What should a train driver do if he sees debris on the track in front? (e.g. a shopping trolley).?

Question

maybe i should elaborate.

Im applying for a job as a train driver and wondered what the procedure is when this situation arises.

Please help.

Answer 1

Wipe the dial ( apply Emergency Brake ) and hit the floor !   And wait for the inevitable bang !!!

Depends on how fast he is travelling at when the Emergency Brake was applied.

Answer 2

My answer is "Apply the Stoppers and duck!"  Once you can distinguish what it is you're going to hit, it is too late to avoid hitting it.

On a related note, I have a question for all you English sounding blokes:

"What do you call the devices that stop your trains and how do you properly spell that word?

Here in the U.S. they're called BRAKES, but I noticed several of you calling them "breaks".  Give me a break and set me straight, please.

Answer 3

As a lot of people have said....If you can see the shopping trolley on the line there is nothing that you can really do and the train will not stop in time.

As a former accident investigator I can advise you that you might end up with a punchered airline so the train, may have a break activation due to the loss of air pressure & you might also recieve a smashed window or two if the trolley bounces. (if the cab window gets smashed the the incident is reportable to the HSE (Health & Safety Executive))

You would then have to report the incident to the signaller who will advise Control, who will ask for a MOM (Mobile Opperations Manager) to attend the site and remove any debrie. Then at the end of your shift you will have to write a drivers report which will be copied and sent to the routes accident investigation team & your Drivers Standard Manager will keep a copy.

I hope that my answer helps.

Joolz

Answer 4

stop

Answer 5

stop and get the guard to remove it or phone and get p/w gang to remove it

Answer 6

Stop it may have a pound still in it.

Answer 7

Bobby is quite correct.  If I can see it (or you) it is too late to stop.

If I'm about to hit anything of appreciable size, I hit the floor.  Large objects can and have bounced up to collide higher up on the engine, sometimes penetrating windshield and entering cab.  Vehicles have a tendency to fly apart when struck, and you don't want to wind up with a transmission in your lap.

Small objects, such as your shopping cart, are never felt and rarely heard.  Vandals put stuff on the tracks all the time here in the US, usually stuff found on the right of way, like old spikes or tie plates.  Many times, when the locomotive leading wheel hits these types of objects, they are "squirted" out to the side, at very high velocity and with trmendous force.  They will kill someone, and they can travel a very long distance.

But there are the more dedicated vandals as well, which have resulted in vehicles, refrigerators, couches, large tractor tires --- you name it, being placed on the tracks.

They have resulted in derailments as well.  Many states here that still employ the death penalty have as a part of that statute that intentional train-wrecking with loss of life is a capital offense.

It really is serious business.

All safety related questions get a star from me.  Here's yours.

Answer 8

I work for a UK railway company and this procedure is listed in the "Rule book" for safety critical staff like drivers. The driver would NOT Stop the train immediately as in apply the breaks as their max.(which is called an emergency break application) this can sometimes harm people inside the train. The driver will sound his horn and apply the breaks at "Step 5 or 6" and continue to sound the horn just in case the idiots that put the obstruction on the track are still around and have not noticed the train. When the train hits the trolley and comes to a stop. the train driver must first contact the signal man/woman who is in charge of that block section (area of track in which the train has hit the trolley) using the Cab radio or trackside signal phone. they must report why they have stopped and that they will investigate. The driver will then go on to the track (if he is not already on the track using the trackside phone) and check where the obstruction is now located. If the obstruction is on any track the driver will contact the signal man/woman again and say something along the lines of the following.

This is an Emergency call, I am the driver of 1P46 (train head code) My name is john doe (what ever his name is) I have struck an obstruction on the down main (what ever the line is that he hit the obstruction) The obstruction is now on the up main (what ever track the obstruction is) please block lines up main, down main and up relief. (what ever lines are close to the now moved obstruction. )

Once the signal man has done so (stopping all trains on the given lines) if the driver can, he will move the obstruction then check his train for damage. if the train is safe to continue, it will. All other trains will, in most cases be put on caution (yellow signal) when going through that area in case of a repeat or if people are on the line.

Please note

Line = track

The driver must have an orange high visabillity vest on before the go on or near the line.

Answer 9

by the time you saw that you would not be able to stop the train quickly enough just slow it down as much as safely possible.

Answer 10

put the throttle on flat out  what do you think duh

Answer 11

The main thing to do is STOP and dont stain the seat too much...

Have a look at the Rail safety site www.rssb.co.uk which will give you some very good examples of what could happen to you as a member of the train crew, there are numerous other sites to do with safety on the web.

The basics though would be to stop the train, make an emergency call to the signalman, get the power off, inform any other crew on board and then clear the debris if possible or inform the signalman if you cant.  Obviously this would change if you hit the trolley, then you could be looking at a derail which is a nightmare situation that can only be worked into so many scenarios but could lead to some serious fatalities and casualties.

Good Luck

Answer 12

He should do whatever it says in his company protocol and his friver training.

Answer 13

Emergency stop but mind you if you are close enough to see it no chance of stopping in time a train can take up to 1/4 mile to stop