Passenger Trains > Passengers on pv observation deck.

I notice there are passengers relaxing on many private vehicles observation decks on many trains. Are there safety restrictions for occupants on these decks? Are passengers allowed to ride on these decks when the trains are traveling at 90mph?

They are not allowed to ride in double track territory.

raytc1944 Wrote:
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> They are not allowed to ride in double track
> territory.

According to who?

Whose going to know if they are out on the platform? I would imagine the train crew has more to worry about then someone riding on observation platform of a private car---kinda of just like opening the dutch door of a private car.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

Depends on the RR and event. NS would only allow observation deck riding to/from last years AAPRCO convention in Chattanooga to ride at speeds below 40 MPH. During this years mid-term meeting in Cheyenne, UP did not allow it at all. Pan Am allowed it during the recent Hoosac Tunnel trip; some comments were made on TO about the riders and some alleged safety violations; eee responded to these comments in kind. Iowa Interstate allowed it on the platform of their observation car but required safety glasses.

Folks: The less said about this subject, the better.

Amen, stuporcheif!

Riding the Alaskan Railroad a few years ago, they had no restrictions on when passengers could ride the open (upper level) observation between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Of course, the conductor had no problems with me shooting video via the open dutch window. All he said was "Don't do anything stupid!"

Yes, exactly (meaning the less said the better). Are we here on TO the self-proclaimed railroad police? Get a life....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/13 09:46 by moltensulphur.

Sssshush!

I expect my passengers to follow some common sense in using the platform of TIOGA PASS, i.e., maintain a hand hold at all times, avoid leaning out, no adult beverages on the platform, and so forth. Surely passengers and private car owners can self-police. We do not need more meaningless rules.

TIOGA PASS

My ride on the Alaska Railroad last summer included a dutch door ride from near Talkeetna all the way to Whittier. Must have had the same conductor 'cause his only comment to me was "don't do anything stupid" also. This portion of trip was riding Alaska Railroad equipment. My first leg involved private cars owned by a cruise line and all those cars have open-air observation areas.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

No problem on the Royal Canadian Pacific at any speed or on double track. Good grief. Back in the day, regular passenger trains had open platforms and no one thought anything about it. And I don't recall ever reading about anyone ever getting hurt or worse.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> No problem on the Royal Canadian Pacific at any
> speed or on double track. Good grief. Back in the
> day, regular passenger trains had open platforms
> and no one thought anything about it. And I don't
> recall ever reading about anyone ever getting hurt
> or worse.

People even rode on the FRONT pilot of Canadian Pacific trains in the early 1900s. That was before the modern era, and many were British nobility.

You guys are digging this hole deeper and deeper!

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> No problem on the Royal Canadian Pacific at any
> speed or on double track. Good grief. Back in the
> day, regular passenger trains had open platforms
> and no one thought anything about it. And I don't
> recall ever reading about anyone ever getting hurt
> or worse.

Back in the day, there were few lawyers per capita. :-)

Safety glasses as a precaution make sense to me. I've seen fine sand and other particulates that were dumped between the tracks by a leaking hopper car be swept into the air by a fast passenger train and swirl around the tail end. Getting that stuff in one's eyes is no fun.

stuporchief Wrote:
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> You guys are digging this hole deeper and deeper!


Why are you trying to stifle & censor...???

Self proclaimed watchdog...???

Be nice...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/13 14:08 by WP707.

I recently rode a vestibule- friendly property whose welcome announcements included the comment "we invite you to experience our open air vestibules".... And watched a father help his son aged perhaps 7 climb up the railing so he could see out.....dad was attentive at first but after a couple hours I had to play the crabby guy because junior (who was a sweet but adventurous little guy) was too close to liftoff for my liking.

As noted, if the Legal department of certain railroads and tour operators haven't noticed yet, they will soon enough. One incident will be all that's needed.

All we can do is not draw attention .....and enjoy it while we have it.

- Paul

I'd have to agree with the idea of keeping a low profile. Ten (10) people of a platform while traversing rare mileage, each with a camera or video recorder is an accident looking for a place to happen as folks focus on the shot and not safety.

John Gezelius
Tustin, CA