Dear ???

Yep, a quick search here on-fora for "street running" should give lots of examples, as does checking out other fora...

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/55031-street-running-i...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Yes Prof,

Those are nice photos of street running. I too modeled street running on my O scale layout. I am really fascinated by it. It was just different that on this video it actually runs on the side walk instead of the road. That's what caught my attention.

Thanks for sharing the links .

about the video is how many cars continue to zip by when the train is only meters from the road.  Sure, the train is barely moving, but still.  You hear quite regularly about vehicles getting hit by trains at crossings and you can see why.  I did enjoy the video, though.

Yes drivers are crazy. Talking about cars crossing on front of the trains, here in South Florida the Florida East Coast RR has more than 390 street crossings between West Palm Beach and Miami. They are always concerned about drivers trying to beat the train. Then the funny thing is that one of the drivers in the news was trying to sue the railroad for hitting his car. Like if the train left the track and follow him down the street. The driiver did not go too far with the suing.

We had one down here in Bossier City, LA that hit the train.  The long train was already many cars across the entrance to the neighborhood.  Yet, someone heading out of the neighborhood hit a train car, T-Boned it, in motion, got hung up in it.  Then was dragged off the street and then between the concrete pillars holding the flashing RR crossing lights, which then reduced the vehicle even further as it was squeezed between the train and concrete.  When the vehicle came out the other side it was spit out into a drainage ditch.  The driver said, "I never saw the train passing by in front of me."

Den

Den, I'm sure I've read at least a couple other stories like that.  On the bald prairie where it would seem nearly impossible to miss a train going in front of you.  I suspect in the one I specifically remember the driver fell asleep.

Broad daylight...

From http://www.cjob.com/2014/04/09/car-smashes-into-train-in-southdale/

April 9, 2014 (Winnipeg)

Two people were taken to hospital after a vehicle train collision in Southdale.

A woman was in unstable condition and another person was stable. Police report the woman’s condition has been upgraded to stable.

The collision happened on Beaverhill Boulevard near Bishop Grandin boulevard, around 11:30 Wednesday morning.

Traffic  was blocked for a couple of hours as a result.

Part of the vehicle was lodged underneath the train car.  An investigation is continuing.

And EVEN RAILROAD EMPLOYEES...

From http://www.cjob.com/2014/02/09/van-train-collide-in-symington-yard/

February 09, 2014 (Winnipeg)

Two people are in hospital and several others are with minor injuries following a crash between a van and a train Sunday morning.

Emily Hamer with CN Rail says the van was carrying eight people when it collided with a CN train inside Symington Yard at around 7:15.

The driver and a passenger were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A later update to this story indicated that the people in the van were all CN Staff.

There used to be quite a few examples of street running in Southern Ontario, though none ever involved any mainlines that I'm aware of.  I haven't been down to Brantford in a while, so I didn't know this spur was still in service.  Brantford was always an interesting railroad town.

There seems to be more and more of that since phones became portable. One phenomena that used to be the normal explanation for such behavior was highway hypnosis. This effect caused some drivers to fall into a trance like state while driving. It was caused by the regularity of items spaced along the roadway. Lines, utility poles, guardrail posts, intersections, etc.

The prevailing cause now seems to be driver impairment or distraction. I see this stuff all the time, one of the first signs is an individual driving under the speed limit typically 10 to 15 miles per hour and in the fast lane next to another vehicle essentially becoming a rolling traffic obstruction. I won't go into my opinions regarding the slack jawed mouth breathers that do this as this is a family site, but I consider them lower than congressmen and senators and thats' going some.

One thing I found rather bothersome regarding the video were the times the train was a long way off and the person doing the filming apparently sat in traffic obstructing the street. This was apparent to me as vehicles came from behind in the same direction of travel and then once around his vehicle reentered his lane of travel continuing in the same direction. At the very least this is very rude and inconsiderate to the rest of the folks that have some place to go and something to do. At worst it could cause an accident. Had I come upon someone doing that in my years as a police officer he would have been ticketed. Had he continued that behavior he would have been arrested.

Rob in Texas

One thing I found rather bothersome regarding the video were the times the train was a long way off and the person doing the filming apparently sat in traffic obstructing the street. 

Actually, I'm familiar with the place in the first sequence.  Clarence St curves off to the left in the foreground there, so the vehicles you see signalling are just turning right from the right lane.  The right lane ends at the intersection in the foreground, and the train tracks run down the center of three lanes around the curve, gradually heading off onto the boulevard again.  The videographer was standing on the boulevard to film this.

But I do agree, anyone wasting the road for any unwarranted reason needs a ticket.