If you were about to be run over by a train and lay down between the tracks, would you survive or be killed?

Answer 1

Hi,

You Would deffinatly be killed !!!!

There is so much stuff under modern trains, that there is very very little clearance under the train .

There is a thing called TPWS (train protection warning system) which picks up signals from beacons in the track so the train knows if it has gone through a red signal and makes the breaks come on.

The transponder for this is only 50 mm or so abouve the level of the the tracks , and its right in the middle at with one under each cab, the mointing bracket is about a foot across.

So unless you can get under a 4 inch high limbo stick you havent got a hope.

Engines, gearboxes, air tanks and lot and lots of other stuff all hangs very low, only inches away from the balast.

The turbulence under the train is enough to lift a body up from the track and spread it under the train.

I work on rolling stock, I have found bits of people stuck in the underframes of trains.

Trains are BIG trains are HEAVY, it really hurts if they hit you.

EVEN at walking pace , a train WILL kill you if it hits you

Imagine being hit a gentle tap, with a 300 tonne sledge hammer.

Stay off railway lines, there are places on the rail network where if you are on the track, you will NEVER have enough time to get out of the way of an aproching train, track workers have to get some sections of lines closed to all trains before it is safe to work there.

If you are working on the track side you need to be AT LEAST 3 meters away when a high speed train passes , even then you need to hold onto somthing as it goes by, because trains are so long the turbulence down the sides of then gets very strong.

So if you are 'about to be run over by a train' you already have been

STAY AWAY FROM RAILWAY TRACKS

Answer 2

Back in the eighties it was a common but stupid hobby of some children to lie between the rails as coal trains passed over them. This is a totally balmy idea, there is so much equipment hanging from the underside of a train that the chances of you not getting hooked up on something are very slim. I've worked on the railway for 7 years (as a fitter and then a driver) and have had to crawl under many a train to deal with defects and I can tell you it's bad enough when they are stationary, never mind if they are moving. Going back to the original question. If you were about to be run over, stepping back to a position of safety would be the best idea as by the time you had lay down the train would of probably hit you and turned you into some kind of lumpy pink mist.

Answer 3

It really depends on the train (and possibly your size). Most trains have alsorts hanging underneath that would most likely tear the average person apart like hot knives through butter.
If you do a PTS course (Personal Track Safety) in the UK (e.g. if you were someone who needed to work on the railway), you would be told that between the two rails of one track (called the 4-foot in the UK) is NOT the place to lie. If you were REALLY caught short for some reason, you should lay flat down BESIDE the rail (but not too close), normally the gap between to tracks (in the UK, this is referred to as the 6-foot).
Note that "4-foot" and "6-foot" are approximate distances, and are just the terms used by the UK Rail Industry.

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Answer 5

That depends upon three factors. A.) The Locomotive B.) The carriges behind it and C.) Which position you lay.
If the Locomotive is a diesil or electric, I'd say you'd have a slim chance, because there is equipment underneath that takes up a lot of space, however it has been done. Steam locomotives have a higher rate of survival because there are only axles and a firebox underneath( not to mention valve gears and other equipment) and they do not not extend as far.
Freight cars usually have a better rate than passenger coaches, because they (usually) do not have large, bulky equipment such as coaches do.

Answer 6

If no other option is available, strictly as the only chance for survival, if you're caught on a bridge, for example, it is a good idea. It has worked in the past.

On US railroads, clearance above the top of the rail is supposed to be 4", for air hoses, pilots, snow plows, foot boards, etc. If you are skinny, you will probably get away with it, as long as nothing is below this level, such as low hoses, dragging equipment, etc.

The best idea is to not put yourself in a position where this last ditch effort is needed. Only you can can prevent this necessity. Stay off the tracks and live a while longer. It is just that simple.

Answer 7

You may end up with just a fractured skull, like the kid that lay down between the rails here - early this spring.
Understand the clearance beneath the traction motors is just a matter of inches. maybe 4 at best . Most likely you would not survive.

Answer 8

Best advice would be to stay off the tracks.... You can be charged with trespassing if the railroad police chose too... But if through some unforeseen circumstances you find yourself in this predicament... lay on your stomach with your arms along your sides, feet turned out and your head turned to one side.. lay as flat as possible... If nothing is dragging your should have about 10 inches of clearance from the lowest point of the train to the highest cross tie.... but again the best advice is stay clear of tracks....

Answer 9

If you are between the tracks, you should survive. However, best not to try it eh?

Answer 10

It has been done, but not by me.

People who have done it and stayed down until the train had passed or stopped survived.