Kind of happy about there not being an Earth-Shattering Kaboom.

[gridlore]

This is where we live. Notice the train tracks right behind our home? We've gotten used to the periodic rumbles of CalTrain, even the heavy shaking of the freight trains that use the tracks after the last commuter run is done in the late evening. We're lucky in that were not near any gated crossings, so we only occasionally hear trains sound their horns and/or bell.

Not so tonight. About half an hour ago a freight train sounded everything, followed by about a minute of the shrieking sound of a few hundred tons of train hitting its brakes. From eighty feet or so away, that's loud. Train is now idling out there. This says one thing to me: right-of-way incursion, and somebody got hit.

Of course, between that and being back on a high dose of Prednisone, I'm now wide awake.

Comments

[claidheamhmor]

Wow. Must have been quite a noise!

[(Anonymous)]

Was the freight north or south bound?

Road at grade crossings on the south at Lafayette and to the north at Mary. In between its all over and under passes and clear rail. Oh wait, there is one at Sunnyvale-Saratoga just by downtown Sunnyvale...

On the other hand, we have noticed a number of pedestrians going down the right of way which is puzzling given that we are a fair distance from unfenced track.

I suppose its possible something could have happened at one of the Caltrain stations. Most of those have grade crossings for passengers.

(We're up track from you a ways, between Bowers and Lawrence.)

There's also a switch and a block signal just north of Bowers. Wouldnt be unheard of for someone to miss a signal.

(Its not unusual for the trains to sit and idle on the sidings behind us. The thoughtful engineers shut down the engines while waiting...)