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

From WJAR NBC 10 News:

WJAR NBC 10 News wrote:WESTERLY, R.I. (WJAR) — An Amtrak conductor has died after falling off the train she was working on near the Westerly train station, according to Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey.

The train staff realized she was not answering her radio shortly after leaving the station so the train stopped to look for her, Chief Lacey said.

"She was preparing to stop at the Westerly station as they opened the doors prior to stopping," Chief Lacey said. "Something must have happened causing her to fall she must have become caught underneath the train and was killed as a result."

Read more at: https://turnto10.com/news/local/amtrak- ... n-westerly

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.

Sadness.

There was a reason the streamline era cars had manually operated by crew Dutch Doors.

Col. the traps are the same now as they were then. Have to step on some form of release to get the trap to open then pull it up to the fully upright position thus dropping the stairs. Just the doors are different. I worked with a conductor that actually went on a disability due to a trap that was under so much tension when he leaned down to pull it open it ended up smashing him in the forehead. Traps are no fun especially during the winter months.

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?

In this case, I would consider weather conditions (mainly because it's snowing right now outside BWI Airport and we're due to get "mixed mess"). Thankfully... we have the Weather Underground, which keeps this history.

If they're running the same schedule as the 2018 schedule... Amtrak NEC Alerts says 1 hour late... then the stoppage alert at 2:43pm... Winds were at 12 MPH from the northwest gusting up to 22 MPH...

I bet there was a sudden gust of wind that knocked her off her feet, causing her to slip out of the car and tumble under the train. My further bet is NTSB investigates and recommends Amtrak change their operating procedure when in "high wind or gale warning".

I can pretty much assure you that the wind is not being looked at here, even a strong gust of wind would be highly unlikely to push a person from the train. The FRA is all over this one and has impounded the coach so this is being thoroughly investigated. I won’t speculate exactly what happened however based off what I do know, I will say that crew members opening doors and traps before the train stops in the station while be a hot topic going forward.

I think we should all respect apparent Mr. 8th Notch and confirmed Mr. Rail Junkie's standings as Amtrak Operating Employees and, hard as it may be, avoid speculation and trust an NTSB Preliminary Report will soon be forthcoming.

Now if the Board ends up recommending that no trap is opened until the train is completely stopped (assuming three cars for each Asst Conductor), I could see that adding ten minutes to a Regional's schedule.

I could also foresee a lot of cost if the Board recommends high level platforms on the NH East End (some on the PRR as well?) at all stations not served by Acela. Now of course stations such as Mystic and Westerly that are located on curves creates a whole new set of hazards as in "mind the gap".

Finally, here is "That Dirty Thing" my Maternal Grandmother was so concerned about back in 1946. The Parlor Car (she "didn't know what a Coach was") was on the head and a 5yo kid was intrigued, so I started walking towards the I-4.

Nice I-4 photo Mr. GBN. I note the engineer had no objection to a mask mandate in the 1940s!

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.

It all depends on the strength of the person and the condition of the trap itself. I personally can pop a trap with one hand under normal circumstances however the equipment isn’t always in the best shape so some traps don’t spring up as easy or bind. Westerly station sits on a curve and in a fishbowl so it could be very likely that the train lurched or the curve threw her off balance.

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.

In any other industry, OSHA would require someone to be wearing a fall protection harness and be tethered... probably not inconceivable for passenger door operators where a trap is involved but definitely not convenient or comfortable.

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I can well recall how the New Haven's "Stamford Locals" would routinely operate between Mt. Vernon and Stamford with the "Engineer side" traps wide open. When I was about 13yo ('54) I was allowed to go into NY on my own. My Mother was always of the "don't walk between the cars". Always scary to me was X-ing the Mianus traveling Eastward. There was nothing to stop one falling out of a trap and taking a "splash" some 50' down.

How railroad safety has improved since those days - and yet tragedies still occur.

I grew up along the Erie in North Jersey, whose Stillwells in suburban service had neither doors nor traps -- just a waist-high metal bar at the top of the car steps which could be lowered to a horizontal position but remained in its upright and locked position on the engineer's side, which was where most of the platforms were. At River St., Paterson, there was a deck girder undergrade bridge over River St. immediately (RR) east of the end of the platform. A Special Instruction in the ett stated that westbound trains must stop with the last car clear of the bridge. (Talk about "mind the gap"-- maybe the flagman kept an eye on the rear vestibule during the River St. stop.)

The term "situational awareness" was unknown in those days; I guess it was just expected to be instinctive.

The reports from the Westerly Police said the conductor was found north of the station platform and south of the High Street overhead bridge( timetable direction would be East and West). The train may not have been on a curve when she fell off and there are no reports whether or not the trap was locked up, locked down, or unlocked and sprung. Speculating on a cause at this point is just that, speculation.