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alcitizens 
Albert Lea
Group: Members
Posts: 3664
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,1:54 am |
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I contacted Union Pacific Railroad a couple days ago and told them that if their Psycho Engineer continues to go through town Blowing his Horn Endlessly, somebody is going to shoot him..
He has been more respectful ever since.. 
Councilman Reid Olson, you're welcome..
Our leaders are worthless pieces of sh!t in this town.. 
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alcitizens
Albert Lea
Group: Members
Posts: 3664
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,2:46 am |
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Union Pacific Railroad was also informed that the other Engineers go through town with limited blasting of their Horn..
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,6:01 am |
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You know it might be a good idea for you to consider moving since you seem to hate everything about that neighborhood.
Some food for thought:
There is a large precedent for why they are fairly liberal in the use of the horn. There has been more than one suicide by train in the area, one fairly recently. The training is to generally hit the brakes, hit the horn, and look away, but it is something every engineer that experiences will tell you if it isn't career ending, is absolutely life altering. Perhaps the engineer you think is being a psycho, just doesn't want a repeat performance.
Over the years I have also heard first hand many incidents of engineers watching kids/people/animals dart across the tracks in fairly close proximity to the trains in this area. See above if you need any clarification on why this could be bad.
http://www.up.com/real_estate/roadxing/industry/horn_quiet/index.htm
http://www.up.com/aboutup/funstuff/horn_signals/
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ofrw/railroad/safety.html
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ofrw/railroad/railroad.html
Horn Signals: A Proven Safety Precaution
On April 27, 2005, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), which enforces rail safety regulations, published the Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. Effective June 24, 2005, the Final Rule requires that locomotive horns be sounded at all public grade crossings 15-20 seconds before entering a crossing, but not more than one-quarter mile in advance.
Emphasis mine however I think you can figure out just how many crossings there are, and given a 30mph speed limit through town, understand that they are just barely meeting the required number of signal crossings most nights.
Fair disclosure, your neighborhood to the tracks is ~760ft. Approximately 1500ft SE or NW of the signal warning markers for the South Broadway crossing. I am 400ft from the same set of tracks, and about 1600ft NE and SW of my closest grade crossings. Doesn't bother my family, and I stopped even paying attention to it about a year after I moved in.
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16813
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,6:43 am |
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I'll have to agree with AL, I realize they're required to sound their whistles but there's a few of these guys that are overzealous!
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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| Post Number: 5
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,6:47 am |
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I'd rather they blow the horn and hope whatever is on the tracks moves than have to be one of the first responders on scene removing yet another brother / daughter / father in a body bag. Sometimes it is futile, but as far as the human being in the cab is concerned at least they know they did everything they could to make sure the person on the tracks heard them coming until it was too late.
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Self-Banished
Group: Members
Posts: 22597
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,7:03 am |
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Hang around driving on the right side of my truck when I want that lane and I can truly give you the experience as to how loud train horns can be. 
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Remember boys and girls,
Don’t be a Dick …
Or a “Wayne” 
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| Post Number: 7
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16813
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,7:04 am |
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There's actually a black box similar to the airlines in the engine, so should there be an accident there's always a big investigation and the engineer would be fired if he had not sounded the whistle. I'm not questioning the safety issue.
The guy AL is complaining about and me too, lays on that whistle continuously all the way though town, it's NOT about safety at that point, it's about noise pollution.
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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| Post Number: 8
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,7:36 am |
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Guess I am just missing the legitimacy of your complaint here. The laws simply back up what that engineer is doing, and anyone else is doing you a favor and possibly jeopardizing their job or someone's safety whether you agree with that or not. And I am still going to maintain that there is a real possibility that engineer has already had one close call or fatality, and doesn't want to repeat it.
For everyone’s safety, federal regulation requires locomotive horns be sounded for 15-20 seconds before entering all public grade crossings, but not more than one-quarter mile in advance. This federal requirement preempts any state or local laws regarding the use of train horns at public crossings.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) required pattern for blowing the horn is two long, one short, and one long sounding horn, repeated as necessary until the locomotive clears the crossing. Locomotive engineers retain the authority to vary this pattern as necessary for crossings in close proximity and are allowed to sound the horn in emergency situations.
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Starting at Hammer Rd, the maximum distance north they can sound the horn would be pretty much directly behind MCB. The train is slowing from 50 to 40mph at this point. Passing Goose Lake they would repeat at the grade crossing for Hawthorne. Rounding the curve at Sheridan, again sounding the horn for the crossings at Garfield and Ramsey, probably doubling up because of the proximity. They then may or may not have signal requirements depending on trains on the siding at Main St. Passing behind the car wash on Main, there is another 1/4mi before crossing at Front and Broadway. But might as well hit it again for 3rd St, which is coming right up. Grab a sip of coffee while you round the curve, but make it quick before you have to signal again for South Broadway. Watch for Motel 65 on your left though, so you can make it in time for Margaretha. Take a 20 second break, throttle her up to 50mph and then hit the horn again for Myers Rd, just repeat it for Co 84, and one short blast as you cross the last driveway on the way out of town, then repeat at every driveway and county road all the way to Glenville.
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alcitizens
Albert Lea
Group: Members
Posts: 3664
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,8:52 am |
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Are you saying all the other engineers that Blow their horn's with a 3 second blast then a 1 second blast then a 3 second blast at intersections are breaking the rules? I don't think so..
Every railroad crossing has flashing lights and a gate in Albert Lea.. Pretty much says don't pull in front of a train or you will die..
Stupid or suicidal people are playing russian roulette if they try to go around the gate..
We would go to jail if we drove through town blasting our car horn non stop..
Just because I want to live in a more perfect Albert Lea doesn't mean I don't like living here.. At the last city council meeting Reid Olson said he was getting complaints about excessive horn blowing by Union Pacific..
I took care of it..
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| Post Number: 10
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2015,12:37 pm |
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(alcitizens @ Sep. 07 2015,8:52 am)
QUOTE Are you saying all the other engineers that Blow their horn's with a 3 second blast then a 1 second blast then a 3 second blast at intersections are breaking the rules? I don't think so..
Why yes... yes I am...
Single gates aren't good enough by federal law.
SSMs are engineering improvements, which when installed at highway-rail grade crossings within a quiet zone, would reduce the risk of a collision at the crossing. SSMs are installed to reduce the risk level either to the level that would have existed if the train horn were sounded (compensating for the lack of the train horn) or to a level below the Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold. Approved SSMs include:
Four quadrant gates
Gates with medians or channelization devices, also known as traffic separators
One-way streets equipped with gates that fully block the street
Temporary closure (i.e., nighttime closure)
Permanent closure
And the City of Albert Lea did not have any Quiet Zones established prior to October 9, 1996 and December 18, 2003 because of state/local law or community agreement with the railroads). If all crossings do not qualify as pre-rule crossings, then the proposed quiet zone does not qualify as a Pre-Rule QZ, and you should refer to Section III, New Quiet Zones.
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