Four derailments in one day, 4-22-03

[foamer4000]

Definatly a case of in mouth disease.
Catch you later Ed.
David

[edblysard]

Yup, we do have big egos, most of the time deservred, sometimes not.
Used the wrong mix of words my self, often have bad case of foot in mouth disease, all the way up to my knee.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[foamer4000]

Ed, Sorry!
My previous post did not come out the way I wanted. The first part was some good natured teasing about Texans. Everything is always bigger in Texas, including the egos. The second part of the post was a general coment about some of the other postings. It was not directed directly at you. I did not mean to call you an idiot. I just got in too big of a hurry and did't use enough words
David

[Anonymous]

Back to the Point!

Who says there aren't as many mishaps in Europe?
The state run railways say, that's WHO!

Despite the failure to report mishaps to the public and the utter lack of accountability to anyone, accidents in Europe are far more common than here - and the consequences are often far more severe.

The fact is that in America, public awareness is much more open, and our governments are intended to be servants of the people - rather than the other way around. Thus the people have a more effective means to demand safety. American railway standands are far more protective, both in preventing accidents, and in minimizing the injuries and property damage that results.

In fact, one of the world wide jokes that often get repeated in my end of the profession (Signal Engineering) is that train wreaks on the Italian State Railway are that country's means of population control. Ha Ha!?? Same thing has been said about India, and Russia. As for the German ICE train, you might as well be riding in a tinfoil box!

In 1987, a "Stoned" Conrail train crew jammed the onboard Cab Signals because the bells and whistles were hurting their ears. Later on they missed an approach and overran directly into the the path of an Amtrak train doing 138 mph. Wham! 585 passengers were on that train. 16 died and 44 were injured. The other 525 were unhurt. That with an impact speed well over a hundred miles an hour!

The crew is now in federal prison. Automatic Train Stop was mandated on all Corridor freights.
Locomotive engineer licencing and mandatory drug testing all resulted from our goverment's reponse to this accident.

Compare that to the 175 out of 200 who died in the German ICE train wreak of two years ago, or the death toll in the Chunnel fire - Or the hundreds who die in India every year. Nothing has changed at all in these countries after their mishaps.

The simple answer is that American mishaps are widely reported and European accidents are not. We have a completely open society here with much less censorship. Plus, U.S. railroads are held accountable by a government that is itself held accountable. Perceptions are thus very skewed when trying to compare.

RmC

[edblysard]

Hi Wally, seems I cant write and drink coffee at the same time. Try
[e-mail]
Stay Frosty
Ed

[edblysard]

Sounds like a setting for a Ray Bradbury novel.
Bet you cant wait to set out on the porch in the evening. Lucky brother you have, my back porch looks rignt into the backdoor neighbors. Really kinda boring watching two people watching TV and eating popcorn. If the chance arises, I may take you up on it.
Stay Frosty
Ed
p.s how the kids?

[edblysard]

Hi Wally,
Its [e-mail]
You have to put in the - between renaissance and man.
In a few years Aimee and I want to travel some, I get a 3 week vacation from the railroad, and the oldest kid will be out of the house.
But J was right, theres no place like home.
Stay Frosty
Ed

[wallywalkabout]

We'd be glad to have you up here. There's a lot of great RR history and good fishing in this area! Boulder is too city'ty'fide! Stay on the western slope(of the divide). Do you have an E-Mail address?

[Anonymous]

Ed, If your looking for some real excitement. You got to check out Illinois. We have some of the flattest land and biggest corn fields you will ever see. My brother owns a house about 2 mile's from the BNSF main line. The land is so flat we can watch trains from his front porch. In the evenings we sit on the front porch and watch the trains go by and the corn grow. It's a good time you should check it out some day.
TIM ARGUBRIGHT

[edblysard]

I know you dont, my friend who moved there turned into a seriously mellow yellow type person, from a type "A" personality.
Like I said, get one outta the house, and we are gonna go looking.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Mookie]

I swear this is true: The latest e-joke making the rounds!

Husker, Longhorn and Buffalo fans go hunting.

Husker fan finds some tracks, follows them and "boom" gets a deer.

Longhorn fan finds some tracks, follows them and "boom" gets an elk.

Buffalo fan finds some tracks, follows them and "boom" gets hit by a train.

What can I say?

Jen

[mudchicken]

C'mon up here Ed and be cool. Most of us don't have as poor an attitude as what seems to be in Fort Lupton.

-mudchicken

[edblysard]

Oh, and I hear that Dale Carnigie offers a really good anger management class, along with the win friends and influnce people course.
Or did you already take them both?
Ed

[edblysard]

Ohhh...someone is touchy. Maybe he needs to stay away from caffeinated drinks?
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
Stay Frosty,
Ego,
Opps, I meant Ed

[foamer4000]

Their just is not enough room in the rest of them for a Texas sized ego.

Quote" The world has no shortage of IDIOTS"

David

[edblysard]

Who knows, maybe Dorthy was right, except I cant visualize a pair of red ruby work boots...
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[edblysard]

No, but had a co-worker from the State Attorney Generals Office go to your state on vacation, came back, quit, packed up and moved, in less than a week. Swears she will never leave, she lives within sight of Boulder.
Gotta get one kid outta the house, by then I will have enough time in at the railroad for 3 weeks vacation, plan on Colorado, New Mexico, and Southren Calfornia, not necessarly in any order.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[wallywalkabout]

Ed, you forgot to mention Colorado. We all know, here in CO, how much you'all like our state! Ever been to Lake City? At any given time, license plates from Tex out number Col about 10-1. Have a good day! Wally

[csxns]

Right on J nothing their for me.

[Anonymous]

Well, there's no place like home.

Wherever home is..

[edblysard]

Been to Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Great Britian, Canada, Mexico, and most of the Pacific Rim. Still came home to Texas. Nuff said.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[wabash1]

I am not going to get into the texas debat. I been to texas many times . i didnt stay enough said

[edblysard]

Wonder if the rest of them will ever figure it out. There's Texas, and then the rest of them. We just let those other 49 states use the name.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

You're right Ed,

It is unfair of me to include the other 49 states. Ain't Texas Great!!! Be safe and have a Lone Star day.

[edblysard]

Do you mean the nation, as in America, or the nation, as in just us Texans?
Ed

[edblysard]

And imagine how POed they would be if you quit pulling those freight cars out of their plant, or the tanks out of the refinery? Had a Shell employee scream at me that we always block her on her way to work, (she was sitting at the crossing entering her plant) so I asked her if she would like me to shove them back in and leave. She yelled"**** yes" So I stopped the movement, started the shove back, then walked over, and asked her who her boss was, she got a little irate, demanded to know why I needed that info, so I told her I would be sure to let him or her know that she demanded we get out of her way, and thats why the refinery didnt get pulled that night. I told he if Shell didnt mind the last shifts production not leaving the plant, then neither did I. Shoved just clear of the crossing, cut the motor off, took out my cell, and acted like I was calling someone. This lady jumped out of her car, and actually apologized, asked me if it wasnt to much trouble, would we "hook back up? I dont mind waiting" My engineer thought I was nuts, untill I told him what was up.
Man, you block them for a whole 45 seconds?
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info. It makes sence now. I have seen something different. At the local cement plant they use a switch and about 100 ft. of track. When rail cars are at the plant they have the switch set so if one gets away it routes it into a big pile of sand. (Does not damage the car or derail it.) One time a contractor who did not know any better took the sand thinking it would not be missed. They had fun getting the cars out of the swomp at the end of the track.
TIM A

[wabash1]

ED is this all the people come up with is why derail cars and blow the horn at night.. i guess we are more in touch with discomfort here. i have had people come to me ask why wont the railroad shut down during morning and evning rush hour so they dont haft to try and beat us at crossing going to work. the place i am talking is track speed 50 for frt and 60 for intermodel trains. it takes 45 sec to clear the crossing when we go thru. but we are to stop running trains there til after rush hour.

[Anonymous]

Since the State of Texas is bigger than most European nations, I would think that a nation our size would have more derailments. Also, I would venture that US railroads haul more tonnage in a day than most European railroads haul in a month.