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"Yikes" is right. I occasionally take those Empire service trains & always found the trip uneventful. What good is alarm if you can "silence" it?
Posts: 23 | From: Milwaukee, WI USA | Registered: May 2003
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I would have thought a train at 75mph would need more than 400ft to stop...
Posts: 116 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: Jan 2004
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A train would need much more than 400 feet to stop under those condiitons. I think I read a post elsewhere that at the speed the train was travelling, it would have covered those 400 ft in 3.6 seconds. The "Dead man's Switch" won't activate until 4 whole seconds pass - too late to prevent a collision in this case.
Posts: 506 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2002
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The old dead man pedal was easy to disarm. All you needed was a flag stick or a quarter. The alerters they have now cannot be disarmed without getting caught. They have a metal seal on them. Yes, they can be disarmed but you butt is fired as soon as you get to your destination. It is an FRA violation to break the seal. The seals are checked at the end of each trip. Only a supervisor can give you permission to disarm an alerter. This only happen's when the alerter is stuck and is deafening to the ears.
Both the freight and passenger Engineers and Conductors work under harsh conditions sometimes. I've worked 83 hours in one week and know Engineers that work the extra board, who have worked between 80 and 90 hours a week. Sleep depravation plays a big roll in railroading. If your lucky, after you drive home and get a bit to eat, take a shower, unpack your bag and repack, you might get 4 hours sleep, because you only have 8 total hours off, starting from the time you walk out the crew room door, until you walk back into that same crew room door.
My next book will deal with railroaders sleep depravation in detail.
As far as taking off work, forget it. The same old answer for the passenger and freight Engineers and Conductors from their supervisors is, "Sorry we don't have anyone else available, you will have to go." They aren't concerned about how fatigued you are, they only want that train out of town. What happens after that is your problem. www.trainstories.net
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Is it 8 hours off, or 16? I always thought it was work up to 12, get 16 off, but I suppose you know more about it than me since you're a rail. ~Eric
Posts: 553 | From: Flagstaff, AZ USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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No Eric, if you work 11 hours and 59 minutes or less, you only get 8 hours off. If you show a full 12 hours on duty, by law, they have to give you 10 hours off. This is from the time you tie up until you go back on duty. Your travel time to and from home, (or your hotel if you are away from home, on a trip), is included in your time off.
Posts: 100 | From: Sacramento,CA | Registered: May 2003
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When I do my trips should I go and ask the engineer how many hours they've been working? I can imagine the response I'd get too!!! LOL
I've heard that the cab (correct term?) of a train engine is a horrible noisy place. Why in this day and age can't they make a train that's quiet and comfortable as to allow the driver/operators to concentrate on the job in hand?
Posts: 116 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: Jan 2004
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