Posted on 05/13/2015 3:02:36 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The engineer driving the Amtrak train that derailed survived the Tuesday night crash will play a key role in the investigation into what happened.
The identity of the engineer has not been publicly released, but authorities said he has already met with investigators.
The train's engineer initially spoke with investigators Tuesday night. He was treated at a hospital and then released and transported to the Philadelphia Police Department. He later declined to provide a formal statement to police and requested a lawyer, which he now has.
ABC News can confirm that they were reportedly meeting with federal accident investigators and other rail personnel this afternoon.
(Excerpt) Read more at 6abc.com ...
In this wonderful world filled with the latest technology, Shirley AMTRAK hasn't done away with the deadman switch.
I might buy that IF I knew what the SPEED LIMIT was for the previous sections of track, or what the 'limit' of the AMTRAK train to get up to.
If no stretch of track had a speed limit over 90, then why was he doing 106 ?
Engineer of Derailed Amtrak Train Can't Remember Crash Details
Brandon Bostian, Amtrak Engineer: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
There is only one engineer in the cab.
Unless the engineer was a Muzzie, I don’t think it was deliberate. Why the auto brakes didn’t kick in is a puzzler.
Well, it is about time.
When you coming to the Gulch?
Or should I bring the plane to pick you up?
;-)
Perhaps the locomtive struck one or more of the catenary poles?
Thanks for the reply. Is there anyone else on board (nearby) who is capable of “standing in” or assisting the engineer? What if the engineer falls ill while the train is underway?
I don’t think I would get on a train if everything was riding on (pardon the pun) that one person. That is allowing a single point of failure.
A Wells Fargo executive among the dead? The run of bad luck for bankers rolls on...
The Conductor, who if I understand the order of excellence, is the overall responsible party. But he can only pull the emergency cord ( which is in each car) thus applying the train’s brakes. Not long ago, I took my grandson on an errand in downtown Oakland. While we were there the Amtrak Capitol which similar to the train in question runs from the Bay Area to Sacramento pulled in to the station so we went over and the engineer invited us to come up to where he controlled the train. They don't bother to turn these trains around, so the engineer, in one direction sits in a little cubicle in the upper right hand corner of the first car while the engine pushes the whole train from behind. The space is not unlike that occupied by a motorman on a subway train. so while there may be a second seat in the engine, when the train goes a$$ backwards, there is only place for one engineer.
The other thing here in California is that the primary use for the right of way is for freight, so Amtrak has to make way for those trains as they are higher priority to the railroads who actually own the tracks. The other thing is that in most places, here it's a single track designed to handle the slower moving freight trains, hence the very long time to get anywhere. Amtrak is a comfortable ride from Oakland to LA and since in a lot of places it's closer to the ocean than the highway, you do get some scenery ( and you get to see the missile launch facilities at Vandenberg AFB), but those are really the only reasons ( in addition to cost) for taking the train.
I love these! Atlas Shrugged immediately came to mind when this happened, ESP in light of the omnipresent Metro problems in DC of late, as well.
I know nothing about trains but it does not seem rational to rely completely on a single person when the safety of 200+ lives is at stake.
“I know nothing about trains but it does not seem rational to rely completely on a single person when the safety of 200+ lives is at stake.”
It’s all about money. The airlines would probably fly with one pilot if they could get away with it. They eliminated the Flight Engineer decades ago.
A train derailed on 9/11/01, after the towers were breached -— my first thought was not Islamic (spit) terrorism, but that everything was crumbling a la Atlas Shrugged.
Fans of Ayn Rand are very important to the future of this nation.
We can build Galt’s Gulch — but it will take some time.
Faith. Hope. Love. (But avoid the Metro)
As I recall, that incident was operator error. He ran a red block signal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.