Here's a shot I took of the newly repainted Operation Lifesaver Unit, # 4640: Note this shot was taken from public proerty from a long distance with a long lens (note the birds on the utility wires. ) Harold
This unit, with two NS business cars has been running around eastern North Carolina touting Operation Lifesaver.... Harold
Doesn't look bad at all. A question- Is it just the angle of photo/or light, or is that roof white? Boxcab E50
I think it is just the poor angle... I don't believe that NS has figured out what CSX has: White roof= cooler cab. Harold
And now for the story: "Operation Lifesaver Special Train Slams into Semi at grade crossing" ( a report from a friend of mine): "As some of you have heard already, the Operation Lifesaver Special that ran from Goldsboro-Havelock and back today hit an empty flatbed semi-truck down in Cove City, between New Bern and Kinston. I was onboard the train, sitting on the left side of NS 28, the first car behind the locomotive (NS GP59 4640). We were clipping along at 40 mph when several of us noticed a white semi-truck approaching the next crossing at an uncomfortable speed. Something looked wrong about the situation from the very beginning. I followed the truck to the extent the window would let me, and then I turned my attention to the live video feed from the camera mounted to the locomotive's nose. By the time the truck entered the video screen, he had slammed on his brakes and slowed down, but not soon enough and we were completely in shock as he slid out right in front of us. It was just like all the OLS posters taped inside of the NS 28, showing a train bearing down on a vehicle stopped on the crossing...except it was on the video screen, and it was for real. I closed my eyes and slid down in my seat by reflex as images of the Carolinian derailment went through my head but fortunately we didn't derail. The impact was minimal because the truck was an empty flatbed. We hit right where the trailer connects to the cab, and essentially cut it in half...the cab going to the right, and the trailer going to the left. Everyone onboard remained calm, and the law enforcement and military personnel onboard immediately detrained to help the truck driver, who was later airlifted to a nearby hospital. After the initial shock, everyone started asking...how is the engineer? how is the driver? is David ok? It didn't take long for us to find out that everyone in the cab was ok...a huge relief to everyone. "
Just goes to show no matter how hard we try and how many people are told about crossing safety, People will still get hit by trains.You would be surprised to see the video feeds from the wide body cab recorders.Sometimes you think that the people just didn't see the train.Other times you can tell that we tied in the race to the crossing usually resulting in a bad day for the losers family.
I have seen in South Carolina where many rural crossings that do not have lights & gates have a "STOP" sign attached to the crossbuck.... however, I see that they are not heeded either. Harold
I think it is just the poor angle... I don't believe that NS has figured out what CSX has: White roof= cooler cab. Harold </font>[/QUOTE]NS has one C40-8 painted with a white cab roof (and sunshades too)... 8706 IIRC (I have prints of it, multiple angles, to lazy to dig them out though)... NS has figured out it's a heck of a lot better for the crews to simply install AC units on the cabs of older units rather than paint the roof white (which doesn't significantly reduce in-cab temps...nor reduce humidity... ) As an aside... In 1998, the FRA issued a report on "Human Factor Guidelines for Locomotive Cabs"*, they were going to set some standards for in-cab temps... (FRA– 2130-AB46) but this was dropped in 2003. * Human Factor Guidelines PDF
Robbman, I agree that it is much better to install AC units, however, you don't have to be a scientist to believe that a lighter color roof will make it cooler than black. I do not know the degree of difference, but place two identical cars in the summer in the sunlight: white and black; which one would be cooler on the inside? Harold
But Chessie you also need to consider that just having a black cab roof wont take away from the rest of the engine being black.I know they did studies but don't think the outcome was that significant.
