OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
The Texas Eagle Conductors are pretty good about reminding pax if they get left behind the next train isn't until 24 hours and that places like Longview, Marshall or Mineola aren't the most exciting in the world
Why didn't he go to the restroom on the train? Did he think that it still had hopper toilets and that they were closed while the train was in the station?He had gone into the station to use a restroom and just lost track of time.
How difficult is it to balance yourself while "aiming" on a train that isn't moving? :lol:It contributed less to dirtying up the train toilets? Less use of the valuable train water/water water storage space? He didn't want to try balancing himself while aiming?
My motto has always been... never get further away from the train door than you can run or jump if the train starts to move. My wife is a bit more daring, and she actually did go into a station searching for that diet cola that Amtrak doesn't sell. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof until she walked out of the station with two of those colas. I had ahold of the handles on the train door, ready to physically hold the train back from from departing. :lol: We weren't even close to being left behind. We had time to finish the colas, and a couple of cigarettes. Still...In May '07 we were on the east bound Empire Builder. The first morning we had breakfast with a couple from the United Kingdom. Later in the day, we were in our sleeper, when they announced there was to be a smoker stop at Wiliston, ND. (I think) We quickly got our shoes on and went into the station to see if they had a pop machine that sold ''real'' diet cola, not the kind that Amtrak sells. We came out of the station and everyone was back on the train except the conductor. The couple from UK had seen us go into the station and told the conductor that we were inside!! It sounds like we were lucky that they waited! My wife will never let me forget that!GregL
Had a bad back and tried to kill two birds at once. Stretch and take care of business at the same time. As he found out, it was a bad choice. What got me was that his wife wasn't too upset.Why didn't he go to the restroom on the train? Did he think that it still had hopper toilets and that they were closed while the train was in the station?He had gone into the station to use a restroom and just lost track of time.
In general, the conductor is in charge. However, reading the above, I think the OP may have been slightly confused.After reading this, I just have to ask, who's in charge of the train?(The engineer apparently couldn't stop the train, despite public-address requests by the conductor.)
I put together a little chain-of-command thing. I think it's accurate.Sorry, I didn't mention "Highball" as the actual word used to signal that the train is clear to leave the station.I was just trying to point out that I think the Conductor has the final say so after communicating with the Engineer before the train leaves.
Is that correct?
Well, I have to admit it, but I fall into that category myself.Why didn't he go to the restroom on the train? Did he think that it still had hopper toilets and that they were closed while the train was in the station?He had gone into the station to use a restroom and just lost track of time.
Smart woman. Follow her lead. Be pro-active. Don't wait for stuff to happen before you do something. Do something before stuff happens. :lol:I have never seen some one left looking at the tail lights on the train my self. But the wife must live in fear of it. Dam she walks fast when it is time to head to the train.
The long-distance trains are like this. For shorter routes, such as the Pacific Surfliner, you just hop on and they check your ticket after you are seated. If you don't have a ticket they kick you off at the next station.How do non-ticketed, non-passengers, get on a train to just say "goodbye"? Possibly it is just the trains I have travelled, but there is always some Amtrak person checking tickets (sometimes collecting, sometimes not) before allowing anyone on board.
At some stops the passengers are loaded quickly then, when the train is moving again, the conductors go through and collect the tickets. There was just a lady right before Christmas, came on the train in Everett with her grown daughter. Everett is like a two minute stop. Anyway, she got a free ride to Wenatchee. Luckily she had a sister in Wenatchee and the sister was able to pick the lady up. In that instance we did make a reservation for her the next day free of charge. Certainly didn't have to let her return travel be free though.How do non-ticketed, non-passengers, get on a train to just say "goodbye"? Possibly it is just the trains I have travelled, but there is always some Amtrak person checking tickets (sometimes collecting, sometimes not) before allowing anyone on board.
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