Gentleman Jims RR report

[John Bay]

. How to stop the growing number of railroad fatalities?

By THE DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE
Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

HAMILTON, N.J. - N.J. Transit's modern train station in Hamilton, just north of Trenton, is a favorite with commuters, with lots of parking and easy access to I-295.

The station is also a favorite among death-seekers.

Five people in two years have been killed by trains there, all apparent suicides.

Amtrak trains, which don't stop at Hamilton, speed by the station at up to 135 m.p.h. on their way to and from New York City. In each of the five Hamilton deaths, the victims stood or jumped in front of Amtrak trains.

The deaths are part of a widespread problem on railroads. In the last two years, at least 91 people have been killed by trains on N.J. Transit and SEPTA lines.

Many intended to take their own lives, often to the horror of train engineers, passengers and bystanders. Others were crossing or walking along tracks, apparently oblivious to approaching trains.

(Those 91 deaths of people railroads described as "trespassers" don't include seven people killed in train crashes with motor vehicles.)

Last year, 11 people were killed by SEPTA trains, the most in years. "The thing that jumped off the page was the number of suicides," said Jim Fox, SEPTA's director of system safety and risk management. Nine deaths were confirmed or likely suicides, investigators concluded.

Nationwide, at least 434 "trespassers" were killed by trains in 2010, up from 415 in 2009, according to data compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration. In 2011, through October, 365 fatalities were reported.

Because tracks often are accessible and unguarded, they can be magnets for those looking for a shortcut, an adventure, or an end to life.

For train engineers, people on the tracks are a terrifying occupational hazard. Operating a train that kills a person leaves some engineers unable to return to work and others haunted by their inability to avoid the tragedy.

In 2010, Tom Haas, an N.J. Transit engineer, was operating a train that killed a 12-year-old boy walking the tracks near Hackensack. He blew the horn and hit the emergency brake, to no avail.

"It was so fast. But it was like the longest period in my life," Haas, 32, said. "I was trying to will him out of my way.

"He had his back to me. I believe he didn't know a train was coming. He took a step into the train at the worst possible moment."

Police believe the boy was wearing earphones.

When Haas returned home, he discovered his son, 5, had seen news footage of Haas in the train cab after the accident, prompting him to ask, "Why is Daddy on TV?"

"That was tough for me to come home and try to explain to my son that somebody died because Daddy's train hit him," Haas said.

Haas now speaks to groups as part of an N.J. Transit effort to teach students to stay off the rails.

Since the accident, when he sees people near the tracks, "It scares me sometimes. I don't want to go through it again."

For Tom Dorricott, the SEPTA engineer operating the train in last month's Lansdowne death, the apparent suicide was the fourth fatality he had been involved with in his 30-year career: two suicides, a car crash, and a SEPTA rail worker who was struck.

"A SEPTA locomotive engineer who is not involved in a fatality during his or her career would be the exception," said Dorricott, an officer in the engineers' labor union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

In January, Dorricott, 57, was at the throttle of a train as it left the Lansdowne station on the Media-Elwyn line.

"The lights were flashing, the barriers were down, I was accelerating and blowing the horn," he said. Cephas "literally stepped out of the shadows right in front of my train.

"I threw the brake on, but there is nothing you can do. It's a helpless feeling.

"I braced for the impact, but I couldn't feel it," he said. But he heard it: "a clanging sound."

Railroad people are a stoic lot, Dorricott said, and the possibility of hitting someone is something engineers try not to dwell on. Nonetheless, he said, it can be difficult for engineers to return to work immediately. He criticized SEPTA for not giving them more time off after a fatality.

"They offer counseling but expect engineers to be back to work after the drug-test results come back negative," he said. "Usually after only one day."

SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney did not specifically address Dorricott's claim, but said those involved in fatalities were immediately offered counseling and, if they have a medical excuse, would not be required to return to work.

To prevent deadly accidents and suicides, railroad companies often erect fences along tracks and post warning signs. Transportation experts say more can be done.

Walls along station platforms, "intrusion detection" cameras, and electronic monitors to alert engineers to objects or people on the tracks are among the solutions used in other countries or in testing here, said Carl Berkowitz, a transportation and traffic engineering expert.

Japan, which has frequent train suicides, has five-foot-high walls around many station platforms, with doors that open only when a train has stopped at the station.

Could something like that save lives at the Hamilton station in New Jersey?

Railroad officials and engineers say it's hard to stop people set on killing themselves.

"When someone tries to take their life," NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Bassett Hackett said, "there's not much you can do."

2. NH DOT to hold public meeting for opinions on state rail system plans

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120207/NEWS/202070398&emailAFriend=1

3. FRA proposal on RR employee safety standards

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/regulatory/fra-proposes-new-rail-safety-rule.html

4. From TRAINS Magazine: High speed rail conference to be held in United States

Published: February 6, 2012

PHILADELPHIA – The American Public Transportation Association and the International Union of Railways will host the 8th World Congress & Trade Exhibition on High Speed Rail July 10-13, 2012. This year the conference will be held in Philadelphia; previous editions were held in Europe and Asia. Named UIC Highspeed 2012, the conference is expected to attract more than 4,000 attendees from across the world to exchange views on the development and achievements of high speed rail. The congress will also feature an exhibit showcasing high speed rail products and services. Countries such as Japan, China, and Spain will be represented with country pavilions at the trade exhibition. For more information go to www.uic-highspeed2012.com.

5. From TRAINS Magazine: Next country joins the high speed rail movement: Israel

Published: February 6, 2012

TEL AVIV, Israel – While officials in the United States continue to haggle over the merits of high speed rail, another country has jumped on the high speed rail bandwagon: Israel. The Israeli cabinet Sunday morning approved plans for the construction of a 220-mile high speed line between Tel Aviv and the southern port city of Eilat, the Haaretz newspaper has reported. Trains on the electrified line will reach speeds of 186 miles per hour. The route will include 63 bridges and five tunnels. “For 63 years, there has been talk about linking up the periphery to the center, but nothing has been done,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the new rail line would “change the face of the country.” A team led by the Prime Minister's Office Director-General Harel Locker is considering funding options, and is expected to make a recommendation to the government within 90 days. Transportation Minister Yaakov Katz, who submitted the proposal to the cabinet, said he had reached an agreement with his Chinese counterpart to pursue cooperation between the two countries on transportation projects, including the new line to Eilat. Planning work for the new line should be complete this year, with construction expected to take another four years.

6. (Watch this guy’s family get millions!) From TRAINS Magazine: Man killed while trying to spray graffiti on railroad cars

Published: February 6, 2012

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A Union Pacific train struck and killed a man trying to “tag” a railroad car with graffiti yesterday, television station KSAT-TV reports. The crew of the train told police they were on a northbound train in San Antonio when they spotted a man spray painting a parked southbound train. The crew sounded the horn. They said the man tried to get something, possibly spray paint cans, off the northbound track but could not get out of the way in time.

7. From TRAINS Magazine: Job seekers overwhelm Progress Rail job fair

Published: February 7, 2012

MUNCIE, Ind. – On Feb. 4, Progress Rail held a job fair to interview for positions at its new Electro-Motive locomotive manufacturing plant on the southwest side of Muncie. The company was so overwhelmed by the turnout of jobseekers that it shut the event down less than halfway through. The job fair was supposed to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. but was shut down around 11:30 a.m. after an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 jobseekers showed up. Now Progress Rail has announced it will hold a “follow-up” job fair on March 3. Progress Rail spokeswoman Barbara Cox told the Muncie Star Press the location of the March 3 job fair would be announced later. While Progress Rail was hiring in Muncie, the company announced Feb. 3 it was shutting down its locomotive plant in London, Ont., putting 460 employees out of work.

8a. Amtrak receives federal approval to operate 110 mph trains in Indiana, Michigan

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/intercity/amtrak-cleared-for-hrsr-speeds-in-michigan-indiana.html

8b. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-02-07/news/chi-amtrak-able-to-travel-to-110-mph-in-indiana-michigan-20120207_1_high-speed-trains-chicago-bound-train-positive-train-control-system

9. From TRAINS Magazine: Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts sponsoring “rare mileage” excursion

Published: February 8, 2012

ANDOVER, Mass. – The Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts will sponsor a “rare mileage” excursion to Fall River, Mass., on April 21, 2012 over freight-only former New Haven Railroad track. The trip will depart Middleboro, Mass., at 9:45 a.m. and travel west to Attleboro, Mass. It will then head east to Taunton and Cotley, Mass, then to Fall River. The trip will return to Middleboro from Fall River at 6:30 p.m. Fares for Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts members are $65; the non-member fare is $75. There is also a bus available from Fall River arriving at Middleboro at 3:45 p.m. for an additional $15. For tickets send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, P.O. Box 4245, Andover, MA 01810.

10. Plans under way for Grand Central Terminal’s 2013 centennial celebration

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Plans-under-way-for-Grand-Central-Terminals-centennial-celebration-in-2013--29842

11. Amtrak layover facility discussion reveals rift among Brunswick residents

http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2012/02/09/amtrak-discussion-reveals-rift-among-brunswick-res/113654

12. NNEPRA update on Downeaster expansion to Brunswick

http://www.amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/content/news/3%20Downeaster%20Expansion%20Project%20Update%202011%20Construction%20Season%20Recap%20020112a%20.pdf

13. From TRAINS Magazine: States recommend alignment for Southeast high speed service

Published: February 10, 2012

RICHMOND, Va. – The states of Virginia and North Carolina released their proposed recommendations for a preferred alignment for the Southeast High Speed Rail project from Richmond to Raleigh, N.C. The report released yesterday presents the recommendations of Virginia’s state rail agency and the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division for each of 26 sections of the 162-mile corridor. The report calls for using existing lines or inactive rail corridors where possible, along with areas of new track for the service. The agencies said the recommendations are based on the alignment’s environmental impacts, costs, operating, and construction considerations, and public comments received during the environmental impact study. The maximum speed for the proposed Richmond-Raleigh train is 110 mph south of Petersburg, Va., with an average speed of around 85 mph. The route would use the Seaboard Air Line main line route north of Norlina, N.C. and south of Petersburg, Va., which CSX abandoned in the late 1980s. The recommendations will go to the Federal Railroad Administration for its approval and inclusion in the final environmental impact statement. To see the report go to www.sehsr.org.

14. From TRAINS Magazine: Construction proceeding on Wisconsin Talgo trains

Published: February 10, 2012

MILWAUKEE – The construction of two Talgo trainsets is proceeding at a plant on Milwaukee’s north side. The Wisconsin contract provides for two 14-car trains plus a cab car. Each train has a seating capacity of 397. The trains will be used on Amtrak’s existing state-supported Hiawatha Service between Milwaukee and Chicago. The Talgo trains are being acquired under a joint purchasing agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation. Each train is about 700 feet long and will include a bistro car that was not part of the original order. Some of the money saved by buying jointly with Oregon was used to pay for the bistro cars. Each train will also have wireless Internet service. The two trainsets will enter service in late 2012 with locomotives furnished by Amtrak. The cars are being constructed using extruded aluminum alloys, which helps to reduce the weight per axle and the train’s energy consumption. The cars are 43 feet long and nine feet wide wide. They are wheelchair accessible, have automatic doors, and fully accessible toilets. Each is equipped with an air-conditioning system situated under the floor, ergonomic reclining seats, individual reading lights, and power outlets in each seat. The cars also will have individual audio equipment with various channels, and optional video screens and Wi-Fi. The cab cars are approximately 14 feet long and 11 feet high. The cars rear axle is shared with the first car. They weigh 47 tons and also house the train’s electric power generator system. The cab cars have been designed for Wisconsin’s extreme weather and can operate within a temperature range of between 120 above and minus 40 degrees.

15. Bowdoin College article on Downeaster expansion

http://orient.bowdoin.edu/orient/article.php?date=2012-02-10&section=1&id=1

16. Amtrak Begins Acela Express Overhauls
February 10th, 2012

Amtrak has started to overhaul the first of 20 Acela Express trainsets, built by Bombardier and which went into service in 2000. 36 employees have been assigned to the task, working on the power cars at the Wilmington, Del., locomotive shop and the coaches at the Bear, Del., car shop. The entire fleet should be cycled through the program over the next three years.

-- Railfan & Railroad

17. Vermont’s track rehabs bolster Amtrak on-time performance

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/short_lines_regionals/news/Vermont-Rail-Systems-bolstered-track-improves-Amtrak-transit-times--29853

18. FRA amends conductor certification rule

http://utu.org/2012/02/10/fra-amends-conductor-certification-rule/

19. NARP Feb 12^th Hotline

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_745/

20. Republican transportation bill takes a few wrong turns

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/12/ED3S1N654H.DTL

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4805 - Release Date: 02/12/12

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
My reality check has bounced again!

[Allen Siebold]

Thanks! A great compilation to begin the day.

 

Allen

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "New England railroading (NERAIL)" group.
To post to this group, send email to ner...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nerail+un...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nerail?hl=en.

[G Kenson]

"The cab cars are approximately 14 feet long and 11 feet high"???  My Jeep is longer than that.

Misprint?

 

George Kenson

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: John Bay

To: ner...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 7:15 AM

Subject: [NERAIL] Gentleman Jims RR report

--

[Mike O'Toole]

14 feet high and 11 feet wide

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_%28railcar%29

Quoting G Kenson <Ken...@comcast.net>:

> PHILADELPHIA - The American Public Transportation

> Association and the International Union of Railways will host the
> 8th World Congress & Trade Exhibition on High Speed Rail July 10-13,
> 2012. This year the conference will be held in Philadelphia;
> previous editions were held in Europe and Asia.
>
> Named UIC Highspeed 2012, the conference is expected to
> attract more than 4,000 attendees from across the world to exchange
> views on the development and achievements of high speed rail. The
> congress will also feature an exhibit showcasing high speed rail
> products and services. Countries such as Japan, China, and Spain
> will be represented with country pavilions at the trade exhibition.
>
> For more information go to www.uic-highspeed2012.com.
>
>
>
>
> 5. From TRAINS Magazine: Next country joins the high speed rail
> movement: Israel
> Published: February 6, 2012
>

> TEL AVIV, Israel - While officials in the United States

> continue to haggle over the merits of high speed rail, another
> country has jumped on the high speed rail bandwagon: Israel. The
> Israeli cabinet Sunday morning approved plans for the construction
> of a 220-mile high speed line between Tel Aviv and the southern port
> city of Eilat, the Haaretz newspaper has reported. Trains on the
> electrified line will reach speeds of 186 miles per hour. The route
> will include 63 bridges and five tunnels.
>
> "For 63 years, there has been talk about linking up the
> periphery to the center, but nothing has been done," said Prime
> Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the new rail line would
> "change the face of the country." A team led by the Prime Minister's
> Office Director-General Harel Locker is considering funding options,
> and is expected to make a recommendation to the government within 90
> days.
>
> Transportation Minister Yaakov Katz, who submitted the
> proposal to the cabinet, said he had reached an agreement with his
> Chinese counterpart to pursue cooperation between the two countries
> on transportation projects, including the new line to Eilat.
> Planning work for the new line should be complete this year, with
> construction expected to take another four years.
>
>
>
>
> 6. (Watch this guy's family get millions!) From TRAINS Magazine:
> Man killed while trying to spray graffiti on railroad cars
> Published: February 6, 2012
>

> SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A Union Pacific train struck and killed

> a man trying to "tag" a railroad car with graffiti yesterday,
> television station KSAT-TV reports. The crew of the train told
> police they were on a northbound train in San Antonio when they
> spotted a man spray painting a parked southbound train. The crew
> sounded the horn. They said the man tried to get something, possibly
> spray paint cans, off the northbound track but could not get out of
> the way in time.
>
>
>
>
> 7. From TRAINS Magazine: Job seekers overwhelm Progress Rail job fair
> Published: February 7, 2012
>

> MUNCIE, Ind. - On Feb. 4, Progress Rail held a job fair to

> interview for positions at its new Electro-Motive locomotive
> manufacturing plant on the southwest side of Muncie. The company was
> so overwhelmed by the turnout of jobseekers that it shut the event
> down less than halfway through. The job fair was supposed to run
> from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. but was shut down around 11:30 a.m. after an
> estimated 3,000 to 4,000 jobseekers showed up.
>
> Now Progress Rail has announced it will hold a "follow-up"
> job fair on March 3. Progress Rail spokeswoman Barbara Cox told the
> Muncie Star Press the location of the March 3 job fair would be
> announced later.
>
> While Progress Rail was hiring in Muncie, the company
> announced Feb. 3 it was shutting down its locomotive plant in
> London, Ont., putting 460 employees out of work.
>
>
>
>
> 8a. Amtrak receives federal approval to operate 110 mph trains in
> Indiana, Michigan
>
> http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/intercity/amtrak-cleared-for-hrsr-speeds-in-michigan-indiana.html
>
>
> 8b.
> http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-02-07/news/chi-amtrak-able-to-travel-to-110-mph-in-indiana-michigan-20120207_1_high-speed-trains-chicago-bound-train-positive-train-control-system
>
>
>
>
> 9. From TRAINS Magazine: Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts
> sponsoring "rare mileage" excursion
> Published: February 8, 2012
>

> ANDOVER, Mass. - The Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts

> will sponsor a "rare mileage" excursion to Fall River, Mass., on
> April 21, 2012 over freight-only former New Haven Railroad track.
> The trip will depart Middleboro, Mass., at 9:45 a.m. and travel west
> to Attleboro, Mass. It will then head east to Taunton and Cotley,
> Mass, then to Fall River. The trip will return to Middleboro from
> Fall River at 6:30 p.m.
>
> Fares for Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts members are
> $65; the non-member fare is $75. There is also a bus available from
> Fall River arriving at Middleboro at 3:45 p.m. for an additional $15.
>
> For tickets send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
> Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, P.O. Box 4245, Andover, MA
> 01810.
>
>
>
>
> 10. Plans under way for Grand Central Terminal's 2013 centennial
> celebration
>
>
> http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Plans-under-way-for-Grand-Central-Terminals-centennial-celebration-in-2013--29842
>
>
> 11. Amtrak layover facility discussion reveals rift among
> Brunswick residents
>
>
> http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2012/02/09/amtrak-discussion-reveals-rift-among-brunswick-res/113654
>
>
> 12. NNEPRA update on Downeaster expansion to Brunswick
>
>
>
> http://www.amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/content/news/3%20Downeaster%20Expansion%20Project%20Update%202011%20Construction%20Season%20Recap%20020112a%20.pdf
>
>
> 13. From TRAINS Magazine: States recommend alignment for Southeast
> high speed service
> Published: February 10, 2012
>

> RICHMOND, Va. - The states of Virginia and North Carolina

> released their proposed recommendations for a preferred alignment
> for the Southeast High Speed Rail project from Richmond to Raleigh,
> N.C. The report released yesterday presents the recommendations of
> Virginia's state rail agency and the North Carolina Department of
> Transportation's Rail Division for each of 26 sections of the
> 162-mile corridor.
>
> The report calls for using existing lines or inactive rail
> corridors where possible, along with areas of new track for the
> service. The agencies said the recommendations are based on the
> alignment's environmental impacts, costs, operating, and
> construction considerations, and public comments received during the
> environmental impact study.
>
> The maximum speed for the proposed Richmond-Raleigh train is
> 110 mph south of Petersburg, Va., with an average speed of around 85
> mph. The route would use the Seaboard Air Line main line route north
> of Norlina, N.C. and south of Petersburg, Va., which CSX abandoned
> in the late 1980s.
>
> The recommendations will go to the Federal Railroad
> Administration for its approval and inclusion in the final
> environmental impact statement. To see the report go to www.sehsr.org.
>
>
>
>
> 14. From TRAINS Magazine: Construction proceeding on Wisconsin Talgo trains
> Published: February 10, 2012
>
>

> MILWAUKEE - The construction of two Talgo trainsets is

[madogbill]

No!  It's the administrations new standards to "smallify" everything including our waistline.

Bill