NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment. To view or download the image(s), click on or cut and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://lists.elhts.org/listthumb.cgi?erielack-03-06-06 FlattenedPenny.jpg (image/jpeg, 249x326 32755 bytes, BF: 2.48 ppb) A thoughtful NJ Transit worker was outside of our museum doing some work during the summer. He popped into the museum and gave me this flattened penny for our archives. A friend was with me and she started reminiscing about when she used to put pennies on the rails -- then said, "Let's go do that!" The dutiful NJT employee said you were not allowed to do that now, but when I asked why he just said "You are not allowed to put things on the rails." My assumption is that the reason is that you might get hit by a train doing that, of course, but I began to wonder whether there were additional reasons, such as ... - -- could the penny shoot out and hit someone if it was run over at an angle? - -- could something so small on the rails cause a derailment? I should note here that I do not show it to the children who visit, as I don't want to give them ideas, but I am thinking about a little story about it in our next newsletter and I would like to get the facts straight about what problems it could cause. Thank you. Lynne The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List Sponsored by the ELH&TS http://www.elhts.org ------------------------------
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