Why don't trains stop in time if they see someone on the track many feet a head of them?

Question

I thought they'd have emergency brakes and stop quicker if they wanted to.

So how come they don't?

Remember that part in that movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" when they guy's foot was caught in the rialroad track and the train came and killed him? Why didn't the train stop in time?

Answer 1

They can't of course, or they would.  All the other answers point to this.  In my hometown the other week, they found a nice fellow next to the tracks, with his fishing rods, reel and tackle; and in his car a nice picnic lunch.  He was walking along the tracks on a lovely spring day, just cutting back through the woods to the pond or stream to fish.  Trespassing.  Not thinking.  What a loss...

Answer 2

The average freight train, traveling at 55+ MPH, takes at least 1 1/2 miles to stop, even after emergency application of brakes!  An average passenger train takes 3/4 of a mile to stop.  This is mainly due to the sheer momentum, of all that tonnage!

Answer 3

it depends on how fast ur going .. u cant stop a 17,000 ton train in 200ft .. it may take a 1/2 mile to get the thing stopped ...

Answer 4

Yep, yep and yep.

Rule of thumb:  If the engineer can see you, it is too late to stop for you.

Rule to stay alive:  Stay out of the way.

Simple, yes?  One would think so.  Then how come thousands die each year for failing to keep off the right of way?  In large part, it is because they don't know any better.  Now you know.

Trains never hunt for victims.  It is the victims who can prevent an all too frequent tragedy.

Any time you are near any railroad track, look around you, be aware of what's going on.  Don't assume you will hear a train approaching, as many times cars are shoved ahead of the engine, and you will hear no bell, or horn and the cars can sneak up on you in near silence.

Stop, Look, Listen and Live.

Answer 5

Trains are insanely heavy and steel wheels on steel rails don't have that strong a grip.  They can't stop like your car.

On a long freight, it can take 10 seconds just for the signal to "apply brakes" to reach the whole train.   That's when braking really starts in earnest, and then the train will take another mile to stop.

http://www.oli.org/education_resources/s...

That IS emergency brakes.  Full on.  Which is likely to do hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the train, partly by skidding flats in every wheel and other damage to train and cargo from slack run-in.  It could even derail the train.

And since it had no effect whatsoever on the outcome, the trespasser was squished even before the brakes got fully applied, why damage the train and risk a derailment, for nothing!?

Maybe a better plan is the person on the track not be on the track.  They can be anywhere.  But they're only vulnerable to being hit by a train if they're on the track.  So, don't be on the track!

Answer 6

Walking down the tracks is trespassing.

While track inspecting there was a man jogging down the tracks with radio headphone.He was told on two occasions

that he was trespassing and that he could be killed.

His widow try to sue but lose the case.

Answer 7

Everyone's been correct... it's a matter of INERTIA !! The train is going fast (or slow) and weighs THOUSANDS of tons... it's just not physically possible to stop "quickly".

I live near and ride on CALTRAIN (local commuter train) here in California... we used to have an average of one pedestrian a MONTH killed along the 70 miles of track.

It is illegal to tresspass on the tracks... $250 USD fine.

Answer 8

Trains weigh many tons.... like 80K tons.... you cant stop a train on a dime, it takes like half a mile or more to stop a train when it is moving at regular speed.

Answer 9

It was a movie dude, the train killed him because it was in the script, and it was in the script to advance the plot.

But yeah, like everyone else says, trains are very heavy so they have a lot of momentum. Try stopping a shopping cart moving at speed when it's full. You'll find it's a lot harder than stopping an empty one.