Amtrak vs. Rail Crew; Forums Update

This morning, an Amtrak train struck a rail crew car near Back Bay station, leading to the death of the flagman due to a heart attack. This is the second train vs. crew incident in recent weeks, and leads to many more questions about crew safety on the MBCR/Amtrak network. Why was the train allowed to pass into the same block as an active crew team? Had the crew filed for appropriate protections while working on the busy line? It is unfortunate that this has lead to another death, but hopefully something good will come from this by way of policy review...
For more on the incident, visit the Globe



Also, I'd like to update you all on the forums situation. This morning, the forums went down yet again, however a message was available on the BoardZero home page stating that they are aware of the problems, and think they are fixed, but are testing their system now. Hopefully this means The Forums will be back up and running for good later today. I'll refrain from opening the "backup" forums in anticipation of the BoardZero ones reopening today, but I'll keep you posted!

Thanks,

Mike

Hitting the Grindstone & Hitting a Dumpster

Okay, this is it. I'm planning to make some kind of update here on a daily basis, whether it be news or personal rant, I'm going to do my best to send something along every day, though if I miss one, please kindly forgive me. On a similar note, TransitHistory will be getting a new look next weekend, which will mean the essential "full" operation of the site, complete with an eMuseum exhibit (the full Boston Transit eMuseum will open later this year).

As for the dumpster, a Guilford freight train smashed into a dumpster in Peabody this morning, wedging it between the engine and a nearby building. The accident didn't appear too serious, but it definately scores one in the unusual category...

More @ WHDH