Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Troll · 500 - Internal Server Error

Railroad worker seriously injured in Council Bluffs

Troll · 500 - Internal Server Error

Railroader who lost legs determined to survive
(The following story by Bob Glissmann appeared on the Omaha World-Herald website on September 16.)

OMAHA, Neb. The Council Bluffs man who lost both of his legs in a train accident last week told rescue workers that he was determined to survive.

Wesley Franks, 52, fell from a train Wednesday night just south of 16th Avenue and Main Street in Council Bluffs.

Emergency officials said Franks was riding on a ladder on the back of a railcar when the train jolted and Franks fell off. His legs were run over by at least two railcars.

Franks was taken to Omaha's Creighton University Medical Center in extremely critical condition with severe damage to his lower abdomen and legs. Creighton issued a press release Monday saying that both legs were partially severed by the train.

After several surgeries, both of Franks' legs were amputated one at midcalf, the other at the hip. He remained in critical condition, the hospital said.

According to the hospital, Franks' words to the rescue crew were: "I'm not going out this way." His family remains optimistic about his recovery.

Franks began working for Iowa Interstate Railroad three weeks before the accident, the press release said. Because of his short term of employment, some of his health care benefits were not yet effective. People who want to help with expenses can make donations at any U.S. Bank branch on behalf of Wesley Franks.

Iowa Interstate Railroad's director of human resources, Bobbi Allen, said company policy does not allow disclosure of details relating to the incident. The company, she said, "has standard medical work-related coverage for all employees regardless of longevity with the company to assist in the payment of emergency medical treatment."

Franks' family asks for the community's thoughts and prayers as he recovers, the hospital said.

Franks and his wife, Sandra, have been married for 32 years. They have six grown children together, the hospital said.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Freddie Krueger · Unstable & Irrational

Three weeks on the job?

Cy Valley · Upgraded Condition

That poor guy. Three weeks and this happens. Wonder, well, never mind, but brings to mind a whole lot of questions.

Buckethead · Professional Asshole

Troll wrote:

Railroader who lost legs determined to survive
(The following story by Bob Glissmann appeared on the Omaha World-Herald website on September 16.)

Emergency officials said Franks was riding on a ladder on the back of a railcar when the train jolted and Franks fell off. His legs were run over by at least two railcars.
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Riding the ladder on the "back" of a railcar?

Freddie Krueger · Unstable & Irrational

Thought the same thing.

Uke · Cured

"...riding a ladder at the back..." Hmmm. I've never been able ta figure out which end of ANY car...box, flat, tanker, rack...is the front. Nor the back. Or rear!

There's some heavy shit goin' on out there lately so stay awake gents. Watch out for each other!

Ya need an extra day ta sleep in, take it! Safety first! Work ONLY when you know you feel up to it! Don't take chances with your ass...or your co-worker's either!

Three weeks? Iowa Interstate is a scab outfit and will likely let this guy twist...

Uke · Cured

This one just underscores their latest...

For Release 1200 May 14, 2008

IAIS Receives Gold Harriman Memorial Safety Award. Again

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa The E. H. Harriman Memorial Awards Selection Committee presented its Gold Award to Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS) in recognition of its excellent safety record in 2007.
Accepting this award on behalf of all IAIS employees at the awards luncheon held in Washington, D.C. on May 14, 2008 was President & CEO Dennis H. Miller, who commented: Our company completed almost 400,000 hours of safe activity in 2007 and I am very honored to accept this award on behalf of our employees for the second time in the past 4 years.. IAIS employees continue to show the industry that safety is a top priority in our daily routines, and our goal of zero injuries is possible, as we proved in 2003 when we completed a full year without any injuries.
Mr. Miller was accompanied by Chief Transportation Officer Michael Burkart; Director of Operations, Rules, and Safety Jeff Johnson; Board member and shareholder Robert A. Pietrandrea; and Chairman Henry Posner III.
Posner commented: As in 2004 when we last won the Gold Harriman, I will take credit only for making Safety the companys #1 priority: the result has been achieved by Dennys team, our 200 employees. I will add that I am gratified that our progress reflects the evolution of a safety culture at IAIS
The E. H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards were founded in 1931 by the late Mrs. Mary W. Harriman in memory of her husband, Edward H. Harriman, who was a pioneer in American railroading. At the time the Harriman Awards were founded, railroading was considered among the nations most dangerous occupation. However, employee injury rates have declined sharply since then. Today railroad employees have injury rates lower than other modes of transportation.
Winners are chosen by a committee of individuals in the transportation field. The awards are granted to railroads on the basis of the lowest casualty rates per 200,000 employee-hours worked. The formula takes into account the volume of work performed, as well as the number of fatalities, injuries, and occupational illnesses confirmed by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Founded in 1984, IAIS is a regional carrier operating over 550 miles between Omaha, Nebraska, and Chicago, Illinois, with connections to all major Class 1 carriers. Its headquarters are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For more information about IAIS, please visit www.IAISRR.com.
IAIS is a subsidiary of Railroad Development Corporation (RDC). RDC is a privately held Pittsburgh-based railway management and investment company, focusing on Emerging Corridors in Emerging Markets. For more information about RDC and its joint ventures in the USA, Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, and Malawi, please visit www.RRDC.com.

Snippy · Force Majeure

The Friends of Railroad Administrators have set it up so that amputations, fatalities, and lost time hangnails all count the same.

The question is how many did you have per 200,000 man-hours?

Toastmaster · D.O.A.

New here, but was wondering, what became of this guy, how it was handled, and what his background was...sounded an awful lot like a laid off factory worker, that decided to become a railroader...inexperience no doubt contributed to this tradgedy...thanks for any info

Snippy · Force Majeure

Welcome to our new physique-al fitness buff!

Never heard any more about the guy, but the fact his ailroad won the Harry-Man award tells us a whole lot about the integrity of the Harry-Man Award.

Calvin · Upgraded Condition?

Who were the other winners?? You mite ask...

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=16576

Safety Awards 5/15/2008

NS' gold Harriman streak reaches 19 years; CSXT conductor takes home the Hammond

And the winner is Norfolk Southern Railway again. For the 19th-straight year, the Class I has won the E.H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards' Group A gold. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) presented Harrimans to NS and 11 other railroads yesterday at a luncheon in Washington, D.C.

CSX Transportation took the silver award for the second-straight year and Union Pacific Railroad grabbed the bronze in the Group A category, which recognizes railroads whose employees work a combined 15 million or more manhours.

In Group B, honoring railroads whose employees worked between 4 million and 15 million manhours, Kansas City Southern Railway Co. (KCSR) won gold for the second-consecutive year. Metra took silver and Canadian Pacific Railway grabbed the bronze.

In Group C, which honors railroads whose employees worked less than 4 million manhours, Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. took home the gold, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co. landed silver and Florida East Coast Railway L.L.C. won bronze.

Finally, in Group S&T (switching and terminal companies), the gold went to the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, silver to Union Railroad and bronze to Birmingham Southern Railroad.

The AAR also presented certificates of commendation for continuous safety performance improvements to Amtrak (Group A), MTA Long Island Rail Road (Group B), the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. (Group C) and Union Railroad (Group S&T).

Harrimans are based on the lowest casualty rates per 200,000 manhours worked a formula that takes into account the volume of work performed, as well as the number of fatalities, injuries and occupational illnesses confirmed by the Federal Railroad Administration.

The late Mary W. Harriman founded the awards in 1913 to memorialize her husband, railroad pioneer Edward H. Harriman. The awards currently are administered by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute, with support from the Mary W. Harriman Foundation.

Meanwhile, the AAR also presented the 2007 Harold F. Hammond Award for railroad safety to CSXT conductor James "J.T." Wilson, who has never suffered an injury during his 34-year railroading career, the association said.

A full-time divisional safety coordinator since 2001, Wilson developed a "Switching for Success" program to provide new employees advanced switching and safety training. Since the program began in the Florence Division in 2005, human-factor derailments have dropped by 50 percent. The program now is being adopted by other CSXT divisions. Wilson also became an advocate for a formal counseling program for crews involved in serious accidents.

The AAR also honored the following with Hammond certificates of commendation for enhancing safety: Amtrak Assistant Mechanical Superintendent Bernard Campbell; Montana Rail Link Electrician Ben Hampson; KCSR Carman David Hill; NS Carman Edward "Mike" Kline; BNSF Railway Co. Locomotive Engineer James McGovern; UP Locomotive Engineer Mark Saurage; and CPR Locomotive Engineer Jeff Terry.

Established in 1986, the Hammond award is named after the late Harold F. Hammond, who served as president of the Transportation Association of America and chairman of the E.H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards selection committee.

Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.

NS' gold Harriman streak reaches 19 years; CSXT conductor takes home the Hammond

This is the official end of my post.

Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.

NS' gold Harriman streak reaches 19 years; CSXT conductor takes home the Hammond

This is the official end of my post.

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.