#operationlifesaver

Semaphores’ Last Stand (1 of 3)

This is a westbound Amtrak Southwest Chief ripping through Levy, New Mexico, at the 79 MPH limit. These three signals are some of the last semaphores (eleven, that I know of) still operating in the United States.

We’re on the original line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in northeast New Mexico. The reason these ancient signals are still here is due to the Belen Cutoff of the early 19th century. It became the preferred route for nearly all of the traffic on the Santa Fe and successor BNSF. The only train operating on the line currently (beside work trains for maintenance) is this one (each way per day), and so the railroad has been slow to put money into replacements.

However—the semaphores have been coming down incrementally over the last couple of years. This has caused the signals to be some of the most photographed railroad subjects in recent memory (with UP 4014 being the most in my estimation).

As chance would have it, the locomotive here is a special one: painted up for Operation Lifesaver. It encourages people to be very careful and alert around road crossings where a speeding train can do immense damage to one’s automobile, life, and limb. “See tracks, think train.” The wonderful geological feature in the going away shot is Wagon Mound which was a prominent landmark for pioneers traveling on the Santa Fe Train prior to the coming of the railroad.

See also: https://oli.org/about-us

       About Us                                              

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) is a non-profit organization and nationally-recognized leader of rail safety education.  Since 1972, OLI remains committed to preventing collisions, injuries and fatalities on and around railroad tracks and highway-rail grade crossings, with the support of public education programs in states across the U.S.

Our History

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See also: Selfie Tragedy Forever Impacts Those Left Behind https://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/selfie-tragedy-12-7-2016.htm

“Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster, both 15, and Kelsea’s little sister, Savannah, waved at a westbound train crew and squeezed in for a selfie as it rolled through Utah’s scenic Spanish Fork Canyon October 2011.

"Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!" posted Savannah on Facebook as the train's steel wheels banged along the track's steel rail.

The excitement in the trio's eyes matched their big smiles as the train fanned their blonde hair in the wind while they posed for the selfie—completely unaware of the approaching train coming from the other direction. The train's headlights were visible on the top right side of the photo.

"They were in their own little world," recalled John Anderson, train conductor inside the eastbound Union Pacific train locomotive. Engineer Michael Anderson, no relation to John, blasted the train horn to get the girls' attention. No response. Not even a flinch.

...

Life was never the same again. Not for the parents who buried three girls with big smiles and bright futures. And not for the men who silently mourned the same children.

The crew's railroad family welcomed the men when they returned to work. Co-workers were supportive and stressed the accident was not their fault. John found comfort in talking to co-workers, which slowly released the accident's strong grip inside him. Michael did not talk about the accident, and his fellow railroaders respected his space. The locomotive engineer recently became a peer support volunteer to help train crews who experience traumatic incidents.

Asked what he'd say to teens thinking about taking selfies or any photo near railroad tracks, Michael responded, "I'd tell them to stay away from such a dangerous area. Think about the pain it would inflict on their families if things went wrong. It also hurts the train crew, the first responders and the many people who love you."

“No one should have to go through this and I hope people will seriously think about the campaign’s rail safety message and share it with their loved ones.”

Jayna Webster”

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See also: 1 man dead, woman in critical condition after Amtrak train hits truck in Kenner BY MICHELLE HUNTER | Staff writer   Published Nov 12, 2019 at 4:09 pm

“The truck's driver pulled around the railroad crossing gates, and the vehicle was hit by the train, Cunningham said.“