airdisaster.info

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/696292/

Would really, REALLY like to fence... railsideperv at one of those!

I put a post there about a light news story that the 797 could be built to be operated by one pilot. I mention that only as a secondary comparison to Discovery/History Channel Whatever "Alaska Railroad".

There's a lot of train cab scenes with one Engineer, Brakeman and Conductor. These guys are very much hams and overly-dramatize a LOT of things.

However, the flipside is to truly watch what they do and how history and "external factors" keep three folks on a locomotive where you only have to speed up and slow down...no left or right, no glideslope and no MCAS with bound up trim!

The engineer never gets up from his seat. Not sure the conductor does either...(Not sure what the conductor does...maybe she helps inspect the train?- I take back what I say about never leaving her seat. Then when there's a problem...the brakeman puts on the warm clothes and gets out in the snow and walks the train for brake problems...

Sure seems to me a train could get by with one operator- not that it's not a good idea to have one walk the train and someone in the cab works the brake controls to check stuff out...same for any hooking/switching.

In reading some other crash reports, I was thinking that railroads were getting pretty heavily into aeroplanie-type CRM...Both the engineer and the brakeman? both reading and then verbalizing signals and maybe even repeating speeds.

I've never noticed the brakeman being mentioned in this crash, only the engineer.

The conclusions are that the dude was distracted (but not really negligent-distracted) and that he "forgot" where he was" and blew through a 45? MPH curve at 70.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/charges ... 50595.html

It just hit me that a double-post might be fun...

This is pretty textbook on one human, two humans, CRM, automation, and even a call for physical punishment.

In other train crash news, CSX admitted fault in leaving a switch open.

An Amtrak train barreled into a siding and hit a parked train.

This was incredibly ironing as an automated system was shut down as they were installing Positive Train Control. (This one was already discussed several posts up).

Let's switch to some happier subjects.

Readers might recall coverage of the restoration of the Union Pacific 4-8-4-8 Big Boy steam locomotive to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the finishing of the Transcontinental Railroad. Here is a short video of the cab as the locomotive leaves town. Built in 1941, by some measures it is a member of the group of largest steam locomotives every built.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=padOmEyiqn4

***Like***

(Phugoid- it was 19 when I was born.)

I like this too:

https://youtu.be/Osk9p1QcV44

I would like to see it pulling 100+ heavy freight cars! (And to drive the thing)

At the risk of being repetitive...

I like this too:

https://youtu.be/Osk9p1QcV44

I would like to see it pulling 100+ heavy freight cars! (And to drive the thing)

Nice!!

Since when does Union Pacific have passenger rolling stock...?

Since when does Union Pacific have passenger rolling stock...?

They have quite a few operational cars. These are generally used to entertain major shippers, employee specials, etc.

https://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trai ... /index.htm

Wow... not a computer in sight anywhere! Or even a Diesel engine.

My quaint-o-meter almost broke during the scene with the old lady handing out refreshments to the "casualties".

But I'm calling BS on the alleged colors of the signal flags... they all looked gray to me.

Is this approved procedure?
Things I like:
-The first railcar in the video is somehow pre-crushed.
-Trainies evidently do Not_like carrying competitors, as we previously saw when one threw a bunch of crappy 737s down a hill.

https://youtu.be/BHdhsMAubfk

Additional note: We can’t let Brianie see the passengers leaving with their carry ons.

Not Karlie’s NEAR TOTAL DISASTER!!!!! is noted.

Knowing there have been some serious accidents caused by signalman error (including a horrific troop train collision during WWI with more than 200 deaths), i was concerned by the casual behavior of the two men during shift change. Happily, they were not at fault.

Here is a short video about the 1915 disaster caused by a signalman coming on duty forgetting about a train that had been parked by the man that was going off duty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnbs_-IaGhQ

You are for Donald Trump voting

Is great and glorious president

Da

Here is a short video of a truck driver impatient to have to wait at a railroad crossing. He drives around the downed gates and then pauses because he has trouble making a turn into an adjacent street.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW6lw0C ... e=youtu.be

Here is a short video of a truck driver impatient to have to wait at a railroad crossing. He drives around the downed gates and then pauses because he has trouble making a turn into an adjacent street.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW6lw0C ... e=youtu.be

Ah... intelligence is overrated.

There is something I noticed that's interesting... next time you're criticizing a pilot who doesn't react perfectly in 0.001 seconds in an emergency, watch that video and note that it takes the guy with the camera 7 seconds just to react to something that's super-straightforward and doesn't put him in danger at all.

Man... we talk a lot about the "Swiss cheese" thing in aviation, where if all the holes happen to line up, bad stuff happens.

I have the sense that with a steam locomotive, if all the holes in the cheese don't line up, the thing explodes.

Man... we talk a lot about the "Swiss cheese" thing in aviation, where if all the holes happen to line up, bad stuff happens.

I have the sense that with a steam locomotive, if all the holes in the cheese don't line up, the thing explodes.

And then you have holes in the boiler boiler plate that ALIGN with rivets...

...until someone forgets to dump some more Perrier in the tank and the rivets pull out.

Fun (and even slightly related!) fact: a coworker of mine knows a guy in his town who owns and operates a Stanley Steamer... the vehicle, not the cleaning service. Apparently he has to have a "boiler operator's license" to drive the thing.

Someone mention Stanley Steamer? Perhaps i can help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Me8b0ed59s

JMO, but this is pretty amazing.

I think they need it all here, oversight, procedures, screening, training, computer help, beatings, firings, regulation, bannings and a hell of a lot more PSI to the brakes (not to be confused with the brake lines).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=838vcxVwXOo