Railroad Safety

• If there are rails on the railroad ties, assume that the track is in use regardless of weeds or rust.
• Train schedules are always subject to change. Expect a train at every railroad crossing.
• Modern trains are quieter than ever, with no telltale "clackety-clack" and some areas (including Normal) banning use of train horns within city limits.
• All train tracks are private property. Trains have the right of way 100% of the time — over ambulances, fire engines, police vehicles, passenger vehicles, and pedestrians.
• A typical locomotive weighs approximately 200 tons. When 100 railcars are added to the locomotive, the train can weigh approximately 6,000 tons. The weight ratio of an automobile to a train is proportional to a soda can and an automobile.
• Trains cannot stop quickly. That same 100-car, 6,000-ton freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour will need more than a mile to stop, even with the emergency brake applied.
• A train may extend three feet or more outside the steel rail, which makes the safety zone well beyond the rails themselves.
• Trains are sometimes pushed by locomotives instead of pulled, so they can move in either direction at any time. Remember to look both ways before crossing.
• Cross tracks only at designated crossings. Observe and obey all warning signs and signals.
• Never step on the rails when crossing the tracks. They are slippery, especially when wet.
• Stay clear of any switch or apparatus on the tracks. These are controlled from a centralized system many miles away and can move quickly without warning, and trap or injure hands and feet.
• Stay at least 15 feet away from all train equipment.
• Never climb under or between train cars as there may not be a warning before the train moves again.
• Do not park within 15 feet of railroad tracks.