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In the Chicago area (I think Northwestern Indiana) several years ago, a semi-truck carrying loads of steel coils (read - really heavy and dense) went around the gates, and the commuter train cab-car struck the trailer. One of the steel rolls essentially rolled through the car, killing the engineer and several passengers... My point - besides the fact that a loco is heavier, and better "armored", is that if the coil had hit the loco, there would have been more dense "stuff" (turbine, frame, etc.) to slow and/or stop the steel coil. There are also no passengers in the loco - fewer people in harm's way. Also - at least in Chicago - there is logic behind cab-first and engine-first running. The commuter trains are run loco facing away from Chicago. That way, when they come into the stub-end siding in Chicago Union Station, the loco (producing all the exhaust and smoke ) is farthest away from the staion - for better air quality in the station and on the platforms (and it STILL gets pretty bad in there sometimes). Not speculating on what happened in CA, Just adding some opinions from someone with a mech eng degree. Rob
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