Amtrak conductor fatality - Westerly, RI - 01-15-2022

The location where she fell off is unconfirmed, I’ve even heard that there is a possibility of her falling off and being dragged… I won’t say whether the trap was locked in place but will go as far as saying passengers were able to board and exit the door at Westerly where she was working.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:59 pm

MEC407 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:32 pm Question for those of you who've operated these things: does opening doors and traps require one hand or both hands?

The reason I'm asking is because if it can be done with only one hand, hopefully that would allow the worker to maintain three points of contact.

If it requires both hands — making three points of contact impossible — then not opening them while the train is moving would seem like a wise rule.

If I remember observations on the MARC IIA/B's through MARC IV's... one foot to pop the trap from the lock. Then one hand to pull it open to the side.

Doors can be keyed open but the train has to be pretty much stopped or they can be opened manually. In a perfect world this can be done with one hand but sometimes the pockets get junk in them and the doors don't slide so easy. Like 8th notch said pop a trap with one hand if they are working as intended. I myself use to like to use my foot to lift it once it released then pushed it open with a donkey kick motion.

I think on Commuter Rail coaches you would step on the release mechanism, then hook the foot under it and pull it up until it latches vertically. If you did it with your hand you would have to bend over. I can't remember but I think there was a grab bar you could hold on to. I assume Budds, Pullman-Standard, Bombardiers, Messerschmidts and Amfleets all use the same mechanism.

Most of the coaches on the CR are very like that. You step and it should spring up. However, that may not have been the case here and she tried to raise the trap by hand and something tragic happened. Terrible news, I feel for her family and the crew running the train. That's just awful. This is the first I've heard of it, so perhaps it was only on local RI news.

I've been through Westerly by car and on the Acela/NER, so I don't know the curvature there, but I am willing to take the smart people here's thoughts it probably had something to do with the accident also. The investigation continues...

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 9:25 am Anyone care to bet the Conductrix slipped while opening a trap on the right leaning curve there?

The Googlemobile gave me a ride past the station; doesn't look any different than when I last alighted there during June 1946 (enroute to Weekapaug Inn; bet that place nowadays is $800ni "in season"); I wanted to see the steam engine, but my Grandmother was yelling "don't go near that dirty thing".

But all told, there are safer ways to earn a living than being an Operating Employee on a railroad; those around here who are such will surely concur.

I live near the weekapaug inn and you would be lucky to find a room there for $800

The train was headed south so it’s a straight away coming to the station - I was driving passed the station and saw the train and police all there - later on I found out about the lady passing away

The NTSB concluded interviews with the crew last week so hopefully some more info will surface soon, unfortunately with no cameras or witnesses we may never know exactly what went wrong. Track speed is 80 mph in the area and even with the train stopping in station, it was probably still going around 45-50 when she fell out so I’m willing to bet she fell out further east from where she was found.

Automatic doors (or at least doors that could be operated from a safe remote operating stations) seem to be the solution. I believe the next generation Siemens cars (and most likely Amfleet III candidates) will replace these in 10 years. This seems sadly preventable with modern technology, and I hope the conductors family finds peace.

Ryand-Smith wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:17 am Automatic doors (or at least doors that could be operated from a safe remote operating stations) seem to be the solution. I believe the next generation Siemens cars (and most likely Amfleet III candidates) will replace these in 10 years. This seems sadly preventable with modern technology, and I hope the conductors family finds peace.

That assumes a 100% high-block line. That is not guaranteed even south of NYC. There's been times where Amtrak even stopped at MARC stations in Maryland for various reasons, and also stopped at a middle track using a low-platform emergency area to load/unload passengers because broken train/interlock/single tracking. (One of the reasons why I always recommend an interlock between commuter rail stations)

NTSB Preliminary Report and Trains article

GaryGP40 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 6:40 pm Most of the coaches on the CR are very like that. You step and it should spring up. However, that may not have been the case here and she tried to raise the trap by hand and something tragic happened. Terrible news, I feel for her family and the crew running the train. That's just awful. This is the first I've heard of it, so perhaps it was only on local RI news.

I've been through Westerly by car and on the Acela/NER, so I don't know the curvature there, but I am willing to take the smart people here's thoughts it probably had something to do with the accident also. The investigation continues...

Just east of where the body was found there's a switch from the westbound main leading into the small Westerly yard (which I think is only used for Amtrak MOW these days). Between the braking and the switch a westbound does jolt around a bit as I remember. Been a couple years since I was on a train that stopped there, though.

The curve and the superelevation start a couple hundred yards to the west. It's a really sharp curve through the station-- if you're on a train making the stop, objects on the table in front of you will slide if you don't grab them.