The following is an edited account of a recent remote control incident
in Washington State. The BLE members who reported this wished to remain
anonymous for fear of company reprisal.
"I just got home from work and I suppose you may have already heard
about the remote incident here last night. It was just way too close to
an absolute disaster. I talked to (someone), who was on the extra switch
working at the south end of Balmer when it happened.
"There were four people on the hump crew, two RCO students and two
regular RCOs. They were pulling about 20 cars from the hump to the north
end, to shove into track 8. At the lead switch, (a remote control
operator) and his student got off and thought the engine was lined
toward B lead. Instead, it was lined toward A lead and the main line.
They pulled the 20 or so cars out over the lead switch, past the
positive red block, out onto the main line beyond the main line
automatic switch. Without yet realizing their mistake, they then backed
up, derailing one car at the mainline switch and 4 or 5 at the
crossovers. Northbound Amtrak was already by the approach to Galer and
the dispatcher saw the occupancy and got them stopped in time. The
really sad thing is that (the remote control operator) is an engineer,
and if he had been on the engine, as he should be, instead of on the
ground with a radio transmitter, he would never have run through the
switches or the red block.
"I personally cannot stomach working in a place that accepts this as
safe procedure. Will people have to die before it is obvious? I am
afraid so. Amtrak was only minutes away! I don't know what the BNSF is
going to do about this, but I haven't seen any safety briefings
regarding this incident. It was all "hush hush" at Stacy tonight, and if
it hadn't been for (someone's) account, we would have no idea what
happened."
