Not a lot of details yet, but the local news is reporting that a conductor fell to her death on the Royal Gorge Scenic RR.
http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Woman-falls-off-Royal-Gorge-scenic-train-and-dies-381226471.html
Reportedly only about 4 miles from the terminal on the return trip. What would a conductor be doing at that point - getting doors open for quick deboarding?
Thechief66 Not a lot of details yet, but the local news is reporting that a conductor fell to her death on the Royal Gorge Scenic RR. http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Woman-falls-off-Royal-Gorge-scenic-train-and-dies-381226471.html
Activated link.
This will take a while. FWIW, local Denver media is reporting one truck of one of the cars derailed and they were shoving back into town, conductor on the point.. Not sure I buy that, but this will shine a light on an issue that has concerned some of us for a long while.
Now they are reporting that she fell from the train and was run over during a backup move. Where would a person be standing during such a move? I understand that this backup move was a routine part of the operation.
The run returning from the gorge is a backup move using a control car communicating with the locomotive. The car is enclosed so the crew is not outside of the train. This is a terrible tragidy that has taken a life and will adversely affect the living. As they tell us when first hired, "Rules are written in blood."
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When I rode it, the engine crew changed ends just as Amtrak does on the Milwaukee trains and the Cascades. No back-up move. Just push-pull. Does not make sense yet. Thats a long trip for a backup run so I have a problem. Did they not have the Cab car? Could speculate but will wait for facts. A Real tragedy.
From what I have read, I understand that it was a back-up move with the conductor handling the air in an open doorway in the center of the trailing end of the last car. She fell out of the open door and landed in the middle of the track.
All of the coverage has been bit by bit, so it is possible that my understanding is not 100% correct. But if it is, it raises the question of why some type of barricade was not in place to prevent someone from falling out
Is this the usual Cab Car for a back up move??http://railroadfan.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10067/Royal_Gorge_train_rear.jpgIt appears to have on board Diesel units?? HEP???Would it have a Control Stand and Brake Stand etc. and control the locomotive on opposite end of train thru MU similar to Push Pull trains?Thank You,.
I have ridden backup moves into St. Louis, Jacksonville, Spingfield, MA where a valve and hose were attacked to the air-line at the rear of the car, and the conductor or trainman in the diaphragmed open train-door opening, using the valve both to brake the train and ocmunicate to the engineer. No protection against falling. Normal pracitse at the time. I could see wher a sudden acceleration could result in a fall.
A true cab car is considered as a locomotive. It would have full control over the locomotive--throttle, brakes,etc. To do that the entire train has to be equipped with trainlines to run the entire length from the cab car to the locomotive. That is a very expensive proposition for a tourist railroad. More than likely the conductor was standing in the rear door with a brake hose valve to stop the train in an emergency.
We routinely do back-up moves of up to ten miles, using a back-up hose as has been noted. The crewmember directing the move in is constant communication with the engineer by radio.
We make every effort to have a secure location for the crewmember to stand while directing the move. If it's a coach, it'll be one with a vestibule at the appropriate end if at all possible. The scissors gate will be closed as well - one more thing to keep the crewmember in place.
When we were routinely using an F unit for local trains, the baggage car was at the other end of the train, so the crewmember was behind a half door - and we even fitted it with a temporary window in case of inclement weather.
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Amtrak routinely has a backup hose on the CZ for the back up move into Denver Union Sta & on the (ex-IC Airline) CN line for for the backup moves at Chicago Union Sta. Conductors have the gate across the opening.
Very sad. Need to wait for the investigation to play out.
Routine part of the move. Regular routine. Normal move.
Amazing how many times those phrases kill. Really shouldn't stand in the center of a car with no protection. One hit of slack and out you go. I know - many places do it. Bare minimum, 3-points of contact must be maintained. Even then.... ugh..
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
The monkey tail is also used when the CZ is detoured across Wyoming: westbound, the train is backed inrto Salt Lake City, and eastbound it is backed out of Salt Lake City. I have not often ridden at the rear of an Amtrak train, but I do not doubt that the bar is down across the rear of every train. In both Denver and Salt Lake City, the conductor talks the engineer into/out of the station while backing. I have not noticed the conductor using the brake valve, but simply telling the engineer to stop. On one trip east, the conductor was unable to unlock the rear door, so had to rely on radio communication with the engineer.
I have never stood at the rear when backing into New Orleans or Chicago, but I do not doubt that the same procedure is followed there as in Denver.
Two years ago, I witnessed a meet between the WB Texas Eagle/Sunset east of Alpine--with two EB freights. One freight held the main--and we also held the main; our conductor kept having to tell our engineer he had to go farther so that we would clear the fouling point (apparently the freight had come too far east). After the other EB freight came through, on the pass track, we backed until we were able to use the pass track to get around the other EB.
Johnny
The times I have been on the Royal Gorge RR, the train traveled to a siding just past the canyon and the locomotives were run around the train to pull it back to Canon City. I wonder when when and why this practice was changed?
One of the line majority owner's RRRR aggregate trains may have occupied the siding at Parkdale.
What a tragedy. My wife and I took the Royal Gorge train last summer and it was a great trip. I recall seeing a conductor walk thru the train to the rear when we arrived at the west end (Parkdale). Our locomotives did not change ends, we backed the entire trip back.
I do not recall the car type on the rear of the train.
Ed
Why is that when a beautiful young woman dies it's like a piece of the universe dies?
"Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her."
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