A Herd of Foamers

That was close!

Unbelievable!

Jon

I love trains. I love railroading. I've loved trains all my my life, I've loved railroading for decades and was able to secure a good retirement from railroading.

What I just saw in that video is EXACTLY why, IF I owned a railroad, I would absolutely, positively BAN any railfan from being on the property.

I cannot believe that in today's "safety conscious" railroading atmosphere, that the UP is going to go forward with their steam program, for it seems to attract brain-dead idiots like what was filmed above.

Sad. Pathetic, actually.

Andre

I agree. You would have thought that when the guys yells, “Hey idiot get off the tracks!” that the person would have moved! But they just stood there. What if that guy didn’t get them out of the way? Would they have just stayed there until the train hit them? I mean I love trains too but this is just ridiculous. 

The simple fact that the person never put the camera down says a lot. My vote would have been to let Darwin decide.

I agree with Andre that the railroad should know that moving an old steam loco would attract a crowd and they should have arranged for security to keep everyone safe.

Hudson J1e posted:

I agree. You would have thought that when the guys yells, “Hey idiot get off the tracks!” that the person would have moved! But they just stood there. What if that guy didn’t get them out of the way? Would they have just stayed there until the train hit them?

Interesting that you bring that scenario up, as that is EXACTLY what happened last July on the return trip of the Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days Special, back to Denver. A woman, STANDING ON THE ENDS OF THE TIES, continued to "film", as the 844 bore down on her, and subsequently killed her, in front of witnesses. 

I mean I love trains too but this is just ridiculous. 

Appears to be a kid.  Hopefully he’ll wise up as he ages; if he lives that long...

Curt

laming posted:

I love trains. I love railroading. I've loved trains all my my life, I've loved railroading for decades and was able to secure a good retirement from railroading.

What I just saw in that video is EXACTLY why, IF I owned a railroad, I would absolutely, positively BAN any railfan from being on the property.

I cannot believe that in today's "safety conscious" railroading atmosphere, that the UP is going to go forward with their steam program, for it seems to attract brain-dead idiots like what was filmed above.

Sad. Pathetic, actually.

Andre

Sorry Andre, but I must respectfully disagree with banning ALL railfans from railroad property.  Why should the actions of the occasional inattentive moron ruin it for all respectful railfans?

Rather, security could have maybe been a little better, nabbed the perp., and made his/her life extremely difficult for at least a few days, if not more.  Or better yet, maybe railfans should make a little more effort to police their own, if they wish to continue railfanning without severe restrictions.

I, for one of many, don't wish to be punished for the actions of a miniscule bunch of knuckleheads.  Which unfortunately happens all to frequently in this day and age.

Not only "rail fans", are idiots.  Some years ago there were several coal barges hung up on the Emsworth Dam on the Ohio River down river from Pgh. They had two big tow boats with cables trying to pull them off the dam. Sight seers had gathered on the NS tracks that ran past the site  without any regard for the active rails. I had my scanner on and the train crews were getting concerned. I kept telling people to get off the track and a few did. Finally some cops showed up. That scene and that "fan" was hard to believe. I am amazed they had no one there to control it

I don't care how big, how powerful, how significant, how loud the locomotive. Safety should always be your top priority, no matter what.

I hope the 844 incident from last year won't repeat itself this May...

Not only that, he's probably going to sue the UP for running the double stack train to ruin his filming!

Mixed Freight:

You would still be able to railfan all you want... but not on "my" railroad property. Period. 

SO... simply stay off ANY railroad property and have at it.

There was a reason that the railroad I finished my career with fenced in an entire YARD to keep idiots out. (Alco's are like "idiot magnets".)

I never thought I would have such an opinion, but after seeing some of the stunts first hand, as well as via video tape, I am so thankful I was able to retire without killing someone.

Andre

There have been stupid people since the beginning of time.  If people want to do something foolish then they should be prepared to suffer the consequences. Put up a fence and those people will just climb over it.

Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes!  Nuff Said!

Chief Bob (Retired)

Well, it happens all over. There's nothing unique about Foamers. From today's news:

A woman suffered serious injuries to her arm after being attacked by a jaguar at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park, just outside Phoenix, on Saturday.

The woman was attempting to take a selfie when the animal reached out and swiped at her, according to the Rural Metro Fire Department.

The zoo said the woman crossed a barrier in an attempt to get the photo.

"We regret to inform that this evening, before closing there was an incident reported involving a guest, who crossed over the barrier to get a photo, according to eye witnesses," Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park said in a statement. "The visitor sustained non-life threatening injuries to their arm from one of our female jaguars. At the request of the family, paramedics were called, and she was transported to a hosital.

"At no time was the animal out of its enclosure," it added. "The incident is being fully investigated."

Notice how close the guy is to the 844 (then 8444):

We rode that excursion Sunday, Sept 1, 1963 (NRHS Convention).

Lew

breezinup posted:

Well, it happens all over. There's nothing unique about Foamers. From today's news:

A woman suffered serious injuries to her arm after being attacked by a jaguar at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park, just outside Phoenix, on Saturday.

The woman was attempting to take a selfie when the animal reached out and swiped at her, according to the Rural Metro Fire Department.

The zoo said the woman crossed a barrier in an attempt to get the photo.

"We regret to inform that this evening, before closing there was an incident reported involving a guest, who crossed over the barrier to get a photo, according to eye witnesses," Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park said in a statement. "The visitor sustained non-life threatening injuries to their arm from one of our female jaguars. At the request of the family, paramedics were called, and she was transported to a hosital.

"At no time was the animal out of its enclosure," it added. "The incident is being fully investigated."

Sure hope they don't put-down the poor Jaguar. The stupid woman should be put-down, as we have WAY TOO many stupid people in the world, and not near enough Jaguars, Tigers, Lions, etc.

That "trying to get a selfie" happens all the time with the Bison in Yellowstone National Park, plus the Black Hills National Park. Invariably the Bison runs down/over the stupid tourist.  

geysergazer posted:

Notice how close the guy is to the 844 (then 8444):

                 

We rode that excursion Sunday, Sept 1, 1963 (NRHS Convention).

Lew

Looks like the locomotive is backing up VERY SLOWLY, so it probably isn't a problem.

I used to be a wedding photographer (back in the days when that MEANT something) and I saw people go up and stand between the bride and groom and the minister while the couple was exchanging vows--I saw that incredible scene twice during a 12 year career! I once saw a bride leave the dance floor during her first dance because a female videographer was getting literally shoulder-to-shoulder with her as she danced with her new husband. I've had a groom go tell a guest to get lost because he was aggressively interfering with us, his paid (lavishly paid if I may be so humble...) pro photographers. The guest thought the guy was one of the photographers and told the groom to go F*** himself and he only figured it out when his wife told him that he just told the groom to f*** off. I am not sure I ever laughed so hard in my life. People are selfish beyond all belief, even in the most private moments where total respect is called for. At public events, anything goes.

Don

Hot Water posted:

geysergazer posted:

Notice how close the guy is to the 844 (then 8444):

                 

We rode that excursion Sunday, Sept 1, 1963 (NRHS Convention).

Lew

Looks like the locomotive is backing up VERY SLOWLY, so it probably isn't a problem.

I don't think he's backing, otherwise the smoke should be to the left instead of the right. Also, this is on Sherman hill with downgrade to the right. IIRC (been 56yrs) when he stopped and let us all off he simply released the brakes and drifted back down the mountain to get set for the photo-runby. It was quite a show.

This pic was taken from the same spot a few seconds earlier. You can see how close a couple of those people are. Not dangerous but uncomfortable when the steam from that open  cylinder cock hit them.

Lew

To PufferBelly & HotWater..........my ribs are aching from laughing so hard at your comments..........I agree!

For a short while, I was a Brakeman/Conductor at the B & O Railroad Museum.  Sometimes Mr/Mrs  Tourist ( and the spawn) thought it was a G R E A T  idea to stand just aside the doors (at a spot where we couldn't see them) as we backed out an engine........at times we could have used more volunteers to "clear the area". 

This is even after I "cleared the area" before the Engineer backed out the locomotive.........and another volunteer or Zell  ( an employee) was signaling the engine to back up.........the tourists would still approach right after to stay clear........

Lew,

Note where the valve gear is positioned in that upper photo, i.e. the power reverse is in "reverse". Concerning the direction of the smoke, the wind on Sherman Hill, which is ALWAYS blowing, will blow the smoke in the direction that the wind is blowing, regardless of the direction of the locomotive. Lastly, note that the heavy smoke is just billowing out of the stacks, and not blasting skyward as when the throttle is open. The Fireman most likely has the blower on, if they are drifting backwards down grade.

One more pic a couple seconds later:

Pretty clear in all three pics which direction he is moving. Note the steam plume  from the cylinder cock aimed to the rear, thus the train is moving forward. Those people a ll at a safe distance.

Lew

geysergazer posted:

One more pic a couple seconds later:

               

Pretty clear in all three pics which direction he is moving. Note the steam plume  from the cylinder cock aimed to the rear, thus the train is moving forward.

That "steam plume" is NOT from the cylinder cock! That is the "tell-tale" steam exhaust from the Worthington Feedwater Heater System, indicating that the Fireman has the feedwater pump running. In your upper photo, showing the people you think are too close, there is no steam exhausting from that same area.

Those people a ll at a safe distance.

Lew

Yup. In the first pic he's in reverse and in the last pic he is clearly in forward So yes, in the first pic he is drifting backwards and in the second and third he is coming up the hill. Don't know why the fireman was over-firing for smoke in the first pic.

Lew

geysergazer posted:

 

               

Yup. In the first pic he's in reverse and in the last pic he is clearly in forward So yes, in the first pic he is drifting backwards and in the second and third he is coming up the hill. Don't know why the fireman was over-firing for smoke in the first pic.

Back in the 1960s, the 8444 was operated/crewed by the UP Mechanical Dept., and tended to purchase the cheapest oil fuel available, which was also being used in the "Big Blow" gas turbines at the time (maybe Bunker C). At any rate, poor 8444 was pretty difficult to fire with a clean stack, or even a slightly gray color, considering what they were trying to burn. In addition, some of the guys on the Mechanical Dept. steam crew were NOT the best Engineers nor Firemen, and thus tended to make LOTS of thick black smoke. When Steve Lee, from the Operating Dept., took over management of the steam program, in the mid 1980s, lots of things changed, including the purchase of much better furl oil. 

As a contract Fireman, for Steve's Steam Crew, I have spent a LOT of miles firing 844 and 3985, retiring from such assignments at the end of December 2010, when Steve Lee also retired. 

Lew

Now a closeup of the third pic

Not in reverse in this pic.

Lew

In a way this little tale figures. That first pic hung on the wall in our living room when I was kid. Dad liked messing with people's minds and he liked his secrets. I'm sure he took that first pic with the thought of displaying it as the photo-runby when it actually was not. I can see him chuckling to himself. 

Lew

This guy is too close. Makes me wonder if he's a Safety guy?

Lew

Hot Water posted:

geysergazer posted:

One more pic a couple seconds later

That "steam plume" is NOT from the cylinder cock! That is the "tell-tale" steam exhaust from the Worthington Feedwater Heater System, indicating that the Fireman has the feedwater pump running. In your upper photo, showing the people you think are too close, there is no steam exhausting from that same area.

 

I never paid attention to the fact that steam is exiting only from one side:

so no, not cylinder cocks open. 

Lew

geysergazer posted:

Hot Water posted:

geysergazer posted:

One more pic a couple seconds later

That "steam plume" is NOT from the cylinder cock! That is the "tell-tale" steam exhaust from the Worthington Feedwater Heater System, indicating that the Fireman has the feedwater pump running. In your upper photo, showing the people you think are too close, there is no steam exhausting from that same area.

 

I never paid attention to the fact that steam is exiting only from one side:

              

so no, not cylinder cocks open. 

Lew

Also note the small bit of steam vapor coming out of the feedwater heater tank vent tube, right in front of the stack, which is another indication that the Fireman has the feedwater pump running. 

Remarkable. I'm no psychiatrist, but I do notice that trains appeal to those on "the spectrum" quite intensely sometimes, (as I believe is the case with me). The fact that that person kept videoing, with that remarkable detachment from what was going on, (probably overwhelmed with stimuli) not even acknowledging their surroundings after being physically relocated would probably represent some type of a clinically defined behavior. 

If you think that is bad, watch people cross Main Street and St. Joseph's Parkway in Downtown Houston.  People cross with ear buds in ear.  Plus they do not look.Only problem.  Crossing two live LRT tracks.  Too many close calls with Darwin.

My personal take is that people increasingly do not pay attention to their surroundings and therefore are oblivious to what is going on around them. You can see this with everything. 

Yep, know what ya mean!  You would not believe the idiotic things I see every day operating streetcar on the OKC system!  People passing the "too slow" streetcar against opposing traffic, crossing the double yellow line, and with oncoming traffic less than a block away heading for them.  The electric scooters are the worst at times.  Literally playing chicken with the streetcar in the middle of the track, down the street with cars!  And, young "millennials" on skate boards weaving in and out of traffic, crossing directly in front of the streetcar...…    And the list goes on...….  people opening car doors in front of the streetcar as I approach at 25 mph, and I am only one car length away.....  etc.

Jesse  TCA

The one remaining  Pennsy M1a/b,  Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.  I did a group of pictures, some time ago.   All of the steam appliances/small motors operated by steam, there was an in/supply pipe and an exhaust pipe that eventually ended at the smoke box.   M1a/b file.  

Bottom line: People have to take responsibility for THEIR own actions! NO amount of security, rules, barriers or warning devices will save these careless individuals from the results of their unsafe behavior. That is unfortunate, but true.

Alco's are like "idiot magnets".

Its the ‘ALCO chant’ which puts foamers into a trance.  

A heard of idiots is actually called a gaggle of idiots