The April issue of "Trains" magazine carries a column written by Don Phillips about one man crews. Charlie
Every time I watch or record a train going by, it is a constant steady rat-a-tat-tat of flat wheels going by. Most of the time it is so loud I can't hear the rattles of the brake rigging issues. And this even though the yard here has a steady stream of cars getting new wheels on the RIP track. And the whole one man crew is only the preliminary for having the dispatchers run the trains from Ft.Worth, by camera and PTC-CTC hybrid program. Sorry, just my off topic li'l rant......
Kind of like the USAF flying most of its sorties with drones these days. An airman in an air conditioned room state side blowing away insurgents half way round the globe.
A thought has occurred to me, Why all of the sudden are the only things that seem to be derailing is OIL trains?
Or, is it just another example of media agenda? Where they've discovered a topic upon which they can focus and grab the public's attention, through scaring people as often as possible?
To get an idea of why trains derail check out the FRA database of reportable accidents. It's a fascinating glimpse into how things go sideways. Operational errors such as run-through switches and derails, shoving cars without someone at the point, excessive coupling speed. Out on the main it can be broken rail and burnt off journals. http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/publicsite/Query/incrpt.aspx
Or a broken wheel- Happening after unknown length of time, pounding a flat spot until it fractures and fails.
There is that too. If the media thinks the pipeline will alleviate the problem they are sadly mistaken, it will only add to the impending disaster.
