There seems to be a rash of accidents lately where the cause relates to poor judgment on the part of the human operators (the recent DC Transit crash excluded).
There's also a story out of New York where an unauthorized person is alleged to have been at the controls of a LIRR train for a significant portion of the run with the knowing permission of the engineer.
Posted by Dakguy201 (Member # 10360) on :
From the CNN article:
"Apparently the conductor for one of the trains miscalculated a turn. It's still under investigation right now," a police officer told CNN. He would not provide his name."
A conductor miscalculated a turn?
Sometimes, you just shake your head.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
News media has no clue about railroad operations; they will report anything without any check on their terminology.
Referring to an engineer or a motorman as a "conductor" is just one example. I pointed out in another thread where they refer to a mainline railroad highway crossing as an "intersection"; maybe they expect a four-way stop?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Hey, it's a direct quote -- a cop called the guy a conductor, not CNN. If authority says something stupid . . .
Reminds me of what the first Mayor Daley's harassed press guy said:
"Don't print what he says! Print what he means!"
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
CNN should have got a more reliable source than a single police officer. A good reporter always gets corroboration; direct quotes in a story like this should only come from "official spokespersons", and I'm sure that cop wasn't one of them though he may have been a witness.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
Both appear to be "one-car trains". I know on the SF cable cars the operator is called a Conductor, perhaps same holds true for these muni cars.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
The "trains" were, in fact, single-unit Breda-made LRV's (light rail vehicles), similar to street cars. Don't know how these things are manned, but suppose that the operator could be called a conductor. I also note that the media in some reports called him a "driver" and referred to the ATC system as an "autopilot."
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Henry, if what Mayor Daley meant were written from what I have heard there wold probably have been rioting in the streets
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Train Lady, there WAS rioting in the streets in Chicago -- in 1968. Remember what Mayor Daley called Abe Ribicoff from the convention floor? Saw that with my own eyes, and so did other lipreaders.
Ocala Mike, I don't know who said what in that particular accident, but good incident command structure denotes a single spokesman to the media, and perhaps the quote came from the designated horse's mouth. Cops generally know better than to talk to the press outside the command structure.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Henry I do rememer those rather loud demonstrations in '68 now that you mention it.