FRA Rules

None that I can think of, providing they were not exceeding track speed.

Nicely done.

Wasn't it at an NRHS convention some time back where 765 and 1225 were running parallel where one of the crews placed a board across to the other locomotive and walked across?  If I recall, there were pictures published in Railfan and Railroad.

Rusty

E0-26 

Yes, there might be a rule broken - although it is specific to electrified territory.  In the case of electric trains, crewmembers and passengers are not allowed to touch two trains at the same time while changing equipment due to the possibility of electrocution.  However, I believe this might only apply when one of the trains is derailed and not grounded.  I'll see if I can check on this.  

ARE YOU NUTS? We ran with 1225 in 1991. I was there - on every trip - and I can assure you that the act you described above NEVER TOOK PLACE!

Where did you hear this? Show me the pictures!

This violates one of the General Rules requiring that employees devote themselves exclusively to their duties while on duty.  Also, they violated the rule requiring employees to keep a lookout ahead and be vigilant.  And there's another General Rule prohibiting horseplay.  These rules are pretty broad and not very specific in scope, and usually are not stand-alone causes for discipline.  Except possibly as Glenn points out in touching the other train, there isn't a specific railroad rule just for this situation.

However, these are railroad rules -- not FRA "rules".  In reality, there are no FRA operating rules.  FRA enforces the Code of Federal Regulations.  The railroad issues and enforces the operating rules, which must comply, where applicable, with the CFR.  The FRA only enforces the Code of Federal Regulations, which, where it addresses train operation and employee behavior, only addresses certain critical safety behaviors, and is much less comprehensive than the railroad's many rules.  The FAA directly issues and enforces rules, issues and revokes licenses, and fines pilots.  The FRA, by contrast, works more in the background, and the railroad must do any required dirty work.

Don't blow a gasket, Rich.  It may have been something a simple as crewmembers reaching out to each other instead of crossing over.  I will admit to being foggy on the details.

Either way, I just remember something, that when I saw the pictures, it didn't seem right on any level.  In fact, it seemed d***ed stupid and upset me when I saw it. 

I'm 99% sure it was in R&R's coverage of the event.  All I can remember distinctly was that it occured while 765 and 1225 were running parallel to each other.

Rusty

I'm not blowing a gasket.

What concerns me is that unfounded rumors and hazy memories like this get posted here, with no substantiation whatsoever. It's just something you sort of think you remember. Good grief.

Lots of people read this forum, including certain Norfolk Southern company officers. We (the 765 crew) are about to begin a working relationship with Norfolk Southern that we hope will be a long-lasting one. When something as blatantly stupid and dangerous as this is posted here, it could jeopardize that relationship. THAT is what concerns me.

I have seen several videos of that trip and I was down there....I don't recall ever seeing anything like that any of the times I was present....I remember seeing a video camera hanging out of the cab and gobbs of em' out of the car vestibules but that was about it.

I've got to go with Rich on this. Some people just don't realize how hard the people in the steam industry have to work to keep our image clean and professional. I have worked side by side with the members of the FWHS and the SRI for years and have never found ANY of them to be non professional.

Ron