My guess- and it's only a guess- is that if there really WAS a suction problem, the yellow warning lines would be painted back farther. It surprised me when I visited my hometown depot (a raised platform "bus stop" deal) that warning lines were only a foot or so from the edge. Considering that this station is part of the route for Acela, and considering it is one of the few straight stretches of rail betwee New Haven and Boston, my understanding is that the Acela picks up some heavy duty speed. I think the hazard from a passing train is more from the various objects sticking out of it than suction.
Back in the old days (I can hear the kids groaning) in the sixties I used to sit on the station platform (ground level) when the New Haven blew express trains by me. At that time the roadbed was pretty sad and I doubt THE PATRIOT was doing much more than 40. There was a lot of dust... lots of crud getting blown around... but no suction. I sat with my back to the train depot and feet no more than three windy feet from the rails. I got deaf from the train passing and dirty (which never made my mother happy) but sucked in... never. The stationmaster, who good naturedly put up with my near daily presence around the depot, always kept an eye on me.
I believe that the Mythbusters will bust this myth. Know why? Cause a train never sucks!
Metroliners passing MP54s with wood sash windows were know to suck them right out of their frames....but how big a pressure gradient that creates over the width of a person and the area it acts on vis-a-vis a standing person's stability is a good question.
Should be interesting, especially since those guys tend to pay attention the basic engineering and science involved - before they blow it up.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
Yes we are on time but this is yesterdays train
CNW 6000 wrote:I'll watch it! Sounds neat. For those who are much more knowledgeable...what do you think? Possible or not?
Not.
As Vic pointed out, the air being PUSHED in front of a fast train might be sufficient to cause a smaller person to feel the nudge from the air blast, but the 'suction' at the rear of a fast train, while noticable (consider all of the leaves and papers that you see being pulled along when a high-speed train passes), is nowhere enough to pull someone in.
Have fun with your trains
Sounds like their resident dummy (really - it's a mannekin) will suffer again.
Having stood within a few feet of an Amtrak train that was likely doing every bit of 70, the show should prove interesting... Hopefully I'll catch it - the schedule is a little busy this week. Still have to figure out if I can catch a repeat of a show on firefighting.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Dan
For those of you who get the Discovery Channel, the show Mythbusters (Wednesday night, 9PM Eastern) will be broadcasting a test of the urban myth "Can you be sucked into a train if you stand close enough?"
I saw the previews for this episode, and it looks like they are using either a California transit train or AMTRAK.
If you have never seen the show before, it centers on two Hollywood special effects men who try to test urban legends to see if they are true or not.
Enjoy the show... they also repeat the episode periodically throughout the week.
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