Man jumps on top of moving MN train

Shadowing in an operating room and smelling the surgeon cauterizing the inside of someone's shoulder was bad enough - I can only imagine what 90% burnt person smells like...

Not likely something the poor soul who had to find him will ever forget. While I don't feel sorry for the kid, it is unfortunate for his family to have lost someone in such an assinine and preventable manner.

Everyone: Both News 12 Connecticut and Westchester had posted news reports on their 612 pages- Cablevision customers
from other regions also have access...There was a follow-up report after this young man had passed away from his injuries
and he had a promising life but was a bit of a 'daredevil' type...What prompted him to climb on top of this train-did he climb
up on top on a dare or was he put off for not having train fare or another reason? That is something we may never know...

With high voltage alternating current one does not even have to directly come into contact with the energized wire or other
apparatus that are on the roof of a railcar - if you are grounded as you are riding atop a rail car if you come too close power
will arc over and through a human body if that will get the electricity to ground...One way of getting an idea of how far that
AC can arc is the length and width of the insulators necessary - they must be able to prevent most if not all arcs or flash-overs
and I will add that AC can be even more dangerous in wet or humid weather - water and electricity are never a good mix...

A good way to read up and study railroad electricity use is getting a copy of CT-290 Electrical Operating Instructions which
may be available from train shows and venues like EBay that were originally issued by the PRR,PC,Conrail and some other
railroads...I remember getting a copy from my late father - who was a long time railroad employee - and one thing that I did
learn was to respect and not to fear this electric power but as most of us here know if it is misused it can seriously injure or
kill you...Employees are instructed to keep at least three feet from energized catenary wires or eight feet from transmission
lines unless under the direct supervision of a Class A Electric Traction employee - something I memorized from that CT-290...

NH2060: You could get on top of rail equipment under catenary provided that you knew to keep away from the catenary wire
and energized pantograph and stay lower and off the higher roof dynamic brake/hot grid level - on the M8 cars for example at
the A end on either side of the "headlight bulge" - but with all the dangers of riding up there why even take the chance?

In closing no unauthorized person should ever attempt to ride on top of a railcar in AC catenary territory...

MACTRAXX

I know that some of the older NH wires are some of the lowest on the NEC. So there isn't a lot of room to begin with.

I can imagine someone jumping on in third rail territory and thinking it's safe, and being in a world of hurt coming into the third rail/overhead changeover.

Mod Note: Keep it relevant and G rated.

Alcochaser wrote: I can imagine someone jumping on in third rail territory and thinking it's safe, and being in a world of hurt coming into the third rail/overhead changeover.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/natio ... _dies.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
says "train traveling from Stamford, Connecticut, to New York City", so it wasn't 3rd rail to overhead, and I wouldn't go so far as to say "it's safe" even if it was 3rd rail to overhead.

Reports are he passed away from his injuries. It's a sad situation for his family, but also because it was so avoidable.