Re: Oops ... 'Driverless' train in Australia gets out of control; deliberately derailed to stop it
Author: Bill Maltby
Date: 09-22-2018 - 13:08
Sorry, this isn't a "driverless" train as is being used in the Pibara iron mining region where some trains are remotely controlled by a computer and a control center.
This is a train that operates as a shuttle between a loader and unloader. It has a powered unit on one end and a driving cab on the other. The driving cab is an older locomotive that does not operate under its own power. Basically a cab car. The driver (or engineer for us 'mericans) operates in the working unit one way and from the driving cab the other. When in the driving cab he or she operates the working locomotive via remote control. Apparently the operator also operates from the ground while the train is loading/unloading.
This train ran away from the operator while he was on the ground. No word why this happened yet but the press used driverless as a term to convey the fact that no one was on board, although there should have been.