Question for all Trainmen?

Question

This friday a Union Pacific crew hit a Propane Truck in Oklahoma. All crew members died as a result of the explosion. The train was traveling 37 mph and dumped the air at about 140 ft before impact. What would you have done? Do you feel there is anywhere in the cab that you could go to in order to live through the event....such as the bathroom? Lastly, do you think considering the dangerous nature of our job, that the railroads should put in some type of protective room in the cab that we could go to in order to live? Such as an airtight metal bathroom instead of the flimsy plastic we have? What is your take? I'm just kind of tired of hearing about fellow crews dying when there IS a way to protect us.

Answer 1

OK, I'm not a train-man,,,,, but,,,,

The protection devices you mentioned such as beefed up cab, impact glass, heavier doors, etc..... would not only make the crews safer from impacts, and fire balls,,,, but they would also go far in making sure no one accessed the cab of the loco without authorization.  

Considering that the cargo carried on most trains can be the most hazardous substance in a 100 mile radious of anything, the Union could lobby that the protective devices be required under the PATRIOT ACT, to prevent,,,, terrorism.  

As long as we are stuck with this stupid law, you might as well get some good use from it.  I had a fleet of trucks that hauled lumber and furniture, and under the Patriot Act, I was audited to make sure we had considered putting in place anti-terrorism stuff.  I argued that the only thing a terrorist could do with our cargo, was build a bunch of ball bats and have a mass beating.

When I consider that the trains running by my house carry all manner of methyl ethyl bad stuff, I would think that cab should be like a vault.  A full throttle runaway with a crazed idiot on the throttle can kill many more people than the events on 9/11.  

A little education of the right paranoid bureaucrat, and you should get all the protection in the cab that you deserve.  

Answer 2

i  am  a  conductor  for  the  S.H,RR  the  best  thing  to  do  is  jump  .i  was  on  a  runway  sperry  car  while  i  was  working  for  them.  i  was  in   mexico  going  down  a  mt.  when  the  brakes and  air  went  out    with  the  hand  brake  it  took  us  7 miles  to  stop

Answer 3

I think bulletproof glass would go a long ways towards saving our lives.That and a heavier armored door and bulkhead before you get to the toolbox compartment. I saw the photos and it looked like the impact probably knocked out the glass then the fireball did the rest.I'm curious to see if they charge the truck driver with manslaughter.From the pictures of the crossing it sure seems like he would have seen the train coming if he had looked first.I don't think plugging it or not plugging it would have made any difference seeing as how it was propane.If it had been gasoline then myself no i wouldn't plug it till way after the hit to maybe get out of the fire.I almost hit a tanker once and the conductor was going to plug it.I yelled don't do it because if we hit our only chance is to get past the flames.We got lucky and missed him by about a foot.

Russel you usually don't have time to jump and at high speed it's probably going to kill you when you hit the ground anyways

Answer 4

Being a x train man, I would blast through, stop after, you big hole it and your right in it, protect the train, thats  all you can do at that point

Answer 5

Amtrak had retrofitted their F40PH's with what is called a "safe room". It was an area between the cab and engine room. I believe that is what saved Billy Parker's life when his Amtrak train hit a gasoline truck in Florida back in '93.

Answer 6

Jumping probably wouldnt save you....if you live somewhere with a lot of trees and bushes, at 30 MPH or greater, it could be like jumping into a pungee stick pit!!  Not to mention all the years of debris there along side the tracks, old ties, broken knuckles, broken bottles.....yikes!! I would put it in full throttle to blast thru it....maybe you could out run the heat??  I dont know...and trust me, the RR aint spending any money for a blast proof cab...if they had their way, there wouldnt even be cabs because they would all be remote controlled!!