Shunting American style.(WW2 US Railway Troops.

[HM181]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdV6G...eature=related

Have a look at this from America during WW2.
It shook me a bit when I saw the men jumping on and off of moving trains.
I have seen 2 shunters loose thier legs by such action in my time on the railway.

Another film from the USA. This time about a horse shoe curve and coal trains.
Yet again it looks like a Health and Safety nightmare.
We have such a curve which connects the L and Y to the LNW near Miles Platting at Manchester.
We called it Indian Rubber Junction.
As when a MGR rain goes round this railway, you can see the rear of the train at right angles to where you are at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3__B...eature=related

[richard thompson]

Couple of interesting films, sadly people are getting hurt getting on or off moving trains very recently.
Richard

[HM181]

One of the victims was run over by a 08 350hp the other injury happened as the shunter was riding on the steps of a Class 56, when he slipped off and went under an HAA coal truck and lost his legs.
Those of you readers who take short cuts when on and about the railway should always remember that all things on the railway are big, dirty and heavy, and if they hit you it WILL hurt and sometimes you do not get up again.

[proud2brrer]

When I started out on the railroad fourteen years ago, we were all trained to get on and off moving equipment. Today, it is a forbidden act. Some say the "art of railroading" is passing on as the skills taught for generations are replaced with safety rules that are far more restricting. I'll admit that while running a ten thousand ton train that could be a mile long, having to make a complete stop to let someone off and then restarting it can be problematic. I would like to state that in my opinion a great deal of the personal injuries that occur on US railroads are a result of complacency and a lack of situational awareness.

Regarding Matt's commentary on "Extreme Trains", well Matt was accused by many railroad enthusiasts as being a bit "over the top" with his enthusiasm in an attempt to make the show interesting to the general tv viewer. As a fellow "New Englander" and railroader I have to say I enjoyed his attempts to bring the world of modern railroading to the viewers. I would speculate that the average American has far less exposure and understanding of railways than you folks in the UK.

[HM181]

Originally Posted by proud2brrer

When I started out on the railroad fourteen years ago, we were all trained to get on and off moving equipment. Today, it is a forbidden act. Some say the "art of railroading" is passing on as the skills taught for generations are replaced with safety rules that are far more restricting. I'll admit that while running a ten thousand ton train that could be a mile long, having to make a complete stop to let someone off and then restarting it can be problematic. I would like to state that in my opinion a great deal of the personal injuries that occur on US railroads are a result of complacency and a lack of situational awareness.

Regarding Matt's commentary on "Extreme Trains", well Matt was accused by many railroad enthusiasts as being a bit "over the top" with his enthusiasm in an attempt to make the show interesting to the general tv viewer. As a fellow "New Englander" and railroader I have to say I enjoyed his attempts to bring the world of modern railroading to the viewers. I would speculate that the average American has far less exposure and understanding of railways than you folks in the UK.

Nice to hear from you lads accross the big ocean.
In the 1980's we had a culture on British Rail that included cosuming beer whilst on duty, slack methods of working, which quite a few people lost limbs and were killed by not adhereing to the rules of the railway.
Gradually the slack working was ironed out by management setting examples of employees who were found lacking.
One engine driver lost his life by consuming beer before driving his train, when he went onto an occupied platform and ran into the back of the stationary train.
In my 3 decades on the railway my only drink was tea out of a brewing can I bought whilst on holiday in Spain............................................. ....

[proud2brrer]

Railroading in the US has been plagued in the past by alchohol and or drug use. All train service employees are now subject to manadatory drug and alchohol testing. These tests are often done randomly through computer selection. The governing standards are established by the Federal government. Now it seems the focus is on the use of personal electronic devices after a head on collision a few years ago in California. It was determined that one of the engineers had been texting prior to the collision.

Hmm, a nice cup of tea. We can't get that here in the US. For a good cup I have to visit family in Canada.

Best Wishes,
Joe

[Kasane]

Concerning complacency - in my time on the railroads here in Canada, the couple of fataliites that occurred in the yard were both cases of employess close to retirement. Familiarity had led to complacency, in one case the employee was within a couple of months of finishing.

For the UK, would a central buck-eye coupling of reduced the injury in the cases cited? Every time I see wagons being coupled in Europe, I shudder at the increased risk when between the wagons.

Finally, I did enjoy the video - the procedure for marshalling and despatching a train over here is almost identical 70 years later on!

[HM181]

Originally Posted by Kasane

Concerning complacency - in my time on the railroads here in Canada, the couple of fataliites that occurred in the yard were both cases of employess close to retirement. Familiarity had led to complacency, in one case the employee was within a couple of months of finishing.

For the UK, would a central buck-eye coupling of reduced the injury in the cases cited? Every time I see wagons being coupled in Europe, I shudder at the increased risk when between the wagons.

Finally, I did enjoy the video - the procedure for marshalling and despatching a train over here is almost identical 70 years later on!

Nice to hear from you in Canada.

[HM181]

Originally Posted by proud2brrer

Railroading in the US has been plagued in the past by alchohol and or drug use. All train service employees are now subject to manadatory drug and alchohol testing. These tests are often done randomly through computer selection. The governing standards are established by the Federal government. Now it seems the focus is on the use of personal electronic devices after a head on collision a few years ago in California. It was determined that one of the engineers had been texting prior to the collision.

Hmm, a nice cup of tea. We can't get that here in the US. For a good cup I have to visit family in Canada.

Best Wishes,
Joe

A person on the UK System is not judged by how much money they have of where they come from.
They are judged on how good they can play cards in the mess room and how many times they will brew a can full of tea in a shift.

[avonside1563]

Interesting to note that in most of the occasions when someone got on a moving vehicle in the film it was the rearmost step of the rearmost vehicle, thereby removing the possibility of falling under the wheels should they miss! I wonder if this was how they were trained or just how it was done in this instance?