Has anyone in close proximity to a train been decapitated by an object hanging off the side of said train?

Question

or have any similar disasters occurred? how far do things generally hang off trains?

Answer 1

Excellent question.  here's your star for a safety question.

Lading on an open car, such as lumber, does shift from time to time.  It'll stick out as far as the wood is long.  If you get hit by it, it may or may not prove to be fatal.  Either way, it'll ruin your day.

But the primary concern are tie-down chains or cables which will drag along the ground, bouncing around like crazy.

The worst case scenario?  You know those steel bands that are wrapped around the wood bundles?  Well, when one of them breaks and drags along the ground, they get VERY sharp very quick, thanks to the ballast, which acts like a perfect whet-stone.

They can, and have already cut people cleanly in two, just like a Samurai's sword.  Decapitation?  I don't know.

The danger is not always in front of the train, but rather from the sides, just as described here.  If a train is passing, best to stand back...

Answer 2

It's likely that something like that could happen. I've heard of situations whereas people have been run over by trains, but I've never heard of any situations whereas a person was decapitated by a train, but I'm sure something like that could happen. I just hope I never ever hear of it though.

Answer 3

If they have, I doubt they'll be answering you.

Answer 4

Probably - trains have been around for nearly 200 years and all kinds of odd things have happened. Things, however, do not 'hang off' trains. Freight is stowed in wagons or freight cars or, more usually today, in containers. Things 'hanging off' could foul the loading gauge and damage all kinds of things, quite apart from people.

Answer 5

I have heard second hand stories of railway workers getting injured or killed like this. In the long history of railroading I have to think yes it has happened. Like Hoghead said, the banding hanging down and whipping about scares me the most but I have seen gravel flying off a rail car that looks pretty deadly too.  

Bridges and signal structures would knock off most shifted lading that sticks out more than about 10' from the rail.

I did hear of a chain dragging from a lumber car that snagged a switch handle and caused all the cars behind that one to derail.

If you want to be safe, stay back at least 20 feet, I dont even like being that close to a train passing at anything over 40 MPH.