Safety Vs. Saving Money --- Guess Which Comes Out On Top?
Author: Holly Gibson
Date: 02-12-2009 - 14:08
J wrote:
I'm sorry but I'm not buying in to the novel term, lonesome cab. A thousand or more trains operate daily in the US with one person in the cab. This includes many trains operated by Amtrak, METRA, etc.
I'm not disputing that. The question is: Is safety being compromised? I say "yes." With lonesome cab, there was no one to monitor Rob Sanchez' actions. All of the examples you cite above could be plagued, right as we speak, with "Rob Sanchez syndrome." Is that safe?
I notice you've conveniently glossed over the most important characteristic of lonesome cab. It saves on labor costs.
This is in addition some short lines (including one that handles 140+ car coal trains with distributed power at speeds of up to 40 mph)
Which short line are you talking about?
and Class 1 helper and engine exchange crews. These movements operate with control systems ranging from ACSES/Cab Signals to non-signaled Track Warrant Control.
But it's all about saving money, isn't it? And in the next breath, railroad managements will preach to us about how concerned they are about safety.
Commercial airliners no longer operate with second officers, navigators and flight engineers
Give it time. I imagine we'll see lonesome cab on commercial airlines in our lifetime. They airlines are desperate to find ways to cut costs.
and Indy cars no longer race with an on-board mechanic.
Did they ever?