Smashing Pennies Via Train

[RABEL]

I like your album. Berwyn and most of the Metra Stations are a wiser choice

for flattening coins. Lavernge Ave has/would be my choice.

[SWChicagoRailfan]

My girlfriend put several coins on the rails at Rochelle and recovered every single one of them. It's pretty cool actually. But I guess I was stupid for letting her go by the tracks with trespassing laws and all. Live and learn.

[J. Edgar]

I heard a story about a kid putting a spike on the Amtrak NE corridor.

When the GG-1 hit the spike it shot out from under the wheel and went right through the kids chest killing him.

I don't know if this is true,but I belive it could have happened.

 

Carl T.

Sounds like an 'old wives tale' to me but with what is 'possible' it may be just that.

 maybe a call to Mythbusters on this one......

[espeefoamer]

I have smashed many pennies on the tracks when I was younger.I never caused a derailment,never had a penney embed itself in a nearby wall.I have pennies smashed by the 4449,and by the train at Knott's Berry Farm.

[SchemerBob]

A couple years ago my dad put a couple pennies on the Norfolk Southern tracks in Hannibal, Missouri, right before a ballast train (I think loaded) went through. I didn't see them smashed because I was videotaping the train a couple blocks away, but both pennies were recovered. One of them was smashed so much it had a bigger diameter than a half dollar.

I think many people put pennies on the railroad tracks to see just how powerful these trains are. Even a car or semi probably wouldn't flatten a penny.

[arbfbe]

Old wives tale?  Perhaps the part about the fatality.  I have been on a few trains where miscreants have loaded the rails with spikes, anchors and tie plates.  Since the steel does not compress these track components are launched out ahead of the train.  The metal projectiles go through bushes and willows like shrapnel.  Anyone struck by these projectiles would certainly be injured and perhaps killed.

The softer metals are flattened by the locomotive wheels and are not commonly "squirted out" but when the stick to the wheel tread the centrifugal forces will indeed throw them from the top of the wheel when it rolls around.  I doubt they ever broke out the station windows and stuck in the wall 90' away but they could effect soft tissue damage to nearby observers.

So slow speed, as in walking pace, with a loco consist, supervised by someone from the crew seems safe enough.  High speed on your own is just asking for problems.

[CNW 6000]

I heard a story about a kid putting a spike on the Amtrak NE corridor.

When the GG-1 hit the spike it shot out from under the wheel and went right through the kids chest killing him.

I don't know if this is true,but I belive it could have happened.

 

Carl T.

Sounds like an 'old wives tale' to me but with what is 'possible' it may be just that.

[choochin3]

I heard a story about a kid putting a spike on the Amtrak NE corridor.

When the GG-1 hit the spike it shot out from under the wheel and went right through the kids chest killing him.

I don't know if this is true,but I belive it could have happened.

 

Carl T.

[amtrakjackson]

 Back in the early 1980s, some kids TAPED several stacked pennies together in Jackson, Michigan. Then the kids taped the pennies to the rail. The pennies shot out, and two broke one of the trackside station windows, flew through the lobby, and embedded themselves in the north side waiting room wall....a distance of perhaps 90 feet.

 Try taking a few pennies, stack them in between your thumb and finger, and apply pressure at one end- they will fly right out of there. Now imagine what a train could do.  

 

[tree68]

The "squirt" I refer to (for lack of a better term) is akin to tiddly-winks.  Presumably a coin not properly placed for best squashing might shoot out, probably off to the side. 

Since I don't make a habit of putting coins on the rails in the first place, I can't really speak to any of the possible results.

Regardless, most of the surrounding issues have already been addressed.

[jclass]

Well, I guess that's one way to keep inflation down.

[J. Edgar]

ive left coutless pennies dimes etc etc over the years ....many while i was working for CSX and on the ground for a meet .....prolly found less then half....always flat and oval in shape....quarters are neat cause sometimes the different alloys seperate in a pattern

[Anonymous]

Copper is one of the softest, most malleable and ductile metals. It doesn't stand a chance against the hardness of train wheels or rails. It does NOT have the property of being able to "squirt" when pressed between wheel and rail. It will easily flatten and the heat generated by the flattening (pressure) action makes it stick momentarily to the wheel until centifugal force causes it to fly off.

From an impeccable source:

""I called a few railroad track construction, maintenance and repair companies (these places are thrilled when girls call) and asked specifically if a penny on the railroad track could cause a train derailment. Vern, Lee and Brad all told me absolutely not. According to Lee, a train engine weighs over ten tons and very small objects won't cause a train to run off the track. A very large boulder, cow or car--maybe. Most derailments are caused by breaks or fissures in the rail or wheel defects... "

The Straight Dope: Will a penny on the tracks derail a train?

 

A penny won't derail a train, but penny smashers tend to push the envelope, quickly moving on to nickles, dimes, and quarters, sometimes one on top of another, to see how the coin images stretch, and meld together as they transfer from one coin to another.  They do tend to stick to the wheels and get flung into the ballast where they become lost like needles in a haystack. 

And penny smashing can be a gateway to more sinister horseplay.  Some penny smashers have at least wondered what would happen to a spike.

[Randy Stahl]

I wonder if there's ever been a case of coinage on the track causing problems with track or wheels that have been 'serious'.  Where's S. Hadid on this issue or Randy Stahl?

I've never condemned a wheel for a penny caused defect, most likely never will .

[Poppa_Zit]

Copper is one of the softest, most malleable and ductile metals. It doesn't stand a chance against the hardness of train wheels or rails. It does NOT have the property of being able to "squirt" when pressed between wheel and rail. It will easily flatten and the heat generated by the flattening (pressure) action makes it stick momentarily to the wheel until centifugal force causes it to fly off.

From an impeccable source:

""I called a few railroad track construction, maintenance and repair companies (these places are thrilled when girls call) and asked specifically if a penny on the railroad track could cause a train derailment. Vern, Lee and Brad all told me absolutely not. According to Lee, a train engine weighs over ten tons and very small objects won't cause a train to run off the track. A very large boulder, cow or car--maybe. Most derailments are caused by breaks or fissures in the rail or wheel defects... "

The Straight Dope: Will a penny on the tracks derail a train?

 

[tree68]

One of our trainmen discourages the practice by telling them that the coins can "squirt" out, turning into a lethal projectile.  Can't say he's right, can't say he's wrong. 

Got challenged by a local cop one time - he didn't really have a problem with my putting a penny on the track (to be smashed by an AMTRAK SDP-40), but they had apparently had some sort of threat reported, so they were watching the track.

[WCfan]

I remember my friend really wanted a penny flatten. He wanted a penny flatten so bad he snuck into the railyard here in town and right infront of the locomotive, with the crew in it, he put the penny there. Now that's STUPIED right there.(I saw this from a public street) Later he went back to his bike and rode off and put some quarters and pennys on the track by the crossing. He never got his flatten penny. In spring me and my friend where joking around saying it would be fused to the tracks. After looking around the crossing a while we found it flew about 10 feet to the other crossing. (Didn't land on the other track. )

[squeeze]

Used a quarter once, that was squished and used it for a guitar pick. Worked pretty good except that it wore out the strings pretty quick. Had a good sound though.

SQ

[CNW 6000]

I wonder if there's ever been a case of coinage on the track causing problems with track or wheels that have been 'serious'.  Where's S. Hadid on this issue or Randy Stahl?

[BRAKIE]

Biggest problem I see is that copper (or more properly brass due to the zinc content) is a lubricant.  That smashed penny has left a slick spot on both the drive wheel and the track.  That slick spot could cause problems.

dd

It would take more then a penny to cause a problem..I seen engines plow through 10" of snow and 2" of ice on the rail.No,a mere penny or several pennies would not cause a problem.

Grease and lots of oil yes pennies no way.

 

[P42 108]

I am not impressed at all when a train runs over a penny. If you have seen it done once you have seen it done 100 times. The funny thing is people keep doing it.

[traisessive1]

I have a loonie (dollar piece) that I had squashed by a CP local. Pretty cool.

[lonewoof]

When Southern Rwy was still running steam excursions, I rode behind N&W 611. It stopped on a straight stretch for a photo runby; let all the passengers off, then it backed up about a quarter mile. Before it came back by, lots of people put pennies on the rails. Some of the train crew or SR people walked down the rails and brushed every one of them off with their feet. Evidently they didn't think it was a good idea.

 

[chicagorails]

yep put dimes nicklesquarters flattenem and made a small wind chime outta them. back in my youth.....very dangerous!!!!

[CNW 6000]

At the tourist railroad in Eureka Springs AR, the conductor encouraged everyone to put pennies and quarters on the track when the engine went through the wye. Yes, loco was just creeping along and the conductor had everyone stand back. We all had fun.

Been there, done that.

x2 back when the CNW 1385 was still running.  Both times were in Oshkosh.  How nice that was!

[dldance]

Biggest problem I see is that copper (or more properly brass due to the zinc content) is a lubricant.  That smashed penny has left a slick spot on both the drive wheel and the track.  That slick spot could cause problems.

dd

[Willy2]

At the tourist railroad in Eureka Springs AR, the conductor encouraged everyone to put pennies and quarters on the track when the engine went through the wye. Yes, loco was just creeping along and the conductor had everyone stand back. We all had fun.

Been there, done that.

[spokyone]

To the original poster: English! Please!

I like his posts. No problem.

[Midnight Railroader]

Of course, unless you're invited to do so, you're most likely trespassing when you place your penny...and these days, that's no trivial matter.

To the original poster: English! Please!

[jeaton]

At the tourist railroad in Eureka Springs AR, the conductor encouraged everyone to put pennies and quarters on the track when the engine went through the wye. Yes, loco was just creeping along and the conductor had everyone stand back. We all had fun.

Been there, done that.