JonMyrlennBailey
Well-known member
Have you ever wondered how amazingly close trackside objects often are to tracks?
When driving past a signal, in inside-cab view, it looks almost as if the approaching signal will
crash right into my cab!
These include signals, poles, sides of bridges, lights, signs and switch levers.
I have often wondered if train crewmen have ever been decapitated or dismembered
by hitting various parts of their bodies on very-close track-side objects as the train whizzed by.
We remember the scene from Silver Streak, 1976, Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor, where a bad guy loses his
head on a passing dwarf signal as the runaway train was barreling through the Chicago yard. The bad guy was being held
close to the ground as he was hanging out the side door of the train.
I have flood light towers in my yards that measure slightly over 3 feet from the ends of the track ties.
The GP40 series diesel locomotive cab side window visors may only clear these towers by about 1 to 2 feet.
I carefully check clearance of trackside objects including trees, poles and bridges to make sure the trains never hit them as they pass by.
You can do this by dragging a train along the trackside object in question while in Surveyor.
I use an extra long-wheelbase car as a Pullman heavyweight to make sure it clears close trackside objects around turns as well.
The engineers should be damn careful when sticking their heads and arms out the windows on my route!
When driving past a signal, in inside-cab view, it looks almost as if the approaching signal will
crash right into my cab!
These include signals, poles, sides of bridges, lights, signs and switch levers.
I have often wondered if train crewmen have ever been decapitated or dismembered
by hitting various parts of their bodies on very-close track-side objects as the train whizzed by.
We remember the scene from Silver Streak, 1976, Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor, where a bad guy loses his
head on a passing dwarf signal as the runaway train was barreling through the Chicago yard. The bad guy was being held
close to the ground as he was hanging out the side door of the train.
I have flood light towers in my yards that measure slightly over 3 feet from the ends of the track ties.
The GP40 series diesel locomotive cab side window visors may only clear these towers by about 1 to 2 feet.
I carefully check clearance of trackside objects including trees, poles and bridges to make sure the trains never hit them as they pass by.
You can do this by dragging a train along the trackside object in question while in Surveyor.
I use an extra long-wheelbase car as a Pullman heavyweight to make sure it clears close trackside objects around turns as well.
The engineers should be damn careful when sticking their heads and arms out the windows on my route!
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