I saw a disturbing video today of a toddler crawling around beneath a train station platform as a train was pulling away the toddler crawled up on the rail and the inevitable happened. After seeing this horrifying video I started thinking about how this could have been avoided. Most passenger trains whether it be Amtrak or a generic tourist railroad the conductor usually signals the engineer to go after they close up the loading door. What I propose is the conductor check on both sides of the train by looking out the door on each side of the train and visually scanning the whole train before giving the signal to move forward.

Edit: I think you are on to something. More Darwin awards:
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/03/29/ ... 459262753/

That one is especially bad given that those well cars are essentially flat cars, which is a death sentence given the location of the grab irons. A yard foreman I knew told me about a green switchman riding a flat car, which is verbotten, his feet went out from under him and he was cut in half. But the general public doesn't know these things.

I saw another story about a teen being killed in Texas walking along the tracks, the parents said that perhaps operation lifesaver or the like should come to high schools and not just talk about crossing safety but also the danger of walking along tracks. Good idea

I had an experience with a trolley car where I looked right, left, and in front before departing. Someone complained to the office that they had been leaning against the rear of the car at that moment to pose for a picture.

How do we have a video of this?

Was in India or a like country. The baby had slipped between the platform and the cars and the train was already moving. Being a baby he didn't understand that he should hug the platform and wait....he crossed over the rail instead, with a predictable and gruesome outcome. I think it would of been pure suicide to try to dive in between the cars and platform, the clearance looks like it would of been exactly right to trap an adult.

I had a near miss lest year on our line. I was Brakeman and on Southbound trips we are in push mode with the caboose leading. I always check both sides of the train before giving the all clear to proceed signal.

I checked both sides and there were some kids playing football in the street on the Firemans side of the engine and train. We usually only run with an Engineer in the cab Southbound. The kids were well clear of the train and I gave all clear. Just as the engine started to move I stepped back to the other side to see two boys diving for a catch about 2 feet from the train. I think I lost a couple of weeks off my life on that little scare.

Needless to say the kids got a good talking too later in the day.

http://oli.org/education-resources/pedestrian-safetyTrespassing has been part of the standard program for at least a decade.

I had an episode one time during a civic festival which tended to spill out over the local railroad. Normal traffic was two through freights and a local each way daily. Since the crowd was so large there was no way we could physically keep them off of the track without stringing barbed wire. The railroad placed an engine and caboose at the main crossing in town with some employees to give tours, the area was plastered with safety posters and we had about a half dozen borrowed Special Agents and some OL Volunteers working the track handing out literature and explaining that this was the one day a year that we would not be writing summonses for selfies on the track. I happened to turn at just the right moment to see a four-year-old dart under the caboose. I walked toward the caboose shouting "Hey, Get out from under there." His mother, who was taking a picture turned to me and said something on the order of 'You're being way to serious.' Under the caboose I saw Dad lying on his back holding the child up against the underframe while Mom took their picture. I asked Dad to get out from under the train and Mom responded with, "If you don't leave my family alone I'm calling the police." (I was wearing utilities and a polo shirt) I keyed my mike and asked for a uniformed officer to come to the caboose. She looked at me somewhat surprised and asked what I thought I was doing. I explained that that she had said she wanted the police and I was obliging her - and I was going to start with a count of child endangerment for each parent. They left fairly quickly muttering something about the the train being there for them to play on and besides there were never any trains through town.

I hate to say it, but children will never learn. You can't have a person come into a classroom and convince kids to abide by the rules of the railroad. By the time they'll learn it'll be too late, and they'll be telling the next generation about safety. It's a never ending cycle. Soon as one generation learns, the next generation takes the place of it. In order for them to learn, something tragic must happen to a person they know involving train safety. As I was once a kid, I do have to say that the kids these days will end up in more accidents than years prior. It's unfortunate but by the time they learn, it's too late.

I don't know why safety discussion was moved to railfanning but I digress. For us traction Folk I suggest that the conductor stay in the rear vestibule and check both sides of the trolley before giving the go-ahead to the moterman this might interfere with letting the kids ring the bell to make the trolley go but I think safety comes first in this occasion.