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Vehicles
Dump Truck—The dump truck, a 1969 GMC Model 7500, was owned and operated by the Crown-Trygg Construction Company of Joliet, Illinois. It was equipped with a 9-Cubic-yard Heil dump body and was 21 feet 8 inches long. The trucking operation of the company was intrastate; therefore, it was not Subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
The vehicle was carrying a 28,800—pound load of bituminous concrete (asphalt). Its gross vehicle weight at the time of the accident was 45,100 pounds—100 pounds over the weight limit allowed by Illinois law. The manufacturer's rated gross vehicle weight for the truck was 37,000 pounds.
The truck was a conventional, cab—behind—engine type with three axles. The tandem rear axles were equipped with dual tires and all three axles were equipped with hydraulic brakes with Hydrovac power-assist.
The cab of the vehicle was equipped with a radio and a heater. Rearview mirrors were mounted outside and were attached to a Pillar on both sides of the cab forward of the door window.
Turbotrain—The train was owned and operated by Amtrak and was manned by ICG crews over ICG track. The train's consist was a lead power car, two coach cars, one coach—grill car, and another power car. Both power cars had coach seating in their rear sections.
The lead power car had a gas-turbine engine, an operating range of 745 miles, a maximum speed capability of 125 mph, and an air-operated braking system. The engineer's console was in the right section of the cab and visibility from the cab was adequate.
The power car was equipped with three air horns and three bell chimes. Four white, sealed—beam headlights were attached to the front of the lead power car below the windshield and a red light, bordered by two white lights, was attached in the center above the windshield. The train was painted white, red, and blue and was designed and manufactured in France.
The coupler on the turbotrain was the standard type used on European and British railroad cars. (See Figure 3.) In the United States, this type of coupler is found only on the French turbotrains. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) had issued an exemption to Amtrak to allow the use of these couplers. Turbotrains currently under manufacture for use in the United States will be equipped with conventional H-type couplers.
