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Re: Submitted For Your Approval - One-hundred-ninety-third Installment
Author: RA Phillips
Date: 01-16-2023 - 17:14
Nevadan Wrote:
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> The truck driver in the Nevada US95 crash was not
> trying to beat the train. Investigation determined
> he was distracted (phone suspected) and did not
> see the train or crossing gates until it was too
> late to stop.
That's not to mention that the road speed at that location is 75 MPH, Passenger Train Speed is 79 MPH and from the direction the driver was coming, there is a curve to the left on the approach to that crossing. Driven it many times and even camped out East of that location many times. I personally knew Amtrak Conductor Loretta Lee that died in that incident and rode with her a few times, but I also worked with her Brother Kenny Rankin for a few years at the Amtrak 8th St. Coach Yard in the early 1990s. Both of them were the nicest and most thoughtful people in the world. What is interesting, is Loretta took Engine Service as an Engineer. She quickly gave it up, as she told me it was too stressful to her, being on the headend of the train, and all of the cars, trucks and people that ran out in front of it. She feared she would be killed, sooner than later, and so she went back to being a Conductor. Little did she know, she would get killed in the line of duty, in the same manner. How sad. Last, but not least, I knew Ron Kanikow, the Engineer that was at the throttle that day. Last he told me, every time he approaches that crossing, he sets the air brakes, "just in case" and is very cautious of it.
"Head aches and heart aches and all kinds of pain. All a part of a railroad train. The sweat and the toil, the good with the grande, all of the life of a railroad man."
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> The truck driver in the Nevada US95 crash was not
> trying to beat the train. Investigation determined
> he was distracted (phone suspected) and did not
> see the train or crossing gates until it was too
> late to stop.
That's not to mention that the road speed at that location is 75 MPH, Passenger Train Speed is 79 MPH and from the direction the driver was coming, there is a curve to the left on the approach to that crossing. Driven it many times and even camped out East of that location many times. I personally knew Amtrak Conductor Loretta Lee that died in that incident and rode with her a few times, but I also worked with her Brother Kenny Rankin for a few years at the Amtrak 8th St. Coach Yard in the early 1990s. Both of them were the nicest and most thoughtful people in the world. What is interesting, is Loretta took Engine Service as an Engineer. She quickly gave it up, as she told me it was too stressful to her, being on the headend of the train, and all of the cars, trucks and people that ran out in front of it. She feared she would be killed, sooner than later, and so she went back to being a Conductor. Little did she know, she would get killed in the line of duty, in the same manner. How sad. Last, but not least, I knew Ron Kanikow, the Engineer that was at the throttle that day. Last he told me, every time he approaches that crossing, he sets the air brakes, "just in case" and is very cautious of it.
"Head aches and heart aches and all kinds of pain. All a part of a railroad train. The sweat and the toil, the good with the grande, all of the life of a railroad man."
