[Olog-hai]

Unions walking over the dead again.

[Sasparilla]

The union agreed to cutting down train crew size and getting rid of an extra front cab crewmember, the fireman, some time ago. It also agreed to eliminating a crew member position in the rear of the train by eliminating the caboose and replacing it with a tail light.

[smokingfrog]

I think we might be safer with no engineers. Those new locomotives are practically idiot proof, but Brandon Bostian still managed to crash one. Almost like it was done on purpose.

[Personal Responsibility]

If I applied this quote to the Real-Truth-Translator “There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be a 2nd engineer” would say “Dead bodies are a great way to lobby for more high paying union jobs.”

[chajin]

Uh, that worked for Germanwings...

[JohnBrowdie]

which would (more or less) double the number of unionized engineers needed.

[Gaffer]

Sure. This will only cost $1 billion more per year on the budget.....

[umgud]

So two crew members crash a train while playing poker, dominos, watching Netflix, having sex, ...............

[RayChuang88]

In Japan, unless the train was designed for one-man (known in Japan as wanman) operation, they usually two train crew: a driver in the front and a conductor at the end of the train. And the driver on main lines have a lot of safety systems operating to protect the train, especially the automatic train stop (ATS) sensors on the track to detect excessive speed or overrunning red signals.

What Amtrak must install are systems to monitor if the train is going on the track at excessive speed or running a red signal.

[factoryrat]

No single man crews, period. The disaster in Ontario should be enough to persuade anyone.

Some railroads (a few, not many), are pushing for just an engineer, and no conductor or brakeman.

If you want one crew member running a train, then you would have no problem with only a pilot and no co-pilot or flight crew on a commercial airliner, or a captain of a ship, and no XO on board.

Amtrak is the epitome of a government run organization.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Why? They will just both get amnesia and walk away unaccountable. Well, unless they are conservatives, especially of the unfavorable races and religions.

[informavoracious]

But I thought it wasn’t the engineer’s fault?

[Cementjungle]

I’m not sure having two gay engineers in the cab at the same time is going to improve safety.

[9YearLurker]

I bet they do.

[tophat9000]

Ok.. I am not a union fan..but I do agree with the reasoning for the need to have two engineers in the cab at the controls on any long haul..you can't just pull a train over like a car or a truck.. it is more akin to an aircraft that you would require two pilots for anything more then small short haul

[Marko413]

I’m okay with having two engineers, as long as they split the wage between the two engineers.

[bmwcyle]

Robots would be better.

[PhiloBedo]

Putting two homos together in the engine cab for a long ride. What could possibly go wrong???

[BenLurkin]

This development was predicted by somsbody right here on FreeRepublic — the very day of the derailment.