As an employee of a "the safest class one," and an active member of TVRM's operations, I can and will empahtically state that not allowing getting off of slow moving equipment is absolutely the most ridiculous rule that I have encountered. In fact, in some instances, it is actually more difficult waiting for a complete stop (especially as the slack in a hundred-plus car train bunches in and stretches out). However, due to the stupidity of a relative few exercising poor judgement, and the fact that the scum of society (lawyers) now run most facets of our daily lives, this is no longer allowed. Getting on and off moving equipment with proper judgement is just as safe as stopping when done in accordance with established practice. In fact, surveying most fellow employees informally, I find that many support this assertion. Just don't let the trainmaster catch you practicing your belief! Can some injuries be prevented by stopping? Yes, probably. But then again, there would be fewer accidents if you walked everywhere rather than drove. Sorry if this little spouting of opinion sounds somewhat disjointed, but after three weeks of working on one's rest, it sometimes becomes difficult to even know what day of the week it is.

Michael Brown
Conductor - No Steam RR
Engineer - TVRM
Injury and incident free for eight years and counting....

Rebuilding Yesterday for Tommorrow
newriver400@cs.com

> Michael Brown
> Conductor - No Steam RR
> Engineer - TVRM
> Injury and incident free for eight years and
> counting....

Sorry, I have to count you among the young and immortal! No matter how safe you think you are the long term damage is building up, without a major injury for the nonce. Long term it's gonna get you! Having been trained and properly got on and off moving equipment for several times eight years with only one bad move, I can only say why bother unless your life and limb is less important then the railroad!


http://www.cybrtown.com/~reiterfam/railroads/resto
lamontdc@adelphia.net

I can't speak to the time and efficiency issues faced by major freight operators, but I have a speaking acquaintance with tourist/museum railroading. We work in sight of a very impressionable general public. We may feel and be perfectly safe observing the under-2mph mount/dismount rule but the unspoken message received by the kids is that its ok to get on and off moving trains. This is not a pitch for adopting the NS absolute but we do need to be aware of our audience. Personally, I want the train stopped while I mount/dismount but I appreciate the instruction in proper method as preparation for any eventuality.

JWC

that other Chattanooga website
mail@steamvalley.com

I am with you Mike. With 20 plus years on the railroad and more than 25 in the railroad industry I consider this rule along with three step protection and roadway worker protection nothing more than a way to kill time and satisfy the lawyers. Like bow style swithstand handles it is only beneficial to those to fat, old, or lazy to do things the fast way. In the 105 years before roadway worker protection as far as anyone can determine the A&R did not have an injury it would have prevented and in the last 5 years we still have not. In the last 5 years we have also not installed 1000 ties per year due to people taking advantage of the rules and time spent in mandatory training of people who have the rules memorized. When I am to old to get on and off moving equipment it will be time to get out of trainman service.

John Bohon

jhbohon@yahoo.com

I have mixed feelings on this one. One the one hand, I was trained in this maneuver at the B&O Railroad Museum and also permitted to use it at the Walkersville Southern.

Some of my fondest memories goes back to when I was able to volunteer on weekdays at the B&O Museum. The Museum's yard is so crowded with equipment that getting one car from the roundhouse into the car shop could require pulling and shuffling 6 or 7 tracks--kind of like a full-size version of John Allen's Timesaver. I always enjoyed days devoted to this kind of switching, with Dwayne McCoy as engineer and me as brakeman. We would get into a rythym and really get those cars moving--the closest I've come to a full day of real freight-style railroading work in the preservation world. Getting on and off moving equiptment was part of the routine, helping to move the work along at a responsible but efficient pace. Also, along with hand signals, it felt like living preservation--doing the job using the traditional skills.

All of that said, I think in this day and age banning it is the better part of valor. It does help move things along, but not everyone can be trusted equally well to use their judgement wisely. It adds a risk--though small and managable--that there is really no need to add--no shipper is waiting, a museum can afford the extra time to make the moves. Finally, if an accident did occur insurers or worse courts if it came to litigation would surely point to the Class 1 rules and ask why your operation was not following this 'industry best practice'.

So, reluctantly but firmly I say train people in it in supervised training as a necessary emergency skill, but prohibit it in general operation.

eledbetter@rypn.org