QUOTE: Originally posted by SILVERCHAMPION In all my 50 years, I have heard more train derailment in the last 5 years. I love trains and starting back in the 1950's i read more books and newpapers about trains and I never heard anything like this. WHATS GOING ON?
QUOTE: Originally posted by SILVERCHAMPION I never heard anything like this. WHATS GOING ON?
Originally posted by SILVERCHAMPION [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,289 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 6:59 AM well with technology advancements you still have to allow for the human factor in railroading .and with the rrs pushing remote control its no wonder why there arent more derailments stay safe Joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 7:09 AM I took it Siver Champion was talking of mainline derailments like yesterday's A/Trak incident. Hopefully they are not using remote control on mainline trains yet. Are they? [:o)][:I] Originally posted by JoeKoh Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jchnhtfd Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 1,537 posts Posted by jchnhtfd on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:06 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by SILVERCHAMPION I never heard anything like this. WHATS GOING ON? I don't know that the rate of derailments has increased; I think it has more to do with the "information society" we live in with a lot more sources for news and events. The railfan network, such that it is, is now wired-in and we get a lot more details (derailments, engine sightings, etc.) a lot faster than we ever did before... MP 57313 is quite right, Silver. If you go back through the FRA records (I have), you will find that if anything there are fewer derailments now than in the past, and the farther back you go, the more there were -- and they weren't all minor by any means. The difference is communication. Today we hear -- often in seconds, usually within hours -- of pretty much any derailment bigger than an oops in a yard somewhere. 20 years ago, unless some passengers were killed or there were some really spectacular pictures, the event never made it beyond the local paper, if it got that far. 50 years ago (and I can remember that far back... still... but I'm getting older!) the event had to be really spectacular to go anywhere -- even with the greater interest in trains then; something like the City of San Francisco or the Super Chief going on the ground. Jamie Reply dehusman Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Omaha, NE 10,617 posts Posted by dehusman on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 10:53 AM Plus there are dozens of 24 hr news channels. They have to fill up all that dead air time with something and a train wreck, no matter how minor, can provide lots of good video and scary taglines. Dave H. Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,790 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 12:39 PM Reassuring to know that gravity still works![bow][bow][bow] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 5:53 PM MC, HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE SUCH DRIVEL?? Don't you know it's all done with mirrors?????????[}:)][banghead][banghead][banghead] Reply Edit selector Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: Vancouver Island, BC 23,325 posts Posted by selector on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 6:53 PM Okaaaaayyyy? Well, umm, how do the mirrors work with that big hand that comes out of the clouds to put them back on the track..huh, smarty pants? Reply edblysard Member sinceMarch 2002 9,265 posts Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:02 PM Silverchampion... Most of the locomotives we used to own here at the PTRA had re-railing frogs hanging under one of the walkways, and a stack of hardwood wedges stashed somewhere in the long hood; a day without getting a wheel on the ground was a good day indeed! When I signed on, our trainmasters drove pickup trucks, with the bed full of track jacks, wedges, blocks of hardwood and re-rail frogs, chain, spikes, tie plates and a spike maul, track bolts and the wrenches needed to tighten them. Today, they drive neat little Trailblazers, nice and clean, with nothing in the back but bottled water and extra work gloves for the crews! Our MK1500Ds have no re-rail frogs anywhere...and most of our crews would have no idea how to use one if they did...in fact, after 8 plus years yard switching, I have only managed to get three cars on the ground, two due to a by passed knuckle when we kicked against them, and one today...for no apparent reason, the trailing set of trucks on a hopper four cars deep into the shove just fell between the rails when we were shoving a cut into a track. The leading set on the following car, and the three cars ahead of it went where they were supposed to, and no one can figure out why the one set got on the ground. (Actually, the track wide guaged, but the road foreman dosnt want to admit that, so...act of God time!) Only because I know how to, and because the trainmaster on duty knew it, we got it back on the rails and over to the rip track, with nothing but a few wood wedges and blocks....point is, after what must be well into the 10,000th car I have switched in 8 years, only three got a wheel on the ground, all with minor damage, in a yard built in 1927! The reason you hear about almost every single derailment and accident is the medium you are looking at right now. Instant communication, via the net and cell phones, gets the info out, not only to those who really need to know, but to fans and reporters too. To show you how fast info can flow...the PTRA trainmaster, while helping me rerail the hopper, got a cell phone call from the UP foreman of roadpower, in Omaha, stating he just heard that the BNSF got a engine on the ground on joint UP/PTRA tracks...while talking to him, my trainmaster got another call, from the dispatcher in Spring, Tx, informing him that the BNSF had a engine on the ground, on joint UP/PTRA tracks near tower 208... Now, a guy in Omaha, Neb, who works for another railroad, and a dispatcher on the other side of the city, both hear about a derailment that occured less than 2 miles from where we were standing, long before we had any word of it, and it was on our tracks, and they called us to tell us about it! Do what was suggested, go to the FRA website, and look at the numbers...they are decreasing. Track maintainance on most Class1 roads is better than it ever has been, due in lagre part to the better designed rail, CWR, and better overall design on the ROW. The car fleet is getting newer also, so mechanical failure is get even more rare. Now, with all that said, the old head who taught me how to flat yard switch also taught me this... "If you switch cars long enough, one day, your gonna knock the bark off a couple of 'em". Derailments are a fact of railroading, just like automobile accidents are a fact of driving, although the percent for derails is much, much lower on a miles traveled basis.... Ed 23 17 46 11 Reply rvos1979 Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Burlington, WI 1,418 posts Posted by rvos1979 on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:59 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard Silverchampion... Most of the locomotives we used to own here at the PTRA had re-railing frogs hanging under one of the walkways, and a stack of hardwood wedges stashed somewhere in the long hood; a day without getting a wheel on the ground was a good day indeed! When I signed on, our trainmasters drove pickup trucks, with the bed full of track jacks, wedges, blocks of hardwood and re-rail frogs, chain, spikes, tie plates and a spike maul, track bolts and the wrenches needed to tighten them. Today, they drive neat little Trailblazers, nice and clean, with nothing in the back but bottled water and extra work gloves for the crews! My former trainmaster doesn't even drive a TRUCK! And you sure can't cram much into a Pontiac Gran Prix! Maybe it's just me, seems lately that practicality takes a back seat to comfort. Also seems that nobody wants to row their own, either. Randy Randy Vos "Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings "May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV Reply jchnhtfd Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 1,537 posts Posted by jchnhtfd on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 9:00 AM Ed -- you don't carry rerailing frogs anymore??! Ye gods... well, that shows me how old I'm getting, and how long it's been since I've been out of the office and into the real world. Jamie Reply TheS.P.caboose Member sinceMarch 2005 From: Canoga Park (Los Angeles) 494 posts Posted by TheS.P.caboose on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 5:52 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dehusman Plus there are dozens of 24 hr news channels. They have to fill up all that dead air time with something and a train wreck, no matter how minor, can provide lots of good video and scary taglines. Dave H. I agree completely. Since the early 80's, if memory service correctly, there has been a huge outbreak of news channels on cable television. It seems IMO that they would rather talk about an unfortunate event on the railroads than talk about unfortunate events on the highways. Regards Gary Reply edblysard Member sinceMarch 2002 9,265 posts Posted by edblysard on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 6:01 PM Jamie No, we dont...the old SWs we used to have had them hung on the walk way sill, along with some chains. But, we dont need them any more..or at least, the new guys hired are not even told how to use them... Ed 23 17 46 11 Reply Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » 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 More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
Originally posted by JoeKoh Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jchnhtfd Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 1,537 posts Posted by jchnhtfd on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:06 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by SILVERCHAMPION I never heard anything like this. WHATS GOING ON? I don't know that the rate of derailments has increased; I think it has more to do with the "information society" we live in with a lot more sources for news and events. The railfan network, such that it is, is now wired-in and we get a lot more details (derailments, engine sightings, etc.) a lot faster than we ever did before... MP 57313 is quite right, Silver. If you go back through the FRA records (I have), you will find that if anything there are fewer derailments now than in the past, and the farther back you go, the more there were -- and they weren't all minor by any means. The difference is communication. Today we hear -- often in seconds, usually within hours -- of pretty much any derailment bigger than an oops in a yard somewhere. 20 years ago, unless some passengers were killed or there were some really spectacular pictures, the event never made it beyond the local paper, if it got that far. 50 years ago (and I can remember that far back... still... but I'm getting older!) the event had to be really spectacular to go anywhere -- even with the greater interest in trains then; something like the City of San Francisco or the Super Chief going on the ground. Jamie Reply dehusman Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Omaha, NE 10,617 posts Posted by dehusman on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 10:53 AM Plus there are dozens of 24 hr news channels. They have to fill up all that dead air time with something and a train wreck, no matter how minor, can provide lots of good video and scary taglines. Dave H. Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,790 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 12:39 PM Reassuring to know that gravity still works![bow][bow][bow] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 5:53 PM MC, HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE SUCH DRIVEL?? Don't you know it's all done with mirrors?????????[}:)][banghead][banghead][banghead] Reply Edit selector Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: Vancouver Island, BC 23,325 posts Posted by selector on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 6:53 PM Okaaaaayyyy? Well, umm, how do the mirrors work with that big hand that comes out of the clouds to put them back on the track..huh, smarty pants? Reply edblysard Member sinceMarch 2002 9,265 posts Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:02 PM Silverchampion... Most of the locomotives we used to own here at the PTRA had re-railing frogs hanging under one of the walkways, and a stack of hardwood wedges stashed somewhere in the long hood; a day without getting a wheel on the ground was a good day indeed! When I signed on, our trainmasters drove pickup trucks, with the bed full of track jacks, wedges, blocks of hardwood and re-rail frogs, chain, spikes, tie plates and a spike maul, track bolts and the wrenches needed to tighten them. Today, they drive neat little Trailblazers, nice and clean, with nothing in the back but bottled water and extra work gloves for the crews! Our MK1500Ds have no re-rail frogs anywhere...and most of our crews would have no idea how to use one if they did...in fact, after 8 plus years yard switching, I have only managed to get three cars on the ground, two due to a by passed knuckle when we kicked against them, and one today...for no apparent reason, the trailing set of trucks on a hopper four cars deep into the shove just fell between the rails when we were shoving a cut into a track. The leading set on the following car, and the three cars ahead of it went where they were supposed to, and no one can figure out why the one set got on the ground. (Actually, the track wide guaged, but the road foreman dosnt want to admit that, so...act of God time!) Only because I know how to, and because the trainmaster on duty knew it, we got it back on the rails and over to the rip track, with nothing but a few wood wedges and blocks....point is, after what must be well into the 10,000th car I have switched in 8 years, only three got a wheel on the ground, all with minor damage, in a yard built in 1927! The reason you hear about almost every single derailment and accident is the medium you are looking at right now. Instant communication, via the net and cell phones, gets the info out, not only to those who really need to know, but to fans and reporters too. To show you how fast info can flow...the PTRA trainmaster, while helping me rerail the hopper, got a cell phone call from the UP foreman of roadpower, in Omaha, stating he just heard that the BNSF got a engine on the ground on joint UP/PTRA tracks...while talking to him, my trainmaster got another call, from the dispatcher in Spring, Tx, informing him that the BNSF had a engine on the ground, on joint UP/PTRA tracks near tower 208... Now, a guy in Omaha, Neb, who works for another railroad, and a dispatcher on the other side of the city, both hear about a derailment that occured less than 2 miles from where we were standing, long before we had any word of it, and it was on our tracks, and they called us to tell us about it! Do what was suggested, go to the FRA website, and look at the numbers...they are decreasing. Track maintainance on most Class1 roads is better than it ever has been, due in lagre part to the better designed rail, CWR, and better overall design on the ROW. The car fleet is getting newer also, so mechanical failure is get even more rare. Now, with all that said, the old head who taught me how to flat yard switch also taught me this... "If you switch cars long enough, one day, your gonna knock the bark off a couple of 'em". Derailments are a fact of railroading, just like automobile accidents are a fact of driving, although the percent for derails is much, much lower on a miles traveled basis.... Ed 23 17 46 11 Reply rvos1979 Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Burlington, WI 1,418 posts Posted by rvos1979 on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:59 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard Silverchampion... Most of the locomotives we used to own here at the PTRA had re-railing frogs hanging under one of the walkways, and a stack of hardwood wedges stashed somewhere in the long hood; a day without getting a wheel on the ground was a good day indeed! When I signed on, our trainmasters drove pickup trucks, with the bed full of track jacks, wedges, blocks of hardwood and re-rail frogs, chain, spikes, tie plates and a spike maul, track bolts and the wrenches needed to tighten them. Today, they drive neat little Trailblazers, nice and clean, with nothing in the back but bottled water and extra work gloves for the crews! My former trainmaster doesn't even drive a TRUCK! And you sure can't cram much into a Pontiac Gran Prix! Maybe it's just me, seems lately that practicality takes a back seat to comfort. Also seems that nobody wants to row their own, either. Randy Randy Vos "Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings "May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV Reply jchnhtfd Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 1,537 posts Posted by jchnhtfd on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 9:00 AM Ed -- you don't carry rerailing frogs anymore??! Ye gods... well, that shows me how old I'm getting, and how long it's been since I've been out of the office and into the real world. Jamie Reply TheS.P.caboose Member sinceMarch 2005 From: Canoga Park (Los Angeles) 494 posts Posted by TheS.P.caboose on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 5:52 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dehusman Plus there are dozens of 24 hr news channels. They have to fill up all that dead air time with something and a train wreck, no matter how minor, can provide lots of good video and scary taglines. Dave H. I agree completely. Since the early 80's, if memory service correctly, there has been a huge outbreak of news channels on cable television. It seems IMO that they would rather talk about an unfortunate event on the railroads than talk about unfortunate events on the highways. Regards Gary Reply edblysard Member sinceMarch 2002 9,265 posts Posted by edblysard on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 6:01 PM Jamie No, we dont...the old SWs we used to have had them hung on the walk way sill, along with some chains. But, we dont need them any more..or at least, the new guys hired are not even told how to use them... Ed 23 17 46 11 Reply Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » 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 More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313 QUOTE: Originally posted by SILVERCHAMPION I never heard anything like this. WHATS GOING ON? I don't know that the rate of derailments has increased; I think it has more to do with the "information society" we live in with a lot more sources for news and events. The railfan network, such that it is, is now wired-in and we get a lot more details (derailments, engine sightings, etc.) a lot faster than we ever did before...
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
23 17 46 11
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard Silverchampion... Most of the locomotives we used to own here at the PTRA had re-railing frogs hanging under one of the walkways, and a stack of hardwood wedges stashed somewhere in the long hood; a day without getting a wheel on the ground was a good day indeed! When I signed on, our trainmasters drove pickup trucks, with the bed full of track jacks, wedges, blocks of hardwood and re-rail frogs, chain, spikes, tie plates and a spike maul, track bolts and the wrenches needed to tighten them. Today, they drive neat little Trailblazers, nice and clean, with nothing in the back but bottled water and extra work gloves for the crews!
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
QUOTE: Originally posted by dehusman Plus there are dozens of 24 hr news channels. They have to fill up all that dead air time with something and a train wreck, no matter how minor, can provide lots of good video and scary taglines. Dave H.
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