OXFORD, Neb. – Authorities say an armed 25-year-old Missouri man managed to get into an Amtrak locomotive and pull the train’s emergency brake in southeast Nebraska. The Lincoln Journal Star reports the incident happened on an eastbound California Zephyr train with about 175 people aboard passing near Oxford, Nebraska, about 200 miles (321.85 kilometers) southwest of Omaha. The Furnas County sheriff’s office says the man had a loaded .38-caliber revolver in his waist and a speed loader in his pocket. Deputies found three more speed loaders, a box of ammunition, a knife, tin snips and a ventilation mask.
I can just see the guy announce to the Engineer, "Take this train to ______ (insert country here). I suppose we will soon be seeing locks on locomotives that are lockable from the inside. I wonder if the inward-facing camera captured the event.
I don’t know how he could get into more than the trailing unit. And then only if it was facing forward. There is no access from the front of a P42 unit, only the rear. E units had a nose door.
When I rode the Copper Canyon train, we were able to walk through the train and cross over onto the locomotive (while running) and along the side of the locomotive (a GP?) and into the cab. I was somewhat uncomfortable doing it (speed was maybe 30-40 mph) but a missed step… Wife was with me plus two others and our tour guide.
Larry’s passengers could do the same. But I think it would be severely frowned upon.
In this day and time, with various ‘hijacking situations’ being as they are: everything is now couched with 'politica’l motivations. “The Media” being as they are(?) [zzz][sigh]
The story linked here, and some other, ‘news articles’ out there; is it any wonder that the description of the ‘miscreant’ who boarded the AMTRAK unit with tin snips, revolver, and extra reloads of ammunition and a breathing mask, ( maybe, was an attempt to ‘kitbash’ the power on the train[4:-)]).
Lately, news always leaves much to be described? Had it been an American of a description that was ethincally" correct"(?). The description would include EVERYTHING about him[her?] .
The media would be interviewing neighbors, family, school chums, former baby sitters,etc. Checking grades in grade school, and activities in High School. We’ve seen it too many times, of late…
Where are the unanswered questions ? From ‘country of birth’, and ‘rel…n’ ,etc. and on and on. Instead the reportage is sadly lacking; holes and gaps that a stack train could pass through. [banghead]
It can be disconcerting to have the door of an F unit open behind you as you’re running at track speed… Of course, if you’re the one coming through the door, you’d best have your hearing protection in place. A 567 in notch 8 isn’t exactly the quietest thing…
Back in the late fifties, On the PRR at 90 mph, on an E8, the “facilities” are on the engineers side in front of the steam generator and near the end of the 2nd 567. They didn’t have hearing protection back then. But it would have been helpful. But when you have to, you…
That is such a quiet rural area, I think the only excitement was the trespasser in the 2nd motor - all by himself for a short time. Someone should dump his air…
Yes, your assumption is correct. My experiences were on PRR’s Buckeye Region which was based in Cincinnati and had the Cincinnati-Logansport, Cincinnati-Xenia, Indianapolis-Stubenville routes. The St Louis to Pittsburg line had cab signals from Indianapolis East to Pittsburg. Cincy-Xenia had standard ABS as did Cincy-Richmond. Richmond-Logansport was dark with Train Order rules but there were offices and interlockings at frequent intervals. But track was poor.
My experience at 90 mph was on a trip that I requested to “familiarize” myself to the Region. It was an all day trip Cincinnati-Logansport-Indianapolis-Stubenville-Cincinnati. In cab Cincy to Logansport and Indy to Stubenville and sleeper back to Cincinnati. On the Indianapolis to Stubenville portion, Cab signals were in operation and on much of the route, speeds of 90mph were reached. East of Richmond, we had fog and all we could see was the headlight reflecting off the fog. Had some angst over what we could not see and hoped that no poor soul was where they should be. (on the ROW) and fortunately we ran out of the fog and arrived Dayton. I love the way E units rode. On the times I rode coach on the Logansport, the old coaches danced on the jointed rail but the E’s left me with the impression that a gymnast could do a handstand in the ccab and have no problems.
That was my memory but have not been able to find my ETT. Did find this from '65 and it shows 75 mph between Richmond and the division post east of Indianapolis. As the PRR was in financial trouble they may have chosen to not maintain it to that speed.
It’s been 60 years since I took that ride and I,ve always thought we were doing over 80 mph but the crews wouldn’t speed would they? Only negative was that the E-8’s only had two seats so I was standing all the time except from Logansport to Indy and between Columbus & Newark when I went back to the diner for diner. The berth was welcome when I went back to Cincy.
Wonder whether PRR didn’t want to discontinue Cab Signals due to the effort to go through the ICC. It had significant maintenance cost to operate, 100 Hz power line and MG frequency changer sets as well as all the code relays, etc.
In the 50’s Maximum Speeds on various railroads were more of a ‘suggestion’ than they were a hard and fast limit. It was a different time with different sensibilities than exist today.
My father was a Division Superintendent - His instructions to his engineers - if you need to make up time - as fast as the train will go - OBEY, curve restrictions, City Restrictions, Temporary Speed restrictions - everywhere else, go for it.
While PRR ETT’s may have said 70 MPH max, I have little doubt that local management’s thoughts mirrored my Fathers.
The American Association of Railroad Superintendents was a signifigant organization in those days with many local chapters where an areas Superintendents met, networked and traded ideas. https://supt.org/
This is fascinating because it represents a widespread, systemic, and specific violation of Federal law! I believe as early as 1952 the strict application of the ICC train-control order of 1947 (enforcing the control provisions of 1920) applied across any line in ‘the general system of transportation’; the permission to 90mph is interesting because it would represent the presence of one ‘safety’ system (likely continuous cab signals) but not another (some mandated form of train control or stop).
Can someone explain to me how this flouting of enacted law was managed, legally?
As Balt says, the speed limits were not exceeded legally. In the mid-sixties, I rode an engine for 100 miles on a line with ABS only–and except for a station stop and curves, the speedometer hovered on the 90 mph mark. On the same road, on another section of track, I timed a mile in 35 seconds.
As has been said, there was little, if any, real enforcement of the ICC’s rules in some areas.
Now, when I am able to time using mile posts, I do not see any infractions of the rules.
Who said leaglly! The 1950’s and the 21st Century are worlds apart with legalities and enforcement.
Even Rule “G” was mostly ignored, unless it became flagrant; ah, those were the days…
I would opine that at one time, the timetable was more important than the speed limits.
