Trains.com

DISTRACTED RAILROADING

5401 views
32 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, May 20, 2016 9:48 PM

BaltACD
[snipped - PDN] . . . If Mr. Shanoes representation is to be considered factual - then we are discussing the happenings of 35 seconds.  The time when the train was under control and in compliance with rules and speed limits to when the emergency brakes were applied - either by Mr. Bastain or the train derailing. . . . 

As I just posted on the other thread about this incident, consider also:

An engineer's who's qualified on the territory is supposed to know its physical characteristics. 
 
In the 0.4 mi. before the curve to the left where the derailment occurred, there's a chain of mainline crossovers from left to right (in the train's direction) for Frankford Jct./ SHORE tower, where the derailment occurred.  And of course there are lots of signals for them, too.
 
Nothing else like that in the rest (0.7 mi.) of the 1.1 mi. tangent leading up to this left curve, after the preceding curve to the right.  Nor in the short tangent leading to the following curve to the right.  Nor in the following really long and fast tangent where he presumably thought he was, and thus OK to accelerate.
 
You could look it up on Google Earth, ACME Mapper, a track chart, or whatever else your favorite source of such info is.
 
- Paul North.
"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, May 21, 2016 3:51 PM

zugmann
tree68
We've got a system for ensuring that the engineer is awake and alert - in fact, it's called the alerter.

Laugh Laugh
"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, May 21, 2016 5:01 PM

tree68
 
zugmann

 

 
tree68
We've got a system for ensuring that the engineer is awake and alert - in fact, it's called the alerter.

I thought it was called coffee?

 

Well, there's that, too.  Although I know some folks who can drink a cup of coffee and head straight to bed...

 

I'm that way sometimes.  Hot coffee can sometimes make me sleepy. 

Jeff

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy