Does anyone know what happended to Rickey Gates of Conrailwho caused the big Wreck in Chase, Marylan

By chance does anyone know what happended to Rickey Gates the Enginer who caused Amtrak Colonial to Derail at Chase, Maryland and kill 13 people also did he go to the Jail

Gates served time at the Big House. After his release, I understand he works as a counselor. Gates changed railroading, but if he had refused the weed, someone else would have changed railroading. In other words, those who rule us are of a mind-set to use any “event” as an excuse to create more strings to control us. Things such as Gates did have been going on ever since the country began, but the results of what he did were IMPOSSIBLE a century ago.

If Gates refused the weed prorably BURLINGTON NORTHERN would of changed modern Railroad in the way of all the wrecks they had in the early 90’s

Was he the one who ran the CR diesels into the Amtrak’s path?

Yes, he was.

LC

I’m alive and well. TY…I think. Excuse me for being a bit leary of this subject or opinions of it. I screwed up big time. There is enough blame to go around though and drugs/drinking will be a problem in any industry. I faced a total of 100 years in prison with the state of MD and Feds. I wound up doing a little over 4 years in total. I worked as a drug/alcoholism counselor for about 5 years after my release. I presently work as an Operating Engineer running heavy equipment. I miss RR and still love trains.

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Are you kidding???

Not kidding Mark! My Former Emp. # (carried over from Penn Central) was 088473. Since you appear to have intimate knowledge of Conrail this is more proof. It was a life changing experience in the lives of many, including myself. I would not be so morbid as to kid about this subject.

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If you’re for real, as dougal says, you’re a real man for stepping forward like this. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday – not as if I’m the only one who does.

Paul Schmidt

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Billy…
that good that you cleaned up your act…but why the hell did you have to rate out your fellow brothers to save your ***!!!
csxengineer

If I was a “Rat,” having been in prison for so long, it is doubtful I would have survived. Here I am. You are misinformed by rumor. I did give very general anecdotes of the nature of the drug/alcohol problem only from my own personal experiences, when I testified in front of a congressional committee however; I gave no names or traceable references to inividuals. The goal was to promote safety thereby, preventing further events or accidents as my own. Please learn from my mistake. I can’t blame anyone for their anger and I accept responsibilty for my part. I will not however; spread any blame and “Rat” on anyone. I had the support of the UTU through the whole event.

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Rick

It takes a real man to admit he was wrong. I applaude you for coming forward. I am sorry for the harm done that fateful day. If what you did will help others NOT TO FOLLOW in your footsteps that is good. We cannot change the past, but we can alter the future by doing what is right and not making the same errors over again.

Everyone one of us has probally screwed up in the past at one time or another. Our actions may or may not have affected other people. So we can hide what we messed up. Your actions made the national news, kinda hard to hide that.

We cannot change the past. WE must keep from repeating the past when it adversely affects other people. It would have been much better NOT to have had an accident, that cannot be changed. So now we must try to stop other accidents from happening. Hopefully the knowledge gained from your accident will stop others from happening. Hopefully people have changed and your “ex” problem won’t be a problem in another accident. Let’s all hope and pray this is true.

Welcome to the forums. [:)]

Glad to have you. [;)]

If you are the real Rick Gates, if I were you I would not correspond openly to the general public like this…you never know who might be “listening” in and what you might slip and say. Be careful fella

Rick,
I’m happy to see that you are alochal free.and I’m Very sorry if I made you fell bad and I didn’t know you saw this
DOGGY[B)][B)][B)][B)][B)][B)]

I’m glad to see your sober

This is the question to this so called Rick Gates…What was the number of the locomotive you destroyed?

I WAS NOT BORN YET. I WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE

Rick
you said so yourself you where looking at over 100 years in jail for you screwup… but you only did 5…sounds like to me you droped the dime on your fellow brothers…aka RAT… i remember your “congrestional hearing” testimony… it was in a nutshell… “all rail roaders are drunk or on drugs”… and as for the UTU beging behind you…figers…they sold out the flagmen, brakeman,fireman all for a few bucks for a conductor…and now they are trying to sell out the engineer for a RC box… just think…if you would have done this about a year ago…you could be sharing a cell with your UTU buddy Boyd and his clownes…and all of you could have had lots of time to talk about how you all can screw the BLE and your fellow rail road borthers while your on activeity hour…
in my book…you are and always will be a RAT… i know i am going to take alot of flack from people on here for my statement…but i dont care… i have just as much right to my comments as the rest of you…
csxengineer

Whether this guy is the real RG is possibly moot for it points up something. First that bringing the topic up by anyone reminds that there is good in everything and that in this case it is that we railroaders woke up and smelled our coffee. Where things might have been different 20 years ago; neither myself nor anyone I work with would even think of working in less than perfectly sober condition. And also that if he is the real RG, he is penitent and that means everything. We mourn the losses but celebrate the lesson and must never fail to do so.

Is this the real Ricky Gates, Conrail engine driver?

Yes, folks, it is.

Rick, there are some that will say that you should have served the full 100. I can’t say just what good that would have done, but you know full well the reactions people have when things as terrible as that accident do happen.

Would your having served all that time resulted in the necessary changes to the industry? I doubt it. Your testimony helped even though some are really upset about that.

I’m glad you’re “rehabed”. Greetings and Welcome.

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