Thank you for obtaining the DOT inventory numbers of the crossings for me. The Federal Railroad Admistration does not regulate visiblity at crossings, however we can pass your concerns along to the appropriate agency that deals with these issues. I will forward the DOT inventory numbers you provided, along with your attached files, to Mr. Terry Cantrell, Transportation Manager with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Leslie J. Spurlock
Federal Railroad Administration
1-800-724-5993 or 404-562-3816
I believe that i heard someone here on this forum say that the railroad and the fra dont regulate the crossings. let me see… ah yes unihead ed. I guess he was one of those kids that if you told him it was hot he didnt belive it til he burned himself. to bad that continued into adult hood.
Sir,
I work for a State Agency here in Illinios. I write letters simular to the responce you just recieved. I believe it is safe for me to say, what he just told you was, he throw your letter in the trash.
ILLINIOS
My brain didn’t fry, didn’t even get hot. I’m not even hot now. But oh, all those splinters!
“Pole Burner” is an archaic railroad slang term for a signalman (signal maintainer). It derives from the fact that in the old days, the pole lines along the rightofway were used and maintained by signal maintainers. Pole “Burning” was an unpleasant occupational hazard of this profession, thus the nickname.
Occasionally, while climbing a pole with spiked climber boots, a maintainer would slip and fall. Since he was also tethered to the pole by a safety belt, he would slide down the pole, being held close to the pole by the belt, gathering a face full of splinters and severe friction burns. The process was refered to as “Burning a Pole”. It hurt like heck.
Though it never happened to me, it did happen to my boss once, and to my grandfather before me. It still occasionally happens to power company linemen.
Oh, and by the way Kev, “Can’t we all just get along”, and enjoy the conversations here, and our professions. I hope you find joy in your work (or hobby), anyway!
OPB - I should read all the forum before I ask questions. That is very interesting. I had never heard that one before. Will put that in my Book of Knowledge.
Hey PoleBurner, Remember those glass inslators, (the clear and blue colored) that you used to throw away or throw in the back of your work truck. There worth 5 to 10 dollars apiece today!! Kind of makes you wish you hung on to them.
TIM A
There is a universal English-language spell-checker available to anyone. It is called a Webster’s New World College Dictionary. Mine is the Fourth Edition. Please use it.
Just a little humor to your statement. I work for the NS railroad and you by now have heard the safty pu***hey preach. and the training center is in georgia. they had a class of signal maintainers down there and the teacher ( some official but not sure) was going to show them the proper way of climbing a pole and how to come down. well to make a long story short he got hurt showing them the proper way of doing it. So much for the safty record.