Friends tweet before dying in Md. train derailment | ajc.com
Headlines like those above are why pictures like this scare me to death:
Headlines like those above are why pictures like this scare me to death:
Yes, the railroad track makes for a scenic backdrop, but if a train comes along - particularly on a curved track like in the picture - it's not going to be able to stop in time. I did a little research - just to make sure improvements in technology hadn't decrease the time it takes for a locomotive running at full track speed to stop - and it's going to take that train one (1) mile to stop once brakes are fully applied. But, being hit by a train isn't the only hazard posed by being on the tracks. According to the article above, the two girls in Maryland where apparently knocked from the trestle by the impact of the accident, fell to the street below, and were then buried by coal falling from the hopper cars. Personally, I don't care to fall from that height and then have - approximately - 150 TONS land on top of me!
Don't get me wrong, I like the old-style trestles too, but I would never put myself at risk by sitting on one. Despite their large appearance, they are actually very narrow along the rail bed -- usually just wide enough for the train to clear.
-- Walter
