preventing train wrecks

[toysoldier]

Therer are calls for speeding up the installation of expensive automated equipment to prevent tragedies like the recent derailment.

How about just adding a second engineer? Or are they concerned that, like the two soldiers in "The Gods Must Be Crazy," they would be too busy playing cards to pay attention to the train?

 

[JFB]

I found it very shocking there was NOT a second person in the cab. any piece of equipment that can cause grave injury should have redundancy of some sort, even if it was just a simple "dead man" switch if the operator were to leave his position.

As for have a second man, If they determine the train was shot and that incompacited the operator, the second man might also been disabled

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Where have you Guys been??? :D The so called fireman was taken out of the Cab quite a few years ago :wink: Was cost advantage for the RR. If I remember it correctly the unions fought it quite a bit.
About the same as the Flight Engineer being taken out of the Airline cokpits. No need for them. That was the pipeline for future pilots. Now the Airlines are hurting for pilots.

 

[redhawker]

Oh yeah! Are these the same people that will be yelling in 30 years about the excessive staff of Amtrak, having to pay for the 2nd engineer's health insurance and such and the excessive government pensions and so on? Maybe the automated equipment would be cheeper in the long run?

 

[Fox Mike]

Oh yeah! Are these the same people that will be yelling in 30 years about the excessive staff of Amtrak, having to pay for the 2nd engineer's health insurance and such and the excessive government pensions and so on? Maybe the automated equipment would be cheeper in the long run?

True. Installing the automatic equipment to monitor speed and brake when said speed is beyond the posted limits will take time, but adding an additional engineer could be done tomorrow.

 

[Cooperhawk]

It was reported that the automated equipment is already installed but requires the FCC to release some bandwidth for it to function. I too would rather like to see two people in the engine.

 

[RugerHound]

News I've heard states that the line in the other direction already has the "Dead man" smart-brakes installed. They just hadn't installed it on the side that crashed.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Are they STILL mandating a complete change of Crew on trains every 100 miles as they use to do?

 

[RugerHound]

It was reported that the automated equipment is already installed but requires the FCC to release some bandwidth for it to function. I too would rather like to see two people in the engine.

The amount of money being invested into 'driverless cars' is comical, when we want to go back to two people in the cockpit of a train, of a motorized vehicle that does nothing but follow the rails it sits on.

Supposedly, the 'public' wants driverless cars because humans are so unreliable.

A camera, and two way communication, would also solve the problem, but of course, unions oppose that idea.

Exactly right... This is VERY fixable. Don't need engineers, nada. Just go to the airport at D.C. or Dallas... The trams there don't have any drivers and they've NEVER had a wreck! ;)

 

[exavid]

I think you're all missing the boat. The problem with Amtrak is that it's government owned and operated. All those restrictions against firing deadwood and incompetents came along with the deal. Amtrak occurred because private railroad companies couldn't get enough passenger traffic to cover the cost of operation much less make a profit. So they dropped passenger rail for the more lucrative freight traffic which they still have. It worked as well as city operated bus and light rail. When private companies owned those services they ran and made a profit for their owners. Didn't cost the taxpayers diddley. So what makes anyone with a brain think a government run rail service would be worth while? We're damn lucky the airlines in the US aren't government owned like many country's are.

 

[gasbag]

They should ban trains.
They kill people ya know.
At the very least they should have mandatory registration.

 

[Fox Mike]

Now the lawsuits come and guess who will pay them...the US Government; which is US.
http://news.yahoo.com/passengers-file-lawsuit-against-amtrak-over-deadly-u-163400951.html

 

[GunnyGene]

They should ban trains.
They kill people ya know.
At the very least they should have mandatory registration.

There also isn't an easier terrorist target.

Imagine if the US had more bullet trains like Japan, going hundreds of miles per hour, with relatively easy access to the rail bed over hundreds or even thousands of miles. (Some are under construction with federal funds, so we will get a chance to see what may come)

It'd be virtually impossible to stop a determined attack.

True. No way to police thousands of miles of track, especially thru uninhabited stretches. Yet another reason to shift from defense to offense.