Also when you get a train that you know has a “kicker” hogheads tend to not use airbrakes to control the train speed. If you don’t touch the brakes, the kicker shouldn’t ‘kick’…
So did the original crew know that a kicker was in the train? Or was the first time they went to make a set on the mountain grade? That would still lead to a UDE, but why wouldn’t they tie the dang train down?
Removed - Issue is too sensitive. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
cCraig;
With a two man crew, on a 2%+ grade, with the snow conditions, Minus 30C temperatures and and 130+ cars…how could you expect to tie down enough cars to hold the train on that grade, besides, supposedly there were retainers on some number of cars already…mountain railroading is not for the faint of heart, and is VERY dangerous at the best of times. How many cars do you think one man can tie down in those conditions…and then someone would have to release them… Railroading, at the best of times is a potentially dangerous job, even while practicing the best of safety measures.
Fred Mills
News conference video:
Fred,
Short answer is all hand brakes. Yes, it will take multiple hours to tie said train down. I know plenty of people who have tied down 6000’ trains in waist deep snow. It takes a good 4-6 hours.
And yes, you have to untie all of those brakes.
And yes, I worked 2 mountain grade territories.
Fred Mills. said:
Railroading, at the best of times is a potentially dangerous job, even while practising the best of safety measures.
Fred Mills
Shirley you meant “Practicing” as “Practising” is something they do these days which involves barnyard animules on cliffs with rubber galoshes. Perhaps it’s the old skool British influence up there that made you spell it that way …you do know that the French had a heavy influence in your area as well. I’m just trying to understand the proper English and spelin.
Canadian Pacific and Canadian National are appealing mountain territory hand brake order imposed by Transport Minister after fatal accident.
That ruling effectively takes away any meet on a mountain grade…
Probably not the greatest solution to the perceived problem.
I haven’t actually read the order, but according to the Transport Minister, it only applied to trains stopped in emergency.
“My department has issued a Ministerial Order under the Railway Safety Act to all railway companies mandating the use of handbrakes should a train be stopped on a mountain grade after an emergency use of the air brakes. This order takes effect immediately and will remain in effect as long as necessary,” said Garneau.
