During
the lunch layover, I
returned to Silver Lariat and was met by Robert
Filter, another Operation Lifesaver volunteer who invited me to the
back of the
car where he had a laptop computer set up with a locomotive simulator.Mr. Filter said this was the "first time he
had brought the train simulation aboard" the Operation Lifesaver
train. "I'm hoping to use it to demonstrate that trains
can't stop quickly.The usual result is that the new engineers have the brakes on
and the train just keeps going, demonstrating the distances involved in
stopping a train."
I ran a simulated coal train with 3
locomotives and was supposed to drop Bob off the train at the radio
towers.I have little experience stopping
trains, so
I passed the drop off point and he had to walk back to the towers.The cab control simulator controls are from
Raildriver.com. It was a genuine feeling of being a train
engineer with the scaled down controls and a train simulation program
in the laptop computer. HamWatch, sponsored by the City of La
Mirada provides communications for community events such as parades and
also back-up emergency communication in case of
emergencies. Mr. Filter further stated that HamWatch has also
received an award from the County of Los Angeles for its involvement in
the Operation Lifesaver program. HamWatch has also been mentioned
in the California State Department of Transportation (CalTrans) "Making
Tracks" newsletter.
Before we departed, an eastbound autorack container freight train met
the O.L. train. I
rejoined the UP crew in 6003 and they
contacted UP dispatch for permission to return to Los
Angeles.The crew discussed and agreed on a plan that
would get the train to Metrolink Taylor yard, cut off the train and
allow UP
6003 to run light back to “the shops” previously known as the Southern
Pacific
transportation center.One crew member
said the plan would fall apart while another said to think positively.We were waiting for a few minutes until
dispatch called and gave permission to leave.Dispatch had made us wait because he was upset with us.The crew told him that we were controlled by
Operation Lifesaver forces and could only leave when they were done
with their
work.Usually dispatch has more complete
control over train movements.Eventually
he let us go and we had to do the reverse movement to trip a fresh
green
signal, then we were on our way to Los
Angeles.
Even though the "official" Operation
Lifesaver Officer-on-a-Train was
over, violators still crossed the tracks as the above left picture
shows two bicyclists. The one on the extreme left waited while
the other biker crossed in front of the O.L. train and a track
worker. The above right picture shows a very strange curve in the
track. Usually railroad curves are almost imperceptible, however
this one appears very sharp. Maybe the optics of the camera lens
exaggerate the curve.
Working near the railroad can be a scary experience. This
surveyor had to endure a number of passing trains as he worked. A
passing train will shake a survey instrument. The picture on the
right demonstrates parking well away from the track as trains hang 3
feet over the rail.on each side.
This Union Pacific line is nicely
maintained. Looking back, where's our train?
The railroad climbs a slight grade
with freeway overpass above. Another train meets the O.L. train.
The mainlines have unusual crossovers
here. The lines diverge and
our track crosses a river.
