Posted on 09/13/2008 6:49:23 PM PDT by BenLurkin
CHATSWORTH, Calif. (CBS) ― Metrolink officials Saturday put the blame squarely on the engineer of the train for the deadly crash that has claimed at least 25 lives. They say he ran a red light.
But a group of local teens, train enthusiasts, who know the engineer well doubt that he was to blame.
They called their friend professional and caring and said he helped them learn about trains and being an engineer. To a man, they said he would "never" have been reckless or unprofessional or run a red light.
But one minute before the deadliest crash in Metrolink history, one teen -- Nick Williams -- said he received a text message on his cell phone from the engineer, whom the teens identified as Robert Sanchez.
Williams' received text was brief, "Just two lines", reported KCAL 9 and CBS 2 reporter Kristine Lazar, exclusively.
The text apparently told Williams and his friends where Sanchez would be meeting another passenger train.
The teens posted a tribute to their friend on YouTube.
A Metrolink spokeswoman earlier stated that the train's engineer, who has not officially been named, ran a red signal.
Another one of the teens, Evan Morrison, told Lazar that Sanchez " was not the kind of guy who would run a red light."
None of them believe he was at fault.
Saturday, Sanchez's teen friends all went to the crash site. Mark Speer, choking back tears said, "this is absolutely devastating."
Denise Tyrell, a spokesperson for Metrolink commented on the report that Sanchez might have been texting immediately before the crash.
She said, "I can't believe someone could be texting while driving a train."
Just thinking about it seems to raise several questions. It’s not the color of the signal lights that solves the conflict but the position of the various switches. If the the signal was red it must have meant the track wasn’t clear, so the switches should have been set to get one of the trains off the track and onto a siding.
Nothing about this makes sense. But again, I have NO understanding whatsoever of how the system works and am really just guessing at conditions.
It still seems to me there must have been a discrepancy between the signals and the switches.
It’s going to be interesting to see what develops. Sad, but interesting. My first thought was sabotage of some sort, these trains do this every day, and have done this every day for years. Why is it today they run into each other?
“There are ‘switches’ in the tracks that reroute the train onto the siding. The only way you can get back on the main track is that the switches on that end change. This usually only happens after the other train passes, elsewise it would come head on at your on the siding.
Someone had to monkey with the lights and track switches for this to happen.”
Nonsense. You simply don’t know what you’re talking about.
The signal system in on CTC (Centralized Traffic Control) single track can’t display clear signals for opposing movements. When a train enters from one end of the single track, it will “knock down” all the other opposing signals.
If the passenger train got by a Stop Signal at a passing siding, it would “run through” the switch in the reverse position without derailing (would break the switch, though), and keep going.
If the reports that the engineman of the Metrolink train was busy sending a text message (and not paying attention to the signals ahead), he might well have passed the distant signal displaying “Approach”, continued by the next signal displaying “Stop”, run through the switch, and ended up on the single track in front of the oncoming freight.
This is how the Gunpow wreck on Amtrak happened in 1987. A Conrail light engine move missed a Stop Signal, ran out in front of oncoming Amtrak train #94 (approaching at 125+mph), and the wreck that followed killed 17 people and led to national legislation requiring federal “certification” of locomotive engineers. I’ve got my “certificate” in my pocket right now.
- John
Since you know rail communications thoroughly, I am pinging you for your thoughts on this tragedy.
“I know nothing of how the systems work, but I have to agree with you that there must be more to this than a simple matter of missing a signal. I find it hard to believe that any system today would permit two trains going in opposite directions to on the same piece of track at the same time.”
After the investigations are conducted, it will almost certainly come down to a single finding:
The engineer of one train missed a Stop Signal, and ended up on single track in the face of an opposing train.
You better start “believing”.
There is only ONE section of railroad in the entire United States where a train will be forced to a dead stop before passing a Stop Signal. That’s on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, in the section between New Haven Connecticut and Boston upon which the “ACSES” system is in place. I believe they’ve also got ACSES operational on certain portions of the Corridor between New York and Washington.
Anywhere else, a train can pass a Stop Signal just as easily as you can pass a red traffic light in your own car. In cab signaled systems (again, not in place where this accident occurred), a train might be slowed to 20mph by the speed control apparatus, but it can STILL pass a Stop Signal without coming to a complete stop.
The truth is, almost everywhere in the United States (except where I’ve described), trains CAN end up (in your words) “going in opposite directions to on the same piece of track at the same time.”
What keeps them from doing that?
Answer: the integrity and character of the folks running ‘em.
It’s really that simple.
- John
Thank you for the insight.
He was obviously texting while operating the train.
I don’t know if MetroLink has the same rules, but, it would be hard to believe that they don’t.
His actions are reprehensible. What a terrible tragedy caused by one irresponsible person.
If the text message was sent one-minute before the crash, then, Metrolink officials should be able to calculate where the train was when he sent the message.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was right near the location of the red light.
I’m sorry, but, the potential that this person killed this many people because of a text message infuriates me.
This one was not Jerry's fault ...
Scary. Scary how misinformation can spread through Al Goron’s invention. This thread is the best example. Pretend you know, and MSM doesn’t, and millions will believe you. Until someone with a certificate in his pocket (he says) comes along and presents his version, pretty much confirming the “lying MSM’s” version. Who do you believe?
One of my daughter’s Navy girlfriends was on that train. She had just called my daughter and moved back a couple cars so that she wouldn’t disturb the passengers around her with their conversation and was still there when this happened. The car she was in originally was one of the ones that got smooshed. I don’t think she realizes yet that Someone above was watching out for her.
For this accident to have happened, both the conductor and engineer on the offending train would have had to miss slowing for an approach signal (usually yellow) and then stopping for the red signal. Also, the train dispatchers usually communicate with their trains to let them know them know when they are taking a siding or holding the mainline to meet an oncoming train (or let a higher priority train overtake them from behind) I don't know which track the Metrolink train was on, but even if a switch is lined against your track, most trains go through them without derailing.
This is a terrible tragedy
For the other passengers on the train they were lucky that the locomotive was in the front and pulling. If it had been in the rear and pushing I would hate to think of the death toll.
Have to disagree. The engineer was stopped between signals and if he couldn't see the next signal he was required to proceed at "restricted speed" which in short is a speed that he could stop within one half the field of vision. If he entered the block on "color" which he undoubtedly did then he was required by rule to proceed at the restricted speed requirement. The engineer forgot where he was and what he was doing...easy but I would assume even easier to do while texting. Really doubt if anyone tampered with anything.
That said, WHY IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR THE ENGINEER TO IGNORE A RED LIGHT?!?!?!?!!!!!
Sorry, said my shout wrong. What I meant is that the safeties should take the engineer’s attention — or inattention — out of the equation!
Iirc, the probability of a serious accident increases by a factor of 4 for any distraction from driving. I have seen drivers texting while operating an automobile. (Add that to the list: reading newspapers/books, writing, diddling with the stereo (presumably from where they were reaching), eating, changing clothes, doing make-up, having 'intimate' relations, playing video games (the little portable ones), etc.).
The excuse that insurance companies used to up the rates on auto insurance for drivers who smoke was that they were distracted by smoking, and this increased their chances of being in an accident.
For that matter, while some people are far better at multitasking than others, any person is most competent at a given task when they can devote their entire attention to just that task. That seems obvious, but a study was done on that, too.
She sounds like she was very lucky....was she transported? Nearly 50% of the passengers were transported to hospitals last night....just listening to the fire department traffic, it taxed the entire county for beds, ambulances, backboards, etc.
I shudder to think of what will happen when THE BIG ONE hits.
I ran a red light a few months ago and had no idea. It was just .15 seconds into the red, but still.
Imagine my shock when I got a picture in the mail from the red light camera. Hefty fine, too. But I was obviously guilty, and completely unaware of it.
I wasn’t texting or on the phone or anything, either.
On Metrolink the engineer calls out the signal, and the conductor repeats it via packset. I believe he also has to write it down. The conductor was in the last car and broke two legs.
The UP trains are supposed to call out indications also, for awareness of other trains and within the cab.
Amtrak also calls out the signals and the conductor repeats them. I hear the Coast Starlight every night crossing the Valley just hearing them calling out the signals on 29/29
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