I can also relate 2 stories, regarding "jumping" crewmen. The first, was a good Conrail freind of mine "Secaucus Sammy", who was running southbound, on the Chemical Coast secondary, when he came around the corner, approaching Bayway, he saw a red target, and "bailed". If the train had impacted, the cars in the siding, going 30 mph, the explosions and fire would have gone on for weeks. Unfortunately, he was looking at the wrong target, broke his leg, and was fired. (for abandoning his post? 
) The second time was when I was on the Soo line, and the BN dropped a run-away train into the St. Paul yard, where I was working. This time, I watched the train enter the yard, and while it was headed for the yard office, the conductor (an old head, with 25+ years in service) decided to bail, when he found an opening, between some cars, on the track next to him. He hit the ground, at 54 mph, and broke arms and legs. The engineer, a "kid" with less than 2 years on the railroad, stayed in the seat, blowing the horn, until the train impacted another standing train, outside the yard office, at 49 mph. When the locos had all stopped flying through the air, and all of the cars had finished piling up, and once the end of the building had finished collapsing, that hogger grabbed all the grips, off the engine, and crawled out the window, and carried them to the parking lot, to await a limo back to Northtown. Looking at the trailing unit, and at the other 8 units destroyed in the wreck, the only way he could have survived, was sitting in the seat, like he was. My LC was 3 tracks away, in the departure yard, and a flying loco peeled the roof, and firemans side of his loco away. He was in his seat, and received only some scratches, and bruising. His Cndr was pinned under a covered hopper, that had flown through the air, and landed on it's side, and on top of him. I really don't imagine there is anywhere safe to be. You might survive a jump, or you might get run over. You might survive in the cab, laying on the floor holding the end of the control stand, or you might get crushed, trapped and burned, or torn to pieces. Seeing engines from wrecks, you understand that there is nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Luck, and fate are all that you have. BTW, I got 4 rolls of really great pix, from that CP/BN wreck, and of the destroyed locos and cars. Every time I look at them, I am amazed that kid walked away, and had the good sense to grab the grips, when he left. 
) The second time was when I was on the Soo line, and the BN dropped a run-away train into the St. Paul yard, where I was working. This time, I watched the train enter the yard, and while it was headed for the yard office, the conductor (an old head, with 25+ years in service) decided to bail, when he found an opening, between some cars, on the track next to him. He hit the ground, at 54 mph, and broke arms and legs. The engineer, a "kid" with less than 2 years on the railroad, stayed in the seat, blowing the horn, until the train impacted another standing train, outside the yard office, at 49 mph. When the locos had all stopped flying through the air, and all of the cars had finished piling up, and once the end of the building had finished collapsing, that hogger grabbed all the grips, off the engine, and crawled out the window, and carried them to the parking lot, to await a limo back to Northtown. Looking at the trailing unit, and at the other 8 units destroyed in the wreck, the only way he could have survived, was sitting in the seat, like he was. My LC was 3 tracks away, in the departure yard, and a flying loco peeled the roof, and firemans side of his loco away. He was in his seat, and received only some scratches, and bruising. His Cndr was pinned under a covered hopper, that had flown through the air, and landed on it's side, and on top of him. I really don't imagine there is anywhere safe to be. You might survive a jump, or you might get run over. You might survive in the cab, laying on the floor holding the end of the control stand, or you might get crushed, trapped and burned, or torn to pieces. Seeing engines from wrecks, you understand that there is nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Luck, and fate are all that you have. BTW, I got 4 rolls of really great pix, from that CP/BN wreck, and of the destroyed locos and cars. Every time I look at them, I am amazed that kid walked away, and had the good sense to grab the grips, when he left. Traveling Engineer, Coast to Coast, Border to Border.
Any Train, Anytime, Anywhere.....
Any Train, Anytime, Anywhere.....
