college student hit by train

[redside20]

in where else...Bowling Green
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /110209628

[MSchwiebert]

30 years too late for it to be Athens - although the track was an impediment for me more than once on return wanderings from Court Street....

[JoJames]

in where else...Bowling Green
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /110209628

This line through BG is getting to be a liability for CSX. One good law suit and it may be all over as a through route.

[Y@]

in where else...Bowling Green
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /110209628

This line through BG is getting to be a liability for CSX. One good law suit and it may be all over as a through route.

Maybe north of Galatea, but definitely not south of there with the changes that are coming.

[MSchwiebert]

Doesn't it seem odd that even with just 4 or so trains a day - a student still manages to walk out in front of a train???

[Y@]

Doesn't it seem odd that even with just 4 or so trains a day - a student still manages to walk out in front of a train???

It seems odd to me when people walk in front of trains on lines with more than 40 a day..so, yes, it's incredibly odd.

[GLC 392]

Doesn't it seem odd that even with just 4 or so trains a day - a student still manages to walk out in front of a train???

Just before i moved to Pittsburgh, i rode with the GLC and we almost got a kid in Mt. Pleasant walking down the tie butts he was walking right towards us didn't even know we were coming till we were about 15' from him when he looked up and saw us, he had his ear phones in and never heard us even though the Horn never stopped blaring from the second we saw him.

[MagnumForce]

Well at least here in Defiance even though the Dorms at Defiance College are right next to the MAW there is no risk of being hit by a train... A normal walking pace is faster then the MAW anyway.

[CN_Okemos]

Doesn't it seem odd that even with just 4 or so trains a day - a student still manages to walk out in front of a train???

Just before i moved to Pittsburgh, i rode with the GLC and we almost got a kid in Mt. Pleasant walking down the tie butts he was walking right towards us didn't even know we were coming till we were about 15' from him when he looked up and saw us, he had his ear phones in and never heard us even though the Horn never stopped blaring from the second we saw him.

I believe that without a doubt Steven! When I resided at Central Michigan University, everyday students including me had to cross the tracks to get to the dorms. Some werent railroad savvy and would walk right down the center of the tracks as if they were just like grass. Even though there was a crossing right across an exit from the dorms, students found it easier to walk the tracks. Idiots lol

[bdconrail29]

A really tough campus back in the day was Michigan State. There were a ton of crossings right on campus, literally. I remember a weekend in 2002 where MSU played Minnesota in football at home. I was at the Amshack depot railfanning and a westbound CN approached, and the gates went down. Of course masses of fans raced around the gates running to beat the train. They did finally build an underpass at Farm Lane Rd. and they did have chains laced across the sidewalks whereby you had to reverse direction to cross the tracks (sort of like a "Z"). I wasn't aware of any slow order through campus back then, but maybe that has since changed.

[CN_Okemos]

A really tough campus back in the day was Michigan State. There were a ton of crossings right on campus, literally. I remember a weekend in 2002 where MSU played Minnesota in football at home. I was at the Amshack depot railfanning and a westbound CN approached, and the gates went down. Of course masses of fans raced around the gates running to beat the train. They did finally build an underpass at Farm Lane Rd. and they did have chains laced across the sidewalks whereby you had to reverse direction to cross the tracks (sort of like a "Z"). I wasn't aware of any slow order through campus back then, but maybe that has since changed.

I grew up there having lived 5 mins away in Okemos and went to the Amtrak station almost every weekend. I remember on at least 2 occasions over more than a decade when MSU students were hit by trains, at least one in that student parking lot across from the power plant where the chains are up that you speak of. Back in the 1990s there were no chains, just the crossing lights. Occasionally during big game weekends or beginning or ending of the school year GTW/CN did put out slow orders thru town but not all the time.

[cjjd6901]

I believe the student was tresspassing on the ROW well to the South of campus near Napoleon Road. Caught sight of the local moving that direction from Wooster a few moments prior to the collision. This one was in the afternoon. Sadly two students were struck by differents trains moving at night a couple of years ago. CSX police increased patrols in town and stationed a pair of SUVs in BG. (Dodge Durangoes-one set had not had yet had the graphics applied and I thought for a moment they were for the Wood County Park Rangers.)

CSX has been removing quite a few sidings and switches within the past year. I have only lived in Bowling Green since '03. Saw an arial image of town from the '80s and was amazed by the number of car spots.

Chris

[MDH]

Guess the signs aren't enough:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=332841

They never are and you can't fix stupid (although the signs probably help them with any potential lawsuits - it's well marked, etc.) Usually it's drunk college kids and it's always unfortunate.

Michael

[redside20]

How many college campuses can you think of that have railroad tracks running through them or by them? Both Heidelberg and Tiffin University are situated right by the CSX Willard Sub but i've never heard of any incidents when i lived up that way. Then you have the Ann Arbor Railroad running smack dab through the center of the UM Campus and the practice fields and if any UM student gets hit by an Annie Train on a line that sees a whopping 1 to 2 moves a day...i would laugh because what are the odds of being hit on a seldom used line?

[redside20]

I believe the student was tresspassing on the ROW well to the South of campus near Napoleon Road. Caught sight of the local moving that direction from Wooster a few moments prior to the collision. This one was in the afternoon. Sadly two students were struck by differents trains moving at night a couple of years ago. CSX police increased patrols in town and stationed a pair of SUVs in BG. (Dodge Durangoes-one set had not had yet had the graphics applied and I thought for a moment they were for the Wood County Park Rangers.)

CSX has been removing quite a few sidings and switches within the past year. I have only lived in Bowling Green since '03. Saw an arial image of town from the '80s and was amazed by the number of car spots.

Chris

Which sidings? Does the Grain Elevator near Sugar Ridge still see rail service and what about the siding south of Wooster Street that serves Pinnacle Plastics? Did that siding get pulled?

[railroadchoad]

While you are correct, Redside, in that the AA tracks do bisect UofM property it is just the "Athletic Campus." There isn't much day-to-day student activity down there like one would find on Central Campus up on the hill. Add to that the fact that, as you said, there are so darn few trains through there...

Interestingly, the AA track behind the stadium used to be the site of the Annie's Ferry Yard. Some railfans mistakenly believe that this had something to do with the fact that AA operated car ferries at the end of the line. The real reason is that the football field that preceeded Michigan Stadium was on State St. to the East of the tracks and was called Ferry Field. The whole plot of land may, at one time, have been the Ferry farm or property belonging to the Ferry family. I have never heard, definitivly.

Interestingly, if one looks closely enough in the undergrowth along the west ROW line toward the north end of the former Ferry Yard one will find an intact turntable!

[AARR]

Interestingly, the AA track behind the stadium used to be the site of the Annie's Ferry Yard. Some railfans mistakenly believe that this had something to do with the fact that AA operated car ferries at the end of the line. The real reason is that the football field that preceeded Michigan Stadium was on State St. to the East of the tracks and was called Ferry Field. The whole plot of land may, at one time, have been the Ferry farm or property belonging to the Ferry family. I have never heard, definitivly.

YOu are correct. And they operated an elevator or mill or something to that effect. But as you said the yard was named after the family and not the boat services in Elberta (Frankfort).

[cjjd6901]

I believe the student was tresspassing on the ROW well to the South of campus near Napoleon Road. Caught sight of the local moving that direction from Wooster a few moments prior to the collision. This one was in the afternoon. Sadly two students were struck by differents trains moving at night a couple of years ago. CSX police increased patrols in town and stationed a pair of SUVs in BG. (Dodge Durangoes-one set had not had yet had the graphics applied and I thought for a moment they were for the Wood County Park Rangers.)

CSX has been removing quite a few sidings and switches within the past year. I have only lived in Bowling Green since '03. Saw an arial image of town from the '80s and was amazed by the number of car spots.

Chris

Which sidings? Does the Grain Elevator near Sugar Ridge still see rail service and what about the siding south of Wooster Street that serves Pinnacle Plastics? Did that siding get pulled?

I believe the grain elevator (Wood something) retains a siding for its tank cars. Pinnacle also retains a siding for covered hoppers. These sites are close and there are lots of used ties gathered by the elevator. I believe a siding to the East of the main track is in service-during the ballast work there were cars spotted there.

Moving North, a collection of passing and the team tracks (by the ramp near the DQ) were removed. Switches by the former Heinz facility and the University powerhouse are gone. Pipe facility on Poe awaits a new owner, but resin hoppers for SE Container and tankers for the plant can be seen from North College.

Chris

[redside20]

So the grain elevator at E Gypsy Lane is Mid Wood now? What happened to Luckey Farmers? I just looked in an online directory and the Elevator at Sugar Ridge still says Luckey Farmers. I guess somebody else is looking to purchase the Thomas and Betts facility. Will they keep that spur intact?

[redside20]

Speaking of sidings and spurs, on bing maps there appears to be some sort of spur where North College Ave runs alongside the tracks for a short distance next to some sort of facility with tanks all about. The spur appears to have some pellet hoppers on them. For Southeastern perhaps?