Comments on: Firefighters Battle Train Engine Fire Near State Line

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 13:25:32 +0000

If it was a undercover cop for all of the mentioned reasons then why was he rushing to a train fire-just wondering???? Not so undercover anymore????

By: flguy

flguy — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 02:15:01 +0000

There are many unmarked police vehicles that use standard tags, kind of hard to blend in with govt tags. very well could of been a CSX police officer also

By: SHO-NUFF

SHO-NUFF — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 01:30:03 +0000

@ WarEagle 007

“The tag on this truck was an ordinary citizen’s tag, not a state or county tag. I’m curious because if a vehicle of that description attempted to pull me over for a traffic stop, I would not stop!”

Nor would you be expected to.
Escambia County Sheriffs departments, both Florida and Alabama, have several unmarked cars and trucks, with plates from various States so they blend in.
These vehicles are almost exclusively driven by investigators or undercover officers that work drug enforcement. They are equipped with hidden Blue lights and Sirens so they can quickly respond to an emergency or back up an Officer requesting assistance. They don’t work traffic, and it would be rare for one to stop you unless you were doing something to cause great danger to others.

You don’t have to stop for an unmarked car if you feel unsafe or unsure if the person is actually legit. Continue to drive at a safe speed to a public parking lot at a busy store and request the unmarked to call a uniformed officer with a marked cruiser.

The Highway Patrol is running unmarked cars with regular plates also.

By: SHO-NUFF

SHO-NUFF — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 01:07:46 +0000

@ Walnut Hill Roy,
The oil seal in the turbo failed allowing oil to be sucked into the engine acting as fuel. The engine then runs away and cannot effectively be controlled or shut down. Considering most Locomotive engines hold around 400 gallons of oil, it can continue to run for quite sometime. The exhaust temps increase due to the uncontrolled amount of oil being burned. Trains are equipped with large CO2 fire extinguisher systems that discharge into the engines intake in this event, but not always effective.

By: 911

911 — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 20:54:57 +0000

You all should not worry about what police and fire fighters are doing with there lights on. They are going to a call to save or assist someone that called 911. If you were the person calling 911 for help you would want them to come save you as fast as they could and you would not be worried about who has red or blue lights or how fast they were going when your life is on the line. Just saying

By: Roll Tide

Roll Tide — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 15:53:17 +0000

@WarEae007 “The truck had blue lights everywhere on the inside and they were on. This vehicle, traveling at a dangerous rate of speed” “are firemen allowed to use blue lights now instead of red lights when traveling to fires?” No fireman in Alabama can not use Blue lights, it is even illegal in Alabama for they to use red lights in a personal vehicle.

That truck you saw was with the Escambia County Alabama Sheriffs Dept. As far as the tag I’ve even seen them use a out of state tag!!! And I thought they were to uphold the law, not break the Law!!! How can that be legal???

By: Walnut Hill Roy

Walnut Hill Roy — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 14:03:44 +0000

I thank sho-nuff for the explanation, I was wondering what could have caused the diesel fire. Doesn’t the engineer have a gauge for exhaust temperature or a warning light? Pulling a high load, especially uphill will normally cause the exhaust temperature to rise

By: WarEagle007

WarEagle007 — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 10:47:01 +0000

I was on my way home from Brewton when a private citizens truck flew up behind me and passed while I was heading south on highway 31. The truck had blue lights everywhere on the inside and they were on. This vehicle, traveling at a dangerous rate of speed, turned left onto Welka road. My question is this; are firemen allowed to use blue lights now instead of red lights when traveling to fires? The tag on this truck was an ordinary citizen’s tag, not a state or county tag. I’m curious because if a vehicle of that description attempted to pull me over for a traffic stop, I would not stop!

By: SHO-NUFF

SHO-NUFF — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 07:15:05 +0000

Not really as bad as it looks…

Turbocharger failure, where the engine lubricating oil becomes the fuel source and the engine either consumes all the oil or seizes. A lot of smoke, then flames after the exhaust temperatures exceed the flash point of the engine oil and ignites.
Harmless and contained other than soot from the exhaust possibly setting the woods on fire.