Curiosity catches the train

DECATUR -- Recent fervor over the number of times passing Kansas City Southern freight trains blow their whistles at night has sparked an interest in the speeds they maintain as they transit through Decatur.

In 1970, the Decatur city council passed Ordinance 23 which established a 20 mile an hour speed limit on all Kansas City Southern trains passing through the city. The KCS posted speed limit on either end of the city for all trains is 30 miles per hour.

This sparked curiosity in Chief Joe Savage. He set up his radar to check the speeds of trains transiting Decatur on Dec. 7 and 8. Keep in mind that trains traveling south have a grade to climb as they enter Decatur from the north and are usually fully loaded. Trains northbound go down the grade and are usually empty and can travel faster.

Here is Savage's list of speeds and the dates:

12-07-19

Train 1- 12 mph

Train 2- 12 mph

Train 3- 10 mph

Train 4- 11 mph

Train 5- 8 mph

Train 6- 13 mph

Train 7- 9 mph

12-08-19

Train 1- 13 mph

Train 2- 10 mph

Train 3- 10 mph

Train 4- 10 mph

Train 5- 25 mph

It is interesting to note that trains traveling at slow speeds still take at least 500 feet or more to stop, depending on the cargo they carry and the number of rail cars each is pulling.

So it is important for motorists to remember three simple rules that Operation Lifesaver, a group dedicated to saving lives at railroad crossings, conveys to school children and adults alike when approaching a crossing:

STOP at all railroad crossings;

LOOK to see if a train is near;

LISTEN for the train whistle.

Obeying these simple rules may save your life.