Just to clarify he was not a conductor. He was the engineer and he missed the signal directing him to stop his train.
The conductor was taking care of the passengers. If it was mandatory for the conductor to be in the controlling cab then its quite possible this accident would have never happened. Two sets of eyes could have prevented this. You would think that since the cargo is human the conductor would be required on the head end of the train, but what it boils down to is that its cheaper to have the conductor do multiple tasks like taking care of the passengers. Ticket punching. Its all about money. Eliminate a viable and important job to make more money and sacrifice the safety of the passengers.
@R.C. Taylor: Yeah, that's why we have so many head on rail collisions! Wait, we don't? You mean this was a freak accident, which was the end result of a cascade failure any step of which could have stopped the whole thing? So if we had just fired the Engineer, and had computers run the train, this wouldn't have happened b/c this guy wouldn't have been on that train? You're right, fire them all for more safety AND more money savings!
So since we are in the modern age... where are the automatic safeguards that will slow and or stop two trains that are on the same track heading for each other.
If two trains head on into each other, then there was a switching fault somewhere. last time i checked... engineers don't have direct control over switching so someone else is probably at fault in that disaster.
@dOk: Considering that our rail network throughout the US is in pretty damn shitty shape? You tell me.
Part of the funding for Amtrak was to help improve the quality and safety of our rail systems. As it is many commuter routes share with freight. Which increases the chance of such collisions happening.
There are all kinds of reasons this happened, but mostly it was the conductor ignoring his job/stop signals.
To answer your question, where are the automatic safeguards that slow and/or stop cars that are going to run a red light? Or that keep a vehicle from crossing the median into oncoming traffic? Or that stop idiots from droving down the off-ramp into oncoming traffic? Or or or.
@henrybear: If you notice a spelling or other error, please send a message to the author using the handy links on the left hand side of the screen. They check their mail WAY more often than they read the comments. It's also not good etiquette to post them in the comments.
@CrispyAardvark: He definitely had loco motives if he wanted to rail with the teenage boys. Get them all aboard and punch their tickets in the caboose, yeah?
There's nothing wrong with young people railfanning. This guy broke the rules, and I'm afraid the rest of us railfans are going to pay the price. Most engineers flip us the bird while trackside
03/03/09
The conductor was taking care of the passengers. If it was mandatory for the conductor to be in the controlling cab then its quite possible this accident would have never happened. Two sets of eyes could have prevented this. You would think that since the cargo is human the conductor would be required on the head end of the train, but what it boils down to is that its cheaper to have the conductor do multiple tasks like taking care of the passengers. Ticket punching. Its all about money. Eliminate a viable and important job to make more money and sacrifice the safety of the passengers.
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If two trains head on into each other, then there was a switching fault somewhere. last time i checked... engineers don't have direct control over switching so someone else is probably at fault in that disaster.
03/03/09
Part of the funding for Amtrak was to help improve the quality and safety of our rail systems. As it is many commuter routes share with freight. Which increases the chance of such collisions happening.
There are all kinds of reasons this happened, but mostly it was the conductor ignoring his job/stop signals.
To answer your question, where are the automatic safeguards that slow and/or stop cars that are going to run a red light? Or that keep a vehicle from crossing the median into oncoming traffic? Or that stop idiots from droving down the off-ramp into oncoming traffic? Or or or.
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just wanted to point out the typo
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He was definitely on the wrong track with the teenage boys.
Shame his creepy habits brought about such a tragedy.
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Great search function. Can only be accessed from an iPhone. Or so I'm told.
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P.S. I guess it's ok if you keep the 'Unsettling' prefix to your name, as you scare the living crap out of me.
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(Whoever you may be)
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