Overheard on the Empire Builder

[richardd]

Last night on the Empire Builder between WIN and MSP some younger people (college age I think) and I overheard the following comments which I thought were interesting/

Do they steer the train all the time or is that done electronically? I dont know I think its like an air traffic controller.

We are behind time but when we get to North Dakota that will go fast and when we get to Wyoming we can really make up time.

What you don't learn on the train

 

[gswager]

The engineer don't steer the train, just control the throttle, brakes, horn, and communicating over the radio.

 

[jmbgeg]

Last night on the Empire Builder between WIN and MSP some younger people (college age I think) and I overheard the following comments which I thought were interesting/

Do they steer the train all the time or is that done electronically? I dont know I think its like an air traffic controller.

We are behind time but when we get to North Dakota that will go fast and when we get to Wyoming we can really make up time.

What you don't learn on the train

I try to be civil on the board but your post makes it tough. The only time that the Empire Builder will go fast to Wyoming is either on a departure from reality or a Charlie Sheen tiger blood train trip.

 

[EB_OBS]

Last night on the Empire Builder between WIN and MSP some younger people (college age I think) and I overheard the following comments which I thought were interesting/

Do they steer the train all the time or is that done electronically? I dont know I think its like an air traffic controller.

We are behind time but when we get to North Dakota that will go fast and when we get to Wyoming we can really make up time.

What you don't learn on the train

I try to be civil on the board but your post makes it tough. The only time that the Empire Builder will go fast to Wyoming is either on a departure from reality or a Charlie Sheen tiger blood train trip.

Ok, that was really hard not to spit my Coke all over my monitor. Very funny.

 

[tp49]

Ok, that was really hard not to spit my Coke all over my monitor. Very funny.

I thought the OBS employment contract only allowed you to drink Pepsi, the official soft drink of Amtrak. :lol:

 

[jmbgeg]

Last night on the Empire Builder between WIN and MSP some younger people (college age I think) and I overheard the following comments which I thought were interesting/

Do they steer the train all the time or is that done electronically? I dont know I think its like an air traffic controller.

We are behind time but when we get to North Dakota that will go fast and when we get to Wyoming we can really make up time.

What you don't learn on the train

I try to be civil on the board but your post makes it tough. The only time that the Empire Builder will go fast to Wyoming is either on a departure from reality or a Charlie Sheen tiger blood train trip.

Ok, that was really hard not to spit my Coke all over my monitor. Very funny.

Diet Pepsi please.

 

[jis]

People don't realize how this amazing mechanical automatic steering mechanism was invented by the ingenious people in the 19th century, and it has withstood the test of time, and is still used today. :lol: Meanwhile devices with later more fancy inventions keep crashing into each other and trees and what nots with annoying regularity killing tens of thousands of people each year. Oh well.. hboy:

 

[saxman]

I was on the Silver Star when we were backing into the Tampa station. People around me started freaking out and suggested that the engineer got lost and made a wrong turn! And he was backing up to get back on the correct track. Pretty amusing.

 

[TraneMan]

Ok, that was really hard not to spit my Coke all over my monitor. Very funny.

Hope you will have some Coke for me in July when we head from RDW to WFH!

 

[me_little_me]

Don't you guys know nuthin?

All trains have trucks on them. The truck drivers steer the trains, not the engineer.

I have a master's degree in engineering and I never steered a train. Beneath my dignity. That's what the truck drivers are for.

 

[GG-1]

Don't you guys know nuthin?

All trains have trucks on them. The truck drivers steer the trains, not the engineer.

I have a master's degree in engineering and I never steered a train. Beneath my dignity. That's what the truck drivers are for.

Aloha

As I head to breakfast, Pepsi and Museum train, I hope those Truck Drivers are Teamsters. With all that horse power to manage. :giggle: :giggle: :giggle: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[oldtimer]

Don't you guys know nuthin?

All trains have trucks on them. The truck drivers steer the trains, not the engineer.

I have a master's degree in engineering and I never steered a train. Beneath my dignity. That's what the truck drivers are for.

Aloha

As I head to breakfast, Pepsi and Museum train, I hope those Truck Drivers are Teamsters. With all that horse power to manage. :giggle: :giggle: :giggle: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I hope that the horses from all that horsepower use a retention type waste treatment system!

:help:

 

[had8ley]

Don't you guys know nuthin?

All trains have trucks on them. The truck drivers steer the trains, not the engineer.

I have a master's degree in engineering and I never steered a train. Beneath my dignity. That's what the truck drivers are for.

WOW !!! "Beneath my dignity?" You don't know what you're missing. There are people on this board that would love to climb into a cab (and some might even have a PhD !!!)and I would bet a kazillion AGR points less than 5% of this board has ever pulled back on a throttle...then the fun begins because you have to "engineer" in your brain just how to stop at a certain point. There's a heck of a lot more cross ties on the RR than there is on a key board and I'll take the former anyday. :lol:

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Don't you guys know nuthin?

All trains have trucks on them. The truck drivers steer the trains, not the engineer.

I have a master's degree in engineering and I never steered a train. Beneath my dignity. That's what the truck drivers are for.

WOW !!! "Beneath my dignity?" You don't know what you're missing. There are people on this board that would love to climb into a cab and I would bet a kazillion AGR points less than 5% of this board has ever pulled back on a throttle...then the fun begins because you have to "engineer" in your brain just how to stop at a certain point. There's a heck of a lot more cross ties on the RR than there is on a key board and I'll take the former anyday. :lol:

Does is count that I rented a locomotive at a railroad museum once? (the one in Portola if your wondering)

 

[GG-1]

Don't you guys know nuthin?

All trains have trucks on them. The truck drivers steer the trains, not the engineer.

I have a master's degree in engineering and I never steered a train. Beneath my dignity. That's what the truck drivers are for.

WOW !!! "Beneath my dignity?" You don't know what you're missing. There are people on this board that would love to climb into a cab and I would bet a kazillion AGR points less than 5% of this board has ever pulled back on a throttle...then the fun begins because you have to "engineer" in your brain just how to stop at a certain point. There's a heck of a lot more cross ties on the RR than there is on a key board and I'll take the former anyday. :lol:

Does is count that I rented a locomotive at a railroad museum once? (the one in Portola if your wondering)

Aloha

I drove this

about 1000 yards, my instructor said keep it on the track and dont hit anything, I passed

And if you want to and are in the Las Vegas Area the Nevada Southern Railway Museum has an Engineer for an Hour program, The cost is $250.00

 

[RRrich]

As most of you know MIT, a world class school of engineering is located in the Boston area - both Anthony and I were graduated from there. :hi: I understand that a recent gathering was in Boston but you didn't visit the railyards at that engineering school.

Why not? Its a he11 of an experience :giggle: