BOB2 Wrote:
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> Nothing quite like the feeling you get in the seat
> of your pants, as your butt muscles try to grab a
> hold of the seat, when you set the air, and
> nothing happens.............and the choo choo
> ain't stopping.....

Yup. Been there, done that. That's why EMD put the Emergency Foot Brake directly in front of the engineer. OK, it's really the engineer's cab heater, but I reckon a lot of us have pushed on it real hard with (at least) one foot when we were having one of those "uh oh" moments!

>snip<

> As an old hoghead told me when I was still a wet
> behind the ears Fireman who was eager to run:
> "Son, they pay us the really big money not to run
> this train, but to stop this train....hell, any
> fool can run one."

Bob, do you remember San Joaquin engineer Ernie Fromm? He was my mentor, back in the day. I've never forgotten one of the things he told me: "Runnin' an engine is 90% reason and 10% skill." True 'nough.