I was filmimg a New England Central train in Burlington, Vermont when it stopped across a grade crossing and I watched as a kid jumped over the couplers. I was on a boat out on the lake and was zooming in which made it look much more eerie. The train moved again withing 45 seconds. That kid was darn lucky.
It's sometimes hard even for us railroad employees to get on and off moving equipment esspecially when its wet like our friend above says. I myself have had the great thrill of slipping while bording moving equipment and having to rely only on my upper body strength to get my footing back. I hate to think what would happen to someone who does not know what they are doing under these same conditions.
As ConductorDave pointed out, we employees often have a difficult time safely mounting and dismounting moving equipment. I've had a time or two that I slipped and a couple of times that I misjudged my speed when attempting to mount or dismount and got bumped around as a result. The point that ConductorDave, I and others make is that as experianced railroaders, it can be a challenge to us to do things like judge a train's speed accurately so that we can board safely or do our jobs onboard. The big difference is that we learned from the mistakes of others and survived our own mistakes to learn from them. I don't know how long ConductorDave or others have been in this business but in my close to ten years of railroading, not a day goes by that I don't learn something. Learning good practices is what allows professional railroaders to work safely. The best practice for non-railroaders is to stay off the right of way. I admit to doing occasional rail fanning but I stay off the right of way period. If I don't work for that particular railroad or have business there, I stay on public grounds unless accompanied by someone who is known by the local employees.
If waving to the train crew and then doing something illegal and dangerous is somehow showing respect toward them, then I guess I really don't understand anything anymore. That's kind of like smiling and waving while you're cleaning out the cash register. At least there's the disclaimer about trains always having the right of way. Facts is facts folks, no matter what your intent, being on railroad property without permission is TRESPASSING, illegal entry, breaking the law, etc. Do I sound a little testy? Sorry 'bout that, but I get pretty tired of people making it my responsibilty to protect them from their own crazy notions. If you want to show respect to me, wave and smile from OFF THE PROPERTY and I'll be sure to wave back and give a toot. Trespass and I'll be sure to call it in to the dispatcher and try to get the cops to save you from yourself. 99.9% of fans know and understand the rules of the game but there's still a few who don't get it. Please help us out and enjoy the hobby from a safe distance.
I enjoy the risk, and that doesnt classify me as a "bonehead", but I know what I did was wrong but I can't turn back the clock and make it better. Ya know? Sure I like to do crazy things but this would have been the craziest thing I ever did, I wouldve gotten killed if it had moved, or got caught by the police but I just take things as it comes at me. There was no crossing, no bridge or anything of the sort to cross it, so I took advantage and came through. If I had been caught by the cops I wouldve admitted it and told them I wouldnt do it again, but since the engineer decided to let me slide this once then hes a good guy. Everytime I watch trains go by I always wave at them, they wave back and thats sort of comraderay (however you spell it). Sure, I know people and trains dont mix well but I was dogged tired and wanted to get home ASAP.
Will, you may feel smart in getting away with jumping couplers as no big deal because you didn't get caught this time If the truth was known, I'll bet that engineer was waving at you to get off the railroad property. He certainly didn't think you were smart. Keep in mind that there are cargoes on the trains today, that are so valuable, or under government security, that the use of force has been authorized. What that means is that probably the next time you feel like you want to enjoy the risk, it will get you a bullet! There are some engineers who will suddenly back their engine up if they see you heading for a coupler jump, just to try to keep you from making it. You knew it was dangerous before you did it, and just because you were in a hurry doen't make it alright for you to see if you can get away with jumping a coupler. If you want to act like a teenager and test the tresspassing laws of today, do it out in front of a police car, or an airplane. The railroads are on high alert for terrorists, and your thrill seeking is going to get you killed one way or the other. The railroad is not your toy to play with! If you don't like being called a bone head, then don't brag about acting like one.
Wayne you are not wrong YOU DON'T MESS WITH TRAINS THEY ARE WAY BIGGER THAN YOU ARE. *GGGGRRR* so everybody please DON'T TAKE CHANCES BEHAVE AROUND TRAINS OK BOYS!
let's just say i hope he crosses the next train i'm running!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we'll see comradery, this kid has no clue! enjoy the risk all you just do it somewhere else. if you were to get coupled to or cut in half just think how that train crew would feel, i know it will be hard thinking of others in this situation but just try. this will tear them up, everytime we hit a car or pedestrian we have to deal with the feeling that we killed them, not remembering that it's their fault not ours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is something to open his eyes: Man dies trying to jump onto train Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - The Charleston, SC Post and Courier A man died Monday after he tried to jump onto a freight train near Taylor Street in North Charleston, police said. The man, whose name had not released at press time, slipped between two freight cars as he tried to board the moving train at 4:15 p.m. James Admore, 16, said he watched with a group of friends as the man seemingly hopped onto the train. "We watched the train go by, and he wasn't on there. We looked down the tracks and saw the person lying there," he said. Admore approached the man, thinking it may be an April Fools Day joke. When he saw the man's body was cut in half, Admore ran to the nearby Liberty Park/Highland Terrace Community Center on Richardson Drive to call 911. Officials do not know why the man tried to jump onto the train. Neighbors, friends and family gathered along the tracks Monday evening as officials removed the body. Charleston County Coroner's Office is still working on an official confirmation of the man's the identity. http://www.railchicago.com http://www.railchicago.net http://www.railnews1.com
Trains hurt. Don't be fooling around. It ain't worth it kid. Ain't busting your chops but the older you get the wiser you get. If you live that long.
We lost another this morning, just 5 miles east of me. That makes 8 so far this year in ~40 miles of CSX in Mississippi, and it's just April 2 .....
Lile I said before...... BONEHEAD . Pure-dee bonehead. Don't like the name? Don't do boneheaded things like this. Justifying your stupidity with a lame comment like this is a gross insult to the engineer- most likely if he could have gotten his hands on you, after you said a lame remark lile this, he would have knocked you into next week If this were AOL, I'd really let you have it, but since it's Trainboard, I'll just call your statements boneheaded and let it go at that. While I'm at it, I'll check out the Darwin Awards site for your demise under the wheels of a moving freight...........
I think the fellow who made the above remark exemplifies the response that many of us would have if given the chance. I've seen many people do things like that that would make you want to throttle them if you could get your hands on their necks. One such example I had wasn't train-hopping but was just as bad. We had cut our steam locomotive off at the west end of our line in order to turn it for the next departure on the turntable. The fireman had just separated the locomotive from the train and was reconnecting the conductor's valve at that end of the train. While the locomotive was standing, waiting for the fireman to return, some dope who was waiting for the train to arrive decided to get some pennies that he had put on the rail for the locomotive to crush (another boneheaded activity in it's own right but another discussion). I should mention that the locomotive had stopped with the rear of the tender where the crushed coins were. This idiot then proceeded to reach down under in between the wheels on the tender's trailing truck to retrieve them. I was the called conductor that day and had just finished detraining passengers at the time. I saw him reach under the wheel and shouted at him to get his hand out from under the tender. No sooner had he yanked his hand back in the clear then the engineer whistled off and pulled towards the turntable. I pulled him aside and gave him a strong lecture about how he almost lost his hand. Apppearently the fireman had walked up to the turntable on the fireman's side of the locomotive and the engineer never looked back before moving the locomotive. Perfectly understandible as he shouldn't have any reason to think that some dope might be reaching under the rear wheels of the tender for something. One thing that I have drilled into crewmembers that I have trained is that anytime you have to go inbetween or under a car (even if you're not stepping in the gauge) you establish proper protection with the enginemen. It doesn't make any difference if you're making up the air hoses or reaching under a car to retrieve something that a passenger dropped off the station platform. I'd have given a day's pay to have gotten a photograph of his wife's "just wait till we get back to the hotel" expression (in all seriousness, she looked like she was ready to kill him). If anyone got the message, he probably did later on if not right then. What made things worse was that this moron did his Darwin Award runner up act in the presence of his young daughter. If she is ever injured by doing something stupid around trains, her mother will know where she got her (poor) example from. Risking permanent injury for something as stupipd as a flattened penny just isn't worth it. Neither is getting badly cut or blinded if the object shoots out from under the wheels either.
Fine, if you want to let this keep on going do so at your own pleasure cause I'm not going to tolerate anyone anymore. NEXT SUBJECT PLEASE! Friscobob, I respect you and all, but what you said totally degrades you to my level, now if you dont like that then shut up about it. What did I say in the first place ya BONEHEAD? I said it was the wrong thing to do, open up your eyes and look for a change! Ok, say whatever ya want, but it goes in one ear out the other. Cant hear you! [ 03 April 2002, 07:14: Message edited by: UnionPacificBigBoy ]
hey up littleboy if you would READ his name and title, HE IS A MODERATOR AND SO AM I, so next time you want to knock someoe into next week maybe you should think and read before you speak, not to mention it sounds like YOU ARE MAKING THREATS when you say he will end up under some wheels. friscobob pointed out that you might end up there by crossing over not by force in which you are suggesting. when you goto work for the railroad, the first thing they teach you is the NEED FOR COMMON SENSE which you have none of i hate to say. it is also wise to stop, look and listen and in this case i feel that is also true,stop: doing stupid, boneheaded things to get yourself killed, look: look at what the heck you are doing that is stupid and try to keep from doing it any longer and finally listen: listen to the advice that has been given to you and use it wisely, we as railroad employees are trying to help you by keeping you alive and out of danger and out of jail. if you don't want our advice that's fine not that you will use it anyway as your temper and your attitude is proving once again with us and seems like the only way you think you can make a point is by making stupid threats!!!! i do believe that might be a crime too!!!!!!!!! i suggest this topic be closed before you prove to us once again just how immature you really are!!!!! [ 03 April 2002, 06:49: Message edited by: Mopac3092 ]
Yes close the topic, cause I dont want this thing to turn into a full blown topic where people are fighting and crap like that. We dont need that! Now am I being immature or am I talking sense? Is any of this getting clear to you? [ 03 April 2002, 07:02: Message edited by: UnionPacificBigBoy ]
why didyou edit your original post up didn't want the powers that be see your original, notice all the threats are gone now!
