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NTSB Railroad accident brief contains contradiction Locked

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Posted by SD70Dude on Sunday, May 5, 2019 7:12 PM

243129
charlie hebdo
243129
You have contributed nothing on topic other than Dr.Phil like observations, semantic distortions and 'tutorials'. If you have nothing to contribute to the contradiction in the NTSB report please do not clog up my thread with your attempts to derail. FYI Dave Klepper contributed nothing on topic only a petulant criticism of the way it is presented. I welcome all opinions and observations of the topic presented. If you have nothing to offer on topic you are not welcome.

Contrary to your presumptuous opinion, you are not the self-appointed owner of this or any other thread on any of these forums. You have also repeatedly violated the forums' norms of civility, though you likely do not think they apply to you.

I am reactive not proactive.

Now what part of this statement don't you get?

If you have nothing to offer on topic you are not welcome.

I'm having visions of pots and kettles...

FYI, those on phones (especially with limited data) may have difficulty following links. 

And so this fits your definition of offering something on-topic, it doesn't matter whose track you are on, or who you work for, walking foul of the track without proper protection is a rule violation.

I hate to speak ill of the dead, but everyone (even the general public) should instinctively know the hazards presented by walking on or near the track.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 7:00 PM

Euclid

 

 
243129
If they are on Amtrak property then they are governed by Amtrak rules and procedures which requires 'foul time'. The Amtrak dispatcher must be notified of their intentions and grant them foul time to inspect their train. However it was not necessary for them to walk on a live track,...

 

So, as I understand it the two CSX employees were breaking an Amtrak rule by being on the Amtrak track without foul time.   Were they also trespassing by being on the Amtrak track without foul time?  Or looking at it another way, say they entered Amtrak property without foul time, but did not foul the track, would they have been trespassing in that case? 

 

In the strict sense of the word I guess you could say that they were trespassing in the instances you present.

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 6:50 PM

charlie hebdo

 

 
243129
You have contributed nothing on topic other than Dr.Phil like observations, semantic distortions and 'tutorials'. If you have nothing to contribute to the contradiction in the NTSB report please do not clog up my thread with your attempts to derail. FYI Dave Klepper contributed nothing on topic only a petulant criticism of the way it is presented. I welcome all opinions and observations of the topic presented. If you have nothing to offer on topic you are not welcome.

 

Contrary to your presumptuous opinion, you are not the self-appointed owner of this or any other thread on any of these forums. You have also repeatedly violated the forums' norms of civility, though you likely do not think they apply to you.

 

I am reactive not proactive.

Now what part of this statement don't you get?

If you have nothing to offer on topic you are not welcome.

 

 

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, May 5, 2019 6:42 PM

243129
You have contributed nothing on topic other than Dr.Phil like observations, semantic distortions and 'tutorials'. If you have nothing to contribute to the contradiction in the NTSB report please do not clog up my thread with your attempts to derail. FYI Dave Klepper contributed nothing on topic only a petulant criticism of the way it is presented. I welcome all opinions and observations of the topic presented. If you have nothing to offer on topic you are not welcome.

Contrary to your presumptuous opinion, you are not the self-appointed owner of this or any other thread on any of these forums. You have also repeatedly violated the forums' norms of civility, though you likely do not think they apply to you.

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Posted by Euclid on Sunday, May 5, 2019 5:12 PM

243129
If they are on Amtrak property then they are governed by Amtrak rules and procedures which requires 'foul time'. The Amtrak dispatcher must be notified of their intentions and grant them foul time to inspect their train. However it was not necessary for them to walk on a live track,...

So, as I understand it the two CSX employees were breaking an Amtrak rule by being on the Amtrak track without foul time.   Were they also trespassing by being on the Amtrak track without foul time?  Or looking at it another way, say they entered Amtrak property without foul time, but did not foul the track, would they have been trespassing in that case? 

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 4:09 PM

BaltACD

We can pontificate on this incident all we want and throw blame around like water out of a bucket.  Until we come up with the technology to 'download' the thoughts the dead were experiencing immediately prior to their death we are just wasting bits and bytes.

 

What would your opinion be as to the cause of their demise and the contradiction in the NTSB report?

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 4:06 PM

Euclid

The NTSB does not say that the employees were required to obtain protection to walk on the Amtrak tracks.  They do say that per General Safety Rule 10, the operating crews were not prohibited from walking either on or near the Amtrak tracks.

Rule 10 only requires employees to “Stop and look in both directions before making any of the following movements:  - Fouling or crossing a track…”

So the CSX employees were fouling a track and they were required to look both ways before fouling.  However, if they did that, the rule would allow them to maintain fouling while walking on the track for an indefinite distance without further looking.  What is missing from Rule 10 in this case is a requirement to look back at specified intervals during the continuous fouling associated with a long walk on the track, in line with it. 

So it is true that Rule 10 does not prohibit employees from walking on a track lengthwise with it, however the rule also does not provide any procedure for employees to walk lengthwise on the track, as the CSX employees were doing.  Rule 10 does require employees to be alert while on or near tracks, but a fully alert person could still be blindsided by a train if it sneaks up on them from behind and its horn warning is merged with the horn warning of a second train approaching from their front, on a track that they are not fouling. 

Therefore, without a means to seek protection on the Amtrak property; and without a requirement to do so; and with no rule telling them not to walk on the Amtrak track— there was nothing in the rules governing the action of the two employees in walking lengthwise on the Amtrak track. 

This leaves the obvious question:  If the two conductors were not doing anything wrong, how could the cause of their deaths be their fault as the NTSB determines with their Probable Cause in their report? 

The apparent reason for a lack of CSX rules covering this situation is that it occurred off of CSX property.  So the only stipulation that would come into play here would be the trespass laws that would have prohibited the two CSX employees from walking on the Amtrak Track.  I must assume that the NTSB does not want to address this issue in their report on the accident.

In my opinion, NTSB does not want to venture into the consideration that the actual cause of this accident was trespassing on Amtrak property, even though it is hard find a reason otherwise.  So, in my opinion, that is why they offered this muddy account in which they state what was not required, and what they wish were required; and then blame the cause on something that was not required.  Perhaps this is the first train fatality caused by trespass in which that critical fact is not mentioned. 

 

If they are on Amtrak property then they are governed by Amtrak rules and procedures which requires 'foul time'. The Amtrak dispatcher must be notified of their intentions and grant them foul time to inspect their train. However it was not necessary for them to walk on a live track, all they had to do was go to the other side of their consist where the was no 'live' track as their train snaked through the crossover and occupied both CSX #1 and CSX#2 main lines. As I previously stated poor judgement, inexperience and inadequate training on the conductor's part cost both of them their lives.

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, May 5, 2019 3:55 PM

We can pontificate on this incident all we want and throw blame around like water out of a bucket.  Until we come up with the technology to 'download' the thoughts the dead were experiencing immediately prior to their death we are just wasting bits and bytes.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Euclid on Sunday, May 5, 2019 3:35 PM

The NTSB does not say that the employees were required to obtain protection to walk on the Amtrak tracks.  They do say that per General Safety Rule 10, the operating crews were not prohibited from walking either on or near the Amtrak tracks.

Rule 10 only requires employees to “Stop and look in both directions before making any of the following movements:  - Fouling or crossing a track…”

So the CSX employees were fouling a track and they were required to look both ways before fouling.  However, if they did that, the rule would allow them to maintain fouling while walking on the track for an indefinite distance without further looking.  What is missing from Rule 10 in this case is a requirement to look back at specified intervals during the continuous fouling associated with a long walk on the track, in line with it. 

So it is true that Rule 10 does not prohibit employees from walking on a track lengthwise with it, however the rule also does not provide any procedure for employees to walk lengthwise on the track, as the CSX employees were doing.  Rule 10 does require employees to be alert while on or near tracks, but a fully alert person could still be blindsided by a train if it sneaks up on them from behind and its horn warning is merged with the horn warning of a second train approaching from their front, on a track that they are not fouling. 

Therefore, without a means to seek protection on the Amtrak property; and without a requirement to do so; and with no rule telling them not to walk on the Amtrak track— there was nothing in the rules governing the action of the two employees in walking lengthwise on the Amtrak track. 

This leaves the obvious question:  If the two conductors were not doing anything wrong, how could the cause of their deaths be their fault as the NTSB determines with their Probable Cause in their report? 

The apparent reason for a lack of CSX rules covering this situation is that it occurred off of CSX property.  So the only stipulation that would come into play here would be the trespass laws that would have prohibited the two CSX employees from walking on the Amtrak Track.  I must assume that the NTSB does not want to address this issue in their report on the accident.

In my opinion, NTSB does not want to venture into the consideration that the actual cause of this accident was trespassing on Amtrak property, even though it is hard find a reason otherwise.  So, in my opinion, that is why they offered this muddy account in which they state what was not required, and what they wish were required; and then blame the cause on something that was not required.  Perhaps this is the first train fatality caused by trespass in which that critical fact is not mentioned. 

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 2:59 PM

charlie hebdo

 

 
243129
243129 wrote the following post 1 hours ago: charlie hebdo I was trying to help you. Using standard manners of presentation is as important in certain arenas as proper training and instruction is in your former career. I feel that my presentation was stated clearly.

Self-insulated from a mild suggestion.

charlie hebdo "When in Rome..." if you want the NTSB to respond. The NTSB did respond. I spoke wth a railroad accident investigator via telephone.

"A major contradiction in the NTSB report of June 27, 2017 concerning the deaths of two CSX employees who were hit by an Amtrak train at Ivy City has been reported (by me) over two weeks ago. I spoke directly via telephone  with a railroad accident investigator to apprise the NTSB of the glaring contradiction. No action has yet been taken. " 

 

As you said, no action taken, i.e., you spoke with a railroad accident investigator, but that is not responding.

 

charlie hebdo Snippy replies to people (as you just did to Dave) is guaranteed to get you nowhere.

 

daveklepper

I would like to encourage posters to put information into their postings and not just URLs.  Often, it takes no more time to type what the information is than it does to accurately duplicate the URL, and it certainly saves the readers' time.

 What you refer to as a "snippy"(your slant) reply is merely a response to a niggling request.
 
You think Dave Klepper's (who, along with Johnny, is one of the nicest, mildest-mannered members on here) request was "niggling"?  Your response was downright [I'll let others be the judges].
 
 

 

 

You have contributed nothing on topic other than Dr.Phil like observations, semantic distortions and 'tutorials'.

If you have nothing to contribute to the contradiction in the NTSB report please do not clog up my thread with your attempts to derail.

FYI Dave Klepper contributed nothing on topic only a petulant criticism of the way it is presented.

I welcome all opinions and observations of the topic presented. If you have nothing to offer on topic you are not welcome.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, May 5, 2019 1:15 PM

243129
243129 wrote the following post 1 hours ago: charlie hebdo I was trying to help you. Using standard manners of presentation is as important in certain arenas as proper training and instruction is in your former career. I feel that my presentation was stated clearly.

Self-insulated from a mild suggestion.

charlie hebdo "When in Rome..." if you want the NTSB to respond. The NTSB did respond. I spoke wth a railroad accident investigator via telephone.

"A major contradiction in the NTSB report of June 27, 2017 concerning the deaths of two CSX employees who were hit by an Amtrak train at Ivy City has been reported (by me) over two weeks ago. I spoke directly via telephone  with a railroad accident investigator to apprise the NTSB of the glaring contradiction. No action has yet been taken. " 

 

As you said, no action taken, i.e., you spoke with a railroad accident investigator, but that is not responding.

 

charlie hebdo Snippy replies to people (as you just did to Dave) is guaranteed to get you nowhere.

 

daveklepper

I would like to encourage posters to put information into their postings and not just URLs.  Often, it takes no more time to type what the information is than it does to accurately duplicate the URL, and it certainly saves the readers' time.

 What you refer to as a "snippy"(your slant) reply is merely a response to a niggling request.
 
You think Dave Klepper's (who, along with Johnny, is one of the nicest, mildest-mannered members on here) request was "niggling"?  Your response was downright [I'll let others be the judges].
 

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Posted by Euclid on Sunday, May 5, 2019 12:24 PM

.

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 11:18 AM

charlie hebdo
I was trying to help you. Using standard manners of presentation is as important in certain arenas as proper training and instruction is in your former career.

I feel that my presentation was stated clearly.

charlie hebdo
"When in Rome..." if you want the NTSB to respond.

The NTSB did respond. I spoke wth a railroad accident investigator via telephone.

charlie hebdo
Snippy replies to people (as you just did to Dave) is guaranteed to get you nowhere.

What you refer to as a "snippy"(your slant) reply is merely a response to a niggling request.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, May 5, 2019 10:13 AM

243129

 

 
charlie hebdo

 

 
243129
  An answer: You cannot see the contradiction? You would like me to point it out for you? How did you determine that the error on page four was typographical not misuse or misspelling?

 

1. I was simply pointing out that it is customary when criticizing another's work to not only cite the page and line numbers, but also elucidate what you believe to be wrong, in this case, a contradiction.

2. 'Gage' can be an alternate spelling for 'gauge' (though used more in the UK). It can also be a typo. In either case, your pointing it out is based on error.

 

 

 

1. If you follow the instruction what is "wrong" is blatantly obvious.

2. "Gage"? Although technically correct it is rarely used. I go with it being an error that the user got 'lucky' with. I have never seen that form used in any official reports previously.

 

I was trying to help you. Using standard manners of presentation is as important in certain arenas as proper training and instruction is in your former career.  "When in Rome..." if you want the NTSB to respond. Snippy replies to people (as you just did to Dave) is guaranteed to get you nowhere.  Your choice.

 

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 10:01 AM

daveklepper

I would like to encourage posters to put information into their postings and not just URLs.  Often, it takes no more time to type what the information is than it does to accurately duplicate the URL, and it certainly saves the readers' time.

 

You do not have the time to follow these precise instructions?

I call your attention to page four, paragraph one, third to the last sentence of NTSB report RAB-1901.

Secondly I call your attention to page six, paragraph six, the last sentence.

Perhaps I should have typed the full nine pages for your reference and highlighted the contradictions so as to save you some time.

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 9:53 AM

charlie hebdo

 

 
243129
  An answer: You cannot see the contradiction? You would like me to point it out for you? How did you determine that the error on page four was typographical not misuse or misspelling?

 

1. I was simply pointing out that it is customary when criticizing another's work to not only cite the page and line numbers, but also elucidate what you believe to be wrong, in this case, a contradiction.

2. 'Gage' can be an alternate spelling for 'gauge' (though used more in the UK). It can also be a typo. In either case, your pointing it out is based on error.

 

1. If you follow the instruction what is "wrong" is blatantly obvious.

2. "Gage"? Although technically correct it is rarely used. I go with it being an error that the user got 'lucky' with. I have never seen that form used in any official reports previously.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, May 5, 2019 9:23 AM

I would like to encourage posters to put information into their postings and not just URLs.  Often, it takes no more time to type what the information is than it does to accurately duplicate the URL, and it certainly saves the readers' time.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, May 5, 2019 9:10 AM

243129

 

 
BaltACD

 

 
243129
 
Overmod
Personally, I don't see a major semantic 'smoking gun' here, just a lapse of what might be called 'continuity' in the screenplay sense. 

Not very professional for a national investigative agency wouldn't you say?

 

All forms of governance have not been very professional since January 20, 2017

 

 

 

You will get no argument from me on that point.

 

Nor from me, and it worsens daily.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, May 5, 2019 9:09 AM

243129
  An answer: You cannot see the contradiction? You would like me to point it out for you? How did you determine that the error on page four was typographical not misuse or misspelling?

1. I was simply pointing out that it is customary when criticizing another's work to not only cite the page and line numbers, but also elucidate what you believe to be wrong, in this case, a contradiction.

2. 'Gage' can be an alternate spelling for 'gauge' (though used more in the UK). It can also be a typo. In either case, your pointing it out is based on error.

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Posted by Euclid on Sunday, May 5, 2019 8:30 AM

.

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Posted by 243129 on Sunday, May 5, 2019 8:13 AM

Euclid

Did the CSX employment status and job duties of the two CSX employees give them the right to be on the property occupied by the Amtrak tracks?

 

The CSX train had both CSX main tracks 2 & 1 occupied as they were making a crossover move. Why the conductor and trainee were inspecting the train from a live track when they could have done so from the CSX main #1 side smacks of poor judgement due to inexperience and inadequate training.

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Posted by York1 on Saturday, May 4, 2019 9:59 PM

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York1 John       

I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer?  He said, "No, but it will seem longer."

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Posted by Euclid on Saturday, May 4, 2019 9:54 PM

Did the CSX employment status and job duties of the two CSX employees give them the right to be on the property occupied by the Amtrak tracks?

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Posted by 243129 on Saturday, May 4, 2019 9:07 PM

BaltACD

 

 
243129
 
Overmod
Personally, I don't see a major semantic 'smoking gun' here, just a lapse of what might be called 'continuity' in the screenplay sense. 

Not very professional for a national investigative agency wouldn't you say?

 

All forms of governance have not been very professional since January 20, 2017

 

You will get no argument from me on that point.

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, May 4, 2019 8:58 PM

243129
 
Overmod
Personally, I don't see a major semantic 'smoking gun' here, just a lapse of what might be called 'continuity' in the screenplay sense. 

Not very professional for a national investigative agency wouldn't you say?

All forms of governance have not been very professional since January 20, 2017

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by 243129 on Saturday, May 4, 2019 6:36 PM

Overmod
Personally, I don't see a major semantic 'smoking gun' here, just a lapse of what might be called 'continuity' in the screenplay sense.

Not very professional for a national investigative agency wouldn't you say?

 

 

 

Overmod
It would have taken time for the brakes to apply fully, which wouldn't have happened (or registered on the event recorder) until after the impact.

The emergency application should register instantly.

Overmod
The "latter" timeline is someone relating events in sequence, not the engineer relating experience.

"Latter" timeline:

According to the event recorder and the engineer interview, the Amtrak engineer responded immediately and applied emergency braking upon seeing the CSX employees walking near the tracks

 

"Engineer interview" indicates to me that she did indeed relate her experience.

One of the 'statements' in the engineer interviews is wrong.

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Posted by Euclid on Saturday, May 4, 2019 1:25 PM

Overmod

Hint to Euclid, who has built whole threads out of this discrepancy or things like it:  What is the difference between 'application' in the sense of pulling the little handle' and 'application' in the sense of the shoes setting up on the discs and treads ... after a few seconds ... to physically stop the train.

Impact happened between those two.

 

The difference between pulling the handle and the shoes applying pressure is beside the point.  The point is that NTSB is talking only about the engineer pulling the handle in both statements, and in those two statements, it gives conflicting information as to when the handle was pulled. 

The NTSB has gone to some effort to clarify the actions of the engineer, and has apparently not carefully checked what they have written.  I am not criticizing the engineer, but the point of her actions is critical to the report as the NTSB confirms with their carefully worded statements.  I am criticizing the NTSB. 

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, May 4, 2019 12:59 PM

For the love of God, Montresor -- it was a PASSENGER train.  There is no controversy over prompt emergency with typical Amtrak NEC consists.  If she said she put the lever past full blended into emergency, why should I call her a liar?

I also think that much of the 'reason' for applying the brake in these situations is more 'moral' than actually expected to be effective.  It shows you were attentive and caring of human life, and like 'notching the barograph' in a sailplane it shows on the record that you acted knowledgeably at a time that matters.  The 'large money damages' in the Midnight Rider case were related to the complete lack of brake application.  She reacted appropriately to the perceived danger by applying the brakes, whether it was as ultimately pointless doing so as hitting the emergency button at Cayce was.

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, May 4, 2019 12:51 PM

Hint to Euclid, who has built whole threads out of this discrepancy or things like it:  What is the difference between 'application' in the sense of 'pulling the little handle' and 'application' in the sense of the shoes setting up on the discs and treads ... after what may be up to several seconds ... to begin physically stopping the train.

Impact happened between those two.

(Note:  does anyone know if the current event recorders measure the signal coming off the locomotive brake-valve handle or just the resulting pressure changes in the physical brake system?)

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Posted by Euclid on Saturday, May 4, 2019 12:48 PM

Overmod
In this case, the engineer reported that she put the train in emergency 'before the impact' - this is surely correct.

Why do you assume that?  This has been discussed at great length before regarding impacts including vehicle impacts.  One school of thought is that the engineer should make an emergency application up seeing that impact may be immenent. 

Another school says that there is no point in making an emergency application prior to immenent impact because the emergency application will not slow the train in that short of a distance, and the fouling person or vehicle may clear at the last second, thus subjecting the train to stopping uncessarily. 

I call ed the FRA and asked them which was the proper course.

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