 |
Re: Alertors, trivia, reality.
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 05-05-2011 - 18:30
>As for the alerter, this was new enough power that it was a desk-top control stand with the mash button.
The presence or absense of a "mash button" is absolutely no indication of whether or not the appraratus is wired into the event recorder. Every alertor I've ever seen and used, from the antenna-under the seat models of the 1970s to the latest ones on both Amtrak and freight, have been equipped with a "mash button" (I've been running freight and passenger since 1974). Event recorders came along in the mid to late 1980s, and you can bet your bottom dollar that every locomotive built with a desktop control stand was also built with an event recorder.
>And if everyone was asleep, why wasn't the east man doing authorized speed of 55MPH or more
Simple. Be awake and slow down for the flashing yellow (didn't do a good job of it, though); zone out before the next signal (at W/E Kismet); get woken up by the jolt going over the power switch at W/E Kismet; blow for the private crossing just east of it. The public crossing is just west of the switch, and the FRA report doesn't mention blowing for it. It also mentions no entries in the Signal Awareness Form since departing Sharon. There's no reason that at the speed he was going, if he'd tried he could have stopped short of EE Kismet with no ill effects to his train. But that would mean using the air, which is a no-no these days.
For further details read the FRA report for which SP5103 has so kindly posted a link. It answers most, if not all, of your allegations (like the alteror was there, and resets were being recorded in the event recorder).
> how is it the Richmond brakeman was awake enough to jump off at the last minute?
Let's seen now, could he have been woken up by the train going into emergency?
>But we'll never know anymore about it other than our own speculation and rumors,
Try reading the FRA report. There's probably one from the NTSB too, but I've archived my automated email notifications from them so I have no report ID readily available.
>I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't live it on a day to day basis and understand how valuable it can be to be able to take quick cat naps when we know we'll be there for at least three, or if we should pull all the way in, drop the trainman off to cut the crossing, or make a slow roll to meet a five car Amtrak.
Hmmm, the flashing yellow you're approaching isn't a clue to call the DS? What about the situation where the DS tells you one thing; then does something else by the time you get there; and forgets to tell you about it (or perhaps the info got lost during turnover)? Had this happen several times over the years on the AT&SF, BNSF, SP, and UP. What ever did we do in the days before radios when there were a lot more trains running around?
The presence or absense of a "mash button" is absolutely no indication of whether or not the appraratus is wired into the event recorder. Every alertor I've ever seen and used, from the antenna-under the seat models of the 1970s to the latest ones on both Amtrak and freight, have been equipped with a "mash button" (I've been running freight and passenger since 1974). Event recorders came along in the mid to late 1980s, and you can bet your bottom dollar that every locomotive built with a desktop control stand was also built with an event recorder.
>And if everyone was asleep, why wasn't the east man doing authorized speed of 55MPH or more
Simple. Be awake and slow down for the flashing yellow (didn't do a good job of it, though); zone out before the next signal (at W/E Kismet); get woken up by the jolt going over the power switch at W/E Kismet; blow for the private crossing just east of it. The public crossing is just west of the switch, and the FRA report doesn't mention blowing for it. It also mentions no entries in the Signal Awareness Form since departing Sharon. There's no reason that at the speed he was going, if he'd tried he could have stopped short of EE Kismet with no ill effects to his train. But that would mean using the air, which is a no-no these days.
For further details read the FRA report for which SP5103 has so kindly posted a link. It answers most, if not all, of your allegations (like the alteror was there, and resets were being recorded in the event recorder).
> how is it the Richmond brakeman was awake enough to jump off at the last minute?
Let's seen now, could he have been woken up by the train going into emergency?
>But we'll never know anymore about it other than our own speculation and rumors,
Try reading the FRA report. There's probably one from the NTSB too, but I've archived my automated email notifications from them so I have no report ID readily available.
>I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't live it on a day to day basis and understand how valuable it can be to be able to take quick cat naps when we know we'll be there for at least three, or if we should pull all the way in, drop the trainman off to cut the crossing, or make a slow roll to meet a five car Amtrak.
Hmmm, the flashing yellow you're approaching isn't a clue to call the DS? What about the situation where the DS tells you one thing; then does something else by the time you get there; and forgets to tell you about it (or perhaps the info got lost during turnover)? Had this happen several times over the years on the AT&SF, BNSF, SP, and UP. What ever did we do in the days before radios when there were a lot more trains running around?
