Rescue 911 - Episode 119 - "Runaway Boxcars"

[ryanschofield4494]

If this incident happened,its greatlly exagerated. Two boxcars,loaded or not will not push a car that far ,as presented,with out stoping on their own.Even at high speed,they would still die out, A 500 hundred feet at most.Way to much resistance.

The signals, if they didnt go off, it was probally an island circuit,(no approach sensors), which indicates its probally on a line thats used for storage cars,hence on why they are on the main line anyway,with out derail protection.

[sefs85]

This is a situation called "failure to shunt". It can happen with rusty rails, or improperly adjusted track circuits.

[MiyahSummer]

The end of this one is touching....

[SPIRITAIR1]

poor guy

[zzzzdreamzzz]

that officer was freakin awsome to do that

[robuk1981]

Did he check for hobos in the cars?

[1extremeguy]

there actually is an engine briefly visible at 3:20

[tazsta10]

LOL when they are saying help it sounds like they r saying WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

[mxims96]

people can sorvive terrible thing...if their lucky

[ruprockz]

RIP.

Poor Women :(

[GOCHICOAPRODUCTIONS]

lol train brake

[train2589]

I love to watch this alot.

[train2589]

It needs to be back on t.v.

[CocoMaine101]

jeez these boxcar things are scary i read No Promises in the Wind one time what a great book but sad...

[GUnit0618]

why do the good always die

[GUnit0618]

RIP Sallen

[RebbyCopper]

This is the definition of police officer. What a hero! So brave!

[DukeofColumbia]

One of the few Rescue 911 episodes I recall where someone died . . . .

[DeltaFoxtrotWhiskey3]

You have the right to remain silent, why dont you use it? HAHAHAHA (approx 1:30)

[EchoBoomer1987]

It's the real life John McClane!

[music4ismylife8]

Poor woman :( R.I.P

[NVanWendy]

Now. all would be well if George would stop wearing women's eyeglasses....

[motorolarival3]

poor lady :(

[MsUntamedheart]

I've watched loads of these the last few days and its the first time someone has died. It's so sad but at the same time the guy is lucky that such a great (and brave) police officer was in the car behind.

[kyla2112]

a small current runs through the rails. when a train approaches, it shorts the rails eventually to the point where a signal or crossing alerts are activated. weight has nothing to do with it. robertgift might be correct about the rails being rusty, 1 rail car should be enough to activate the signals.

[MickeyLove01]

Nice rug Jim

[jaffacake1578]

man, those old cars are strong, it didn't crush mutch, whitch is good when a train hits, but newer cars would just crush right away, because of crumple zones

[gregorkrause]

doesn't the music seem fast here in the opening of this segment, it does to me?

[allgood2000]

@gregorkrause That's because the Family Channel sped the video up. They had to cut about 4 minutes out of the episode, and by speeding up the video, they wouldn't have to delete as many scenes.

[Lehnerd57]

why lights not work depends on what carrys since no engines gates no relate in time

[sn1pe352]

make sure to give him his lisence again through the mail over the phone :/

It makes me furious that senior citizens can drive after a certain age considering one killed my mother, after a certain age or mental condition it should be considered illegal just as using a vehicle to try and kill someone is considered a deadly weapon assult

[TankMurdock]

rescue 911....the final frontier....these are the voyages of true life people who called 911...

[allgood2000]

@OsuckerO No, it stopped airing on CBS in September of 1996.

[MegaDavid1960]

brave cop...i think lights ar trigerd by the locomotive....dont know..?

[robertgift]

Normally the railcar wheels would have caused the signals to operate. Surprised they did not here.

The rails may have been too rusty for just two cars to be sensed by the crossing signal system.

Courageous officer.

Amazing that he could reach the railcars in time and turn the brake wheel.

The railcars must have been loaded and heavy to push the car so far without significantly slowing.

Did a teenager release the brakes of the railcars?

[knules2]

oh sure blame us

[nuklz]

it is possible that there are no switches after the crossing?  if that track is designed to carry traffic in one direction why would you install switches after the fact? the cars were traveling in the wrong direction...that cop has brass balls and i feel for the gentleman who lost his wife...i don't think i would handle losing my wife of 40 years as well as he did...

[1RadicalOne]

Perhaps the system is weight-operated, and only the locomotive is heavy enough to trigger it.

[gailgrove]

Sure always blame a teen.

[fordoffroad1987]

@robertgift Unless it had a stop sign, in which case the insulated joint is right at the crossing.

[hdyudu]

crossarm trigers operate by the weight of the train the two empty boxcars could have been just too light for it to go off

[bigboy4016]

@robertgift Not always... they don't have to be loaded to be heavy, and it doesn't take much of a grade for one to roll. If it is on a solid downgrade, then they will pick up speed fast. and most likely no. They could have just gotten away, (Coupler broke, crew error) (I don't believe that the E-brake would have gone off, it depends on if the hoses were connected. Regarding the lights, they SHOULD have gone off, no matter what. There is a small electrical charge that is sent through the rails.

[idigghx]

Actually, it's triggered by something on the tracks, X hundred feet from the crossing.

[Barricade360]

@MegaDavid1960 most new ones are but the old ones or some of them that is may not be triggered the loco or freight cars for that matter run over a electrical sensor on the tracks that triggers the signals to go off

[csxmansam]

@MegaDavid1960 It is a Curcit, The Wheels From the Train complete the Curcit that is in the Track therefor making the Signals Operate, But obvisy this signal had a Malfunction. No locomotive needed. If you Take a Wire of something meatle and touch it to each rail near a Railroad crossing it will trigger them.

[GoodPointpogo]

Why did they take rescue 911 off the air?

[ohytr11]

I don't know i loved this show.

[OnTheRunSinceBirth]

Poor Lady Brave Cop

[xYANKxINxOZx]

@OnTheRunSinceBirth  above and beyond!!!!!!!!

[dickcheney6]

The railroad crossing alarm must have been broken!

[blossom114]

it was a runaway boxcar... there was noone on it to trigger the crossing alarm. Not quite sure how those work, but probably have to be have some human interaction.

[jonboogy]

@dickcheney6 I'm not sure but, I think there's something in the locomotive that triggers the crossing signals

[Kleman09]

In reality, the engineer dose feel the car under the wheels of the locomotive. They'll even feel people too. Just ask any engineer or railroader who had been on a train that hit a person. i have not been on a train that hit someone, but i know poeple who have.

[HappyLappyNappy]

@Kleman09 it's like hitting a squirrel or a bird with your car

[catholicarchangel]

@Kleman09 True I remember when I was on a passenger train and we hit a duck and everyone heard and felt that. Even one time we hit a pigeon during morning rush and everyone got scared when they heard the thump. I am sure someone could hear and feel a car being crushed.

[jm0lesky]

@Kleman09 Yes, automobiles, and even living beings, can be felt by the crew. It feels like your car hitting a small bump in the road or rumblestrips. @Thenews72 Weight of the rollingstock has nothing to do with it. The signal system failed...possibly due to rust on the rails.

[nessnes64]

if a train hits a car it stops pretty quick but these boxcars arnet stopping

[gailgrove]

Thats because they hit the breaks, these have no breaks.

[stephenrankin12345]

poor old man his wife died after 40 years of marrige

[allgood2000]

Where do I have 1980?

[TheMantisTycoon]

I saw a loco at the end of them at 3:20 xD

[Rbnqss]

@TheMantisTycoon I id saw same thing... oh how poor reconstruction!

[doubleutubefan5]

after looking carfully so did i! great eyes!

[MrCSXboy98]

@TheMantisTycoon LOL! thats a fail. xD

[Jemalacane]

@TheMantisTycoon You can hear the locomotive at 5:12.

[brucefetter]

@TheMantisTycoon Those fakers!!!! :) If you can't have a real reenactment, what's the point?

[ColumbiaAndHoodRiver]

@TheMantisTycoon of course, its not like they where REALLY gonna let boxcars go on a runaway?

XD jk, i saw that too, at first i thought they DID have 2 runaways, but then i began looking for the engine, and found it XD

[jasonmsmith2]

@TheMantisTycoon Um this is a reenactment of the actual events. You think a person is going to stop 2 runaway boxcars just to make a film? It's obviously dangerous since someone died as a result of the real event. Think about it.

[charlieb640]

Railroad companies do watch their loads. The amount of traffic handled safely in North America (US, Canada and Mexico) is amazing.

But ultimately it all boils down to people. And periodically the human element will fail. Whether it's a trucker or a pilot or a railroad conductor, mistakes will happen because humans make mistakes.

[Mitsugejl]

What are the odds for that happening. Cool cop though...

[pdennis93]

"you have the right to remain silent, why don't you excercise that right" translation "why don't you shut the hell up" LOL

[Thenews72]

@pdennis93 lol

[SexyHRM]

2:45-2:49..... weeeee

[RBuzbee]

How did they come lose??

[mongo5888]

Another ignorant person blaming the railroad. You have a lot to learn.

[jbreezy101]

i think that they should treat this like aviation... investigate, figure out how to prevent it (safety features and monitoring) and pay the victims

[GrimsClockwork]

man that cop is freaking Indian Jones! way to go dude

[roosevelthighschool]

I remember this show and I remember watching William Shatner. This was after his role on Star Trek and before his role on Boston Legal.

[trainman2816]

This is abviously an act of savatauge. If the cars broke away from a train they, as well as the train they broke away from, would've gone into emergency. Also the lights should've started flashing, because you don't need a locomotive to activate crossings.

[roundhouser]

Not necessarily. The air can bleed off of the cars, and when it does, you have no bakes.

[Boss302fan]

Hand brakes?

[charlieb640]

Not necessarily. That's only the case if the cars were charged with air in a train.

If the train was switching without air in sidings or on the main, the cars may not have been charged with air.

but yes, normally lights are going to flash once any railcar enters the circuit. There are definitely exceptions to this rule, but normally that's how crossings work

[Thenews72]

@charlieb640 Its usually depends on wieght. If those cars were empty, there would be defintly not enough weights to trigger the lights and gates.

[NSguy07]

Gates at crossings aren't activated by weight, railcars/locomotives wheels activing electrical circuit, that's why rusty rails can keep gates from activating properly.

[charlieb640]

LOL. WTF are you talking about. What depends on weight? The signal circuit on a railroad? You mean heavier cars conduct electricity better than empties?

An empty boxcar weighs around 30 tons. Are you saying the flow of an electrical current is not impacted by an object weighing 30 tons, but it is if the car weighs 130 tons?

[dickclarkfan1]

@Thenews72 That is true. But two empty runaway boxcars can do a LOT of damage. Add to the fact that the boxcars were heading downhill, the cars would have had tremendous energy built up by the time they hit the car. And accidents like this happen more than you think when trains are going up inclines.

[csxmansam]

@Thenews72 The Crossing Signals are not Triggerd by Wieght, It is a Curcit, The Wheels From the Train complete the Curcit that is in the Track therefor making the Signals Operate, But obvisy this signal had a Malfunction.

[master6473]

The way the cop got on the boxcar and stopping it just at the mouth of the bridge like that is something you only see in action movies.

[Plague413]

that cop was a BAMF

[vickiormindyb]

My dad found another relationship 9 months after my mom's death. My sister told me he said to her, "What am I supposed to do? Sit home and look at the walls?"

Her reply was "I don't give a hoot WHAT you do."

She insists she's not upset about it.

I was upset about it. It's not easy to get used to a new person being in my mom's former place.

[Railfan108]

THIS SHIT IS SO FAKE, PASUE THE VIDEO AT 3:20, and look carefully....... you will see 3 boxcars and an engine at the end, i bet you and i swear it is there!!!!!!!!

[cpDq231]

this was an re-enactment obviously.

[Jigsaw3477]

yeah its there, but how the heck do you think the recreation could be done safely?

[Bus7777]

To Railfan108:

Well duh! It's a reenactment.

[supreme0778]

@Railfan108 you are right i saw it too!!!!!

[JimboRailfan]

i hope the railroad who owned this line got in huge trouble they deserved fines, etc. nothing could replace or pay back what was lost... :(

[AndrewNeilFalconer]

That is a short line railroad, not a big time Class 1 railroad. They would not have the big pockets of the big railroads.

[Boss302fan]

They carry insurance to handle situations like this. Which shortline was it?

[kubotaman85]

This is why you should look both ways before going across a railroad crossing

[EmSTrO7x3]

I feel bad for the person that died in this video.

[mitch9521]

what are the odds...........so sad...

[12myoung]

touching, really scary to think about

[Dagger33]

This guy is the best cop ever.

Phenomenal recreation, too.

[vickiormindyb]

You said it was obvious that this segment is sped up in the syndicated version.

I can't see it. I mean it wasn't obvious to me.

[allgood2000]

If you watch closely on the intro when the Rescue 911 logo pops up, it pops up a lot faster than in a CBS version (like "Prison EMT's" from Episode 130). Also, it's somewhat apparent when the camera zooms in on Shatner, and when it fades from Shatner into the re-enactment. The segment is only compressed by about 40-50 seconds though, so it's not sped up that dramatically.

[Michelexo]

that police officer is a true hero <3

[ranaldo08]

I feel sorry for Geoges wife.

My aunt died on my moms birthday and now my uncle has his cousin for company

[styx4ever1963]

I wonder how often there are runaway box cars

[styx4ever1963]

Wow amazing this guy is a hero! God bless him!

[Naniloke]

That cop is a very brave, fast-thinking man.

[85520able]

I have watched Rescue 9-1-1 but certainly not something like this.

I feel for the gentleman who lost his wife.

the police officer he did everything he can

what scared me is as he was trying to climb on the train to disconnect there was a few times he could have gone under the train.

[1997olly]

I wonder where the boxcars originated from? I am guessing the boxcars were unattended and thier brakes were disengaged.

[rambojuliuscaesar]

OMG those poor poor people :( how awful.... poor old guy, "i didn't see it" how tragic....

[emilyremilyr]

wow that was sad

[GenesisSanctuary]

God, what a disaster.;( What I really want to know is this: How the hell did those two boxcars runaway in the first place!?

[DReifGalaxyM31]

Probably a big problem at a hump yard

[MINIONWCG77]

i love "a close shave"

[styx4ever1963]

I love rescue 911

[moemoe7575]

My alltime favorite episode

[CWC1994]

Pause at 3:20 you can see one more boxcar and a locomotive pushing the boxcars.

[suburbanator91]

yeah, cause that was for the re enactment

[JimboRailfan]

thats because it was probably like a reenactment.

[SassySweet24]

lmao at the cop handcuffing the criminal to the bumper

[SassySweet24]

Wow that was scary..I was only 1 1/2 when this happen.

[zwinkygirl2323]

oh my god im crying hestricly becuse of wat happend there its relly devestaitng and im gonna pray for the faimly

[Vook]

"She was a very good woman."

;_;

[numbr2luder]

MAN! i would watch these shows all the time!

Its a shame they quit... hell i'd still watch em if they were on today... even he old ones re-runs would be fine!

might even give 'ol william new publicity

[Nuno0614]

GOD bless that cop who made a miracle, I feel like crying just watching this video. If I ever come across that cop, I want to shake his hand for being so brave. I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.

[baxter22071990]

2:38 onwards is pure benny hill

[Rayster35]

the boxcars killed the wife because if your closer to the trains direction it will injure you instantly and hit you, plus boxcars are heavy which makes the train heavy so it kills people.

[jakesaintsrow123]

poor guy  that got hit sad that his wife died to he also had a nice car a 1982 dodge aries coupe!

[xXHobbesXx]

Wow. I would have no idea how to stop them...what a smart cop. We need more people like that in the world.

[4evainhispresence]

good job mr. copper but sad that she died

[colinroxanduknowit]

I am in no way saying that it was there fault because it definitely was not there fault what so ever, and he did make sure a train wasnt coming, but to all you people who think "i can beat it" at a train crossing DO NOT RISK IT, PLEASE especially if your not the only one in the car, way to often someone dies in this type of situation

[lbrendse]

the crossing signals should of fired due to the current on the track

[durangoandsilverton]

some are only actived by the horn, i think that one was a horn acctived

[SalocinTEN]

William Shatner was just so young!

[Kevin32001]

He is awesome though

[Chicagoman36]

ya he was i used to love watchin this show wish it was released on DVD

[metboy42]

sad that the wife died

[tookietookie123]

Screw trains... Though i live in a city with the ONE of the best rail systems...

[gregorkrause]

if this is the original broadcast of #119, why isn't the 1st segment, "that was my child" here?

[allgood2000]

I didn't upload that one.  Also, this is not the original broadcast, it's repeat from the Family Channel.

[Chicagoman36]

could not upload shows to computer in the late 80s to earlie 90s so of course it was not uploaded to the pc this was probably aired in 1991 but miss these shows

[EmSTrO7x3]

Did the 2 box car come upcoupled from the train

[jimmyluc]

yeah i think it got unattached by someone or by rust or something and then gained speed going down hill and yeah

[jaws12413]

i think they did

or a train pushed it to hard and rolled away out of the freight yard

[ororenz]

supercop!!!!!!!!!!

[hollyzone]

RIP Celine.

[gregorkrause]

i've read that ethel d. smith was one of the mothers of the child that died in the fire is that true and did a firefighter help her with the poem?

[Lyssenk0]

43 years? My God. And then married again? I wonder if they were having an affair.

[Lyssenk0]

Why are there two random box cars speeding down the rail road?

[SD457500]

Some one didn't put a hand brake on those boxcars when they got set out...not good....

[zoinko1]

That was fricken AMAZING what the cop did, I can't believe he was able to jump onto the boxcar

[mileyhannahluv56]

that is so sad

[earnhardtlivesE]

sad

[triezen007]

I smell a major lawsuit against the owner of the boxcars.

[kkg630]

the cm on the locomotive stands for centrail mishagan railroad

[adcomamps]

william shackner now plays on Boston legal TV show ...

[pizzalover85]

I think its so amazing how it stopped exactly before the bidge i bet it was a little farther from the bridge when it really happened. Also this is the first time I have seen an episode where someone dies

[odthead]

Where did the box cars come from ? From the top of the hill dummy !

[BrickstarRunner]

I don't want to nag, but always slow down at the crossing, train or no train. Its your life that you want to waste if you speed through a RR Crossing

[Kleman09]

Great show. Brave man too. I used to watch this show as a kid.

[betatalk357]

WHY didn't the lights become activated? Was just 2 box cars too light to trip the signal, as opposed to a mile-long freight train??

[LanceCampeau]

good quality re-enactment

[awolfpack343]

ware did the boxcars come from?

[simerpreet11]

the cop was so so so brave he almost fall when he was climbing the lader

[Nicole4ever74]

poor lady =\ i wondered how the boxcars got loose.

[RomanEmpeor]

How the hell they detached in the first place? Didn't the train crews check the couplers?

[jakesaintsrow123]

that car that got hit by the train was a 1981 dodge aries k

[3a6rooshuk]

wow that police officer is a hero

[austinc62]

Watch 1:44 - 2:05 and 2:18 - 2:24 those time frams show nobody on the passenger side total stunt recenactmen..

[MarkMck1994]

God Bless all those Heros out there and all who do their best to make it right.

God Bless Fire & Rescue

God Bless Police

God Bless Docs & Paramedics

[Bub5000]

Elderly citizens should not be allowed to drive.

[mmmfloorpie]

I wonder if the boxcar would have stopped if the State Trooper illuminated the "pull over!" shark fin on his hood...

[itzamejason]

I dont believe that could happen in todays world. Iam pretty sure that trains, like semis, have to get a supply of air to release the breaks, and if the gladhands on the cars arent hooked, or come unhooked, and the air pressure is lost, the emergenct breaks would employ.

[CODEMASTER4601]

brave man, did they identify were the boxcars come from.

[hardcoredeceit]

Thgat was ME !!!

NOT

[ITW84]

that cop is a hero and its very very sad that the wife lost her life

[cnrailfan]

That railroad is still around, so they did not sue, and it is still running stong I live near those tracks.