Be careful out there!

[trentbob]

For all of you train ɓuffs who like to take photos, today, I was riding on a SEPTA Regional Rail train on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak railroad, between Trenton and Philadelphia headed for Philly.

We were held at Holmesburg Junction station. I always have my Yaesu ft65 with me and I was listening to 160.92, the Amtrak Road Channel. I also have a rebroadcast of SEPTA police and Amtrak police. Train service was suspended for police activity. That's a code word for someone hit by a train or occasionally cops chasing criminals on the road.

After 45 minutes we were bused into the city. Road was finally opened for the 3:15 train out of Jefferson Station.

Turns out the DOA was a train buff taking photos. Can't imagine how it got into a predicament like that as there is a service road with plenty of room, several yards along the main road and many sidings.

On that line I would only take photos from the platform of a station. Be careful out there!

 

[drdispatch]

Excellent advice, which should go without saying, buuuut.....
My rule is, if you're on rocks, you're too close.

 

[trentbob]

Yeah, with the Acela going 130 mph you don't want to be anywhere near the ballast!

That's why they slow down through passenger stations to 60 mph, repeatedly giving 2 long, a short and a long.. stay well back from the yellow line haha.

 

[drdispatch]

My son and I were railfanning on the Norfolk Southern down in Indiana (Waterloo, I think), anyway, they fly through there. We were on the station platform about halfway between the yellow line and the shelter. An intermodal came through, and 3 or 4 single trailers would pass followed by a double-stack. The bow wave of those double-stacks gave us a pretty good push. We were plenty close, IMO.

 

[trentbob]

My son and I were railfanning on the Norfolk Southern down in Indiana (Waterloo, I think), anyway, they fly through there. We were on the station platform about halfway between the yellow line and the shelter. An intermodal came through, and 3 or 4 single trailers would pass followed by a double-stack. The bow wave of those double-stacks gave us a pretty good push. We were plenty close, IMO.

Yep the Northeast Corridor has four tracks, when a Acela blows by they're always in the inner tracks three and two and they slow down to 60 or 70 mph. The local trains from SEPTA who make every stop are on track one and four next to the platform but it's Amtrak's Railroad and they are always banging the locals schedule because it's their Railroad, when the local is late, I keep my eye out in case a Acela gets put on the outer track right up against the platform and sure enough every once in awhile you can see it barreling down the track right up against the platform.

I always turn my back to it but most unsuspecting passengers are still standing on the yellow line not knowing what's going to happen and get quite rattled 😄.

Whether you are crew or a buff taking photos, Follow The Book of Rules and be careful, there's a saying, you don't get hurt on the railroad, you get killed😉

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I always turn my back to it but most unsuspecting passengers are still standing on the yellow line not knowing what's going to happen and get quite rattled 😄.

 

[trentbob]

That's it! And that's with them slowing down for the station, top speed is 150 mph but in my area we only have certain designated stretches where they go 130 mph, that video was probably about 70-80 miles mph.

Of course they're nothing like the bullet trains in Japan, China and Europe.

 

[merlin]

When it makes a hurricane fence look like tissue paper, that should be a clue.

 

[trentbob]

When it makes a hurricane fence look like tissue paper, that should be a clue.

Yep I just saw that!

 

[ak7an]

So as an employee of one of the largest railroads in the states it totally baffles me how much risk some one will take to get a photo. Besides being a trespasser you can wind up being a statistic. It just isn’t worth it. Railroads are not an inherently dangerous place, but it is less forgiving of someone who screws up.
PLEASE!!!!!!! Take your photos from a safe (200ft+) distance and stay alive.
Take care
Ed
AK7AN

 

[tvengr]

When the Metroliners were placed into service, the decrease in air pressure sucked the windows out of trains passing on the adjacent track. There is also the danger of shifted loads fowling adjacent tracks and dragging equipment throwing ballast. Most of the railroad on the NE corridor is 261 territory where trains can run either direction by signal indication. That has fooled many people. While watching for a train in one direction, they get hit by a train from the opposite direction. It is pure stupidity to stand within or near the track gauge, especially on a high-speed rail line. Speaking of stupidity, motorists should NEVER start onto a road crossing unless there is room for their vehicle on the other side. The same motorists will get stuck between the gates on a crossing and leave their vehicles with a train coming. If that happens, drive through the gates. The gates are made to easily snap off for that reason.

 

[redbeard]

Another addict, chasing the dragon...and caught it.

 

[trentbob]

So as an employee of one of the largest railroads in the states it totally baffles me how much risk some one will take to get a photo. Besides being a trespasser you can wind up being a statistic. It just isn’t worth it. Railroads are not an inherently dangerous place, but it is less forgiving of someone who screws up.
PLEASE!!!!!!! Take your photos from a safe (200ft+) distance and stay alive.
Take care
Ed
AK7AN

I too worked on the railroad, I was an engineer and then promoted into operations with SEPTA Regional Rail division, which used to be the Reading and Pennsy Railroad. I left after 5 years because I did not want to go into Railroad retirement. I had several other careers I pursued.

Even other railroaders used to make fun of me when I was walking through a large interlocking like Zoo.. I would stop at every track and look both ways. That was the rule!

That doesn't go unnoticed and I was tapped to cover vacations in the Book of Rules Department qualifying conductors and engineers.

Love the videos and photos from Rail Buffs, use the station platforms, it's not worth it going out on the road.

 

[tvengr]

Even other railroaders used to make fun of me when I was walking through a large interlocking like Zoo.. I would stop at every track and look both ways. That was the rule!

And you always step over a rail. It's easy to slip or get your foot stuck in a guard rail or switch frog if you step on the rail. Safety is the only thing that matters when working on a railroad. It is too easy to injure or kill yourself or others.

 

[AK9R]

And you always step over a rail.

It was 1976. I was a very green yard clerk at Conrail's former PC, former PRR "Yard A" in Logansport, Indiana. At Yard A, the administrative and mechanical offices were in a building on the south side of the yard along with the parking lot. But, the yard office where the yardmaster and clerks worked was on the north side. As a result, getting to a from work involved walking across the double-track main and several yard tracks.

One afternoon, I walked across those tracks to get to my 2nd trick job. I paid attention to moving equipment, but not much else. I went into the office, set my lunch down, and took off my coat. That's when I heard the voice of Wiley R. Baker, the 1st trick yardmaster, whose desk faced the tracks. "Mr. Burns" he said. "Yes" I answered. "You stepped on five rails as you walked across. Every one is a rule violation." "Uh-oh" I thought, "am I in trouble?" As it turned, out, Mr. Baker took the position of a word to the wise is sufficient.

I never stepped on another rail. And, when I'm out railfanning, I still don't.

But, that's how I learned that the railroad is big on safety rules. Each craft (train and engine, carmen, track department, signalmen, clerks, etc.) had its own safety rule book. Not only were you expected to know all the rules in the rule book, but you were expected to be able to recite the "rule of the day" if a superior asked you for it.

 

[RRR]

That is nowhere near 150 MPH

 

[trentbob]

That is nowhere near 150 MPH

Yeppers, as I had mentioned I think it's probably between 70 and 80 miles if that much, on the Northeast Corridor near where I live between Bristol station and Croydon station there is a stretch where they are authorized to go 130 miles an hour, we call it suicide alley.

 

[MXROFF]

Are these railroad rulebooks, ETT's and forms available to railroad hobbiest?

 

[KC1THE]

I took Contractor Rail Safety Training in NYC for NYC Transit and MNR with very dangerous live training scenarios and exposure in the actual tunnels with live trains going by. I won’t be doing that again!

What was most imprinted was how deadly and dangerous track-work - or just being near the tracks - is. Many examples of worker deaths from lapse in judgment, carelessness, etc. were presented.

I have more respect now being near trains and tracks after those courses.

 

[trentbob]

Are these railroad rulebooks, ETT's and forms available to railroad hobbiest?

Certainly, depends what part of the country you're in but just Google NORAC operating rules and that's what Amtrak uses and you can download the entire book.