Hey, Bud, Sorry, verbal swordplay, especically the sarcastic kind isnt called for. Not an excuse, but its been one of thoses weeks.
Do you have a layout yet? Been designing mine for about ten years, as soon as one of the kids gets outta here…built a lot of cars and motors & buildings though, each one gets better as I learn newer techniques. My wife says I take my hobby too seriously, says the only reason I went railroading was to play with big trains. Of course I deny it, but shes right. Three more years and the oldest is gone, I already got dibs on her room.
Again, I shouldnt have jumped on you, the reason for this post was to inform people of his loss, not give reason to grip. Say a prayer for him again, I think I needs to bend the knee myself.
Be cool,
Ed
Along the lines of these posts …some years ago I was lucky enough to catch a Milwaukee Road train at a crossing while walking in downtown Milwaukee. I rested my hand on the crossing gate that went over the sidewalk. An older guy also standing there walked over and said something like “you railfans stand a lot closer to the rails than we railroaders do. Let’s stand back here.” He talked about metal banding hanging loose as the biggest thing he was concerned about. He also said something I had not heard before - that he hated to see people put coins on the track not because it could possibly harm the equipment but because if a wheel hit it JUST right (or “wrong”) it could make the coin squirt out sideways at high speed. Could be lethal.
Also on the subject of safety, it is interesting to watch an “old head” walk across the tracks – they have an utterly distinctive way of walking over the rails, and so many of them do it the same way I have to conclude it is standard training.
Dave Nelson
yes the putting things on the rail. coins may not come out in a lethal. but could definatly couse harm. rocks could be just as worse. i myself dont have a problem with a child under adult supper vision doing this. just as long as they stay away from the money when its being done. i hate to read about a big ole train throwing a penny at a child and lodging in there forehead.
When I started 13 years ago as a brakeman there was a conductor, and head brakeman on the job allways telling you what was right and wrong. Now, a new hire can become a qualifide conductor in a couple of months and put on a job switching the mill yard alone. Basic railroad saftey practices are never instiled and hamered in because there is nobody around to do it. They are only focused on getting the work done and safty comes second, if at all. Supervisers turn a blind eye to it unless something hapens.
One example : I get a real uneasy feeling when standing between the rails. So much so that I avoid it at all cost. Yet I see these young conductors (not all but a few) drop a car in a hill and stand 10’ away with their back to it, right between the rails studying the lists with only the air holding the car. I tell them every time I see this sort of thing but some just don’t want to hear it. Some other engineers have given up telling them. Now they have a few years under their belts they think since nothing happened yet they MUST be doing it right. I still hound them. If and when something happens, I’d rather be the pain in the *ss that tried to help than the one who chose to ignore it. If you understand the risk and do things differantly it is your choice, your fault. If you were never properly trained to understand these risks then it is the railroads fault. Slofr8.