Rail Road Anecdotes |
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OPERATION LIFESAVER: |
Let's
start with some DON'Ts: 3) Don't climb on the equipment. I hate to sound like your mother, but you're saving me a lot of paperwork and horrifying flashbacks by staying off the equipment. To you it might look like an abandoned train or a free ride, but when that bastard starts to move with you on it, there's a damn good chance you won't be able to hold on. As long as you're on Wikipedia, punch in "slack action" and see what comes up. Also, the romance of riding freight trains is total bull. They're really dark, really cold, really windy, and hobos are freaking SCARY. 4) Don't put junk on the tracks. It's dangerous to me
and my conductor, and it's ten times more dangerous for you and everyone
else on the ground. If you're wondering "can a train go over a
rock?" the answer is YES. There's only one problem. You probably
haven't wondered where the million shards of rock are going to go at
four times the speed of sound, have you? 6) By and large, railroad cops are major douche-bags, so
when you're trespassing on railroad property, keep your head out of your
butt. These guys didn't make the cut into the real police force, and
they will ream your ass inside and out to make up for their resulting
inferiority complex. Also, walking on bridges and in tunnels is
extremely dangerous. Ask yourself: If a train comes, where will I go?
Trains are much wider than the rails they run on, so don't be fooled. 1) If you see a large object (like a garbage can, or an
F-350) that's about to get love-tapped by a hotshot freight train, get
in the clear. If the crap's about to fly at a railroad crossing, run to
the side of the street that the train is coming from. That way you'll be
behind the point of impact and you won't have to worry about catching
that beautiful pickup and its over-confident driver square on your
shoulders. If you run away from the train you're just putting yourself
in the line of fire, and the death toll could very possibly be two. 2) If the gates stay down and the lights stay flashing, stay where you are. I guaran-damn-tee there's another train coming, and speeding onto the tracks the moment the first train clears is a lot like celebrating a touchdown too early. WHAM. 3) When you're waiting for a train to pass, it's a good idea to stay back thirty or forty feet. Trains are operated by professionals, but often they're "loaded" by total clowns. I've heard some real nasty stories about payloads falling off flatcars and crushing people in their vehicles, or doors sliding off boxcars and ripping through everything in their path. It's rare, but it happens! 4) Always report problems or suspicious activity. If you see a photographer with a radio scanner and a big-ass notebook, ignore him. We know those guys. But if there's a dude in street clothes working a crowbar through a signal box, hit us up and tell us what the deal is. Railroad crossings usually have signs with emergency numbers, or you can call the non-emergency number for your local fuzz. If an accident has already occurred or a life is at risk, call 911 instead. Pretty sure they have our number. 5) Last but not least, when you're inconvenienced by a train, remember that we're pulling for you! Trains are a great way to conserve fuel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and keep American jobs alive and green. Rail technology is the best solution to our energy crisis, and as the rail network grows in the years to come, it's important for everyone to stay safe. LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE! |
Book of Rules Joke |
Back during the War II, when anyone could get a job braking, the NC&StL hired a new kid from Nashville. The Superintendent gave him his copy of the Book of Rules and told him, "Now take this and study it. Keep it with you at all times on the railroad, because any situation that might come up is covered in the Book of Rules." So the kid takes his book, says, "Thank you, Sir, I sure will!" and goes home to study the book. That night he gets a call for No. 3, the secondary sleeper train from Nashville to Chattanooga. He gets on the train at Nashville, and the conductor tells him to go back and make sure the lanterns are all lighted and ready to go on the rear platform. The train pulls out while he's walking back through the sleepers, and sees a woman's bare posterior exposed through the curtains of an upper berth. "Hmmmmm How do I handle this? Oh yeah, the Book of Rules!" So he gets out the Good Book, then runs to the rear of the train, grabs a red lantern and hangs it on the berth. Next comes a traveling salesman, who sees parted curtains and the red light, and gets the entirely wrong idea. Needless to say, there was a big stink when the word got back to the Supt the following day, and the kid had a message waiting on his return to report to the Superintendent' s Office RIGHT NOW! He walks in, and the "Old Man" inquires politely, "Son, what in the world were you thinking of when you hung that red lamp on that poor woman's berth on Monday night?" "Well, Sir," the new hire started, "you told me that anything that came up on the railroad was covered by a rule in the Book of Rules." "Yes, I did," said the "Old Man." "But where in hell did you find a rule to cover that one?" "Right here," the new guy replied. "It says, 'The rear end of a sleeper, exposed by night, must be protected by a red light." Next day the kid was a Trainmaster. |
Rail Slang Story |
From Bill Dunbar, a Train Dispatcher off the Alton RR/GM&O. (You almost need to have worked as a brakeman to understand some of the terms...)
Reminds me of something similar I read in RAILROAD STORIES many years ago.
I don't have it verbatim, but it had to do with a boomer brakeman who was hurt in a yard accident: |