Why Remote Controlled Locomotives Should be Banned

[Anonymous]

How many of the incident were from operator error?
Up here in Canada we have carman using remotes to switch B/O'S from
the shop over to a yard track for the last 15 years and we have not had one
operator error.I have operated one for many year and I feel very safe with it.
You know your the one in control.

[Anonymous]

This is the header of the 30 page compilation of RCO incidents. The incidents range from cornering equipment, run through switches (power and Hand), rough joints causing a derailment, shoves hitting occupied power or cars, running signals, kicking cars into other jobs, breaking knuckles. You name it it has been done.

The number of RCO the BNSF jobs was running is important to understand. The RCOs were started at the very end on February 2002. by June 10, 2002 there were 27 jobs. By the end of 2002 128 jobs. They haven't updated the number of RCO jobs in 2003. If they continued to put them on at the same rate as they were in the last six months of 2002 there would have been about 228 jobs by the middle of June 2003. That would put the average number of jobs for the whole period covered in this report somewhere between 75 and 114 per day.

The full 30 page report gives details of some of the accidents.

BNSF INCIDENTS INVOLVING
REMOTE CONTROL LOCOMOTIVES
Updated- June 16, 2003
Summary of Cause Factors
Incidents- 181
Human Factor- 117- 64%
Miscellaneous - 28- 16%
Track- 23- 13%
Equipment- 7- 4%
Signal- 6- 3%

[K. P. Harrier]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pfrench68

Iron, the file is to big to post here. If you are willing to give me a way to send it to you I will. The source is the BNSF. It is a compiled file of the RCO incidents from March 2002 to June 16, 2003.

Hey, pfrench68:

I am curious how many incidents were listed between the dates you mentioned. What was the typical happening? Thanks.

[wabash1]

Kev

the remote will stop in its tracks when it loses signal with its operator. if the engine dies it sets its brakes also. but as you stated it dont know when it has run through a switch or hit someone. and yes it will block crossings for hours.

Also the remotes are regular engines with the remote device on it. It can be set up in seconds to be run like a regular engine with a lic engineer.

[Anonymous]

Well, also..

Let's just say they do get these remote locomotives up and running, how the hell would the locomotive know if it ran someone over if they were being an idiot and walking on the tracks?

It could be jsut me not knowing what a remote control locomotive is all about.. I kind of get a vision with a guy with a remote, kind of like those TYCO RC cars..

How would the locomotive itself know when it runs someone over?

What happens if the remote fails, breaks, dies.. Does that mean runnaway loco?
Or does the locomotive stop moving when it stops recieveing commands.. And just lies dead where it was.. that could jam crossings for hours.

[wabash1]

There is no increase in productivity only loss. when a 3 man crew gets a hold of 50-100 cars and starts switching them out they are done in no time the remotes operators ( on this road i work for) are only allowed to handle 10 cars at a time. the loss of time going back and forth for more cars is loss enough. the derailments and side swipes are common. Now someone wants prof on paper sorry it cant be done. every time some one derails them or side swipes them nothing happens it is burried the carrier wants to keep these things so they dont report them. Now death on the other hand is something they cant hide and must be reported. and with this i wait like you. to read documented proof that it happened.

[michaelstevens]

Didn't an UP Engineer run herself over (fatally) just this week ?

[Anonymous]

Iron, the file is to big to post here. If you are willing to give me a way to send it to you I will. The source is the BNSF. It is a compiled file of the RCO incidents from March 2002 to June 16, 2003.

[ironhorseman]

Where's your proof? Cite your sources. Show me the raw data.

[Anonymous]

With the rash of accidents involving remotely controlled locomotves, it seems to me that the railroads are making a big mistake in using this technology as a means of job reductions, and the increased productivity the remote diesels would bring. The UTU and BLE have been sold a bill of goods that borders on a dangerous game of Russian Roulette being played with people's lives. It seems to me that the real reason behind ramming this technology down worker's throats is corporate greed, pure and simple. Executive Management seems to believe that the average train crew workers are expendable, when they are not. I know a few locomotive engineers and from what they tell me, the remote control operation is not as safe as its promoters claim it is. Look at all the accidents involving remote controlled locomotives on CSX , Union Pacific, and o ther railroads using them. I think it is time to raise a red flag and get rid of the remote controlled locos. The sooner the better.