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In reply to the discussion: Quebec train set too few brakes, engineer “under police control” [View all]TheBlackAdder
(29,981 posts)16. As an addition...
While the engineer is away from the engine, anything thing could happen including the air brake system fails or power is lost causing the train to move while he's down-track manually releasing the handbrakes.
Someone could release the first dozen handbrakes so while the engineer is walking back, releasing them, by the time he's the dozen cars away, the last brake would have been released, allowing a thief to take the train for a joyride, possibly crashing it.
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"rail operators are given considerable leeway"---the regs remind me of oil & gas industry regs
wordpix
Jul 2013
#2
The average railcar is 75 feet long, plus hookups. 80 feet x 75 cars = 6,000 feet. Over 1 mile. nt
TheBlackAdder
Jul 2013
#17
75' too long. 50 or 60 might be about right. And your right, my mental math went south.
HooptieWagon
Jul 2013
#19
Varies, but most seem to be 60-63 feet long, thus about 2 football fields short of a mile
happyslug
Jul 2013
#35
Were they unionized? Seems to me this would be an issue a union would have plenty to say about.
silvershadow
Jul 2013
#12
Until the engineer admits fault or facts show he is responsible, what the comapny says is pure crap.
snagglepuss
Jul 2013
#21
EVEN IF he made a mistake the working conditions made it not only possible, but likely.
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2013
#32
I'm pretty sure we'll see some significant regulatory changes as a result of this. nt
GliderGuider
Jul 2013
#27
(I posted this on another thread) The Proceeding would not have happend in the U.S.A.
mrdmk
Jul 2013
#38
The train was left on the incline because it was crippled, it was parked there so the
snagglepuss
Jul 2013
#40
More on the track incline, union representation and the single-operator issue.
GliderGuider
Jul 2013
#23