help!

[Anonymous]

I would like to write a railroad novel about a guy who works fr the Union Pacific set in modern times. I have heard of the novel Double Jacks but never read it bt I saw exerpts and I inda want ot have that flow to it. The guy has to save two accidents from happening a 140 car mixed frieght with chemicals from derailing and ramming an Amtrak train and UP's bankrupcy that could cause it to not run anymore. Because this guy got fired from the railroad after making some rude comments to the president and how a bad railraod it was and derailing a locomotivce for no reason. Names for my charachters and more charachters or ideas would be hlpful. Thanks.

[ndbprr]

DO NOT repeat DO NOT use the old addage of losing air and having a runaway. Everybody who knows anything know that the air holds the brakes away from the wheels and if it is lost it immediately goes into full braking. Most likely causes of derailments today are a fractured or overheated wheel from a sticking brake causing the wheel to break up, A flaw in a rail causing a broken rail, excess speed, falling asleep due to the hours and working conditions, breaking rules, drugs or alcohol usage. If I were writing a book about todays railroads I would have to consider a terrorism or sabotage plot. location would have to be critical as much of it is where nobody would care any way so it would have to be one of the cities served by UP. You could also have an earthquake descending Cajon pass into the LA basin as it runs along the San Andreas fault there.

[Anonymous]

Well the guy who gets fired saatoges the train that the guy has to save from crashing.

[dehusman]

My suggestion would be to make it a fictional railroad. If you say its the UP and present them or any identifiable people (like the CEO or a superintendent in a specific city) in an unfavorable light, you could end up with a lawsuit.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

What would be a good name?
The Southwestern Pacific?
Eastern Pacific?
Chicago and Eastern?
I ant it to be a big player a clss 1.

[Ham549]

For names United Pacific, Centreal Northen, Centreal Weastern Grand National, I would check just to make shure no one else is using them evean if there are no railroads with thoes names a non-railroad could be useing them (like the Georgia Pacific compeny that makes bathroom papertowel despensers. There is another cool train book called Parallel Lies about a ex dective trying to stop this guy from derailing a bullet train for revenge for his wifes and dauters death from a faulty railroad crossing. The railroad he is targeting is made up but there are other real railroads and roughts menchened in the book. Also a run away train is possible if the enginear puts on the throtteal instead of the breaks (this happened on CSX) if the air hoes are clogged
But for your story I would segest a enginear overdoseing and dieing (since he will be high he won't realize he is going to kick the bucket so he wont let go of the throtle also make shure he has a tool box on the dead mans pedeal (this pedeal has to be held down be the enginears foot so if he passes out he can remove his foot and the train will grind to a stop. But enginears have been knowean to be lazy and put a tool box on the peddel. Oh ya make the railroad cheap and not have cab signeals on the train you know the hero of the story could complane the railroad cares more about profets then safaty. Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by dehusman

My suggestion would be to make it a fictional railroad. If you say its the UP and present them or any identifiable people (like the CEO or a superintendent in a specific city) in an unfavorable light, you could end up with a lawsuit.

Dave H.
[/quote
Has it happened before?

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Posted by Ham549 on Thu, Jul 7 2005 7:43 AM

No but UP is very stingy when it comes to the way there name is used they evean demand that model railroad compneys and train simulator modelers get there permition to use there name. So you bet that your book won't make them happy and they would techenely have legeal recorse.

Save the F40PH!

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Home»Discussion Forums»General Discussion (Trains.com)»help!

[Ham549]

No but UP is very stingy when it comes to the way there name is used they evean demand that model railroad compneys and train simulator modelers get there permition to use there name. So you bet that your book won't make them happy and they would techenely have legeal recorse.