So even with PTC, the dispatcher would be powerless to stop a train assuming he/she was alerted by telephone from concerned citizen?
Or police dispatch, I should add.
@wb47 posted:So even with PTC, the dispatcher would be powerless to stop a train assuming he/she was alerted by telephone from concerned citizen?
No, the Railroad Dispatcher could/would easily stop a train, once he/she has been alerted by the proper authorities. Verification of a "concerned citizen" alert, might take a little bit longer.
@wb47 posted:Or police dispatch, I should add.
A "police Dispatcher" would have to contact the proper authorities on the railroad, assuming the Police Dispatcher contacts the CORRECT railroad, and then the train Dispatcher would notify any and all trains in the appropriate area.
@Rich Melvin posted:Having had a couple of grade crossing accidents in my engineer career, I can tell you that the people on the train - crew and passengers - never felt a thing.
The train vs plane weight relationship is the equivalent of you running over a soft drink can with your car.
With almost 50 years in the aircraft maintenance field this is so true. Well said Rich.
@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:Runway 12/30 at Whiteman Air Park in Pacoima runs parallel to the Southern Pacific tracks. In fact, when I was taking pilot training there in the early 80s, I used to joke about landing on a moving boxcar...
My late father's Ercoupe is still parked there, last I checked...
Mitch
Wow, now there's a throwback machine--cool picture! Believe it or not, I once saw an old video in the 70's that documented a JATO-equipped (jet-assisted takeoff) Ercoupe, well, taking off. Probably an old experimental military thing--no way I'd have taken that assignment! Too cowardly! 
@Hot Water posted:No, the Railroad Dispatcher could/would easily stop a train, once he/she has been alerted by the proper authorities. Verification of a "concerned citizen" alert, might take a little bit longer.
Correction,
The Railroad Dispatcher could/would contact the train's Engineer or Conductor and they (crew) would actually stop the train.
@Tuscan Jim posted:Wow, now there's a throwback machine--cool picture! Believe it or not, I once saw an old video in the 70's that documented a JATO-equipped (jet-assisted takeoff) Ercoupe, well, taking off. Probably an old experimental military thing--no way I'd have taken that assignment! Too cowardly!
My father had a framed copy of this photo hanging in his condo in California...
The Ercoupe was very overbuilt and could take the strains from the JATO bottles with ease. 
Mitch
Unfortunately, like much of Southern California, too much urban development has occurred around and too close to the airport. Incidents like this are likely to happen again, with potential loss of lives and property. It's sad that Southern Cal is just running out of room for general aviation airports.
Just checked, our local law enforcement dispatcher/center has a direct line to UP dispatch for emergencies. Whether and how long it would take to stop the train is another question. I would have thought that the new PTC would incorporate some ability for the dispatcher to step in directly. But as I understand it, it is not completed yet anyway. In this particular case, there may not have been enough time anyway to act. So live bodies stepped in to do the necessary. kudos. Years ago a friend came up on a wreck with the car on fire. The trooper said to stay away, but the man left in the burning car was a friend too, so he went in and pulled him out. i guess adrenaline takes over reason sometimes.
@wb47 posted:Just checked, our local law enforcement dispatcher/center has a direct line to UP dispatch for emergencies. Whether and how long it would take to stop the train is another question. I would have thought that the new PTC would incorporate some ability for the dispatcher to step in directly.
That would be EXTREMELY dangerous to have an outside/remote "person" place any train in emergency without the Engineer's knowledge! That is why there is radio communications between the RR Dispatcher and the train crew.
But as I understand it, it is not completed yet anyway.
Even when "completed" PTC will still be a GPS/computer based preventative system, and NOT controlled by any outside persons. THAT is what radio communications are for.
In this particular case, there may not have been enough time anyway to act. So live bodies stepped in to do the necessary. kudos. Years ago a friend came up on a wreck with the car on fire. The trooper said to stay away, but the man left in the burning car was a friend too, so he went in and pulled him out. i guess adrenaline takes over reason sometimes.
Ahh...You mentioned J.A.T.O. bottles. Back in the early 60's a hot rodder supposedly equipped a chassis with one and tried it at the Atco drag strip in South Jersey. He was not aware of the 15 second burn cycle...
@Tom Tee posted:Ahh...You mentioned J.A.T.O. bottles. Back in the early 60's a hot rodder supposedly equipped a chassis with one and tried it at the Atco drag strip in South Jersey. He was not aware of the 15 second burn cycle...
Obligatory train version:
https://www.wired.com/2000/08/rocketcar/
Mitch
