Choo Choo Stalled Firefighters From Saving Victim!

The Lockland Split.

You can't fix stupid.

I love watching trains. I enjoy looking at freight and passenger trains pass through.

The only thing I enjoy about trains is not being close to it and respecting the rail.

Throwing objects from bridges onto tracks, tampering with switches or signals, tagging rail cars, hitchhiking (hobo), trying to beat the train, walking on abandoned tracks, walking on tressels, tampering with railroad equipment and riding a train on the outside will be considered extremely dangerous.

Again, if you want to be a thrill seeker, get life insurance.

The train does not stop on a dime. It takes about 1½ -2 miles to make a complete stop.

Why risk your life, your freedom and your wallet to mess with a train?

The controversial rail company once again becomes a burden on Ohio.

The Lockland, Ohio Police are very angry. They are calling for accountability after a train delayed a the fire fighters from saving a woman trapped in a fire. The train was stopped at five crossings.

This has been an issue that has been ongoing for decades.

Lockland is an inner suburb of Cincinnati. It is 12 miles from downtown. 

This has been a major issue for residents. The freight trains that CSX and Norfolk Southern stop at crossings and do not move. It puts emergency vehicles, travelers and people at nearby businesses at risk.

An elderly woman died after a house fire on Sunday morning after a train delayed firefighters trying to reach her home.

Firefighters were dispatched to a home on Patterson Avenue in Lockland just after 9:30 a.m., according to our news partners WCPO.

A stopped Norfolk Southern train blocked railroad crossings, delaying the Lockland crew’s response, Lockland Fire Chief Doug Wehmeyer said.

Because of the delay, a fire unit from Reading arrived on the scene first.

Firefighters found smoke coming from the home. Crews forced opened the front door of the home, where they found holes in the floor.

An elderly woman was found in a bedroom and was transported to a local hospital, where she later died, said Wehmeyer.

Wehmeyer said the train, identified as a Norfolk Southern train, delayed Lockland firefighters seven minutes, when it normally takes crews 30 seconds to reach the address.

He said that one of his off-duty firefighters saw the train sitting on the tracks at 8 a.m., and it was still there an hour and a half later.

“Why a train is allowed to block critical crossings in communities, affecting life safety, is beyond me,” Wehmeyer said.

He said that blocked railroad crossings are putting the community at risk and have been an ongoing problem.

Wehmeyer has tried working with Norfolk Southern to find a solution, but he believes that federal legislation is needed to prevent trains from blocking critical routes used by emergency responders.

WCPO reached out to Norfolk Southern, which responded with the following statement:

We are looking into this incident and are in communication with officials in Lockland.

• We recognize residents’ concerns, particularly regarding access for emergency responders.

• Norfolk Southern makes every effort to avoid affecting communities with a stopped train. Our goal is to keep our trains moving safely across our entire 19,200-mile network.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The most obvious solution is building a overpass or underpass. Hoewever, the right of way, the costs and the delays of traffic for a new bridge. The river, Interstate 75 and the necessity of travel will be addressed.