Do any of the real engineers or conductors out there have any words of wisdom that they would care to share about grade crossing accidents. They say that there are two kinds of engineers: those that have had grade crossing accidents and those that are going to. So far I am in the second group, but I would would like to know what to expect when I get promoted to the second group.
Serious replys only please.
Do a search of the forums - you’ll find all the input you need.
Hummm.
Brand new, joined today, nothing in the profile…and the type of question, and how it’s written…
Don’t know, maybe we should let the fake engineers here answer…
Thanks for all your significant contribution “edblysard”.
E-bob
not sure what your asking if you are asking me if you feel bad if you want the gory details if you wonder what i am like now compared to before this all happened or what. ED is nobody fool he been in fatality as a conductor so why limit to the engineer. If you must know as a conductor been in 1 fatality accident as a engineer i been in 3. how did i feel there is a wave of emotions that go thru you i do know i was pissed. do you have nightmares only when i slept for the first 6 months + / - a month . I can tell you this as nost engineers and conductors will. take the worst train or job make a record easy day with it and 2 hrs before you get off duty it will happen. and ruin the hole day and it is something you should not look forward to . but i can tell you this as long as you are riding the rails it will happen.
I don’t think the use of the word “promoted” was used in the right context. Promoted usually means something good and people usually celebrate it. I’m no engineer, or conductor, but I don’t think that there has been one engineer, or conductor, in history who has celebrated being “promoted” to that special second group! Hey engineer Steve, you just struck and killed some sixteen year kid who was stupid enough to go around the gates! Oh well, congratualtions on your promotion to our “special” club. While there scrapping the kid off of the front of your engine, let me teach the you the secret handshake.
CC [banghead]
Wabash1,
Thank you for the great insight. The RR takes you through all this training about the rules book, train handling, working safe etc, but there is almost nothing said about this fact of life for train crews. About the only thing that is said is, “Stay in the cab!!!” That’s all.
Chris30,
I’m not interested in the gory details. I had enough of that when I was in the fire department. I just wanted to know how others have delt with it, how you were treated by law enforcement, or anything else that might make it easier when the day comes.
Thanks again,
E-bob
Could E-Bob really be Spbed in disguise…kinda sounds like it to me.
stay out of the way dont gamble with a train
Well, unless the railroad is cutting costs, he would be IN the train. [;)]
Whoops, forgot this part:
Yes, search the forum. I remeber from a while back there was a post about something like this. It was kinda’ gory, but no pictures of course. The worst thing some one said they heard the thud of the person hit every axle and the fuel tank. I fell bad for all of the crew, but not the person who got hit, I belive it was suicide. Idiots, now the crew has to live with that. [}:)] [:(][V]
Hi group my name is Rodney and I was involved in a grade crossing accdent last August where a person tried to beat the train I was on. Yes he was killed and the engineer and I were off 3 days for trama. The accdent almost stopped me from becomeing a engineer. It has been almost a year since the accdent and I still have bad dreams about it. The other night I almost had another one that would have been my first as an engineer.
Rodney
Locomotive Engineer
Not only engineers & conductors but m.o.w. also.Everyone responds differently and you can’t judge that until it happens unfortunately. More than likely if you have a long r.r. career it will happen. I know, some people can & some can’t deal with it. I’ve dealt with it , but I dont’ forget.
20 years–9 fatalities
1-13yr old boy playing 'chicken
1- 90yr old man that had wandered from his home onto the tracks
2- suicides
2-commuters trying to beat the train, slipping and/or falling on the tracks
3-drivers going around lowered gates
First one was when I had only one year in the cab. I can still remember it in detail 30 years later.
The boy looked just like my son (who was the same age as the victim).
The poor old man was totally disorientated.
One suicide sat on the tracks and watched us approach, we hit at 70mph
Other suicide walked towards the train, we hit at 70mph.
Each one of them I can vividly remember, when I choose to do so.
Back then there was no such thing as available counselors, or days off for “trauma”. We just cleaned up the mess, waited for the release from law enforcement, and went on our way.
Then we dealt with as best we could.