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

Walter,

All engineers sympathize with the situation you describe because all
engineers face that same situation at some time in their careers but fencing
the right of way and putting up signs does little to stop trespassers.
Amtrak tried it when they re-established the Empire Connection. In less time
then it took to put the fence up it was cut and people continued to cross
the tracks as if nothing had happened.

FYI, that the location where the recent suicide occurred by Normandy Parkway
was fenced on the side where the fool jumped.

Can you imagine the cost of fencing the entire railroad system in this
country just to keep from running over a bunch of people that should know
better? Once fenced, a constant vigil will have to be maintained to fix
fences that have been breached or the railroad will face a huge liability
(the railroad didn't fix the fence therefore the railroad "allowed" that
person access to the track).

Besides, a trespasser will always have access to the tracks at grade
crossing where, I believe, most people are killed and injured.

Suicides and trespassers will always find a way to get in from of a train.
It is a part of the railroader's life. We have to get used to it as best we
can. Those that attend this list must stay off the tracks at all times and
teach their friends and children to stay off also.

I think that for those concerned with safety around the railroad, and that
should be all of us, education is only answer to trespasser fatalities.

Fences may "make great neighbors" but they don't stop trespassers.

Back to the fun stuff, please.

Steve
- --
Running trains over Transitıs torturous
³Mountain Division²
http://www.ble272.org

> From: bill guimes <vze3fhdr_@_verizon.net>
> Reply-To: bill guimes <vze3fhdr_@_verizon.net>
> Date: Sat, 03 Dec 2005 19:51:29 -0500
> To: Dad <wsmith5957_@_hotmail.com>
> Cc: Harlan Hannah <s2choochoo_@_bellsouth.net>, Pete McHugh <PEMcHugh@aol.com>,
> john kluge <johnkluge_@_citcom.net>, Alfred Runte <Alfred_Runte@msn.com>, Ken
> Clark <portlandturn_@_yahoo.com>, "'Charles_Walsh@berlex.com'"
> <Charles_Walsh_@_Berlex.com>, "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup@lucent.com>,
> John Cooper <snopercod_@_citcom.net>, Richard Herbst
> <richardble_@_worldnet.att.net>, doug riddell <railwriter@comcast.net>, Bill
> Robinson <OverCrailway_@_aol.com>, <erielack-owner@lists.elhts.org>, EL List
> <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
> Subject: Re: (erielack) Two killed by passenger trains within 48 hours
>
> There are laws against trespassing. Railroads are private property. If
> people opt to disobey the law, they suffer the consequences. It's tough
> to stop somebody intent on causing others injury, death, or playing
> chicken with a train.
>
> I believe if you went to the trouble of fencing in the ROW, it would
> pose more of a challenge to trespassers and the like.
>
> From my experience with those types, I ignore them. They tend to go away.
>
> Bill
>
> Dad wrote:
>> 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".
>
> --
> Be a Locomotive Engineer:
> Its the most fun you can have with 3000 HP
>
>
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