[Cobrabill]

Shunting will show track occupancy and will turn related signals red.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

Shunting will show track occupancy and will turn related signals red.

Same here, with the added protection of the train losing speed commands, which applies brakes and shuts down propulsion once it enters the preceding track circuit.

[F ROCK]

that was some good reading. thanks cobra bill.

[Cobrabill]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100221/...ts_pedestrians

[Greg Reid]

Very sad story.

[tigergto]

I wish these pointers can be posted in a place where more young people would be exposed to them. I read in the paper today where three teen age girls where killed when trying to cross a railroad bridge when a train came boring down on them and they had no place to escape to. Hopefully you can get this message out to a social network young people will likely visit.

[mechanickeith]

Another one! http://www.kpho.com/news/22621969/detail.html

[fiedlerh]

Since this has become the railroad thread, a couple of questions.

I noticed more pushers at the back end of trains lately. Trains here are typically 110 -145 cars (7 year olds love to count the cars). Usually one or two engines pushing. Never saw that before in the flatlands around here, but the line runs north into Canada. Must be the weather, eh?

How do they coordinate the power between the front of the train and the back?

[drailed]

The rear or middle locos are considered robots and are controlled remotely from the head end. In the case of temporary pushers on say a single grade there is a crew on them that attaches there engines to the trainline and detaches at the top of the mountain or grade. A few years back CP adapted a set of new guidelines for there tonnage profiles called TRAM which involved load and empty positioning and cushioned draw bar location rule restrictions on trains in certain hilly areas to help reduce in train forces requiring the use of pushers in some areas and eliminating it in others. The main goal was to reduce string lining and jack knifing in curves. Exert to much pulling force at the head end of a train and it will try to straighten itself out in sharp curves especially on steep hills especially with your newer locomotives.

[mzbk2l]

First pic: Pretty cool how they managed to stop right on the line!
Second pic: Is that why Scott calls you Crowbar Bill?

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

This happened last week here:

(Yes, I was kidding on both counts.)

[Cobrabill]

Hardy-har-har-har

Here's a cool story:

Train severs leg of subway vandal


Published: Monday, February 15, 2010
NEW YORK — A 16-year-old boy on his way to paint graffiti onto subway cars in Brooklyn lost his leg when he was run over by a train, the New York Times has reported. Jose Juarez of Brooklyn was walking through a subway tunnel when a train hit him; he was reported to be in critical but stable condition last night.

Juarez and two friends were walking on the tracks of the northbound N line about 10:10 p.m. about 75 feet north of the Kings Highway station platform when the train struck Juarez. It's unclear whether Juarez's leg was in the path of the train, if his clothes got caught, or if there was some other cause. The three were standing in boxes where maintenance workers stand to let trains pass.

Juarez was struck by the train's third-rail shoe, a protruding part that draws electric current from a third rail to the train's onboard motors. "He is lucky that all he had was his leg amputated," an unnamed law-enforcement official said. "If he had been touching another piece of metal when he was hit by the shoe, he would have burst into flames because of all the electricity."

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

Juarez was struck by the train's third-rail shoe, a protruding part that draws electric current from a third rail to the train's onboard motors. "He is lucky that all he had was his leg amputated," an unnamed law-enforcement official said. "If he had been touching another piece of metal when he was hit by the shoe, he would have burst into flames because of all the electricity."

The shoe is a very dangerous part of this job. Not so much getting hit by one while it's attached to the train or being electricuted instantly if you were to come into contact with one.... but the most troubling fact of the matter is that the shoes break off all the time. When a 5 pound piece of steel a half inch thick flies by you at knee high and 65 mph...It makes you think about some things.

[Cobrabill]

What do you call a train crew memeber that steps on a live"third rail"?


Conductor.

[Greg Reid]

I got a feeling I'm going to be sorry but....What?

Edit.. Ok...I didn't see the punch line.

[Cobrabill]

I was hoping to get pictures on my last trip but both legs were at night.If you become a dumbsh!t and find yourself in the middle of a trestle and a train is coming,after you panic,do the following:Lay down on the ballast as far away as possible from the rails.Or as close as possible to the shoulder of the bridge side/structure(same thing).And lay as flat as possible.There will be plenty of room and you will not be hit.I'll try to get pics next trip.
One more thing,as your are crapping your pants(or after)please raise your arm and give us a "thumbs up" so we know you are o.k. and it will be worth the walk(usually 1.5 miles) back there to beat your head in.Thanks.

[Cobrabill]

PHILADELPHIA — The Northeast Corridor faced more than two hours of closure today after an Acela train struck and killed two teenage girls who were on the tracks near Philadelphia, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The incident occurred around 10:30 this morning.

Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell said all main tracks reopened around 1 p.m. and service returned to normal.


Acela trains travel close to 150 MPH.

[hurryinhoosier62]

I think one word covers this one,Bill....SPLAT!!!

[Cobrabill]

ANd the third girl ahd a front row seat for that.

[Cobrabill]

Looks like no room-right?Look at either side of the bridge.You'll see what looks like a cement curb.If you were on a bridge ands couldn't get off in time,all you'd have to do would be to lay down with your shoulder as close as possible to the "curb".There is plenty of room and the train wouldn't even come close.







Yesterday going to Yuma.Speed:65MPH.Made for an interesting ride.

[cuz68]

We lost all of our trains about 7-years ago, Eliz and JC are in a battle over the tracks, Ez wonts to make a walking trail out of the tracks,Jc wants to get one back on the tracks, They run in Jc.