I’m not saying the engineer should have left his train in an unattended
location. I am suggesting the company could have designated a better spot to
leave the train.
Leaving trains unattended is a common practice. It can be done safely so long
as more precautions are taken than was the case with the Megantic incident,
i.e. with only one unit running, (presumably) not enough handbrakes, at the top
of a steep grade, with no derails, etc.
From: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: May-21-14 5:53 PM
To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [cpsig] Fw: Central Maine & Quebec CEO: 'We'll have to prove
ourselves'
It isn’t leaving the train unattended which is the big problem. It was
leaving it on top of a hill rather than using a spot a mile farther west
where the track is in a sag. A train in the bottom of a sag could not run
away.
=======================================
I imagine the engineer was told on which siding to leave the train. So the
dispatcher would know were it was. Why would the engineer leave the train,
without permission, on the main track, in a "sag"? He left the train, on a
siding, with a convenient grade crossing so the taxi could reach him and
take him to the hotel/motel. Something he'd done numerous times before.
If the train had not been left unattended, the accident would probably not
have happened. Doesn't matter where the train is left, leaving any train
unattended is just plain dangerous, sadly as events have proven.
And, I believe the rules have now been changed to reflect this.
Roger Traviss
Home of the late Great Eastern Railway
http://greateasternrailway.com
More photos of the late GER at: -
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/