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Texas
Related: About this forumA Truck Carrying A Turbine Blade Didn't Quite Make The Train Crossing In Texas
A Truck Carrying A Turbine Blade Didn't Quite Make The Train Crossing In Texas
The train was more or less OK, but the truck and its cargo were not.
ByJosé Rodríguez Jr.
Today 12:37PM
A train collided with a wind turbine blade on Sunday afternoon in South Texas, after the truck carrying the turbine blade failed to clear the tracks on time at a railroad crossing. Local news, KXAN, reports there were no serious injuries in the collision. That turbine blade doesnt look like its going to make it, though. And the truck didnt fare well, either. The train did sustain some damage and some of its crew members were taken to the hospital, per KEYE news.
The accident happened in Luling, Texas, which is about 58 miles east of San Antonio. According to the NEWS4SA, the intersection is the first exit to Luling off of U.S. 183, and locals know it as a dangerous crossing. That same report says that the truck was one of a few tractor trailers carrying the same cargo earlier in the day. Here is one view of the crash, from Double Spur Ranch on YT:
KXAN claims the railroad crossing arms were not down when the truck attempted to cross the tracks. That turbine blade is not exactly an easy payload to transport and any turns would be difficult to negotiate with that thing. A turn that involves a train crossing is just another level of NOPE if theres any uncertainty. The same report has an alternate angle of the accident, recorded from an adjacent gas station.
Wind turbine blades are more or less a common sight on Texas highways because theres a lot of wind farms here. The Lone Star State is a (mostly) flat and massive expanse of land, well suited for this particular renewable energy source.
{snip}
The train was more or less OK, but the truck and its cargo were not.
ByJosé Rodríguez Jr.
Today 12:37PM
A train collided with a wind turbine blade on Sunday afternoon in South Texas, after the truck carrying the turbine blade failed to clear the tracks on time at a railroad crossing. Local news, KXAN, reports there were no serious injuries in the collision. That turbine blade doesnt look like its going to make it, though. And the truck didnt fare well, either. The train did sustain some damage and some of its crew members were taken to the hospital, per KEYE news.
The accident happened in Luling, Texas, which is about 58 miles east of San Antonio. According to the NEWS4SA, the intersection is the first exit to Luling off of U.S. 183, and locals know it as a dangerous crossing. That same report says that the truck was one of a few tractor trailers carrying the same cargo earlier in the day. Here is one view of the crash, from Double Spur Ranch on YT:
KXAN claims the railroad crossing arms were not down when the truck attempted to cross the tracks. That turbine blade is not exactly an easy payload to transport and any turns would be difficult to negotiate with that thing. A turn that involves a train crossing is just another level of NOPE if theres any uncertainty. The same report has an alternate angle of the accident, recorded from an adjacent gas station.
Wind turbine blades are more or less a common sight on Texas highways because theres a lot of wind farms here. The Lone Star State is a (mostly) flat and massive expanse of land, well suited for this particular renewable energy source.
{snip}
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A Truck Carrying A Turbine Blade Didn't Quite Make The Train Crossing In Texas (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Aug 2021
OP
Hard to tell whether the crossing arm was down or not since the truck took it out first
royable
Aug 2021
#1
I know precisely where that intersection is since I use to travel through that area for about 15
TexasTowelie
Aug 2021
#3
royable
(1,263 posts)1. Hard to tell whether the crossing arm was down or not since the truck took it out first
by turning too sharply.
What a colossal waste of resources. I hope the train crew are OK.
rickyhall
(4,889 posts)2. Too close to his leader, etc.
TexasTowelie
(111,300 posts)3. I know precisely where that intersection is since I use to travel through that area for about 15
years. The area between the traffic signal behind it and the train tracks is only about a half-block. I've seen that intersection become congested with normal traffic so when a large rig or a train comes through it can cause problems.
The problem could have been avoided by taking I-10 off of US 183 and going down a few miles to get on SH-80. The truck would then have gone straight through the intersection pictured rather than trying to make the turn.
cloudbase
(5,486 posts)4. That'll break up your afternoon.