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Re: (erielack) Two killed by passenger trains within 48 hours

Paul,
     Altho most of us really DON'T want to heare about such diststeful
topics, I think they DO need airing in order that SOMETHING will be done
about folks who trespass on RR tracks. I mean fencing, trespass warnings,
etc. On TRI-RAIL, I had a guy leap out from behind a boxcar on a siding next
to the mainline while running at 60 mph. He tore open his shirt & stood in
the middle of the track like Superman.  I didn't even have time to take my
hand from the throttle & grab the automatic brake valve when he jumped out
of the way. I don't think the nose of the F-40 was 20 feet away.  What's the
point of even reporting this sort of thing??????? Hopefully to keep others
from making such foolish mistakes. I told my condeuctor that one day we'd
make official reports of all such events - in one RT Miami to West Palm
Beach & back (140 miles / 70 each way & 70 grade crossings of 6 lanes or
more) we wrote up 18 incidents....trespassers, cars running around gates,
SCHOOLBUS stopped on tracks & gate coming down on top of it.  I assume most
of us don't hear about 1/2 of these incidents. Most guys after running iin a
densely builtup urban area want to go home & crash - not make out reports.
Besides as one of my fellow engineers put it "The company will be mad at
us".

Regards to all,
Walter E. Smith----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>
To: "'Charles_Walsh_@_berlex.com'" <Charles_Walsh@Berlex.com>; "Ken Clark"
<portlandturn_@_yahoo.com>
Cc: "EL List" <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>;
<erielack-owner_@_lists.elhts.org>; "bill guimes" <vze3fhdr@verizon.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 12:54 PM
Subject: RE: (erielack) Two killed by passenger trains within 48 hours


> Chuck Walsh wrote:
>
> > Suicides (or even unintentional deaths) are an issue that
> > many locomotive
> > engineers will have to deal with during the course of their
> > careers.  It's
> > a significant problem, and it's been pooh-poohed until very
> > recently.  I
> > understand that NJ Transit actually has a psychological
> > counseling program
> > for engineers that have been involved in such accidents.  I'm
> > sure that
> > many other railroads have similar problems, although it's
> > done quietly.
> > I'd be interested in knowing how the E-L handled this issue.
> >
> > ...
> >
> > So, maybe this is a morbid topic...but I disagree that it
> > isn't relevant to
> > this forum.
>
>
> Actually, it isn't relevant. If this was a discussion about a suicide
incident on the EL or DL&W or Erie, then it falls within "EL relevance"
(albeit rather morbid).  This post was about a suicide on NJ Transit. It was
on an EL line, big deal. The thread of relevance is so tenuous as to be
non-existant.
>
> We need to be cognisant of the fact that suicide is a touchy and often
troubling issue to be discussing in a public forum. You need to keep in mind
your audience here. I'd wager that the vast majority don't care and would
rather not hear about suicides on a railroad discussion list.
>
> - Paul
>
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>

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