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[quote user="locoi1sa"]   The thing I found strange about the report is there is no mention of hours of duty time for any of the crew. Could it have been fatigue of the crew? Could it have been that the fireman was new to this particular line and unfamiliar with his surroundings? Most other ICC investigation reports have on duty times and experience on the division of the accident. Some reports even tell what the train crews were doing before their tour of duty. What strikes me as odd about the accident is the unlocking of the switch before the oncoming train. Did he do this to save a minute of time after the meet? Why touch the switch before the meet? The points were lined for the main when he walked up to the switch stand. He should have seen that. Is there a rule stating that switch locks should be unlocked before a meet? If there is. Why?        Pete [/quote]   The wreck report states the rules, which say that a switch must not be unlocked before a meet.  In the case of this Robinson wreck, there were two locks, one for the switch, and one for the treadle, which was a foot operated mechanical latch for the switch stand mechanism.  To throw the switch, required unlocking both the treadle and the switch stand, and then stepping on the treadle, and then throwing the switch.   <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> I assume that the fireman unlocked the treadle to save that little bit of time while he had time to kill ahead of the meet.  Once the opposing train had passed, everything the fireman had to do would take time that would delay his train.  I think he felt that he was making efficient use of time by unlocking the treadle ahead of the meet.  However, it would have been a rules violation.   <o:p></o:p> The rules also require trainmen to keep a specified minimum distance from the switch as a way to help prevent an impulse throwing of the switch.  While fatigue could contribute to impulse throwing of a switch, the act has been found to have its own unique psychological cause, which appears to have common potential among different people.  It is not just an outcome of the “anybody can do anything” principle.  It is a specific type of confusion and panic that is associated with railroad switches and their potential consequences of being lined wrong. <o:p></o:p> The fireman violated the rule about standing next to the switch and also the rule about unlocking it (assuming that that rule also applied to the treadle).  Apparently he saw no practical reason to abide by these rules, if he was aware of them.  But the practical reason snuck up on him in the form of raising doubt in the mind of the observing engineer.  The engineer would have expected no manipulation of the switch stand before the meet, and yet he saw the fireman make a concerted effort to do something with the switch.  The doubt this raised with the engineer was then projected as feedback to the fireman, thus raising doubt in his mind about the switch being lined right as the meeting train bore down on him.
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