Lowell Line collision at Woburn - 1/9

little chance, huh? well that would mean it would get the same fate as 01604/01605 on the Red Line after their wreck in Aug 1975, being used for parts, and as for 1644, we'll see.

Regarding the UTU and Boston Herald stories as to the dispatcher error that allegedly led to this very tragic accident-

I saw a similar event on a subway system. An interlocking had gone down and trains were being "talked" through while a signal crew aligned the switches by hand. When the dispatcher called the train I was on the wrong train answered. No one caught this, not the dispatcher, the other TO or the signal crew -only the TO of the train I was on. The dispatcher requested a lineup for an inbound train but gave the outbound train's number. The signal crew read the order back but then proceeded to do just the opposite, line the route for the outbound train. The TO on my train was really disgusted.

Point being, don't be too hard on MBCR, these things can happen anywhere.

That situation should not happen in the boston subways. Transportation Inspectors are first responders to the problem area. They take control of a manual block through the interlocking signal problem or any signal problem. They also manually throw switches to allow trains through the defective area working directly with operation contol dispatcher. Signal personal is not allowed to move traffic through any signal or switch. The Operation Control dispatch can request the signal department personal for a line up of switches they are working on to complete a route in manual. This usually is done with Transportation Inspectors at the problem location. To have Transportation Inspectors contol the movement of trains, keeps misunderstanding between MOW crews, TO and operations control very low. Flagman are required with any crew on the right of way! Keep in mind that the subway headway can be from 4 minutes to 15 minutes. Safety First!

CSX Conductor wrote:Here's a quick synopsis of NORAC operating rules (which are in effect o all MBCR lines except for Framingham, which is CSXT Operating Rules):
<quiz>

Can you post the correct answers to this quiz? Without the correct answers, it is impossible for the quiz to mean anything to us regular railfans!

Thanks

As I am qualified on GCOR rules not NORAC I can't specifically say for sure I got this right.

Under the FRA's On Track Safety there are a number of methods that a gang can use to get on the tracks and work.

1) A Form D can be issued to all the trains which is basically a notice that so and so gang is working at a specific location and do not proceed thru there with out contacting the foreman in charge I think they look something like this:

MP 40.2 to 41.0 On All Main Tracks from 0800 until 1600 Foreman Green in charge. Do not foul these limits without talking to Foreman in Charge.

I seem to remember that NORAC has something like the above?

2) They can get a Movement Authority Form D. This would authorize the Foreman to foul the tracks and would not involve trains being notified of their existence.

Here is a fact that might not have been mentioned in the thread. The PettiBone was NOT HighRailing it was on its own wheels. So I dont know if this will change peoples theory.

A form D can be written several different ways. Its been a few years since we worked under norac, but I believe a line 5 was when there is a notice to all trains via bulletin to call for permission through. This protection includes advanced warning boards and stop boards at the work location limits. A line 4 is when the track is OOS and there is no boards or messages in the bulletins.

On the Form Ds. When a track crew takes out a Form D, Line 4, which gives them the track to do work. Trains that run near, or by this OOS track are not normally notified. Some dispatchers will give you a heads up when you call for messages. Some say you will run left handed from 'a' to 'b' around a track crew... There is no place on a Form D to tell the work crew of trains in the area. And trains arent given copies of the Form Ds if they dont have to go into the limits of the Form D, Line 4.

Here is a link to a blank Form D. http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Signa ... formd.html

here is a article in today's news

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO54707/

I'm a computer consultant, and one of my client's office is directly next to the orange line/haverhill line in Malden. The first time I was there, after 4 subway trains had gone by, i turned to the guy and said, 'wow that must get annoying!' He turned to me and say huh? He had no idea what I was talking about. He was so used to the trains going by, he didn't even realize they were there.

My point is only that you can see how a track crew that worked on tracks every day of their lives, could hear a train coming and have it not even register in their minds as something significant.

I feel that there should most certainly have been a shunting barricade in place, however, I could not find a NORAC rule stating one was required, therefore the dispatcher is entirely to blame. In canceling the Form D which should have been in place (and probably was), this error should have been corrected to that the right crew was identified. I'm not sure why this wasn't done.

The rule they violated was a special instruction to the NORAC rule book.

Just to prevent some confusion on people that are not familiar with the NORAC book. The NORAC rules are the rules MBCR uses, but since the rule book is for many railroads, each railroad can change the rules to be railroad specific. The way that is done through special instructions. So when you look up a rule in NORAC you always need to check the Special Instructions in the Timetable to make sure the rule isn't modified.

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:here is a article in today's news

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO54707/

Workers told investigators they usually used shunting devices only for big jobs. The crew that was struck had been replacing crossties, which was not considered a big job, they said.

I fail to see how the size of a job affects the level of danger posed by a train coming at you at 60mph. If workers are on the tracks there should be a shunt installed. Simple as that.

What is "usually used" is irrelevant.

Agreed completely! And thanks John for clearing that up, so now I can say that it was indeed the crews fault at least as much as the dispatchers.

People tend to think oh the poor crew, because they died, I say thats crap! I feel worse for the truly innocent such as the engineer who had to deal with that. The dispatcher had made lot's of previous mistakes, and shouldn't have been there in the first place, I blame MBCR for that! Then the crew was lazy and didn't properly protect themselves, therefore should have expected it to happen. Railroad personnel are clobbered with phrases like ALWAYS EXPECT A TRAIN! So my sympathy goes out to the employee's families, the train crew, and a little for the Dispatcher, but none for the work crew. It would have been simple, and quick to obey the rules drop a barricade, but they didn't, which was a stupid mistake that cost them their lives. I know this may sound harsh, and it should, because it is. I have no problems with being harsh. I just hope that some good comes out if it, being that other crews will use this as an example, people will, hopefully, stop and think the next time their out on a "quick" job and do the right thing. HOPEFULLY, this event will inadvertently save someone else's life.

I think I've made my point

I also blame inadequate training which is really the fault of the higher ups. How many of these guys were probably told by their supervisors that they only need shunts for the big jobs and not little things like tie replacement. That's not something that would get made up by those at the lower levels but likely something that was said high up and passed down through the chain.