Steam & Excursion > No Safety Vests!

Early #844 trip.

Ed

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Auburn_Ed Wrote:
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> Early #844 trip.
>
> Ed

OK,,,,,,,How early?    A date and location might be nice.

Wyoming, 1962.  Didn't take notes, I just thought the slide mount date would always be there.....

Ed

Mustve been just before that darn GP30 came by and occupied that number for little over a quarter century.
Lookin good!

Why crews can't or won't take the dam things off while on the train are beyond me. Everyone somehow survived for over a hundred years without them. It's even worse in the U.K. Even most people riding bikes wear them. Pants included. And God help you if you are a photo charter participant without one. They end up reflecting in the loco and anyone who ventures from the photo line for a different shot is clearly visible. But they are deemed necessary by the over regulated government even though charters are often the only train on the line. Perhaps with their exit from the over regulated E.U. some of these absurd regulations will go by the wayside in the U.K. What's next, vests in Chama yard? I hope I don't give them any ideas.  End of rant.

Back then the regular engineers were still qualified on the locomotives and Road Foreman, Don Short, used to travel with them.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Why crews can't or won't take the dam things off
> while on the train are beyond me. Everyone somehow
> survived for over a hundred years without them.
> It's even worse in the U.K. Even most people
> riding bikes wear them. Pants included. And God
> help you if you are a photo charter participant
> without one. They end up reflecting in the loco
> and anyone who ventures from the photo line for a
> different shot is clearly visible. But they are
> deemed necessary by the over regulated government
> even though charters are often the only train on
> the line. Perhaps with their exit from the over
> regulated E.U. some of these absurd regulations
> will go by the wayside in the U.K. What's next,
> vests in Chama yard? I hope I don't give them any
> ideas.  End of rant.

OK. For giggles:

You wear the thing until you get on the engine, then take it
off.  What do you do with it, knowing you will have to put it
back on again?

You can hang it on a hook, hoping it doesn't blow away or
(horrors) be visible in someone's photo.

You can put it in the seatbox.  Assuming the engine has one
(not all do), and that it isn't already full of other stuff.  Put in
the tool box, assuming the engine has one accessible from
the cab.?

Put it in with the drinking water?

Wad it up and stuff it in your pocket?

Hang it on the backhead and watch it melt or be in the fireman's
way?

What about the pilot crew?  Do they even dare take theirs off,
knowing that somehow a photo will make it's way back to the
host railroad?

 

West end of Hermosa, Wyoming?

Tom

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why crews can't or won't take the dam things off
> while on the train are beyond me. Everyone somehow
> survived for over a hundred years without them.
> It's even worse in the U.K. Even most people
> riding bikes wear them. Pants included. And God
> help you if you are a photo charter participant
> without one. They end up reflecting in the loco
> and anyone who ventures from the photo line for a
> different shot is clearly visible. But they are
> deemed necessary by the over regulated government
> even though charters are often the only train on
> the line. Perhaps with their exit from the over
> regulated E.U. some of these absurd regulations
> will go by the wayside in the U.K. What's next,
> vests in Chama yard? I hope I don't give them any
> ideas.  End of rant.

Not likely.

I wear my vest in the cab all of the time even though we don't have to. I don't even notice that it's on. It's just another layer of clothing. 

Reminds me of a big overweight older guy back in the day who claimed seatbelts in cars made him swell up...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

We (Reading & Northern) only require conductor trainees to wear them. I guess to pick them out in a crowd? Other than that we don't require them............for now. Personally I don't care for them. IMO they are hot in the summer and they make you an easier target for the rock throwers. I keep one in my grip for when we are out on NS. However, as NS does not require you to wear them inside the cab, I've never worn it. Safety vests won't be going away, so get used to them.

Chris Bost
Leesport, PA

RBMN-ENGR Wrote:
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> We (Reading & Northern) only require conductor
> trainees to wear them. I guess to pick them out in
> a crowd? Other than that we don't require
> them............for now. Personally I don't care
> for them. IMO they are hot in the summer and
> they make you an easier target for the rock
> throwers. I keep one in my grip for when we are
> out on NS. However, as NS does not require you
> to wear them inside the cab, I've never worn it.
> Safety vests won't be going away, so get used to
> them.

I dislike them too. I don't work in RR-ing but have to wear one in certain tasks and I'm amazed they can engineer a fabric and garment that can be so hot in the humid summers. despite perforations, and yet provide zero warmth in the winter. Plus they always snag on every little thing. Mine is always balled up in a cargo pants pocket unless I absolutely must wear it per rules.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/16 12:27 by NYC_L4a.

I've always refused to wear one in the cab of 4449, 844 and/or 3985 being they are all oil burners. The vests/jackets are made of polyester fabric and NOT cotton (one reason they are so damned hot), thus are not really safe to wear in the cab of an oil burning steam locomotive. I always used to remove the vest, and hang it over the back rest of my seat.

We had none on in the cab of NKP 765 on the Metra segment of "The Varsity"... as it should be.

I've been following other 765 posts and I'm amazed no one has mentioned it. Or, if it was mentioned, I didn't see it.

RRBadTrack Wrote:
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> We had none on in the cab of NKP 765 on the Metra
> segment of "The Varsity"... as it should be.
>
> I've been following other 765 posts and I'm amazed
> no one has mentioned it. Or, if it was mentioned,
> I didn't see it.

Well, for what it's worth,,,,,,I noticed it!   Thanks to the 765 Crew for that little bit of "extra effort".

Hey Buddy!!! I like this one!!!

Bob

Yes, Auburn Ed, nice photo ! We now return you to the safety jacket rant.

HotWater Wrote:
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> I've always refused to wear one in the cab of
> 4449, 844 and/or 3985 being they are all oil
> burners. The vests/jackets are made of polyester
> fabric and NOT cotton (one reason they are so
> damned hot), thus are not really safe to wear in
> the cab of an oil burning steam locomotive. I
> always used to remove the vest, and hang it over
> the back rest of my seat.

They make fire resistant vests, use them all the time in the oil field.

RRMike Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I've always refused to wear one in the cab of
> > 4449, 844 and/or 3985 being they are all oil
> > burners. The vests/jackets are made of
> polyester
> > fabric and NOT cotton (one reason they are so
> > damned hot), thus are not really safe to wear
> in
> > the cab of an oil burning steam locomotive. I
> > always used to remove the vest, and hang it
> over
> > the back rest of my seat.
>
> They make fire resistant vests, use them all the
> time in the oil field.

All well and good,,,,,,,,for the oil field.  Neither the UP nor the BNSF provided cotton, nor fire resistant, vest/jackets for the steam crew, at least prior to 2011.

You know Jack, you and I don't see eye to eye on many things, But I agree 100% on the vest thing. I don't like them in the oil field either.