Train derailment.

[Sean Renaud]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...labama-hours-ceo-testifies-congress-rcna74183

When do we start just nailing these people to the wall? This is three in a few months, I can't find facts on the second so it might not be too bad. The definition of derail is kinda like the definition of a car accident. IF I flip my car it an accident. If my tire blows out and I knick your car that's an accident but these are wildly different things.

We also need to redfinte monoply. Traditionally it means one company owns an entire industry. I would think today "Too big to fail" should be the definition. I was around 2008 when the three auto industrie CEOs walked into Congress and basically said "Save us or everybody dies." The fact that we are so dependent on them that they weren't laughed out of the building is terrifying. I was around late last year when rail workers want to strike for just a few days off a year. We were told if Biden didn't get them inline it would ruin Christmas. How in the hell do so few people hold so much sway?

IF we want we could also talk about social media cus lets be honest. I'm sure there are alternatives out there but really there are no viable alternatives to Facebook and Twitter. Sure Truth Social is out there but does anybody actually use it? There are forums like this this one and plenty of others but do any have significant reach?

Worse there are plenty of companies we are colluding. Nobody NEEDS a Playstation but when there are only three companies, one if you count handhelds, they don't need to get together in a smoke filled room. They just need to watch what the others do and not lower your prices.

 

[ll74]

You're absolutely correct. They need to tighten regulations and create new oversight into inspections and safety in the rail industry.

As sad as the Palestine spill was, it brought much needed attention to the industry.

 

[phrodeau]

There are thousands of derailments every year.

https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx

 

[Sean Renaud]

Like I stated above derailment is kind of a vague term. Of those thousands how many are something we would really care about?

Doesn't change my overall point mind you but if one of the wheels slips the track and they do whatever they do to put the train back and go on I don't care.

 

[SubzeroGirl]

“Tighten regulations and increase oversight.” New and inventive ways to prevent tragedies. Let us know in 6 years or so how that works out.

 

[KeithD]

I remember how diligent the Trump administration's efforts were to get rid of all the inspectors general in the federal departments and agencies.

 

[ll74]

“Tighten regulations and increase oversight.” New and inventive ways to prevent tragedies. Let us know in 6 years or so how that works out.

It works quite well actually.

 

[Sean Renaud]

“Tighten regulations and increase oversight.” New and inventive ways to prevent tragedies. Let us know in 6 years or so how that works out.

This is the obvious answer but I think we should also be breaking up the rail companies cus there really are just two. East and West coast, call me crazy but a CEO should not be in a position to threaten Christmas. There has to be a point where it doesn't really matter if its big business or big government. Power is power.

I have a feeling in the coming decades there will be a real reckoning about that very subject. Hell I bet some of our largest companies wield more power than the vast majority of governments.

 

[ll74]

This is the obvious answer but I think we should also be breaking up the rail companies cus there really are just two. East and West coast, call me crazy but a CEO should not be in a position to threaten Christmas. There has to be a point where it doesn't really matter if its big business or big government. Power is power.

I have a feeling in the coming decades there will be a real reckoning about that very subject. Hell I bet some of our largest companies wield more power than the vast majority of governments.

Enforcing monopoly laws would be good. We haven't really done that in quite a bit.

 

[SubzeroGirl]

This is the obvious answer but I think we should also be breaking up the rail companies cus there really are just two. East and West coast, call me crazy but a CEO should not be in a position to threaten Christmas. There has to be a point where it doesn't really matter if its big business or big government. Power is power.

I have a feeling in the coming decades there will be a real reckoning about that very subject. Hell I bet some of our largest companies wield more power than the vast majority of governments.

I don’t recall hearing any public outrage in the past about train accidents. Even now we aren’t talking about Palestine, OH even though the issue isn’t resolved. What’s the latest update on old Petey? People probably talk more about his boots than the toxic spill.

I almost agree about the reckoning, but when was the last time anything in govt really changed or people in power lost power? I’m wondering if China will be the catalyst for change. WW3 is too big of a price to pay for it though.

 

[DeluxAuto]

“Tighten regulations and increase oversight.” New and inventive ways to prevent tragedies. Let us know in 6 years or so how that works out.

Drive extremely fast on black ice sans seatbelt and let us know how that works out.

 

[Sean Renaud]

I don’t recall hearing any public outrage in the past about train accidents. Even now we aren’t talking about Palestine, OH even though the issue isn’t resolved. What’s the latest update on old Petey? People probably talk more about his boots than the toxic spill.

I almost agree about the reckoning, but when was the last time anything in govt really changed or people in power lost power? I’m wondering if China will be the catalyst for change. WW3 is too big of a price to pay for it though.

I think that problem is twofold. One so much crap happens so regularly that if were got outraged everytime the shit hit the fan we'd just be pissed off all the time. There is only so long you can remain pissed off before its just part of who you are.

The other is, and I don't know when it happened but big business is just so big these days that you can't really do anything about them. As far as I'm concerned they are psuedo governments only without the part where we can vote them out. Now I think people are so uninformed of who does what in government that when something doesn't work out we just kinda lob a grenade in the room. But we don't even have that option.

 

[SubzeroGirl]

I think that problem is twofold. One so much crap happens so regularly that if were got outraged everytime the shit hit the fan we'd just be pissed off all the time. There is only so long you can remain pissed off before its just part of who you are.

The other is, and I don't know when it happened but big business is just so big these days that you can't really do anything about them. As far as I'm concerned they are psuedo governments only without the part where we can vote them out. Now I think people are so uninformed of who does what in government that when something doesn't work out we just kinda lob a grenade in the room. But we don't even have that option.

We need Hulk. He’s angry all the time.

We can do something about big business. Stop spending money with them. Disney is finding out people can only take so much before they start spending somewhere else. We the people forget how much power we have. Our wallets can change the world.

 

[Dribble]

I don't think people are aware of how many derailments happen each year. Maybe...a simple Google search to enlighten?

 

[Pad_Foot]

Yeah... Disney is just causing MASSIVE outrage.. death and destruction!
Damn them !!
I hope they plow Disney World into the ground, using foreign (non - Floridean workers)
Too many alligators in that state anyways. Way too dangerous for a family vacation spot.
(As was discovered!)

 

[Sean Renaud]

We need Hulk. He’s angry all the time.

We can do something about big business. Stop spending money with them. Disney is finding out people can only take so much before they start spending somewhere else. We the people forget how much power we have. Our wallets can change the world.

Most businesses took a pretty big hit the lastt wo year. I don't think that really has anything to do with anything Disney did wrong. That's mostly right wing hype. They also released a fairly mediocre batch of products.

Black Widow didn't do well but how do you invest in a character that is already dead in uniniverse.

But nobody NEEDS to watch Disney movies. Where I live, and I'm not out in the sticks by any means I have Walmart, Target Vons and one Stater Bros. Oh and a Costco but Costco is part of Walmart so its not me not giving them money its just me choosing where to give them money. I try to avoid fast food but KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds are all the same company.

And that's before we talk about other companies. I think there are like four cereal companies and one of them owns Kraft of vice versa. Going to a locally owned place and paying like 20% more plus gas to get there isn't really feasible. It might be if we had more cohesive communities so I could carpool with Mark give him some gas money and he could do the same, or tell me pick me up a gallon of milk, I'm good for it.

 

[Lazaran]

We need Hulk. He’s angry all the time.

We can do something about big business. Stop spending money with them. Disney is finding out people can only take so much before they start spending somewhere else. We the people forget how much power we have. Our wallets can change the world.

Quoted for posterity and stupidity.

Subby should really stick to being a pithy, cynical, apathetic right wing cuck-troll.

Subby

 

[Chobham]

You folks baffle me. You are calling for all sorts of 'regulations' (unspecified) without having bothered to actually look into what the problems are.

The leading cause of derailments in the US are as a result of human error. This can cover a whole range of issues from excessive speed to a vehicle crossing blockage to a barge hitting a bridge abutment and throwing the rails out of alignment. Exactly how many of those eventualities might be rectified by regulation?

The second leading cause is rail failure. These failures can come in many forms as well. Bad weld, bad tie plate, a void in the rail itself leading to 'chunking out.' Some of these might be avoided by more stringent safety inspections.

Track geometry is 3rd. Elevation, radius, etc.

Bearing failure is actually 4th on the list and is responsible for approx. 6% of all derailments.

There seems to be an assumption on the part of more than a few that the railroads ignore safety to maximize profits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Derailments cost them dearly in the form of having to clean up the mess, insurance for the goods and equipment damaged and delivery penalties (if any) to the customer, not to mention public image. Anything they can reasonably do to reduce these incidents actually adds to their bottom line.

In the interest of full disclosure my family profited MIGHTILY from congressional action regarding railroad safety equipment. I am NOT opposed to government action where it makes sense. But that is the key phrase, "where it makes sense."

And by the way, there are 4 major railroads along with a host of smaller lines. BNSF and Union Pacific in the West and CSX, Norfolk Southern in the East. Those multitude of smaller freight lines are the railroad equivalent of commuter airlines. Each and every one of them are major contributors to the nations supply chain. Poorly thought out, knee jerk, regulations/laws will have a major impact on said supply chain.

 

[ll74]

You folks baffle me. You are calling for all sorts of 'regulations' (unspecified) without having bothered to actually look into what the problems are.

The leading cause of derailments in the US are as a result of human error. This can cover a whole range of issues from excessive speed to a vehicle crossing blockage to a barge hitting a bridge abutment and throwing the rails out of alignment. Exactly how many of those eventualities might be rectified by regulation?

The second leading cause is rail failure. These failures can come in many forms as well. Bad weld, bad tie plate, a void in the rail itself leading to 'chunking out.' Some of these might be avoided by more stringent safety inspections.

Track geometry is 3rd. Elevation, radius, etc.

Bearing failure is actually 4th on the list and is responsible for approx. 6% of all derailments.

There seems to be an assumption on the part of more than a few that the railroads ignore safety to maximize profits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Derailments cost them dearly in the form of having to clean up the mess, insurance for the goods and equipment damaged and delivery penalties (if any) to the customer, not to mention public image. Anything they can reasonably do to reduce these incidents actually adds to their bottom line.

In the interest of full disclosure my family profited MIGHTILY from congressional action regarding railroad safety equipment. I am NOT opposed to government action where it makes sense. But that is the key phrase, "where it makes sense."

And by the way, there are 4 major railroads along with a host of smaller lines. BNSF and Union Pacific in the West and CSX, Norfolk Southern in the East. Those multitude of smaller freight lines are the railroad equivalent of commuter airlines. Each and every one of them are major contributors to the nations supply chain. Poorly thought out, knee jerk, regulations/laws will have a major impact on said supply chain.

Inspections were lax, therefore we need more scrutiny around them being done. Not rocket science. Companies that fail to do proper inspections should be fined exponentially. And their trains should be blocked from production until they properly pass.

Babysitters are needed for children...

 

[Chobham]

Inspections were lax, therefore we need more scrutiny around them being done. Not rocket science. Companies that fail to do proper inspections should be fined exponentially. And their trains should be blocked from production until they properly pass.

Babysitters are needed for children...

And you know this how?

 

[ll74]

And you know this how?

https://nypost.com/2023/03/04/train-boss-tells-crew-to-skip-inspections-limit-reports/
https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-new...sues-that-may-raise-risk-of-train-derailment/

 

[Sean Renaud]

You folks baffle me. You are calling for all sorts of 'regulations' (unspecified) without having bothered to actually look into what the problems are.

The leading cause of derailments in the US are as a result of human error. This can cover a whole range of issues from excessive speed to a vehicle crossing blockage to a barge hitting a bridge abutment and throwing the rails out of alignment. Exactly how many of those eventualities might be rectified by regulation?

The second leading cause is rail failure. These failures can come in many forms as well. Bad weld, bad tie plate, a void in the rail itself leading to 'chunking out.' Some of these might be avoided by more stringent safety inspections.

Track geometry is 3rd. Elevation, radius, etc.

Bearing failure is actually 4th on the list and is responsible for approx. 6% of all derailments.

There seems to be an assumption on the part of more than a few that the railroads ignore safety to maximize profits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Derailments cost them dearly in the form of having to clean up the mess, insurance for the goods and equipment damaged and delivery penalties (if any) to the customer, not to mention public image. Anything they can reasonably do to reduce these incidents actually adds to their bottom line.

In the interest of full disclosure my family profited MIGHTILY from congressional action regarding railroad safety equipment. I am NOT opposed to government action where it makes sense. But that is the key phrase, "where it makes sense."

And by the way, there are 4 major railroads along with a host of smaller lines. BNSF and Union Pacific in the West and CSX, Norfolk Southern in the East. Those multitude of smaller freight lines are the railroad equivalent of commuter airlines. Each and every one of them are major contributors to the nations supply chain. Poorly thought out, knee jerk, regulations/laws will have a major impact on said supply chain.

Lets say you're correct that the leading cause is human error. Sounds like we need better training, perhaps better hours. I don't know how many hours these people work or how many days in a row. However when these people were fighting a few months back for a few days of sick leave each year I have to assume its a brutal schedule. I work in a warehouse. Ten hour days six days a week is not unheard of and at some point you become a danger to yourself and others.

If the second is rail failure this is a multibillion dollar industry. If you have to inspect every single inch of road no less than once a month, more often for heavily traveled routes get people on that. This also sounds like a damn good reason to build more rail just to cut back on wear and tear and allow other routes to be taken while this line gets basic maintence.

The third might be unavoidable since I have no idea what goes into train maintence. It sounds fixable. Maybe there needs to be a top to bottom inspection and tune up every 'x'. I won't pretend to know enough about trains to know how often this would need to be. But I rotate my tires, get oil changes, sometimes a tune up for no real reason to keep my car going.

I accept that shit happens. We can minimize how often it happens. The fact that this happens SO often that it usually doesn't even make the news is pretty terrifying.

 

[Chobham]

The first link, if true, is worthy of note. However it is noted that that particular manager was acting in violation of existing regulations and company policy. Inexcusable as it is what possible regulation would stop an individual from engaging in dereliction of duty?

The second identifies a weakness in internal company communications. That one is fairly easy to rectify and requires no regulation, just action on managements part.

 

[ll74]

The first link, if true, is worthy of note. However it is noted that that particular manager was acting in violation of existing regulations and company policy. Inexcusable as it is what possible regulation would stop an individual from engaging in dereliction of duty?

The second identifies a weakness in internal company communications. That one is fairly easy to rectify and requires no regulation, just action on managements part.

Noted that you don't want to increase regulation/oversight on inspections. Got it

I'll be lobbying for more.

 

[Sean Renaud]

The first link, if true, is worthy of note. However it is noted that that particular manager was acting in violation of existing regulations and company policy. Inexcusable as it is what possible regulation would stop an individual from engaging in dereliction of duty?

The second identifies a weakness in internal company communications. That one is fairly easy to rectify and requires no regulation, just action on managements part.

When you have a job that important and potentially dangerous I'm perfectly happy with putting you federal pound you in the ass prison if you are caught like that.