From: Benjamin.Kubelsky@verizon.net

On 5/20/2014 12:53 PM, conklin wrote:
> "Glen Labah"  wrote in message
> news:gl4317-615994.22375619052014@mx05.eternal-september.org...
>> In article
>> <112139247422239739.708898dpeltier-my-deja.com@news.aioe.org>,
>>   wrote:
>>
>>> I didn't say it's fatal, I said it's not safe. The risk of injury is
>>> unacceptable by today's standards. Whether it was safer then (shorter
>>> train
>>> lengths, lower speeds, people who were experienced at dealing with the
>>> situation, etc.), or whether our tolerance for the risk has just
>>> decreased,
>>> I cdon't know. Probably a combination of both.
>>
>>
>> The situation is most unsafe when the train goes into emergency.  From
>> the descriptions I have read, the crew used to be able to figure out
>> that was going to happen by the noise the train was making.  They hear
>> the air get dumped, and they have maybe 2 seconds to brace themselves
>> thoroughly against the wall or lie down on one of the beds with their
>> legs braced against the wall.  The actual slack impact then hits the
>> caboose just slightly after the noise is heard, but it is usually just
>> enough time to prevent serious injury.
>>
>> --
>> Please note this e-mail address is a pit of spam due to e-mail address
>> harvesters on Usenet. Response time to e-mail sent here is slow.
>
> Based on the time I was on the Crescent and the air was dumped, I told my
> wife, in the dining car, to brace herself.  I did.  She did know what I was
> talking about or why.  It was a sudden stop, but from only about 25 mph or
> so.  But the sound of the air being dumped is quite dramatic and impossible
> to miss, even on Amtrak. Now, at Flatbush Avenue, every train dumped its air
> at the end of the line, so it is known to all the passengers.
>
>

It isn't always that obvious. I was on a fan trip on a Budd built dome
car attached to a San Diegan about 10 years ago when the air was dumped
at about 90 mph near Camp Pendalton. Most of the passengers didn't
notice at first, but I happened to be speaking to one of the owners of
the car when it happened.

He turned his head as if someone had called his name and said, "We lost
the air".

It took some time before it was obvious that we were slowing, and
perhaps a full minute or more before we came to a stop. All very smooth,
and nobody's drink spilled. I forget why it happened, but whatever it
was, we were back underway in five minutes and arrived in San Diego on
the advertized.

DAve

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