Re: (erielack) A penny for your thoughts

["Gary R. Kazin" <gkazin_@_yahoo.com>]

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Three_coins.jpg (image/jpeg, 725x313 111322 bytes, BF: 2.04 ppb)

I have three coins that I often carry with me; they are 'railroad safety
conversation pieces'...

The first is a flattened cent somewhat like Lynne's but you can still see
the Lincoln Memorial.  Lincoln's right shoulder is still visible too.  I
found it at Denville.  It is 1982 or older because the newer cents have
the zinc interior and are much softer, spreading more.

The second WAS a dime ound it at Otisville, NY, after the C&O 614 and NYSW
142 had gone by.  Nothing can be read on either side and it's about the
size of a quarter.

The third was a quarter and you can still make out some of the lettering.

The lesson: you'll get flattened regardless of how big you are.  If you'r
going to flatten a coin, dimes work best...

The reasons for not putting coins on the rails:
- - Indeed, it could shoot out when the train passes.
- - It can cause flat spots on the train's wheels or on the rails,
ultimately requiring repairs.  It wouldn't cause a derailment.

Obviously, the first is the more serious.

- --- Lynne <LKRanieri_@_comcast.net> wrote:

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> 
>    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.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

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