Antelope by the dozens...

The deep snow on the antelopes migration route has them congregating on bare roads and railroads. There is more of this occurring everyday but this one event was filmed. Being at the northern extreme of their range, antelope populations can fluctuate severely. Winter mortality can be very high.

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M1-Garand said:
Did the engineer blow the horn?- If he did I didn't hear it in the video.
I don't know about pronghorns,but deer always head for the field when I see them on the road and lean on the horn.
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They blow the horn, but I'm wondering if the brakes on the train were even applied. I realize that a train takes a huge distance to stop.
 
There just aint nuthin a train engineer could do to stop a collision with a heard of antelope. I was driving an 18 wheeler (load of cows) on night (about 3 am) between Brooks & Hanna, came over a little rise & had about 40 of the buggers all over the highway, I stood on the brake pedal, spiked the trailer and flipped the jake all at the same time but all to no avail of stopping...I cruised through that heard of animals without touching a hair...but it was pure $hit-house luck, sure not anything I did, they just happened to part like the red sea in the 1/2 second timeframe....Didn't hurt the antelope but I did have 3 critters down in the pot that I had to get up at great danger to myself....By the time I was done in the truck trailer I would have gladly sacrificed every "Lope" on the road that night.
 
In order for the train to be safely stopped, the engineer would have had to fully apply the brakes at a minimum of 1610 metres ahead of the antelope. You hunters should have a grasp of how difficult it is to see 1610 meters ahead.....from a stationary position without the benefit if using glass. Its difficult for the naked eye to process that in white out snow conditions travelling at the speeds that train is travelling at. The engineer would have no way of knowing what lies 1610 metres ahead.....around the bend....behind the trees...etc....etc.....

Give your heads a shake FFS
 
Correct Dan. If the video was of old pallets and SUV’s getting blown off the track they’d have millions in a go fund me account.
 
I see all the experts in trains came out.

Its not like a model train you run in your basement or garage were you throw the switch and it stops.

Probably a million pounds of freight behind that engine.

Takes a few kms to stop.

Nothing the engineer could of done.

The plus side birds and yotes have an early Xmas feast.
 
steamy teabag said:
I see all the experts in trains came out.

Its not like a model train you run in your basement or garage were you throw the switch and it stops.

Probably a million pounds of freight behind that engine.

Takes a few kms to stop.

Nothing the engineer could of done.

The plus side birds and yotes have an early Xmas feast.
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Experts? You’re the one using words like probably. Please enlighten us to to the speed of that freight train and the amount of speed reduction required to not wipe out that herd ? Antelope can run 60 mph and they were really moving. I didn’t hear any rpm change or braking. Only a horn and engineer calling them stupid.
 
steamy teabag said:
I see all the experts in trains came out.

Its not like a model train you run in your basement or garage were you throw the switch and it stops.

Probably a million pounds of freight behind that engine.

Takes a few kms to stop.

Nothing the engineer could of done.

The plus side birds and yotes have an early Xmas feast.
Click to expand...

That is true and is the other side of the coin. Best not make a video of it though. :confused:


Grizz
 
There was no visible attempt by that crew to even slow down. They just blew the horn and swore at the antelope and maintained speed. Antelope can keep up a cruising speed of 60KM/H for a long time, and can sprint at nearly 100 KM/H. Stopping a train certainly is slow and difficult, but it is completely reasonable to expect a train to slow down enough for antelope to be able to keep ahead of it. That tragedy could have been avoided if the engineer cared enough to make a small effort.
 
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