UP engines Collide in Weber Canyon

quote:

Visibility at the accident is extremely limited, If the crew couldn't see around the corner in a safe distance to stop what do they do then?

Move at a speed in which they can stop within half their range of vision. i.e. What "Restricted Speed" is all about.

Slam, dunk.

We can talk it to death but if indeed the following train was running under Restricted Speed, they failed.

When I question them, every trainee I've ever taught to date was hung up on the "not exceed 20 MPH" part of GCOR's Rule 6.27 "Restricted Speed".  I try to teach them that Restricted Speed has nothing to do with 20 MPH.  Restricted Speed is about STOPPING WITHIN HALF THE RANGE OF VISION.  You're only allowed to run a maximum of 20 MPH IF you can see far enough to stop within half the range of your vision at that speed.  The core of a Restricted Speed rule is that stopping part. What Restricted Speed can be for a specific section of track can/will change according to circumstances and conditions. (i.e. Heavy train vs light engine, clear day vs thick fog, etc.)

Like Wyhog has already said: No problems IF crews/Enginemen move at true Restricted Speed when required to do so!

And yes, I had a stop test on a host railroad within the past month. (It was UP in fact.)

 Currently on BNSF in Southern CA.....NO, our PTC software would not of prevented this accident. Since the train was at restricted speed, and the impact being estimated at 15mph, the crew was not speeding under the "Restricted Speed" rule, and the software has no way of knowing exactly where the rear of the train ahead is stopped.
YET!

Supposedly they are working on new technology to retro-fit the ETD's with new GPS devices in order for the PTC software to read the ETD location. The ETDs already have GPS built in, but are not able to be detected within a few feet, and the PTC software can NOT read them. This will eventually change, soon most likely!

Even though the first grain train had a DPU unit on the rear, PTC wouldn't have prevented the accident.  But as Laidoffsick stated, that capability is around the corner. 

I have read the BLET was trying to get the FRA to change the restricted speed rule changed to 10 mph rather than the 15 mph or 20 mph in the GCOR after one of the rear end collisions on the CSX two or three yrs ago. 

I expect more testing system wide as the result of this. 

Greg 

Restricted speed with a heavy grain train on a down grade in winter is not that easy .

 You need an experienced hogger...Even then stuff can happen.

That 10 mph idea seems to be a good one.

This discussion sounds like speed limits on roads.  In the Houston area, freeway/tollway mainlane max speed is 60 or 65 mph, depending if you are inside out outside Beltway 8.  But a law officer in Texas can give you a ticket for driving the max speed if road conditions would not allow it.  Thick fog.  Rain.  Traffic congestion.

If one is not careful, one can get hung up on one part of a rule, and forget about the rest of it.