Roanoke railway webcam

[strang steel]

I saw the diesels reversing a long train of wagons with a caboose leading, on Thursday. The train must have been over half a mile long and I wondered at the time about the safety measures that are incorporated into this kind of movement.

Would there be CCTV on the caboose, with a monitor in the drivers' cab? Or are the driver and guard (or US equivalent) in constant 2-way radio communication? Or maybe, the caboose has through controls, similar to the DVTs in the UK?

[richard]

The caboose might have been part of the safety considerations. It would be unusual for such a train to only have locos at one end - much more usual for them to be at both ends and perhaps even helpers in the middle.

They also use radio control for switching. I've even seen this on the small industrial sidings around here. The actual driver is often outside on the rear footplate (as it were) or even standing on the ground.

Switching also uses radios - there's no other reliable way for the driver and switchman to be in contact (yes I know they didn't at one time, but it is much safer with two-way communication).


Richard

[redtoon1892]

A pic, poor one as it was getting dark, of a tank train with a caboose.