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They actually had a CSI: Cyber episode about that very thing happening.
And the problem here is that too many overgrown children are eager to believe that what happens on TV can happen in real life.
Back in the Seventies, Hollywood came up with a made-for-TV melodrama called Disaster on the Coastliner; the fantasy merchants had so poor a concept of how rail traffic is actually controlled that a few lines from an ink marker (Sharpie, etc.) on a panel of clear plastic were used to depict the Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) systems which had already been developing and improving since the 1920's, But then, Hollywood has always been more concerned with who they're selling to than what they're selling).
And according to this pile of science-fantasy, passengers and crew were trapped on a completely remote-controlled train, speeding toward a head-on collision that was impossible to avoid. What nonsense!; But there are a couple of posters here who seem to think a similar concept could be safer than the present technology.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 05-25-2015 at 10:31 AM..
Obviously he didnt fall asleep.
T-310 as you actually drive these things how possible is it some one hacked into the system and took control of some aspects of the trains operation/control?
Fwiw, I ran frieght trains out of San Antonio for many years, and ran Amtrak when needed. First for the SP and later, the UP, so yes, i know a little about trains.
Fwiw, I ran frieght trains out of San Antonio for many years, and ran Amtrak when needed. First for the SP and later, the UP, so yes, i know a little about trains.
And in your professional opinion you think that hacking into the trains controls is out of the question and that this guy could have fallen asleep while the train sped up and ultimately derailed. i thought there were safety protocols built into modern systems to prevent such an occurrence.
The reason i got the hacking idea was from a news story last week about a guy hacking into an airliners flight control
And in your professional opinion you think that this guy could have fallen asleep while the train sped up and ultimately derailed. i thought there were safety protocols built into modern systems to prevent such an occurrence.
My guess, and it's just a guess, is that if he was nodding off and had his hand on the throttle, maybe he pushed it forward as he slumped forward. On the older engines, the throttle is to your left, like this:
Like everyone else here, I don't know what actually happened, and probably won't for a very long time. But despite protests from the unions, Amtrak made changes that may have proven deadly in this case. But of course, Amtrak will never admit fault.
Accident investigators have been unwilling to speculate on whether operator error or mechanical problems led to Tuesday's deadly Amtrak derailment. But for months, members of the labor union representing locomotive engineers have complained that recent reductions in rest and downtime could lead to tragedy. "You need to be able to have some kind of chance to get off the equipment, turn your mind off for a while," said Fritz Edler, a veteran engineer who wrote a scathing letter last December to Amtrak managers on behalf the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
The letter accused Amtrak of forcing "dangerous changes" in the scheduling of engineers that have had the effect of reducing rest time in between trips to Washington, D.C. and New York City. "Forcing shorter breaks, day after day, between runs increases fatigue related risk and the potential for loss of focus," the letter warned.
There are existing alertness sensors on locomotives designed to stop problems created by the driver nodding off. I have to assume they were there and working.
IMHO there should be some form of autopilot, probably based on GPS, that prevents trains from exceeding local speed limits, and aircraft from descending below ground level in mountains, installed on passenger trains. Adding an additional person in the control compartment would also help.
I consider AMTRAK to be a public service with no obligation to "make a profit" any more than I expect the police or the Coastguard to do so. I also support building a completely separate high or very high speed transport system for the entire country. That makes far more sense than multimillion dollar fighter planes or another billion dollar floating target. Or wasting countless dollars in the Middle East.
Another possible scenario: Just like the plane crash in 1972 where the pilots were preoccupied with a burnt out landing gear light and the plane crashed into the Florida Everglades..."
"The crash occurred as a result of the entire flight crew becoming preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light, and failing to notice the autopilot had inadvertently been disconnected. As a result, while the flight crew was distracted with the indicator problem, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and crashed."
Could this also be a possible scenario? He (Bostian) was distracted, by texting or talking, or playing Candy Crush (big addictive game for some) or some other heavy distraction and he was so distracted, he crashed the train because he could not pull out of the curve in time.....
Another possible scenario: Just like the plane crash in 1972 where the pilots were preoccupied with a burnt out landing gear light and the plane crashed into the Florida Everglades..."
"The crash occurred as a result of the entire flight crew becoming preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light, and failing to notice the autopilot had inadvertently been disconnected. As a result, while the flight crew was distracted with the indicator problem, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and crashed."
Could this also be a possible scenario? He (Bostian) was distracted, by texting or talking, or playing Candy Crush (big addictive game for some) or some other heavy distraction and he was so distracted, he crashed the train because he could not pull out of the curve in time.....
Not saying that isn't the case, however as I stated earlier in this thread, after the accident in California, train crews are subject to fines of $27,000 if found to be using their phones while on duty.
True. But didn't the train accelerate right before the crash?
Which means the alerter was reset.
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