Maybe not exactly preservation, but this relates to rules in operating a train, "vintage" or modern.

TRAINS NEWSWIRE for Oct. 25 reported on an incident in Bettendorf, IA, where two DM&E crewmen were killed when a BNSF crew left a switch open, and the DM&E train rear-ended cars that were set out on a yard track. The article, based on an NTSB report, goes on to describe that this was in dark territory, and that the BNSF crew was required to fill out SPAF forms. The article seems to put all the blame on the BNSF crew.

But, in my understanding of the General Code of Operating Rules, weren't the DM&E crewmen also responsible. Since this occurred in a yard, wouldn't yard limits rules apply? And, if so, shouldn't the DM&E train have been operating at restricted speed? And under restricted speed they should have been able to stop short of "....switch improperly aligned...."

Am I missing something in the rules here?