Open for what.....a day now?

Let's let the people running the railroad do their shakedown runs and figure out what they need and how they are going to handle things. I don't know how many of those offering criticism here have opened a railroad.......my guess is any who have aren't sniping because they know it takes time and experience to prioritize and work out specifics.

I'd call it a victory so far. Trains running, riders are happy......foamers in the peanut gallery don't matter against all that.

dave

It is my personal experience that there is almost never a need to have both knuckles open in order to make a joint. He could have easily gotten an in between, and opened the knuckle closest to him without putting his body in between two couplers. I have done a similar thing without even putting one foot inside the rail. You just pop the cut lever, reach in with one hand and open the knuckle. We've all heard the stories about switchmen being in between two couplers and having the cars couple up to them. Is it unlikely in this situation? Yes. Is it worth the risk? Absolutely not, especially seeing as he had a vestibule he could have stepped over. Would it take a bit longer? Yes. Might it be a bit harder on his knees or back? Yes. But it's worth it.

Air hoses are a completely different story, and comparing what he did to going in between to coupler air hoses is comparing apples to oranges. When you are coupling air hoses, the joint is made and secure, and even if the slack ran in, you would be able to get yourself out fairly easily.

I am a staunch advocate of safety in any work place, especially something as inherently dangerous as railroading. You can ask people I've worked with previously. Do it safe, or get out. The last thing a new and exciting start up such as this New Freedom operation needs is a fatality or serious injury that could shut down the railroad before it even really gets rolling!

For all I know, this switchman has been doing this for thirty years and never had cars roll in on him (obviously, he's still alive!), but this brings up another major safety issue - complacency. I won't go into it now, though.

There's no excuse to not be safe, period. It should be the number one priority in any company.

If you want to encourage a safe workplace at this operation or anywhere else, then why don't you bring their attention to this practice and why it may not be safe?

This is not meant to pick on Zak, but this thread specifically demonstrates how what many proclaim to be "the rules" or an "FRA violation" are in fact not as proclaimed.

As Dave pointed out, this is a new operation. Perhaps this would have been a good chance for Zak or others to point out any perceived deficiencies or unsafe operating practices. Instead of pontificating about "safety" and "the rules" on an internet forum, when one only knows a limited set of circumstances, bring it to their attention. Make it a teachable moment.

A somewhat well-known lurker here has advised me back-channel that s/he saw "no less than four FRA inspectors" there during the first fire-up, and they were "very thorough".

I have good reason to believe one of those inspectors is also a lurker here.

"bring it to their attention. Make it a teachable moment."

Indeed, politely and confidently.

I assume these folks didn't go to all this trouble for nothing, and would like this to last, as would I.

Alan;

Guess that shows just how seriously CSX (and probably other carriers) takes observing their rules regarding this. My memory of it was that these were hard and fast federal rules, not company ones. Thanks for the correction. Still, there are very good reasons for observing procedures this way.

Paul