Odd story on CNN and MSNBC now...1:45 pm CST Runaway on CSX line this afternoon. Maybe no one on it. Details are still coming in. It was near Kenton<?> OHio when it came to a stop. Supposedly been going on for an hour or so now. Just stumbled across the story myself. More details later I suppose. Later Gents
Dane thought he heard the engineer had a heart attack, but I know engines used to have a dead man's brake. I'm assuming they still do.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rsn48: Dane thought he heard the engineer had a heart attack, but I know engines used to have a dead man's brake. I'm assuming they still do.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> It was an SD40-2 and according to CSX and no one was on board. It did have a dead man's pedal - there will be an investigation as to why it was not working. [ 15 May 2001: Message edited by: yankinoz ]
I read reports on other forums that the networks were covering the event like a freeway chase in L.A. One site reported that because of the runaway, there will be a special segment on ""60 Minutes" tonight on "Why Trains Derail." Now, think about that for a minute. These idiot talking heads who seemingly become experts at everything in any given instant are going to tell US, the railroad people, why trains derail. It actually could get quite hilarious! Problem is, most of the general public believe every word the heads spout.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by fitz: there will be a special segment on ""60 Minutes" tonight on "Why Trains Derail." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ummm - I thought the whole problem here is that this train wouldn't derail
I have seena picture of the incident, The locomotive (CSX 8888) was an ex conrailSD40-2. they may show the engine tonight , look, IT"S AN SD40-2!
The 60 minutes show is not being done specifically due to this. They have been advertising the show for about a week on TV here. The timing on this event will probably cause the show to draw more attention however.
I was simply pointing out the irony of the 60 Minutes report... Just saw the footage and it's an SD40-2 all right.
You are right, Rob. The point being that the press doesn't need any logic to air things that "they" think are important. In many ways they are controlling this country (US).
BTW, probably the best summary of the story is on Charlie's news site. Charlie, you rascal, you have Jim's fading magic on your news site. I love it. Have it on my home site. <http://www.iamoka.com>Railnews
I just saw the 60 minutes edition about derailments, geez, they really hit Union Pacific and CSX hard, but nothing about BNSF, ICC, or Norfolk Southern.
I was just reading this post and it hit me! I'm a so-called "member of the press". I work in the newsroom at the CBC in Montreal. I'm an ENG Editor and cameraman. I'm also a train buff since over 20 years. 2 years-ago, a train derail (after crossing a closed switch) in Brossard, south shore of Montreal. It was a CN GP9 with 3 hopper cars. I have some connection with CN dispatchers in Montreal and was able to request infos about the trains, before the press conference of the officials at the site. The 3 cars train was carrying cement powder. But the Public Security evacuated people around, just in case of any spill (from the cars, the loco stay on the tracks). I was the cameraman at the event. The officials says they are no danger at all. But the reporter, was talking on the air like if it was a nuclear cargo spilling all his merchandise on Mother Nature and bla-bla-bla... Today, they are no more news. We get "shows". The CSX runaway was not a "special" runaway. It was sure an incident, but a runaway happen more often then once every 10 years, which is the frequency we see them on TV. This one has the luck (or the bad luck ) to has been caught by TV copter. And the show must go on!!! PS: Here in Canada, the news reporters are less "show off" (specially the French reporters)then the ones in the USA, because the dynamic of the market is different, but they still do show instead of news... 3 to 4 time a month, I simply refuse to press the record button of my camera, because I judge that what they ask me is not news, but show... Yvan-Martin
Probably because of this story, our local news station in Dallas interupted the regular news last night with a "late breaking story". It appeared that a freight train was leaking hazardous fuel on a siding north of the city. Actually, the freight train was a short line that runs around the city. The train was the engine and one tank car and it appeared that the engine's fuel tank had sprung a small leak. In fact, they showed pictures of a person positioning a bucket under the leak. This is a "breaking story"?? It most definitely is a "SHOW".
Fellows, what I heard on the news tonight, was that the engineer got off the power, to set a switch. He apparently thought that he had set the brakes, but had really set the throttle instead of the brakes. The radio said that the guy had 35+ years on the railroad. Maybe somebody didn't set anything, jumped off the engine to set the switch, and had the train roll away from him. People will try to take a shortcut every now and then. This is my own opinion.
There is quite a bit of difference in the feel of the throttle lever and the brake lever, and for a veteran to "slap the stick" is not easy to believe. You think you wouldn't hear that big engine start pouring on the coal as you were leaving the cab? Even if he made it to the ground, that engine could not accelerate so fast that he could not have simply stepped back on before it got away. The engine might have still been moving, and while he was waiting for his train to pass so he could re-set and lock the switch, it may have begun to accellerate faster than he could run. Buta veteran isn't going to set brakes and throttle both at the same time while planning to step off! There may still be more than we know. I may have been some foamer playing around, and the railroad police didn't catch him. If that's the case, you can bet they will also start shooting the foamers on railroad property, but still want to keep it quiet. I don't blame them. What if a school bus was legally crossing when the train came through?
See Don Phillips' article in the "Washington Post' as posted in Charlie's "Daily Rail News"Seems the engineer mistakenly applied full throttle instead of full dynamic braking. A "human error". Just like the pilot that put the UPS plane on the runway instead of the parking area the other night.
Being that i'm in a small town, our local cable wouldn't have had the story but I got a satelite, and I even as much as heard the reporter saying that they had sharp shooters trying to hit certain onboard controls and couldn't seem to hit what they aimed at!!!! I was like well wouldn't you think with all the electronics in the newer engines specially the SD-40-2's that the bullet would have hit something in the controls to make an electrical short to shut it down! And even that, if say they did have sharp shooters doing this that might be as to why the dead man petal didn't work!!!!!! I was like all they want to do is get publicity and make it worse then it actually is for one and for two I believe that from this its going to cause a bunch of hardships, and the railroads are going to get the sh*ty end of the stick from this one. Its going to get attension from all the enviromental people and the safety investigators involved so guys guess what???? Here comes OSHA to hound CSX for this and that was yes the intension of the reporters to do this. What we have to look forwards in now is some goofy crap that OSHA is going to forse the railroads to do on all locomotives, just like the ditch lights now it will be something else to add to the railroad laws thats a MUST HAVE onboard of all locomotives. And the railroads will be belittled and OSHA will get fame and fortune. Thats all that was for on TV was to grab attension. [ 17 May 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Since we are in the middle of a forum on model railroading, I am waiting to see who will be the first to use this event as a prototype for a section of their layout.
