Driving a GG-1 for the PC

Glad you escaped that incident.

Creepy story! Did you figure out the origin of the steel?

It sounds like the steel was hanging out from the side of the freight you were passing. You were lucky.  This happens on the highways, too. A relative of my wife's was killed by an unsecured load that took flight just as he was passing a truck.

That is funny, cause I was riding to Baltimore on 'protect', and the Engineer calls out, "see that headhight up there, that's a freight better come stand over here behind me, cause you never know what might be hanging off the side" NEVER forgot that bit of advice!

@ThatGuy,

You said it was night time and you were going pretty fast.  Do you think you would have seen the debris?  Not to mention enough time to react to it?

@ThatGuy posted:

lesson learned never take your eye off the ball, railroading is fun exciting but very dangerous.

Sounds like "taking your eye off the ball" may have saved your life.

@smd4 posted:

Sounds like "taking your eye off the ball" may have saved your life.

Yes, that's what I was thinking.

A Christmas Miracle, for sure. Glad you’re still with us.

@smd4 posted:

Sounds like "taking your eye off the ball" may have saved your life.

Probably one of the only times

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

A Christmas Miracle, for sure. Glad you’re still with us.

About a month latter another engineer was killed by a passing freight, problem with the sleek GG-1’s was the snout anything it hit came right up to the windshield

@texgeekboy posted:

@ThatGuy,

You said it was night time and you were going pretty fast.  Do you think you would have seen the debris?  Not to mention enough time to react to it?

I doubt it at that speed we are talking seconds……maybe

@WT.Co. posted:

That is funny, cause I was riding to Baltimore on 'protect', and the Engineer calls out, "see that headhight up there, that's a freight better come stand over here behind me, cause you never know what might be hanging off the side" NEVER forgot that bit of advice!

Yup, you never know

@hokie71 posted:

Creepy story! Did you figure out the origin of the steel?

Something hanging off a freight car…..today Taco Bell sells mystery meat…….then it was mystery steel

@Former Member posted:

It sounds like the steel was hanging out from the side of the freight you were passing. You were lucky.  This happens on the highways, too. A relative of my wife's was killed by an unsecured load that took flight just as he was passing a truck.

As my dad would say “ when your born your card is punched……just enjoy what you have because you never know when the second clock out will come”

That Guy, do you remember the crane boom that hit the 'crew car' on train 60?

@WT.Co. posted:

That Guy, do you remember the crane boom that hit the 'crew car' on train 60?

Yup, also the GG-1 that drifted away in the sunny side yard and mauled the safety first car……..the irony was fantastic, since the G was parked by the safety inspector

Well I said before anyone that thinks 'AI' is new, never worked for the railroad?

@WT.Co. posted:

Well I said before anyone that thinks 'AI' is new, never worked for the railroad?

You got it!

While talking about GG-1s...as a road conductor I once ran a pair of G's one day in engine change service because my engineer wasn't comfortable (former LV) and we needed to deliver the motors to WA-2 from the 'Meadows'. It was only 10mph running so I was ok. In the early Conrail days anything was ok. A road crew took over and we jitneyed back to the LV Oak Island enginehouse. Ready for the next call. Walter

I talked to a number of old steam engineers on NYC. One bit of advice for the fireman was whenever an opposing train was spotted, the fireman exited his seat and stood in the center of the cab in front of the firedoor. I have seen fireman (helpers) leave their seats and stand in the center of the cab when approaching an opposing train. I recall one fatality when a head brakeman was killed due to a shifted load. The fireman in the lead unit saw the problem in time and left his seat. The head brakeman was riding in the fireman's (Helpers) seat in a trailing unit, and he might have been asleep. I don't know what the rules are, but I personally believe that this is good practice.

4908 and consist look pretty spiffy in your photo, early '70s I guess?  Did you ever run any of the Army-Navy game specials?  I know that was always a big day for the GG-1s.

@Ted S posted:

4908 and consist look pretty spiffy in your photo, early '70s I guess?  Did you ever run any of the Army-Navy game specials?  I know that was always a big day for the GG-1s.

No that was for the senior circuit……….CRAP I am part of the Senior Circuit now……when did that happen….lol

@Hudson5432 posted:

I talked to a number of old steam engineers on NYC. One bit of advice for the fireman was whenever an opposing train was spotted, the fireman exited his seat and stood in the center of the cab in front of the firedoor. I have seen fireman (helpers) leave their seats and stand in the center of the cab when approaching an opposing train. I recall one fatality when a head brakeman was killed due to a shifted load. The fireman in the lead unit saw the problem in time and left his seat. The head brakeman was riding in the fireman's (Helpers) seat in a trailing unit, and he might have been asleep. I don't know what the rules are, but I personally believe that this is good practice.

Amen, it can be dangerous in the front end, that’s why is many places high speed and freight are segregated

@Walter Matuch posted:

While talking about GG-1s...as a road conductor I once ran a pair of G's one day in engine change service because my engineer wasn't comfortable (former LV) and we needed to deliver the motors to WA-2 from the 'Meadows'. It was only 10mph running so I was ok. In the early Conrail days anything was ok. A road crew took over and we jitneyed back to the LV Oak Island enginehouse. Ready for the next call. Walter

The end of the Penn Central into Conrail was the wild Wild West of railroading