Restraints

After watching some passenger train collisions on another web site, have any Amtrak engineers considered wearing seatbelts? Most sensible people wear them in their cars. Why or why not wear them in a locomotive?

Cant say things like that. UPRR


[quote]Abstract
The objective of this work sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration is to develop mitigation methods for safety of crew members in the event of train collisions. The measures considered are seatbelts, airbags, a reversing seat, an energy absorbing seat, a load limiting seat, and their combinations. The injury mitigation potential of two-point and three point seat belts, airbags, and combinations thereof has been identifi

Automobiles have a crush zone which protects the driver. Not clear to me that locomotives have the same thing. Automobiles don't have thousands of tons of mass behind them. So, no, it's not obvious that a loco should have seat belts. On the other hand, it's possible that in crushing types of collisions there's no hope, but there are other types of collisions in which it would help an engineer not to be bouncing around the cab. That's what the research is for.

"The measures considered are seatbelts, airbags, a reversing seat, an energy absorbing seat, a load limiting seat, and their combinations."

They forgot "ejection seat".

Seat belt effectiveness would likely straddle a very fine line. Most collisions (with an automobile, etc) aren't anything that would cause the crew to be harmed. The rest, however, are obviously much more dangerous and could feasibly involve a derailment or fire. In either case, it will probably be hard to figure out which option is safer: 1). Put the crew in the cab in seatbelts and allow them to safely ride it out (if there is no fire and/or the cab doesn't disintegrate), or 2). let things remain as is, where they are physically unrestricted from bailing out (if they have the time).

Why not just build an emergency escape hatch on the roof of the cab? Same concept as a bus's roof exit. ICE, and the primary entrance is unaccessible.

Amtrak Forum Moderator's Note:

This is broader than Amtrak. Moved to the General Operations Forum.

TheOneCalledA1 wrote:Why not just build an emergency escape hatch on the roof of the cab? Same concept as a bus's roof exit. ICE, and the primary entrance is unaccessible.

Ejection seats and roof hatches are not a good idea as a lot of close clearances exist, low bridges, underpasses and the always fun catenary.
Trains do not come to a stop like a car, even during a collision the momentum of the train will not even trow an engineer out of the seat.
maybe a head on collision but then hell even a seatbelt is hopeless.

There are times I wish I had an ejection seat for the conductor...

Come on now there is better ways to wake him up .
Like screaming were gone crash, while running out the back door

Dutch,

I'm sure you have used that prank to wake up a conductor! LOL

Did he have a change of underwear after you did that?

DutchRailnut wrote:Come on now there is better ways to wake him up .
Like screaming were gone crash, while running out the back door

I've heard of old timers carrying a tie plate in their grip so they can drop it on the floor to wake sleeping conductors, a little too much to be lugging around I think.

TheOneCalledA1 wrote:Why not just build an emergency escape hatch on the roof of the cab? Same concept as a bus's roof exit. ICE, and the primary entrance is unaccessible.

Because that's where they put the new satellite GPS equipment and that's more important in their opinions probably.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:After all, a train is the only thing that moves in which passengers are not customarily buckled.

Sorry Mr.Norman, but I need to disagree on this one. Most motor coaches and city buses don't have any seatbelts, except for the driver and to secure wheelchairs.

What I would do when the conductor started to "nod off" would be to let
the alertor start buzzing, there was quite a bit of time before anything
more would happen and it generally got them going again.
This was also a good practice if the guy got under my skin by something
while we were moving.
Noel Weaver