Re: New on Jan 4 NTSB update re: Amtrak 501-Not Much New?
Author: David.Curlee
Date: 01-09-2018 - 21:21
Erik H. Wrote:
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> Maybe the question is, are the currently installed
> speed restriction signs adequate in terms of
> position, size, color, etc.?
>
> The MUTCD has very specific rules about the size
> of a sign and its placement. The railroads set
> their own signing policies; the speed sign that is
> installed on this track follows the BNSF standard
> and appears to be a 18" wide by 12" tall sign -
> the size of a standard "No Parking" sign. Now,
> imagine you're travelling down I-5 at 70 MPH. Do
> you think you're going to be able to see that
> sign?
That's an apples and oranges comparison because the signs themselves are not what train crews use to govern their speed. The speed restrictions are supposed to be memorized by locomotive engineers based on what the employee timetable says - whether a sign exists or not.
I'd guess there's 25,000 locations in this country at which the railroads (1) never posted a sign to begin with, i.e. turnout speeds, or (2) the speed board is missing, incorrect, or misplaced.
> Also, a lot can happen at two miles. How many
> highway warning signs are positioned two miles
> back? None. Again, the MUTCD specifies a set
> distance - a sign prescribing a reduction in speed
> from 70 MPH to 30 MPH would be positioned 450 feet
> prior to the restriction. Now trains for obvious
> physical reasons need more time to slow down, but
> is two miles necessary or even appropriate?
Two miles is the industry standard for a lot of things.