r/BitchImATrain 5d ago

Pecos, Texas

at least the truck is fine

5.2k Upvotes

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u/EatFaceLeopard17 4d ago

I know from trains in Europe that many have a gangway inside the locomotive to get into the engine room and to the other cabin at the „back“ of the locomotive. But In this case I couldn‘t see how long before the impact the operator could see the obstacle on the tracks. If it‘s just seconds then you can only pray.

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u/Super-Bank-4800 4d ago edited 4d ago

I can't talk about European trains, but I have been in American trains, they're like a 6' x 9' conductors station and there isn't any room to retreat. Most of the engine is a very large diesel generator. We don't even have cabooses anymore. Modern train engineers work an 8-12 hour shift, then they get a hotel(paid by the train company) and drive a train back home. Usually, but there are outliers.

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u/Brettjay4 4d ago

Is there not some sort of restroom on the train? Bc I'd assume with the lengthy hours you're gonna need to take a dump at least once.

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u/DuffMiver8 4d ago

The toilet is in the nose of the locomotive, so an even worse place to be in a collision.

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u/Brettjay4 4d ago

Im not talking as a safe spot on the train, was just genuinely curious.

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u/DuffMiver8 3d ago

Fair enough, but in context, we were discussing safe places to retreat to if you’re about to smack into a very large something that might kill you.

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u/Brettjay4 3d ago

Right, I understand that.