Trapped trucks on RR crossings an issue; Three car haulers get stuck last week

Tragedies were averted because Statham police officers happened to be outside and saw the trucks get stuck March 20 and March 23. They, and a Barrow County sheriff’s deputy who happened to drive up on the third immobilized truck in front of the Johns Manville plant on March 21, called the railroad in time.

“In both of our cases we were walking outside when they happened and called CSX,” said Statham police chief Steve Martin. “But the assurance that we will be there every time and will be able to stop the train in time is very small.”

Sheriff Jud Smith agreed. He said the public safety risk from a train slamming into a car hauler — that is loaded with eight cars could weigh 15-20 tons — could be catastrophic.

“A car hauler, if a train hits it at 35 miles per hour, you are looking at a lot of damage, the possible death of the truck driver, and a possible derailment,” he said. “The odds of a derailment are very good. And if that train is carrying any explosives or hazardous materials, depending on the wind, it could injure many people.”

Martin said car haulers with low-rise trailers can’t get over the rebuilt crossings’ steeper slopes. He said CSX placed wooden railroad ties along each side of each track and laid down a thick layer of asphalt.

“By raising the grade, they smoothed out the crossing for traffic, but the steep grade makes it impossible for car haulers that are weighted down with vehicles and have a low rise, to get over the steeper incline,” he said. “Because of the length of the angle, when they try to go up that hill, it’s too much. There’s no way to get across, no matter how wide or how shallow they take the turn.”

To read the rest of the story, read the March 28 print or E-editions of the Barrow Journal.