The New York bound Cresent derailed in South Carolina on NS trackage
http://news.yahoo.com/amtrak-crescent-218-aboard-derails-sc-130035420.html
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
We all learned a new euphemism today.
John Timm
desertdog We all learned a new euphemism today. John Timm
I always liked "temporary gravity failure" myself.
Mac McCulloch
It was Amtrak that used the term:
"But Amtrak in its later email said only that the train had become disabled when the seven affected cars lost contact with the tracks."
Yet anotherl indication of Amtrak's inability to handle equipment failure and derailments:
"Lambert told AP the train had electricity, but only two cars had heat, as the passengers sat in the dark and waited for help on a wintry morning. "We're just sitting in the middle of the woods," she said. Some eight hours after the train derailed, [my emphasis] more than 200 passengers were taken off the disabled cars and put aboard buses, WYFF-TV reported.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Just what is not needed. Suppose whole train set will have to return to beech grove & Wilmington for inspection and / or repair ?
Also taken from the Original Post, linked article:
"Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said that one of two parallel tracks in the area was open, and other trains were moving through Monday morning. Normal track speed in that area is 79 mph, and Chapman said conductors were slowing down other passenger trains to "walking speed" in the area around the accident."
This is the only passenger train that passes this location. Only once per day!
The other one is "uncontrolled collision with terrain" used by NTSB.
What happened to the train itself after the derailment? Did it continue to NY or DC or what?
desertdog The other one is "uncontrolled collision with terrain" used by NTSB. John Timm
I would imagine that that is the opposite of "controlled flight into terrain" which is the finding in some aviation accidents?
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
carnej1 desertdog The other one is "uncontrolled collision with terrain" used by NTSB. John Timm I would imagine that that is the opposite of "controlled flight into terrain" which is the finding in some aviation accidents?
Not quite sure. All I can gather is it's a P.C. way of saying "plane crash."
"Controlled flight into terrain" means that the aircraft operating normally and under the complete control of the pilot when he bumped into something he couldn't see, like a mountain or a big tower. It is usually accompanied by "continued VFR flight into IMC".
It differentiates it from "Lost control and fell out of the sky" or "Bumped into another airplane"..
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
"continued VFR (I know "visual flight rules," encompasses VFR) but what does flight into IMC" mean?
The aircraft controller (pilot, "Captain," boss guy) as much as all of us locomotive engineers, know that we can not continue to move our crew and train with insufficient knowledge of what's ahead. Stop or turn back!
Anyone know what happened to the trainset itself after the derailment? Did it continue to NY or DC or what?
efftenxrfe "continued VFR (I know "visual flight rules," encompasses VFR) but what does flight into IMC" mean?
Instrument meteorological conditions (e.g. clouds), conditions that do not meet the requirements for legally flying VFR.
"Controlled flight into terrain" is descriptive as opposed to "PC", though "flying too low" is somewhat equivalent.
- Erik
Hmmmmm. "Flying too low" is another interesting euphemism. If you fly low enough, you're not flying at all, are you? One of our onboard service chiefs used to announce that our train would be travelling at an altitude of four feet. Truth in advertising.
Tom
I am finding that even railroad public relations/customer relations is being handled by those who are not familiar with common railroad terms, terms most people who deal with or ride railroads have come to know and understand. It used to be that "service will be suspended during such and such a time or because we are doing track or signal work, etc." but now is "trains will not run between...." with no indication why. Used to be "slippery rail conditions caused by wet leaves, ice, water, whatever" are causing delays; now it is "slip slide conditions": effective but not railroad professional terms. Railroaders themselves have caused some of these terms to be used even in professional operating terms. Like "meet" has always meant two trains in opposite directions meeting at a given point while two trains in the same direction would be "overtaking" or "passing". Today, two trains in the same place from any and all directions "meet". Yes, the dictionary terms are descriptive, but the railroad terminology is specific so that you know you will "meet" a train coming the other way or will be "overtaken" or will "overtake" a train going the same way you are going (you just have to know the identification of the trains especially if they are push pull with all locomotives on the same end!). Yes, there is always change, especially in terminology and word usage, but problems can occur when definitions are important but blurred by slip sliding terminologies.
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Henry6, I certainly agree that RR terminology is becoming a dead language. Printed instructions for opening a berth on Superliner sleepers actually refer to the berth as a "bunk". Very, very sad.
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