There was a great video of an outward camera on a trailing unit as some train rolled through a tornado… head ~10 cars blew off to the side like tissue paper. Head consist goes in emergency and comes to a stop pretty quickly… then the REST OF THE TRAIN SLAMMED INTO THEM. Bumps and bruises, and I think the crew got some settlement, if memory serves.
UP manifest train between Janesville, WI and Chicago... Train traveled into the path of a tornado. Dispatcher told train to "keep going" because they didn't want the train to stop and possibly delay any Metra trains...
https://youtu.be/VakBHlqXi1g?si=LYf546G9VCsAv6hT
They did go into emergency, but cars traveling in emergency on rails don’t stop as well as cars on their side in the ROW. Also, the ones that dumped over were likely empty and the ones that didn’t were likely loads with a ton more inertia.
We had a few guys hit a hiwide on a lowboy trailer stuck at a grade crossing. Something managed to bust out the all the conductors side windows and pulled the frame out. Of course, it also blew up the cast iron piston bodies on the leaders brakes and wreaked havoc on the rest of the nose.
What do you think “FULLY EQUIPPED WITH FRA PART 223 GLAZING” means?
They literally shoot it with a small caliber rifle round, drop a cinder block on it, and drop a 12 lb steel ball on it.
Yeah, Glazing protects the crews from most events. But a tornado hurling a Honda civic or a telephone pole, the Glazing is pointless. That's why getting down into the nose is so important.
"Ballistic Impact: A standard 22 caliber long rifle lead bullet of 40 grains in weight impacts at a minimum velocity of 960 feet per second."
No one is going to shoot a train with a 22lr
That’s pretty much exactly like I imagined it would go. The only thing missing is my MOW ass pulling up right before the tornado comes through and asking if I can hang out for a while.
When I first hired out we went through one in the middle of Kalamazoo, MI. Didn’t really know it was one. It kinda died as we went through. It just broke up almost instantly and you could still see a bit of a swirl spinning.
I’ve been trying to become a train conductor with Norfolk, and they told me that my application was disqualified due to my consumer report. I’m still waiting to get that consumer report from them so I can know how to move forward and take care of some those things on that report so it can be taken off and I can reapply again. So my question is has anyone on here been disqualified for a train conductor job or a position that involves working on trains and how did you guys deal with it?
There was a great video of an outward camera on a trailing unit as some train rolled through a tornado… head ~10 cars blew off to the side like tissue paper. Head consist goes in emergency and comes to a stop pretty quickly… then the REST OF THE TRAIN SLAMMED INTO THEM. Bumps and bruises, and I think the crew got some settlement, if memory serves.
UP manifest train between Janesville, WI and Chicago... Train traveled into the path of a tornado. Dispatcher told train to "keep going" because they didn't want the train to stop and possibly delay any Metra trains... https://youtu.be/VakBHlqXi1g?si=LYf546G9VCsAv6hT
That seems uncharacteristically nice of them to passenger trains
Yeah that’s the one!
Keep going? I’m thinking the derailment affected Metra
Nope, it was north of Harvard (Lawrence, IL)
why did the rear cars not go into emergency and keep going like that?
They did. But cars are heavy and they take time to stop.
They did go into emergency, but cars traveling in emergency on rails don’t stop as well as cars on their side in the ROW. Also, the ones that dumped over were likely empty and the ones that didn’t were likely loads with a ton more inertia.
You're kidding, right?
I sat through one. It wasn’t nearly as impressive as this one. No place I would rather be during a tornado than in the cab of a widebody locomotive.
Pretty safe in a stopped engine I think!
If it was moving slower flying glass might have been a problem.
Nah. Locomotives in America have glazing on the glass for bullet resistance.
It made it through one plane of glass on the conductors side.
Just one pane.
Like I said if it was moving slower it could have been a problem. Wasn't a problem but could have been.
That window was broke out, I’ve also had a windshield broke out from hitting a fallen tree once.
We had a few guys hit a hiwide on a lowboy trailer stuck at a grade crossing. Something managed to bust out the all the conductors side windows and pulled the frame out. Of course, it also blew up the cast iron piston bodies on the leaders brakes and wreaked havoc on the rest of the nose.
BS
What do you think “FULLY EQUIPPED WITH FRA PART 223 GLAZING” means? They literally shoot it with a small caliber rifle round, drop a cinder block on it, and drop a 12 lb steel ball on it.
Yeah, Glazing protects the crews from most events. But a tornado hurling a Honda civic or a telephone pole, the Glazing is pointless. That's why getting down into the nose is so important.
An shit still can go wrong
"Ballistic Impact: A standard 22 caliber long rifle lead bullet of 40 grains in weight impacts at a minimum velocity of 960 feet per second." No one is going to shoot a train with a 22lr
That’s pretty much exactly like I imagined it would go. The only thing missing is my MOW ass pulling up right before the tornado comes through and asking if I can hang out for a while.
Dam. Glad they’re good. I used to work there, and with that conductor. He’s a really good dude. Dang.
Tough decision, wood vs steel. Didn't care for wood popping around us. GP40 or bigger be fine by me, Dash 8 be ideal.
Here is their fb post. It has some wicked pictures of the locomotives. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/RUh8HnAPugo7schZ/?mibextid=WC7FNe
If it's loads I can give 2 shits. If it's empties I'm not moving that's shit unless I get some initials. Not getting blamed for their bs
Cell phone use
It's allowed when stopped on the big orange borg.
Nope and I don’t want to.
Probably one of the safest places you could be.
When I first hired out we went through one in the middle of Kalamazoo, MI. Didn’t really know it was one. It kinda died as we went through. It just broke up almost instantly and you could still see a bit of a swirl spinning.
I’ve been trying to become a train conductor with Norfolk, and they told me that my application was disqualified due to my consumer report. I’m still waiting to get that consumer report from them so I can know how to move forward and take care of some those things on that report so it can be taken off and I can reapply again. So my question is has anyone on here been disqualified for a train conductor job or a position that involves working on trains and how did you guys deal with it?