From: teruya@rogue.llnl.gov
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Safety Newsletter Article (Was: A few questions)
Date: 2 Oct 92 00:48:13 GMT


     Last week I asked for some information for an article I was writing
for the LLNL Engineering Safety Newsletter.  I'd like to thank Ernest Robl,
David Murphy, Ken Johnson, Dave Pierson, Hudson Leighton, and Grant Geyer
for taking the time to answer some of my questions.  Thanks much guys.

     The editor said he had no problem with my posting it on USENET so
here's what I submitted.  It is way too long for the newsletter so it will
probably be cut down by about a 1/3 by the time they finish editing it.  
I told the editor it was so long because people are so imaginative about
finding ways to get themselves killed.  I don't think there is anything 
in here rec.railroaders and other railfans don't already know, but I
thought you folks might be interested in reading it anyway.  Remember, it
was written for a non-railfan audience.

****Start of article****

Learning The Hard Way   <== Name of newsletter regular feature
Staying Off Track

By Alan Teruya, NESD

	Any of my friends can tell you that I am a railfan.  My office 
walls are filled with train pictures, and I am a member of the Pacific 
Locomotive Association which runs the Niles Canyon Railway in 
Sunol.  One down side to the hobby is that I am sensitive to news 
reports of accidents between trains and the public and am increasingly 
frustrated by the deaths and injuries that occur when people don't follow 
common sense safety rules.  It was the death of man hit by a train  in 
August - the third in Livermore in a year- that is prompting me to write 
this article.
	For over 150 years trains have been an important part of this 
country's transportation system.  Even today, trains are still looked 
upon fondly. The July trips through Livermore by a Union Pacific 
steam locomotive were proof of this as hundreds of people lined the 
tracks to watch the million pound monster go by. However people often 
forget that trains are machines governed by the laws of physics and that 
to be careless around them is to invite tragedy.
	Probably the most common accident occurs at grade crossings. 
About 700 people are killed each year in grade crossing accidents with 
half of these attributed to drivers who ignore the flashing signals or 
drive around the crossing gates. Its large size often makes a train appear 
to be moving slower than it actually is, fooling a driver into thinking he 
has more time than he actually does. It only takes a few minutes at most 
for a train to pass so the time saved is trivial compared to the cost of an 
injury or a life. Even if you aren't hit by a train, ignoring the crossing 
signals can still be costly: It is a moving violation and you may be 
ticketed and fined. Operation Lifesaver, a program put on by railroads in 
the U.S. and Canada to raise public awareness of the dangers of railroad 
crossings, has a saying:  "Even if it's a tie, you lose." Cynical railfans 
often refer to grade crossing accidents like this as "natural selection in 
action."
	Another type of grade crossing accident occurs when a driver 
stops on the tracks and doesn't get off in time. This could be because 
other cars block him in or because the car stalls. The key to the first 
situation is to avoid it.  If you are in stop and go traffic, wait until there 
is room on the other side of the tracks before proceeding. In the latter 
case, get everyone out of the car before trying to push the car off or 
going for help. Don't expect a train to stop in time; it can take a mile or 
more for a train to stop and by the time the engineer sees a stalled car it 
is usually too late.
	It isn't only the drivers of automobiles who get hurt or killed at 
crossings. Bicyclists also ignore signals, and occasionally one of them 
doesn't cross in time.  A few years ago, a junior high school student on 
the peninsula tried to beat a commuter train.  Her last words to her 
friends were "I can make it".
	One thing that is almost always forgotten is that human beings 
are running those trains. Imagine that you are driving down East 
Avenue and a stranger jumps in front of your car and you hit him and 
kill him. Even if there was nothing you could do you would still be very 
shaken and have memories that will haunt you for the rest of your life.  
Having killed a person or several people is something many railroaders 
have to live with. I have heard it said that by the time he retires a 
railroader has a 1 out of 3 chance of being involved in an accident 
involving fatalities and being burdened with the associated guilt and 
emotional trauma. Even if you don't care about the safety of yourself or 
your passengers, give the train crew a break and heed the flashing 
lights.
	Although railroad tracks are on private property it is impractical 
to fence them off.  Consequently it is easy to trespass on railroad 
property, but that doesn't make them a safe place to roam.  Most major 
railroads have their own police forces and a trespasser may be cited or 
arrested. The nature of a railroad roadbed (rails on ties in rock ballast) 
makes for dangerous footing and it is easy to trip or to twist or break an 
ankle. Especially dangerous is stepping on the rail.  The constant wear 
from  steel wheels make the railhead very smooth, and the slightest bit 
of oil or water makes for a slick surface that is easy to slip on. People 
working on railroads are taught to step over, never on, the rail. Bridges 
and tunnels can be deathtraps. If a train comes along there may be no 
place to run.
	Between the rails is never a good place to be. Trains can come 
along at any time, even on lightly used branch lines (By the way the 
Union Pacific line through Tracy, Livermore, and Pleasanton is their 
mainline into the Bay Area so there is a fair amount of traffic.) It is 
surprising how quickly a train can sneak up on you. If a train is coasting 
or on a slight downgrade it doesn't make a lot of noise.  Even if it does, 
ambient sounds from nearby roads or the wind can mask the sound of a 
train until it is dangerously close. Using headphones can be fatal:  A few 
years ago a young woman was jogging along some tracks while 
wearing a Walkman.  She apparently didn't hear the engineer blowing 
the horn until it was too late.
	It is also dangerous to play around parked railroad cars. Not 
only is it easy to fall off when climbing on them, but it can be very 
dangerous should the cars start to move because someone played with 
the handbrakes or a locomotive coupled onto the  string of cars. If you 
are underneath the cars you could lose an arm or a leg or even you life.  
A few months ago a girl in Oakland lost a leg underneath a freight car.
	Every once in a while a newspaper or TV show will do a feature 
on the romance of "riding the rails" and the "yuppie hobos" who jump 
trains for kicks. Don't even think about it. People have died from being 
crushed under shifted loads, from hypothermia due to exposure to the 
wind and cold, from falling off moving equipment, and at the hands of 
gangs of thieves. A few years ago, a body was found in a boxcar in the 
mid-west under a load of lumber that probably shifted when the train 
made a sudden jerk.  Among his belongings were notes that indicated he 
was planning to write an article on riding the rails. I doubt it was ever 
published. A member of the Southern Pacific Police once told me that 
about once a week a body is found somewhere on the railroad (which 
stretches from Oregon to Louisiana).
	You should be careful even at events open to the public. While 
the operators of tourist railroads and museums are very safety 
conscious, it is impossible for crews and docents to watch every visitor 
at every moment. It is important that people, especially those with 
young children, use common sense around trains. Expect trains to move 
at any time. Stand back from moving equipment, especially steam 
locomotives which may vent steam. Keep children under control and 
don't let them run in front of or crawl underneath equipment. Also, 
don't walk between equipment that is parked close together:  You don't 
want to be caught between couplers should something move.  Don't get 
on or near equipment without permission; most train crews are more 
than happy to let you take a close look or snap a picture next to the train 
as long as they know you are there and can make sure you aren't in any 
danger.
	I hope that his article hasn't soured any interest you may have 
had in trains. They are fascinating machines and it is a lot of fun to learn 
about their history, ride on them, or just watch them go by, but their 
power and immense mass also make them unforgiving and dangerous if 
you aren't careful. Obviously the easiest way to stay safe is to stay off 
the tracks and heed all warning signals. The best advice for being safe 
near trains (and also for enjoying them) was on the old x-shaped 
crossbucks:  "Stop, Look, and Listen".

****End of article****

     _____           Alan Teruya                  teruya1@llnl.gov
  ___ |[]|_n__n_I_c  Conductor & Track Worker     (510) 422-4676 
 |___||__|###|____}  Niles Canyon Railway         Lawrence Livermore Nat'l Lab 
  O-O--O-O+++--O-O   Pacific Locomotive Assn.     P.O. Box 808, Mail Stop L-352
                                                  Livermore, CA  94550


From: rogerm@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Roger Mitchell)
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1992 13:33:19 GMT
Subject: Re: E9's for Sale
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA