--- In BRHSlist@egroups.com, lsapp2405@a... wrote:
> Can't say much about vertigo but we had a southbound out of Neosho
Mo on the
> KCS back in the 60's and started up the hill with an FM Erie Built
in the
> lead with an inoperative speedometer. The KCS was running a lot of
first
> generation junk and we had a mixed bag of about seven units with
all the
> mechanical problems you could ask for. The fog was so thick we
could see
> nothing beyond the marker lights and below the top ladder step and
resolved
> to stop at the coach track on top of the hill to let it thin out
before we
> started across road crossings. We were used to struggling up the
hill at 5
> to 10 mph and thought nothing of the shudders and shakes so long as
we didn't
> get a lot of slack action. To make matters worse the radio was out
on the
> caboose and the conductor could not tell us that we stopped about
half way
> up. We burned about 20 pits 2 inches deep in the rails and ruined
most of
> the wheels in the locomotive consist before we realized we had not
moved for
> several minutes. No wheel slip light, no warning of any kind. For
once, in
> the investigation, I was glad I was just a dumb brakeman and not
privy to the
> tell tale signs that were supposed to warn the engineer and fireman
we were
> in trouble. They each got 30 days, I got a real nasty look from
the
> Superintendent but kept my paychecks coming.
>
Those guys probably didn't know it, but standing still and
experiencing movement, that was vertigo.
It's an interesting point. Is there any training given for
situations where there is no visual reference as given to pilots?
BRAD
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