Im not concerned with aircraft. If you lost all power, you still have a bit of time before your eventual meeting up with the ground. All the day and night every day C130's fly at about 300 feet or so overhead. Sometimes there is a pilot who cuts the corner a bit trying to stay with the leader.
Did we have hoppers capable of side dumping? Im not sure but I thought I saw some that can do the job very well. (Not the difco ones, I might be thinking of those overseas)
I also was thinking if we replaced that dirt train with a fleet of dump trailer trucks and a few flatbeds with backhoes and blades showing up onto the jobsite. Might get the job done faster and cheaper than that used by the railroad.
I can't wait to see the anti-thread to this one titled "One step to failure".
seriously though, the safety authoritys might have a hard time finding fault here. If the operator and his crew followed a few simple safety precautions and pre-operation checks then there is little danger.
Is the train braked and blocked?
All systems and equipment on the back hoe inspected and in fine operating order?
has the ground itself been checked to be sure there are no soft spots?
To me, although outside my personal realm to attempt myself, what that operator is doing is safer than hoping that the several hundred ton airliner stays in the sky while it flys over my head. The same as those that enjoy jumping from a perfectly good airplane....and assume that their parachute will open everytime. This guy only has a 12-18 foot drop to endure, not a drop of 10,000 feet.
reklein wrote:Thats nuthin new. I saw that in a heavy equipment magazine about ten yrs or so ago. If the horsepower and hydraulics are up to it should be no problem. You'll also see that the machine has been modified to do that trick.
I see the clips or brackets on the bucket and midpoint of the frame. Are those the mods you are referring to?
What I don't understand is how it moved forward from pictures 5 to picture 6. Did he use the backhoe to push himself forward, sliding on those brackets?
George V.
Sheesh, a Equiptment Operator shows talent and carries around some.. well.. Clankers and everyone wants to run for the Safety Office and file.
The safe way to do it will be to build a ramp or some kind but time consuming, expensive and delays the work unnecessairly.
Find a safe solution that doesnt cost anyone money, THEN we will see happy people. Until then we make do. And if it flips? Oh well.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
Now that operator sure has some guts doing those moves!
Getting down must be the same moves in reverse, but quite scary I bet!
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
Well, the hydralics is the heart of the machine.
Ive taken a 4x4 CAT 936 front end loader and balanced it just so that it literally stands on the rear bumper when shaving the rockpile at the ready mix plant. The problem is you have to meet gravity at right angles from front to rear with no lean or pull or you will break the hydralics or flip the machine down to the side and break it (Or maybe crush you to maim or gorekill.... It takes my total concentration and I cannot be distracted while doing this back then. When you have three or four 18 wheel dump trailers bringing in rock you need to make room for them to unload.
Ive seen the Ballast Trains with the backhoe inside one of the hoppers. These are in the green hoppers on the UP out of N Little Rock. I think I see them once a week or so in the morning.
With a good strong hydralic pump and no leaks/weakness anywhere in the vehicle's systems you literally have the muscle to do things you can invent in your head with the machine simply a part of you.
Mentally you became the tractor. You think dig here and it's dug.
Driver is not that bright! But, sure has some brass ones! Sure hope they have AFFlack, there duck would dritty it self if it saw that!
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
"Rust, whats not to love?"
there is a fine line between bravery and foolishness. on the side of safety, that was foolish but on the admiration of skill, i have to pay respect, but where are the pics of the exit?
also as a union man i have to wonder why that man allowed hisself to be put in the position of doing such a dumb thing just so the company can save a buck? I know railroads are all about profit but that seems to go to far
My vote is for including that on every driving license exam. Alternatively as a way of determining if people are drunk when stopped by the police.
Magnus
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.