http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/18/Hillsborough/Amtrak__Two_days__two.shtml
Here, let's make this link active.
I remember this. Not too far from where I live. Saddening that after all these decades many people still don't appreciate the dangers posed by trains, which ironically, are the easiest moving vehicles to avoid getting hit by.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
If people can't be bothered to wait for red lights anymore, why would they stop for 30 seconds to wait for a train?
Unfortunatly there are ALOT of intellectualy retarded people out there, not mentally disfunctional, they just dont bother to think anymore. To them the whole world is one big "Grand Theft Auto" game.
Have fun with your trains
vsmith wrote:If people can't be bothered to wait for red lights anymore, why would they stop for 30 seconds to wait for a train?Unfortunatly there are ALOT of intellectualy retarded people out there, not mentally disfunctional, they just dont bother to think anymore. To them the whole world is one big "Grand Theft Auto" game.
cprted wrote: vsmith wrote: If people can't be bothered to wait for red lights anymore, why would they stop for 30 seconds to wait for a train?Unfortunatly there are ALOT of intellectualy retarded people out there, not mentally disfunctional, they just dont bother to think anymore. To them the whole world is one big "Grand Theft Auto" game.You've missed the point. It was entirely clear to me that the P42s on the point were obviously the cause of these collisions. Had Amtrak stuck with the F40s, tragedy would have surely been avoided! PS-To anyone who needs to calibrate their sarcasm detectors, that was it!
vsmith wrote: If people can't be bothered to wait for red lights anymore, why would they stop for 30 seconds to wait for a train?Unfortunatly there are ALOT of intellectualy retarded people out there, not mentally disfunctional, they just dont bother to think anymore. To them the whole world is one big "Grand Theft Auto" game.
Is that Sarcasm, or maybe it should be Sar-chasm: the gulf between the writer of ironic wit, and the reader who doesn't get it
I got your point actually, I think, an F-40 would have been much more likely to have stayed on the track, even if it was a Cabbage unit. The folks in the cars would still be knocking on the Pearly Gates, but the passengers wouldnt have been injured.
vsmith wrote:Is that Sarcasm, or maybe it should be Sar-chasm: the gulf between the writer of ironic wit, and the reader who doesn't get it I got your point actually, I think, an F-40 would have been much more likely to have stayed on the track, even if it was a Cabbage unit. The folks in the cars would still be knocking on the Pearly Gates, but the passengers wouldnt have been injured.
I was actually using your post to take a pot-shot at Ham's unhealthy obsession with F40s. Through this thread and the multitude of others on this board and rr-forums, Ham waxes on ad nausea about why the F40 are better in every respect, including safety, after which he will post a picture of a derailed P42 as self evident de facto proof of his point. Because we all know of course, an F40 is derail proof!
CPRTed,
I do sort of understand's Ham's obsession. Back in the 70s as a teen, I was upset by Amtrak's diesel power change. I bicycled frequently, after school, to Tampa Union Station. It was also a crew change point. I enjoyed seeing those huge, hulking SDP40s gliding in with 15 car Silver series trains. I'll never forget the day I saw my first F40 as it stood ready with the Silver Star. I went up to the unit, looked it over and thought: "What is this short, box-shaped looking contraption?! This is what's replacing my giants?"
Of course I knew about the SDP40fs derailment situations but rationalized that the derailments were only on specific curves and when the units were coupled back to back with a light weight baggage car coupled on. No derailments occured when the SDP's were run elephant style at normal speed. I had befriended the Silver Meteor's engineer "Randall". He actually preferred the SDP40fs over the F40PHs. He liked the ease of which just one unit could pulll a long train at speed.
But I had to accept that the F40 was the new "king of the road". Yet, in time they grew on me. In school I also learned how business economics, marketing, (and politics) work in transportation.
Years later, I was sorry to see the F40s go, but knew they ran their course and it was time for more efficient power. The P42s will soldier on for a while. Eventually something new will replace them.
On another note, nobody has mentioned commuter roads buying the P32's and P40's. Actually, AMT (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) has supposably expressed interest in the P32's. They will be needed to replace some stuff, including GP9's, and to be used on a brand new 160 car Bombardier order.
Alex
Railfan Alex wrote: On another note, nobody has mentioned commuter roads buying the P32's and P40's. Actually, AMT (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) has supposably expressed interest in the P32's. They will be needed to replace some stuff, including GP9's, and to be used on a brand new 160 car Bombardier order.
Interesting point, Alex
Makes good sense, especially considering that GE is still producing parts for Dash 8/9 series units. I hope those GP9s will be saved and not scrapped.
-Ham waxes on ad nausea about why the F40 are better in every respect
Uh No F40PHs had a crappy fule tank set up (although CSX fixed this when they got there F40's)
-Because we all know of course, an F40 is derail proof!
Again no but it ushelly takes more than a little tow truck to send one on the ground. And when they do derail they hold up better then P42s.
- F40s fuel tanks ruptured and resulted in fires while the lead P40, with the newly designed safety tank, did not.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HZWpeU55J3E
http://youtube.com/watch?v=imrUYlEtLcs&feature=related
I have yet to meat an Amtrak hog who likes P42s
Consider that EMD isn't even marketing any passenger models currently (not sure about GE) and I don't think that MPI will even build an F40 clone anymore. The MPXpress line is designed to meet FRA and APTA collision standards, which can't be said about an F40PH.
I would also think that the originator of this thread should spend some time reading the various NTSB accident reports before coming to any conclusions regarding the relative safety of various locomotives.
Don't forget Bombardier and Siemens as they've been developing and improving passenger equipment. Last check, they've been pushing lighter weight long distance type passenger cars that can be hauled by very fuel efficient diesels. Issues in the past were U.S safety crash standards, but construction methods have improved. Looks like we're inching closer to seeing more Europeon styled Amtrak trains.
Hard to believe, but it's possible that in the future we may not see EMD or even GE locomotives as Amtrak's primary racehorse. I can't be skeptical about that anymore.
Reminds me of back in the 70s when I was a teen. If someone would have told me (a GM sports car nut) that Toyota and Datsun (now Nissan) would dominate the American car market, I would have laughed at them. Now all I own are Toyotas.