BNSF Wreck near Panhandle Texas (near Amarillo)

[jis]

NTSB B-Roll - Panhandle, Texas - 29 June 2016

 

[Ryan]

This has recent change. Most sea going ships 4 hours on 8 hours off, than 4 hours on with another 8 hours off. Not 100% what the navy is doing but there has been a change.

There's nothing new about this at all, there are all sorts of different watch rotations out there. All depends on the ship, it's up to the CO and the SWO (Senior Watch Officer, he writes the watch bills). If you're lucky the watch teams get some input into the rotation. "Five and Dimes" were always my favorite, 5 on 10 off*. Of course by "off", that just means off watch. You've still got a division to run, so a great deal of that "off" time is actually spent working.

*No, 5 hour watches don't go evenly into a 24 hour day, the 2200-0200 watch is only 4 hours. Of course it's also in the middle of the night, so it's not the greatest deal in the world. Get up early, stand the 07-12, do your work during the 12-17, if you're lucky grab an hour or two of sleep after dinner and the nightly ops/intel brief. Most of the time you're not lucky and something fills the time before you're up on watch. By 0200 you're dragging @$$. If you're lucky and the 2-7 crew actually wakes up and relieves you on time you can get 4 hours in the bag before getting up to face another day on the high seas.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Got them middle of the night Mid-Watch Blues! "

 

[NW cannonball]

This has recent change. Most sea going ships 4 hours on 8 hours off, than 4 hours on with another 8 hours off. Not 100% what the navy is doing but there has been a change.

There's nothing new about this at all, there are all sorts of different watch rotations out there. All depends on the ship, it's up to the CO and the SWO (Senior Watch Officer, he writes the watch bills). If you're lucky the watch teams get some input into the rotation. "Five and Dimes" were always my favorite, 5 on 10 off*. Of course by "off", that just means off watch. You've still got a division to run, so a great deal of that "off" time is actually spent working.

*No, 5 hour watches don't go evenly into a 24 hour day, the 2200-0200 watch is only 4 hours. Of course it's also in the middle of the night, so it's not the greatest deal in the world. Get up early, stand the 07-12, do your work during the 12-17, if you're lucky grab an hour or two of sleep after dinner and the nightly ops/intel brief. Most of the time you're not lucky and something fills the time before you're up on watch. By 0200 you're dragging @$$. If you're lucky and the 2-7 crew actually wakes up and relieves you on time you can get 4 hours in the bag before getting up to face another day on the high seas.

Yup -- my kid did lots of the "five and dimes" on a carrier (propulsion division) . The main point to consider is that the NAVY has a clue -- 5-6 hours standing watch is the most you can expect a person to keep alert and effective.

The NTSB has reported and recommended so many times about sleep-deprived workers as a big risk factor --

Here's a local news report on light-rail workers doing 16-hour shifts and increased fatalities-- http://kstp.com/news/metro-transit-light-rail-operators-investigation-accidents-speeding-long-hours/4149830/

 

[HighBall]

28-second video taken by passer-by as accident happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70BIbfsl3aE

 

[Palmetto]

The gentleman doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[CCC1007]

The gentleman doesn't know what he's talking about.

No he really doesn't, as he just caught the final seconds of the collision, the cars were still moving, so they really should have been on the phone right then and there!

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

The way I saw it on a second camera, it doesn't look like a head-on collision. It looks more like one train ran into a stopped train.

 

[CCC1007]

The way I saw it on a second camera, it doesn't look like a head-on collision. It looks more like one train ran into a stopped train.

Could you please provide a link for that, I would like to see the evidence myself.

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

The way I saw it on a second camera, it doesn't look like a head-on collision. It looks more like one train ran into a stopped train.

Could you please provide a link for that, I would like to see the evidence myself.

Here's the second angle of it. On the very left, you can see very clearly the cars aren't moving.

 

[HighBall]

Update:

The signal system was set up to route the westbound train into Panhandle, while holding the eastbound train on the main track. The crash happened about a half-mile east of the switch. A red signal aspect requires a train to stop before any part of the train passes the signal; an approach signal indicated by a solid yellow aspect requires that a train reduce speed to a maximum of 40 mph and be prepared to stop at the next signal.

A preliminary review of locomotive event recorder data revealed that the eastbound train was traveling about 62 mph when it went by the approach signal at the west end of the Panhandle siding and about 65 mph when it went by the stop signal at the east end of the Panhandle siding.

http://www.kcbd.com/story/32445805/ntsb-train-missed-stop-signal-before-deadly-crash-in-panhandle-tx

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

Did the two trains hit head-on, or did one train run into a stopped train?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Yes to both.

One train when 65 mph past a red light, the second one may of been moving or about to stop, or complete stopped at the time of impact.

Confused? NTSB will issue the final in a year post.

Sorry that last story reference this accident was poorly written. Today I write about a train wreak, tomorrow the high school showing of "Cats" type of issue.

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

Yes to both.

One train when 65 mph past a red light, the second one may of been moving or about to stop, or complete stopped at the time of impact.

Confused? NTSB will issue the final in a year post.

Sorry that last story reference this accident was poorly written. Today I write about a train wreak, tomorrow the high school showing of "Cats" type of issue.

And another question, one crew jumped, but why did the other stay with the train if he wasn't going to possibly live through the crash?

 

[Ryan]

You'll have to ask them.

 

[Acela150]

Yes to both.

One train when 65 mph past a red light, the second one may of been moving or about to stop, or complete stopped at the time of impact.

Confused? NTSB will issue the final in a year post.

Sorry that last story reference this accident was poorly written. Today I write about a train wreak, tomorrow the high school showing of "Cats" type of issue.

And another question, one crew jumped, but why did the other stay with the train if he wasn't going to possibly live through the crash?

There is no real protocol on what to do in a situation like this.. Not a word about it in the Rule Books.... This happens enough that I'd think someone would have said something by now.. I mean they can add rules every year.. But this subject isn't one. Go figure!

Personally, I'm staying on and trying to get to the last unit if I can.

You'll have to ask them.

This is a good answer. Cause it's true.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

One thinks there was not much time. Engineer had the door behind him, Conductor had to cross the cab to exit.

Engineer has a longer service time. He may of preplan his escape. If you have a mental plan in place you will be more likely to respond to a event. Otherwise you might be seating there and trying to processing the event, and come up with a plan of action.

Or the conductor plan was to ride it out, which didn't work out well.