Did a little work today, not a lot to talk about

[kinzel]

Quick shots, some with notes:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html ... Space Shuttle action. Shuttle set for landing tomorrow.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/5654474.html ... beautiful seaside Waterville?

http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9427069&nav=menu606_2 ... Always EXPECT and RESPECT a train...
this happened at a town we've never stepped off the train in, but which we've been through in good weather and bad, and which is notable for being in a flood plain. One of the sad things about many of these rail-pedestrian and rail-auto things I cite here is that in a lot of cases I can quickly picture in my mind where they happen. Mostly they are 100 percent avoidable.

see above: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-train-crash-victims-112908,0,4731452.story
quote from the LINK DIRECTLY ABOVE --
"When a train crushes a car, it's equivalent to the force with which a car crushes a pop can."

Elsewise, today's run to the P.O. brought with it sightings of yet another grove of trees (this is 4 in a week) cut for retail expansion. Let's hope jobs are as green.

Comments

Train vs Car in Orlando

[(Anonymous)]

I am fairly familiar with that crossing. I haven't been thru it recently, but I do remember that it had nice large crossing gates with flashing red lights and alarms. Don't see how any reasonable person would drive around them. Especially, since anyone reasonably local (and these were local according to one report that I saw) knows that there is a large train rail / switching yard just south of that crossing.

Susan Cole
Orlando, FL
susan.cole@siemens.com

It may be equivalent force

[romsfuulynn.livejournal.com]

But car or person, it never sounds like a pop can from the inside. (Actually, the empty trailer part of a tractor trailer makes an amazing BOOM, and ends up half a mile down the track, sort of folded in half. The driver in that incident had gotten safely out when he got stuck on the track, so that one was merely annoying.)

I ride a commuter train 38 miles each way every day, and have done so for more than 20 years.

It's HORRID to hit something.

[spiritdancer]

That person in Burlington? Was apparently talking on her cell phone at the time. There's a bit longer article up on the Burlington Hawkeye (local newspaper) website: http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/Train-accident-112808