I was reading through an old railroading book the other day that was filled with stories of how brakemen had been crushed between cars while coupling, slipped and fallen off the roofs of moving trains that were iced over, etc. One guy forgot the train was parked on a bridge and stepped off of a caboose porch and fell over 200 feet to his death…
I know a lot has changed over the years, but what’s the most dangerous job in railroading now a days ?.
TL
Being a conductor is still the most dangerous. Most injuries happen to Train & Engine employees, because they make up the bulk of the employees, and are everywhere the trains run. I would also say that being a Railroad Special Agent could be a close second.
I’ve never been injuried, but I know at least 10, maybe more, co-workers that have been injuried, and one that was killed. With the exception of 1 car inspector, they were all T&E.
Nick
President or CEO.[:o)]
Okay, okay, I would guess that, at least in old days, a yard worker was always in danger of being hammered by either couplers, car ends, or through trains.
brakeman (who are usually the conductor too these days since all the companies got this thing about cutting back the help to bare minimum)…is probably the most dangerous job…these are the guys that have to step behind rolling stock to open the coupler knuckles , connect air hoses, and run beside moving trains to pull the pin levers…not to mention fallling from grab irons and slipping out of foot sturrips on moving trains …chuck
Union Pacific: Director of Model Railroad Licensing Fees
Let me share a few experiences a co-worker of mine had in his early days as a conductor. Within the space of 2 months he: was beaten by three guys while attempting to flag a crossing - he managed to hit one with his lantern but 3 on 1 ain’t good odds; while climbing aboard a boxcar, a grabiron pulled free causing him to suffer a bad fall and sprained ankle; while stepping off a car after shoving into an industrial spur he stepped on a rattlesnake.
The only injury I personally sustained was a fall from a coal hopper that had ice build-up on the grabirons. Nothing broken but I pulled a groin muscle that still bothers me occasionally. I feel that the conductor has a pretty dangerous job.
[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]
Head of AMTRAK?
Working the yard…on foot.
Tom
While working as a fireman on the old Penn Central Railroad in the early 70’s there were more than one occassion where I saw brakeman getting hurt while riding on a car. One guy got pinned between two cars while backing around a curved siding and the other again while backing empties onto the main another brakeman fell off the last car,down between two cars, when he hit the ground he rolled over one rail and just missed being cut in half. He quit the next day.