Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/11/07/driver-turns-his-back-on-train.html
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My first reaction was “If they can derail it remotely, why can’t they stop it remotely as well?” But it seems that their remote center can control the state of the track – in this case, a set of points – but not the state of the train.
I bet Positive Train Control is on someone’s Christmas wishlist after this event, though.
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All they need is Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, and a track engineer with a Mad Max style ute.
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Obligatory:
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no auto brakes? no deadman switch? astonished.
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That’s what I was thinking…When did those stop being standard?
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I think this should be required viewing for all railroad train operators:
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Sometimes truly weird things happen. The Jersey Central had a ghost runaway back in 1959 - http://www.trainweb.org/mystation/RunawayLoco.txt - this was in the days before Positive Train Control, but the engine had an isolation switch, a deadman switch, an air brake interlock, and other safety features - starting it was an eight-step procedure. There was never a good explanation offered for what happened that day.
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Don’t blink!
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In my world “The General” should be required viewing for everybody. I just would prefer a different music or no music at all.
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This is the line where it happened:
If there was some need to go and look at the brakes somewhere on the train I would imagine they were not working as they should have been.
Australian 57-mile runaway | RailUK Forums
Rail Safety Consulting Australia owner Phillip Barker said it was unclear what had happened to make the train take off, but suggested it may have involved the configuration or isolation of the brake system.
“Usually, once the driver leaves the train, the brakes are on, there’s procedures for that,” Mr Barker said.
"They would have got permission to get off the locomotive and go and look at this wagon.
“There would have been a procedure in place to make sure the train didn’t move off.”
Mr Barker said rail safety officers would begin by asking the driver and rail controllers what happened.
"Any traction power that may have been applied [i.e. was the train moving under its own power or did it just roll away?], what the brake pressures along the train — on the front and the back — may have been.
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I guess that they have different rules in Australia.
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“I could have SWORN that I left the train right here!”
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My friend has a bluetooth app that locks his computer when he steps away from it.
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You Democrats are always thinking up ways to spend MY tax dollars!
Tax revenue decreased for 2018 budget, but spending increased 3%. Printing more money is an inflationary tax. Borrowing money then paying interest is not an efficient way to spend YOUR tax dollars either.
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Sorry, misplaced my snark tag. Let me point out this is an Australian train, and US safety standards do not apply. Also, safety standards are almost always money-savers. It was a joke.
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Bah, Jon Voight, Rebecca De Mornay and Eric Roberts.
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A 1.2-mile locomotive? And I thought Australian road trains were big!
It could have ended worse.
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