Airline Passenger Advocacy Groups

FastTrax

FastTrax

Well-known Member
 

I just flew on the MAX-737 last week from Las Vegas to Denver and lucky for me, I knew the flight crew on the United plane, so the Purser offered me the lone seat that was unoccupied in business class, which I accepted. The Captain invited me to sit in the jump seat in the cockpit, but I declined because it would have violated FAA rules, which states very clearly that no one that is not associated with the airline is permitted in the cockpit while the plane is in flight, which begins with the pushback from the gate at the departing city and ends with the chocking of the wheels in the arriving city. By declining his appreciated offer, it saved him and me from possibly facing some heavy fines. I have no idea why he did that, but we had a conversation about it after landing and I hope that he takes my advice.
 
oldman said:
I just flew on the MAX-737 last week from Las Vegas to Denver and lucky for me, I knew the flight crew on the United plane, so the Purser offered me the lone seat that was unoccupied in business class, which I accepted. The Captain invited me to sit in the jump seat in the cockpit, but I declined because it would have violated FAA rules, which states very clearly that no one that is not associated with the airline is permitted in the cockpit while the plane is in flight, which begins with the pushback from the gate at the departing city and ends with the chocking of the wheels in the arriving city. By declining his appreciated offer, it saved him and me from possibly facing some heavy fines. I have no idea why he did that, but we had a conversation about it after landing and I hope that he takes my advice.
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Did you bring your scanner? I know how you feel. A lot of railroads forbid anyone except off duty operating department crews and management "GOD forbid the suits should follow their own rules" to be in the cabs especially with the inward facing cameras.
 

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FastTrax said:
Did you bring your scanner? I know how you feel. A lot of railroads forbid anyone except off duty operating department crews and management "GOD forbid the suits should follow their own rules" to be in the cabs especially with the inward facing cameras.
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I knew an engineer back while I was still active and he offered me a ride down to the next stop in the front engine. I didn't pass it up, but I never knew I was doing something wrong. I had to wait another half-hour for him to take me back to my vehicle, but it was all worth it to ride in that engine. I even got to sound the horn as we approached the stop. I had a smile on my face that didn't leave for an hour or more. You can just feel the power in those big diesels.
 
911 said:
I knew an engineer back while I was still active and he offered me a ride down to the next stop in the front engine. I didn't pass it up, but I never knew I was doing something wrong. I had to wait another half-hour for him to take me back to my vehicle, but it was all worth it to ride in that engine. I even got to sound the horn as we approached the stop. I had a smile on my face that didn't leave for an hour or more. You can just feel the power in those big diesels.
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A friend of mine has an awesome train setup in his basement HO gauge, I think. I told him about my train ride and he asked me what I meant when I said “I could feel the power of the engines.” I really didn’t know how to explain it, but while I was just standing in the front engine, I could feel the power as it resonated through my body. It was like a feeling of power trying to be unleashed.

We were at a place where many trains come together and are routed to their proper track. I forget the term the Engineer used, but there are a lot of switches and trains going in different directions. It was all pretty cool to watch and be a part of.
 
911 said:
A friend of mine has an awesome train setup in his basement HO gauge, I think. I told him about my train ride and he asked me what I meant when I said “I could feel the power of the engines.” I really didn’t know how to explain it, but while I was just standing in the front engine, I could feel the power as it resonated through my body. It was like a feeling of power trying to be unleashed.

We were at a place where many trains come together and are routed to their proper track. I forget the term the Engineer used, but there are a lot of switches and trains going in different directions. It was all pretty cool to watch and be a part of.
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Depending on how big It was and if it contained a large number of team and ladder tracks it might have been a classification yard, did it have a hump station and did you get the name of the railroad and what town it was in? Do you know what railroad and the series of loco it was? The BNSF, UP & CSX AC6000CW engines were 6000 HP ground shakers until they were de-rated to 4400 HP. The NS SD MAC's were rail pounders too. The new CSX GEVO's are like wind up toys.

This lame video is the best I could scrape up for now so kick that subwoofer up.


BTW: You were PSP so maybe you could contact PSP, PENN-DOT, FRA and/or OLI and volunteer to get into the OLI police ride along safety program to spot grade crossing violators and trespassers.

www.oli.org/about-us/mission-impact-and-history/enforcement.

Enjoy your weekend.
 
The town was Enola, which is just outside of Harrisburg. The train line is (or was) Conrail.

Back in the late 70’s, I investigated a train accident involving a car that had tried to beat the train to the crossing. Obviously, the car lost and so did the lives of 3 of the 4 occupants in the auto. The only survivor was the driver. His girlfriend, who was sitting in the front seat and another couple in the backseat we’re pronounced at the scene.
 
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911 said:
The town was Enola, which is just outside of Harrisburg. The train line is (or was) Conrail.

Back in the late 70’s, I investigated a train accident involving a car that had tried to beat the train to the crossing. Obviously, the car lost and so did the lives of 3 of the 4 occupants in the auto. The only survivor was the driver. His girlfriend, who was sitting in the front seat and another couple in the backseat we’re pronounced at the scene.
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That is the Norfolk Southern Enola Classification Yard. When Conrail owned it I pulled a lot of boxes on the NEC portion of the OI/EN on the extra board, it was the largest freight classification yard in the world. I'll post some history about it.
 
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FastTrax said:
That is the Norfolk Southern Enola Classification Yard. When Conrail owned it I pulled a lot of boxes on the NEC portion of the OI/EN on the extra board, it was the largest freight classification yard in the world. I'll post some history about it.
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I believe that it is still in operation to some degree. I remember seeing cars full of cars. (Get it?) When I worked out of the Harrisburg Barracks, from to to time, I would go over to the yard at around 3 in the morning while eating lunch and watch the action going on in the yard. I liked smelling the diesel burning. Busy place. You know what they say, “A boy and his trains.”

Is Conrail still in business?
 
911 said:
I believe that it is still in operation to some degree. I remember seeing cars full of cars. (Get it?) When I worked out of the Harrisburg Barracks, from to to time, I would go over to the yard at around 3 in the morning while eating lunch and watch the action going on in the yard. I liked smelling the diesel burning. Busy place. You know what they say, “A boy and his trains.”

Is Conrail still in business?
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Basically it still exist on paper. CSX and NS carved up it's territory and hold a major stock interest while renaming ConRail CSAO which serves as a switching and terminal railroad for them at various interchange points.

NSENOLA2.jpg

NSENOLA1.jpg

NSENOLA7.jpg

NSENOLA6.jpg

NSENOLA4.jpg

www.ble-t.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=12394

www.freightwaves.com/news/norfolk-southern-to-idle-hump-at-enola-yard

www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2.3639136

www.conrail.com

www.pennlive.com/news/2018/06/norfolk_southern_looking_to_hi.html

https://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/168747/.aspx

https://amp.en.google-info.org/19206654/1/enola-yard.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrail

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrail_Shared_Assets_Operations

www.nscorp.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Southern_Railway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSX_Corporation

www.csx.com

www.prrths.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad

www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/shipping-options/intermodal/terminals-and-schedules/harrisburg-pa-.html

www.facebook.com/pages/Norfolk-Southern-Enola-Yard/163331150390904

www.indeed.com/cmp/Norfolk-Southern-Corp/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Enola%2C+PA

www.harrisburgnrhs.org

www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=3166

www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/15142






I hoped this helped. Take care.
 
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oldman said:
I like to ride the rails myself. Fully enjoy listening to the train as its wheels ride over the steel. Very relaxing for me.
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My sentiments exactly. The best sleeping pill is a deluxe roomette with your own bathroom and shower on Autotrain. Pricey but worth every penny. 70% of the ride is at night and the only stop Between Sanford and Lorton is in Florence for the operating crew change. The hours of service attendants sleep in their own cabin car for the entire trip. Acela runs on welded rail so no clickity clack except through the interlockings. The Regionals make too many stops to sleep. Youtube has tons of loops of every kind of noise known to modern man including train sounds. This particular loop is far from the best out there but it works considering he's not using an equalizer.

Okay oldman, all aboard, nighty night, sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite.

 

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