Trolley Poles and Pantographs are for wusses and sissies. Hard hats required.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unhXEQQk ... r_embedded

Why bother with the hard hats? lol ...hopefully this video doesn't give people any ideas... :)

I tried to pull up my Statistical Abstract to cite the life expectancy in Albania........... but they apparently don't report their data............

Holy moses. I've heard of a stinger, but didn't think anybody would use it for their primary current source.

The adapted Flintstones song in the comments section summed it up pretty good:

Albanians, meet the Albanians
They're the modern stone-age family
Digging through the bedrock
They're a page right out of history
Let's ride with the nutters down the track
Through the courtesy of an electric crack
When you're with the Albanians
Have a yow-how-who-hoo time
A buzzing fizz time
You'll have a gay old time

Albania -- I once read a professional reporter's story about visiting the country.

It was a confusing place to visit. They nod their heads up and down to indicated the negative and they shake their heads from side to side to indicate yes or agreement.

Ah, the wonders of YouTube! I found a video of a surviving Pacific Electric locomotive in Argentina, and I've also found musical performances from the 60's featuring my favorite singer. Those of us who are partial to the Santa Fe can see 3415 restored to life displayed on our computers. The Albanian video (note that it dates from 1995, so this operation may be history now) certainly shows how basic railroading can be when we get away from standard gauge and FRA jurisdiction. The manual switching of the cars (waggons?) reminded me of a Welsh two-foot operation. One comment mentioned the smiling workers; to me this is a sign of a crew with good teamwork, which can overcome deficiencies in equipment.

That would explain a lot. It probably all began with a conversation between the Albanian engineers and a non-Albanian safety consultant...

"Hey, do you think this is unsafe?"

< nods >

"Cool!"

Did you see near the end, where the guy was improvising 'chopper control' by tap-tap-tap'ing the wire?

Could this be a case of trade embargoes, or the demise of Ohio Brass and other suppliers, making it hard to maintain and replace the original trolley poles?

It's more likely a matter of a different mind-set about work hazards....and putting food on the table. And probably a more fatalistic attitude towards "industrial accidents".

Howard P.
Zorch-und-Zap, NY