(Warning: link has pictures and some graphic description.)
Please keep the victims' families and the injuried in your thoughts and/or prayers. And donate blood, if you can. My theory is that donating blood anywhere frees up supplies elsewhere in your area, and it's like a cascade effect-- blood is just generally more available. Even if that's not how it really works it makes you feel like you're doing something and it's always needed. The Red Cross says that they think all the immediate blood needs of the crash have been met-- but stores have been severely drained by this and blood is urgently needed for the standard needs to be fulfilled.
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Names of the dead are starting to be released. One was a student in her first semester at FIDM, the fashion school where my almost-step-mom teaches beginning fashion drawing. I haven't talked to her yet to find out if she taught the girl...
There are allegations that the engineer ran a red light (though other engineers say that if the light malfunctioned, what showed red on the computers didn't necessarily turn red on the track, and that that curve is notorious for poor visibility at certain times of day, like when the crash occurred.) A teen also reports that he was texting the engineer just minutes before the crash (I sincerely hope not while the train was moving.)
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The Metrolink trains are virtually identical to the Tri-Rail trains ride every day for a total of two hours (one hour in morning, one at night). Exceedingly scaring to me, especially considering I've been on a train that has hit things in the past (two pedestrians on separate occasions, one car, and *almost* hit a bulldozer once).
By the description of the zone it doesn't seem like a high speed area, but each of the trains can go a maximum of 80MPH; if this was on a straight track, neither would have a chance of stopping and the freighter would have vaporized the commuter train, so it could have been much worse.
And, generally, the freighter company owns the rail; in Florida all the tracks are controlled by CSX, which owns the freighters. The transportation authority essentially leases the track from them. And, while riding Tri-Rail, you *constantly* hear automated "CSX detector" alerts coming over the radios, detailing exactly where every train is. And it's a broadcast, so all personnel on the train (at least three engineers are on any given train set) hear it.
What I find surprising is that the conductor survived; in these non-locomotive trains, there's no more than half inch of shatterproof glass between the conductor and the rail.
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Actually, the max speed limit for the trains is 40 mph at that area, and most trains apparently go 25 to 35 around that sharp curve. It's estimated that the freight train was only going 25 or 30 and the passenger train no more than 40.
The conductor (engineer) did not survive. He is dead.
I think that one article I read said that these tracks are actually owned by the city. The instructions each train gets is up to the company that owns the train.
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quote:The conductor (engineer) did not survive. He is dead.
quote:He said he talked by telephone with Metrolink conductor Bob Hildebrand, who was injured. Hildebrand told him he was in the rear club car when the trains collided. "He told me they were going 40 mph and came to a dead stop," Dinger said.
OK, I misread that. I always forget that "conductor" and "engineer" are somewhat vague terms and do not equate to "driver". Sorry.
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You're right. I totally was tired when I wrote that and misread, sorry. The conductor was in the back, and survived. The engineer was running the train; he died.
The story I just read (can't find the link, sorry) indicates that the last 2 verbal signal checks may not have been done, and the engineer may indeed have been texting while operating the train (though the officials are still cautioning that they don't know what happened, the train may have been in a dead zone or something that affected the recording.) The spokesperson for the NTSA indicates that there is a technology that can stop a train if a red signal is run. I'm thinking that should probably be in place on all tracks where trains regularly share one track.
Also, if it's not already, texting while driving a train should probably be banned.
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quote:Also, if it's not already, texting while driving a train should probably be banned.
All the conductors on the Florida trains have cellphones, and they use them to talk to each other (even other trains and HQ) more than they do their walkie talkies. Which is rather disturbing to me, because I know for a fact there are several "dead zones" devoid of cell service along the rail corridor.
Although I admit I've never seen them actually writing up a text message.
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