Lumber, pipe, and the steel banding used to tie down all manner of loads can do this too:
Thank You.
Lading straps, scrap metal, wood chips, et al. When handing on train orders one was always best advised to stand back once the lead locomotive passed and step back in when the caboose markers neared until delivery was effected. Occasionally one would see a faint sparking as some object dragged in the ballast.
We were boarding one of our Polar Express trains some years ago when an eastbound freight came through Utica on track two. Fortunately, our platform is on the north side of track one - a nice safety margin.
About ten cars from the end of the train we spotted a large chain dangling off a flat car, bouncing off the ballast.
As they say, “that would have left a mark.”
We contacted the dispatcher, who presumably contacted the train.
I’ve seen straps, chains, tarps, lots of stuff hanging off the sides of cars as trains roll past. I always keep a safe distance back, and I always prefer to watch the direction that the train is coming from watching for any trouble approaching rather than having my back turned and not see something before it’s too late.
Kevin
By the same token - when stopped as the head out car at a road crossing - give the train room - 50ft cars go sideways in derailments - give yourself a chance.
A public safety hazard at any speed.
In their frenzy for short term profits (before and above and beyond PSR) the railroads don’t have enough personnel to run properly and safely. Cut too many corners and accidents happen.
A while back I was watching the Deshler rail cam and spotted a tarp hanging over a tank car. A Large Tarp.
The call taker at CSX was a little incredulous that someone in NY had spotted a problem in OH, but took the information.
I presume the unfortunate conductor had a bit of a walk ahead of him - it was closer to the rear of the train than the front. Not to mention the fun he probably had wrestling the tarp off the car.
I was stopped on the ex NYC Shortline at Parma Oh. to line the switches to the ex B&O Cleveland subdivision with the Q641. This train carried blocks of construction debris, some of which were covered with large tarps, some of which were not securely fastened. An overtaking train passed by with a tarp wrapped completely around the cab.
At McKees Rocks on the ex P&LE work was being done on the overhead highway bridge. As I passed underneath with permission of the flagman at the site the workers lowered a safety net far enough that my locomotive caught it and pulled it from the bridge.
Back to the original topic, CSX had a dragging chain rip out a facing point switch stand causing a derailment.
A friend of mine had his ear almost cut off by a steel band while waiting for a train to clear a siding switch.
Mark Vinski
As to damage to switch stands, for many years the Southern Railway had ATS on many lines. Back in the seventies (it may have been the late sixties), the pickup coil on a freight engine came loose and cleaned a switch stand. The vibrations as the train passed moved the switch and the following cars were derailed. The end result was that the Southern petitioned to discontinue all its ATS system–and the petition was granted. In all of the ETT’s that I had seen, the maximum allowed for passenger trains was 80 mph, which was then reduced to 79 mph, and the highest freight speed allowed was reduced from 60 mph to 59 mph in all ABS territory.
The damage took place on the AGS above Birmingham.
I can understand the changing of the passenger trains by 1 mph, but not the freight. I don’t think that freight train speeds in signalled territory were restricted, other than the 79 MPH, without cab signals, ATC, or ATC, etc. I’ve seen ETTs of other railroads that had 60 MPH, and even 70 MPH, speeds allowed for freight trains in territory that only had ABS and no other additional safety appurtenances.
Jeff
I just like how they used the excuse of a derailment to get rid of ATS. Makes me wonder if it was even the cause.
Any wonder why PTC got shoved down their throats?
How does lowering speed limits by only 1 mph have any meaningful effect at all?
You’ll have to ask the lawyers.
Jeff
When Amtrak made the new ruling that passengers in private cars were not allowed on open platforms or open windows, I thought it was silly.
I guess it wasn’t as silly as I thought.
Exactly.
Jeff, there may have been an ICC order later than the one in 1948 which restricted freights to 59 mph in ABS territory, but that is the only one that I know of. It limited dark territory speeds to 49 mph for freights and 59 mph for passengers.
With ACS or ATC there was no ICC ordered limit.
Regardless of the ICC limits, we know that many engineers, knowing their territory, would run much faster. I recall, riding in the center seat of the engine on the City of New Orleans between Memphis and Grenada, seeing the speedometer needle hover around 90 mph most of the way. Once, when riding #4 from Bookhaven to Jackson, I timed a mile above Crystal Springs in 35 seconds–two engines, RPO, baggage, and three coaches.–all with ABS. (single track from just below Memphis to North Jackson and crossing Pass Manchac.
On that run from Memphis, I handled the horn until it became too dark for me to distinguish mile posts from whistle posts; going through some towns, it was impossible to blow a proper signal for all of the crossings–by the time we reached one crossing the first blast for the next crossing should have been blown–the engineer did not correct me for my style in that situation (last blast for one was the first blast for the next).
Sometimes you have to watch for flying ice!
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/357034/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/8998/
…from the tops of the ties.
The cool thing here was seeing a Metroliner unescorted by a GG1 in the snow.
Removing ABS systemwide did reduce some of the operating expense.
Which they’re paying for now, tenfold.