Steven D. Johnson Wrote:
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> A good rule of thumb when handling cars on a grade
> with ready access to the MT...put the air to them.

What actually happened - and the UP spokesperson must've forgot to mention this part to the press - is that this was actually a large hyrail boom track pulling six cars, and operated by a contractor. The one-person "crew" stopped and got out to line a switch, and while doing so away it rolled down the hill, hyrailer leading. The truck (it's only held onto to the rails by its pony wheels) and the head cars left the track on a curve at around M.P. 327.5 with the rest of the cars continuing on for about another mile.

This kind of one-man contractor operation is common on the UP. UP used to call a Conductor-Pilot for these things and he'd be responsible for switch lining, etc., but discovered they could save money by not doing so.