Large Scale Central

What is this About?

General Discussion
#21

OBVIOUSLY you have never been there…I HAVE. A train can sneak up on a person walking the tracks so fast, that you never hear it, or know what hit you.

Just so that you have some idea of what I’m speaking of; I’ve spent many hours, trackside, in all sorts of conditions, and in the cabs of a variety of locomotives (With permission, by the way), and have seen too many near misses to let this “Cuteness, attitude” drift by. The idea that anyone takes rail safety as a “BIG BROTHER thing”, or takes the stance of some on this thread, towards this subject, makes me sick.

All this seems so cute to people who have never actually been there…it might be time for a few of the responders to this thread, to vist a presentation by their local “OPERATION LIFESAVER” rail safety group.

I refuse to respond any further to such stupid attitudes.  And very poor spelling, by the way.
#22

On one hand, show me a railfan who’s never walked along the tracks. You can’t be a railfan and not walk along the tracks at one point or another. It goes with the territory. Each of us knows to be responsible and look out for what may be coming one way or another. Yes, technically it is tresspassing, but like jaywalking and exceeding the speed limit, it’s one of those laws that is so commonly broken (by railfans and public alike) that it tends to be enforced only when something goes wrong. That’s reality.

On the other hand, I’ve been to those scenes where something did go horridly wrong. I’ve seen what the coroner couldn’t scoop up, talked to the families left behind, and the engineers who could do nothing to stop it. I can certainly understand why Kalmbach would apologize for presenting an ad that would seem to promote something that could have such tragic results. Is it a bow to the PC forces? Arguably so, but when you’re a media outlet who relies on favorable ties to the railroads, it doesn’t pay to work counter to their efforts relative to saving lives. I’m not arguing for or against either the photo or the apology–just presenting various sides of the story as I’ve lived them.

It’s easy to think that trains are so loud and visible that they’d be impossible to miss. I used to think that, too. It’s simply not the case. I’ve been trackside both in the line of duty (at the invitation of the railroads) and in the line of the hobby (at my own risk). It’s VERY easy for a train to sneak up on a person if they’re not paying full attention to their surroundings. I’ve had a few “close calls” myself–and I know to be careful when I’m out there. It happens VERY easily, and very quickly.

Later,

K

#23
Fred Mills said:
OBVIOUSLY you have never been there.......I HAVE. A train can sneak up on a person walking the tracks so fast, that you never hear it, or know what hit you.

Just so that you have some idea of what I’m speaking of; I’ve spent many hours, trackside, in all sorts of conditions, and in the cabs of a variety of locomotives (With permission, by the way), and have seen too many near misses to let this “Cuteness, attitude” drift by. The idea that anyone takes rail safety as a “BIG BROTHER thing”, or takes the stance of some on this thread, towards this subject, makes me sick.

All this seems so cute to people who have never actually been there…it might be time for a few of the responders to this thread, to vist a presentation by their local “OPERATION LIFESAVER” rail safety group.

I refuse to respond any further to such stupid attitudes.  And very poor spelling, by the way.</blockquote>

The is mature your not responding because of stupid attitides and poor spelling. Let me ask you this, do you ever drive over the speed limit? I think we all do at times. Do you realize that you put yourself and other at risk by going over the speed limit. You cant say we have stupid attitides. We all understand where you are coming from, you need to realize that we are not looking at the picture in a negative way. When I looked at the picture my first reaction was father and son sharing the same hobby. I know I would never take my kid on a busy line and if I do it myself I know the risk involved. The problem we all have is you cant show anything today without someone twisting things around and looking at the worst case. This can be said about everything from cartoons to TV commercials. I bet every picture you see today you can come up with a worst case situation. You cant live your life in a padded room. By the way I probably see more dead people in a year then most see in a lifetime. We see car commercials showing a car going fast around turns in the snow. Is that car commercial teaching us its ok to go fast in such conditions? Only a stupid person would see it that way. Again we see where you are comming from just realize where we are comming from. It is not nice to have problems with people who cant spell. Im sure you have some weak points but we dont make fun of you.
Wait Fred is that alcohol in your avatar. Is that not teaching kids something. Of course I dont really care just making a point.

#24

Phather Phred,

Lighten up, for Heaven’s sake!

Besides your preaching, are you going to teach us to spell, and use proper gramma?
It’s a cute picture of a father and son.
Like I said before, F&*^% big brother and sister!

#25
John Bouck said:
Phather Phred,

Lighten up, for Heaven’s sake!

Besides your preaching, are you going to teach us to spell, and use proper gramma?
It’s a cute picture of a father and son.
Like I said before, F&*^% big brother and sister!


Im with you John people need to relaxe. The problem is people dont see the cute part they see what could happen by walking a tracks. It is no different then walking down the road or crossing a creek. Its about using common sense.

#26

I am sure that those who created the ad and those who approved the ad thought that it was cute. I would bet minutes after release the phone rang from a railroad industry organization.

I saw the same thing happen in the bicycle industry… specifically mountain biking. In the 80’s it was a new rebel freedom sport. By 1990 it became very uncool to show a rider in print without a helmet. Also, peer pressure made it very uncool to ride without one. No doubt, helmet manufactures help swing the tide.

Safety first.

#27

It’s because of all the “LIARS” whoops I mean “Lawyers” and liability issues that are prevalant today. Nobody wants to do anything, that a new student with a piece of parchment in his/her hand coming right out of law college will sue for anything, just to get a name for him or herself!!! I myself try to avoid ANY/ALL contact with em cause i’ve met a couple of crooked ones in my lifetime, who have done considerable damage to my fame and fortune,(LOL) and have robbed me of my quiet time at the end of my life, playing with my trains, now not having any retirement because I listened to some really, really, really, BAD advice. The one that gave it to me is now practicing law on the back of his father in laws tractor plowing fields for a living, or so I hear! That is how GOOD he was, but unfortunately AFTER he “took” me!!! The Regal

#28
Fred Mills said:
And very poor spelling, by the way.
Ferd, Duz un opinyun knot kownt becuz thay kant spel ? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Ralf
#29

I feel much better now. Seems lots of you agree and look at what the picture was ment to be and not what may happen.

Fr. Fred. I do understand what your saying and belive me after running a tow truck for years I have seen more then my share of what happens when people are stupid.

Now not sure when it is but happy Fathers day to all you dads.

#30

Gotta go with the Padre on this one…5 people in less than 5 years have been killed in or around my home town by being hit by a train. All Pedestrians I am talking about. Autos as well but the 5 I speak of are pedestrian related. I see the small crosses at many non gated crossings around here.

Anyway - latest was a teen this last May…

http://www.galesburg.com/archive/x1870876966/Train-kills-Abingdon-teen

We have a lot of deaths here from trains. It comes from my home town being a RR town. Burlington AND Santa Fe Main Lines went through here so we have a LOT of freight and 8 AMTRAK trains a day. I guess some of you must not live near tracks or busy tracks…

The ad is a nice idea but coming from a RR town and having worked on the BN - not really a smart ad. We are a rail foamer town. We have an annual event - Galesburg RR Days. If an ad like this was used to promote RR days in this town EVERYONE would have been in an uproar. I understand the intent but RR right of way is private property and just by the photo alone - well…enough said. Ya gotta think different. It’s like pulling out of your driveway 1000 times and there is NEVER any traffic…the one time you don’t look both ways - wham.

I love trains. My kids have been to a fair amount of Rail events but I NEVER walked with them down a track. Less than 1 mile from my house is the BNSF Barstow Sub [also known as the
“Peavine”]. Not a lot of traffic but I would have the proverbial “Big Bad Dad Attack” if I ever caught them playing along the tracks, walking, riding bikes, quads, etc.

My county road crosses that sub - no gates - Evertime we head that way by running, driving, on the quads, etc…I remind them about STAYING AWAY FROM THE RAIL LINE. STOP, LOOK, LISTEN. Simply stuff and even I forgot once - I almost blew threw the crossing without thinking. Locked up the brakes on my car, skidded to a hault. No train in sight but I admonished myself in front of my kids. “Your Dad almost did a VERY stupid thing buy NOT stopping to look for a train coming”.

Respect the sign. Respect the rails.

I stopped at an ungated crossing in Henderson, IL - one of my kids and another kid in my car. My kid said…“you can make it”. I said watch how fast it’s really coming…he was amazed how quiet, how fast and how deceiving it’s speed truly was…

It has NOTHING to do with lawyers and big brother. It has to do with what you teach a kid. My neighbor is a signal repair foreman. I showed him the ad…first thing he said it was “well that’s stupid”… I see him outside playing with his 18 month old son and I don’t think he is going to “walk” down the rail lines with his kid either.

Yah - I am reading too much into it but until my kids are “all growed up” - I will be the parent that I am…

Respect the rails…

Pod

[Former Waycar Man, then Machinist Helper - Burlington Northern, former Amtrak Employee - Railroad Ticket Clerk.]

#31

Like in the Movie "Stand By Me "
.

Fred Mills said:
OK....so some of you still haven't got it, so....

Put your self in the cab of a locomotive, as an engineer, or conductor. You are moving along at anywhere from 20 mph, to 90 mph, and you see that picture in your windscreen…you lean on the horn…hit the brakes, but you know you can’t stop…just picture that…NOW IS THAT PICTURE AS CUTE AND CUDDLY AS IT SEEMED A MINUTE AGO…?

I know how crews feel after just such accidents…I’ve met some of them…some never are able to operate a loco again…

Too many of the railfan, and toy train community have no idea about rail safety, and some of the responses in this thread reflect that. The same goes for the people that go around the crossing gates…or race to cross in front of a train.

It is not about big brother....it's about common sense, which it appears is not in great quantities on this thread.   As it is often said...."Common sense is not very common these days".</blockquote>
#32

About half way through my Naval career, I moved into a house in Chesapeake, VA, that had a branch line cross the tip of the property. I was told that the line had been abandoned, as the cannery or whatever it was had closed down ten years earlier.

It certainly looked as if it had been abandoned with grass and tall weeds growing up through the rotted ties that held together totally rusted 60 lb rail.

My 2.5 year old son and I used to walk along the roadbed, balancing on the rails and trying not to sprain our ankles as we walked on the ties that might have had ballast, once.

Imagine my surprise when I heard that familiar diseasal horn beeping from behind, late one summer afternoon. It was an old GP7, of indeterminate heritage, crawling along at the track speed of 5 mph.

I think he was lost.