it's all to do with the work on the tracks - the heavy machines run over the sensors or bury them under gravel, or something. So it just keeps happening.

even scarier!

[Azi Dahaka]

the loon absolutly diservered it i do hope his bike is in a million bits. it is people like him that acc base their crap on and people like him who give the rest of us a bad name well mystery solved i guess.

[Skyryder]

the loon absolutly diservered it i do hope his bike is in a million bits. it is people like him that acc base their crap on and people like him who give the rest of us a bad name well mystery solved i guess.

That rarity of bikers.....................the perfect rider.



Skyyrder

[Roger]

I think you can hit a train by riding with dark sunglasses on after midnight

[wbks]

There were a few tracks I crossed on the way to raglan from coro way, and each one of them made it impossible to see down the tracks on one side unless you are about an inch away from the rails. If you didn't slow to a stop, there was wind noise (as you get on a bike...) and the lights weren't going, I wouldn't be surprised if someone hit it. Think about it, you're doing 50 or so, maybe more, and you can't see the train coming until a meter or two away from the rails because of the hedging and faulty warning lights. We can't all stop from 60kph in 2 meters, so who wouldn't hit the train if they were caught in that situation?