That’s simple - there’s not a rule in any of the rulebooks that wasn’t written in blood. Not getting on and off moving equipment is/was a rule because people get hurt doing so.
I’m pretty sure every railroad rulebook on the continent contains three-step or an equivalent. Except CSX. Why do all those other railroads feel the need for the rule? Because someone moved a train when someone was in between or under a train.
One might ask why EHH didn’t can the rule at any of the other railroads he ran.
I believe getting on/off moving equipment went away for a couple of reasons. It wasn’t so much because of trainmen/switchmen getting injured doing so, but the cumulative wear and tear on joints over a career of doing so. Also with the illimination of brakemen, older conductors are doing the physical work that the (usually) younger men would’ve done. (This is a generalization, there are older men who are more fit than younger men.) The cost of knee/hip replacements, that the railroad can be liable for adds up.
Under the right conditioins, I believe getting on/off moving equipment is just as safe or safer than standing equipment. Out on the main where the ballast is sloped with about 2 feet from the ground to the step, no. In a yard or other slow speed areas, yes. At 15mph or more, no. 5 mph or under, yes. The trouble is, even where it normally would be safe to do so, there can be a temporary condition that makes it unsafe. Inclement weather for example. And you’ll have those who don’t know the difference or want to push the limit. It’s easier to prohibit the activity than to allow it with restrictions.
Hiring consultants is what you do when you get rid of your own subject matter experts.
A railroad manger these days has the primary task of safety observation testing mandated by the FRA. A seventh grader can memorize the rulebooks and do this testing. A subject matter expert is not really needed.
There are pros and cons to every rule, as we saw with the rules that did and did not exist affecting the Cayce collision. Proposed new safety rules are always met with, “If we did that, we could not run a railroad.” I recall being mildly surprised when I first heard of prohibiting getting on or off moving equipment, as it always struck me as being essential with the nature of trains. And unlike a lot of new rules, it did not come with a solution to accomplish the advantage that getting on or off moving equipment provided.
So I suspect that there are mountains of statistical data on that rule change showing every aspect imaginable, including the effect of various speeds, joint damage over time, loss of footing due to rain, ice, and snow, im
Issues such as this one tend to encounter various forms of institutionalized internal inertia. Finding the right balance between the wise old heads and a fresh perspective should be the goal.
Anyone can memorize the rule book, but how about applying the rules?
Quiz. Here’s the GCOR Restricted Speed rule.
6.27 Movement at Restricted Speed - When required to move at restricted speed, movement must be made at a speed that allows stopping within half the range of vision short of:
• Train.
• Engine.
• Railroad car.
• Men or equipment fouling the track.
• Stop signal. or
• Derail or switch lined improperly.
When a train or engine is required to move at restricted speed, the crew must keep a lookout for broken rail and not exceed 20 MPH. Comply with these requirements until the leading wheels reach a point where movement at restricted speed is no longer required.
You’re on a train and went past a signal requiring Restricted Speed at MP 99.75 and are running at Restricted Speed. At MP 100 you see a red flag between the rails at MP 101. Where do you stop at? (Once stopped, you’ll attempt to contact the employee in charge of the flag and be governed by his/her instructions.)
A. Do you immediately work yourself down to a stop?
B. Do you stop at MP 100.5? Half way from where the flag became visible and it’s location.
C. Do you stop at MP 100.99 short of the red flag?
D. Any of the above would be acceptable by the rule.
Jeff
PS. Bonus question. Once released by the employee in charge to proceed, how do you proceed to the next signal at MP 10
I’m not a railroader but I would say that A is the correct answer. Once I’ve been released, I would continue at restricted speed until I reached a signal that authorized a higher speed.
Yep that the ticket. Have a cadre that had CSX ranked #1 among the Class 1 carriers when I retired in December 2016. EHH come on board March 2017 - fires everybody and wonders, from his grave, why safety tanked. Yep need a fresh perspective from the bottom of the tank - glug, glug, glug.
The first three letters are most realistic about consultants. They are con’s.
[from the article also] “CSX’s train accident rate…now stands at about the level it was a decade ago.”
Accident rates go up and down but 10 years ago EHH had ilch to do with CSX. But some on here keep beating a dead horse, literally. CSX’s success or problems will persist beyond 2018. What will the anti-EHH crowd say then?