Question for Resort Front Desk CMs

[felinefan]

Here in California, there is a proposition on the ballot that if it passes will require the installion and use of Positive Train Controls. Though I remember a railroad employee saying in a letter to the editor concerning the Chatworth crash that the best PTC is a second person in the locomotive cab. Then you have two pairs of eyes looking for the signals. He stated that when he worked for the railroad, he and the other engineer would look out for the signals; if one missed it, he would ask the other, "What was that last signal?" Sounds like that would be cheaper, but as we all know, humans are just about as prone to failure as machines.

[DisneyMom]

Thanks to all, I appreciate the explanations :)

[Goofyernmost]

The Vermont Country Store sells Maypo.

MAYPO started in Vermont. The original building on Pine Street in Burlington was it's home. I can remember as a teen driving by there and smelling the lovely smell of maple syrup wafting from the plant. The building still exist but it is a bunch of specialty stores now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maypo

[turkeyham]

I thought that the Chatworth metro link crash was caused by a engineer who had been on his cell phone and also was working with little sleep?

My friend is a train engineer for the Union Pacific railroad. He says that there are 2 engineers always in the train. He said that there are 2 different signals when being on the track. One on the top and one on the bottom. If the top is red, he can not move the train because there is another train on the track. If it is green, he is safe to move the train. :)

[Ms. Matterhorn]

I thought that the Chatworth metro link crash was caused by a engineer who had been on his cell phone and also was working with little sleep?

It was! They have proven that he was texting someone right before the crash! Can you say "operator error" or "gross negligence"?

[Shorty82]

I thought that the Chatworth metro link crash was caused by a engineer who had been on his cell phone and also was working with little sleep?

Yep, it was. If there had been a PTC system in place or another engineer in the cab the accident could have been prevented. A PTC system would have stopped the train automatically after running the red signal and if there had been another engineer one of them would have most likely seen the signal and stopped the train.

[Zazu]

Does the MK trains use the same system?

Same system as what?

I took a ride with my sister on her birthday and they did use the red/green light systems. We also heard a chime that rang 5 times like a short school bell. I did see the color light system at the monorail system for the resort loop.

I'll let one of the pilots explain the color-light signals on the monorail line. Last I heard, they weren't even in use.


The signal system on the WDW RR is probably unique. It's certainly like no other railroad signal system I've ever seen or heard of, and that used to be my full-time job.

Slightly shortened version:

There are six blocks on the WDW RR. Three are the stations, three are the stretches between stations.

Each block is protected by a red signal (and an ATS). The red light glows when the block is occupied (or there's some other reason not to enter); a green light *should* come on whenever the red light is out.

At the three stations, protecting the track between them, there is also a yellow signal. This is a repeater for the second block signal ahead. Thus if standing at Main Street Station, if the yellow light is on, then the signal controlling entry to Frontierland Station is red.

There are also a couple of intermediate signals, but that's basically it. There also used to be a signal controlling access to the mainline from the spur line, but the conduit was hit by a power mower in 1997 and AFAIK it has never been repaired.


As for the five chimes? Check your cell phone, that's got nothing to do with the railroad.

[Zazu]

I thought that the Chatworth metro link crash was caused by a engineer who had been on his cell phone and also was working with little sleep?

Correct, but we don't know if it was the cell phone or the sleep that killed him.

My friend is a train engineer for the Union Pacific railroad. He says that there are 2 engineers always in the train.

That hasn't been true for many years. Today, many freights do run with two men in the cab, but the other one is the conductor. In passenger service, the conductor rides back with the passengers.

He said that there are 2 different signals when being on the track. One on the top and one on the bottom. If the top is red, he can not move the train because there is another train on the track. If it is green, he is safe to move the train. :)

That is a vast oversimplification of railway signaling, especially on a major railroad like the Union Pacific. In some situations what he said is correct, in others it's very likely to get you killed. Details on request.

[turkeyham]

My friend Gregg has been an engineer for Union Pacific railroad for 10 years. He went to a safety class this last year. They have 2 engineers in the front engine. One on the right side and one on the left side. He said they have been doing this since there was an accident when the air breaks broke and the box cars derailed and caused a huge mess. The accident was caused by a broken air hose. Now these days, they check out the train before it leaves the rail yard.

Zazu,

Our train system at Disneyland has the chimes. It is ment on how long the train sits at the station waiting for guests. I will be going back to Disneyland and see what else I can find on our steam trains out here.

Now going back to the green and red lights system on the hotel loop, we came out when there was bad weather in the second week of Sept. I do remember seeing a green light when approaching the Polynesian Resort. We were in the front cabin with a sir driver by Brian. He says the lights are used when you approach the hotels. It is saying green-safe to pull up, red light-you have to stop and wait. We had a red light at the Polynesian and had to wait 10 minutes before returning to the MK monorail stop. :)

[kurtisnelson]

I'll let one of the pilots explain the color-light signals on the monorail line. Last I heard, they weren't even in use.

Nope, they are in use. Big Wallaby even explained to me how he has to check his rear view mirror while pulling out of the station and stop if it turns red.