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Ed,

 EV> Daryl, When rereading this today I thought about Tow Boats on
 EV> the rivers and Large Vessels on the oceans.
 EV> Those can't stop quickly either.



 EV> That Captain had the same feelings that Railroad Engineers have
 EV> when vehicles are on the Tracks in front of them.

  Exactly. And, the moving current doesn't help things, either.

 EV> Myself, I cause Road Rage at a nearby Crossing because I slow
 EV> way down and look left and right before going through the
 EV> crossing. I do that because I am afraid there may be a
 EV> Electrical Power Failure that has prevented the Signals or
 EV> Guard Gate operating.

  Normally, the crossings where electronic signals are, have a
battery backup power supply, which usually will activate the
signals, and lower the gates, when power is lost to the bungalo
signal box. However, those batteries don't last forever (as does
nothing in this life). Apparently, the signals deactivate when
the battery backup is about to run out, then they don't work at
all. At that point, it's the same is a private grade crossing
with only a crossbuck.

  After Hurricane Charlie several years ago devastated much of
Florida, damaging much of the railroad and other infrastructure,
most of the signals went dark. As a result, there were "slow orders"
for all the trains (including Amtrak), and the crossings had to be
"flagged", where a member of the crew (likely the Conductor) would 
get off, walk to the crossing, with a flag, and possibly the flares, 
to stop traffic. When the locomotive eased into the crossing to fully 
block it, the Conductor got back on, and the train went on its way.

  Or, if some of the railroad management were involved as flaggers, 
they had HT's to communicate with the dispatcher and the engineer, 
to advise that they could proceed at restricted speed, and that the 
crossing was flagged. The flagger would also check once the rear of 
the train had passed, to verify that the end of train device/marker 
was there, and was activated.

  I remember while still living in Florida, there were warning
signs at one crossing noting that "the signals were not working,
and to use caution".

  Before I had to quit driving, the grade crossing only 1/4 mile
away from my house was activated (gates down and lights flashing),
but there was no train. I called the number on the Emergency
Notification System (ENS) sign, and was told which options to
choose. 

  If there was a derailment, a hotbox or railcar fire (especially 
if there was hazardous materials involved (with a colored placard 
on the side))...you would choose option 1. If there was a vehicle 
blocking the crossing, the signals weren't working, or they were 
broken, to choose option 2. 

  On the ENS sign was the location of the crossing, the host
railroad, the milepost, and a department of transportation ID
number. You would give all that to the dispatcher at the other 
end of the line. They, in turn, would change the signals, issue
slow orders, and contact the crew...along with other local area
emergency personnel. They will also dispatch maintenance of way
(MOW) personnel, to work on repairing the signals.

  If this is done as soon as it occurs (or very shortly thereafter), 
there is a higher chance of stopping an approaching train before it 
slams into stuff at the crossing, or a derailment and fiery explosion 
results, which requires evacuations.

  I have reported this to Union Pacific Railroad (the main railroad 
through Little Rock) more than once...and I gave them my name, and
my amateur radio callsign.

  Only in America...we rush to beat:

1) The traffic lights at intersections.
2) The trains at railroad crossings.
3) The boats at draw bridges.

  Yet, we'll stand patiently for 3 hours on the golf course.

 EV> Yes, I am a case. They haven't found me yet.
 EV> Please don't tell em.

  They probably wouldn't want you...or me, either. 

73,

Daryl, N5VLZ

... And there were plagues of locusts, and frogs, and MS-DOS, and MS Windows.
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