Re: Train Accident in Blue Mountains

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@sd5.mailbank.com>]

Rod wrote in message <82du3a$76u$1@news1.mpx.com.au>...

>He still got out of his seat, set the brake, unlocked/opened the door,
>pushed through a crowded vestibule and found time to warn/save as many
>passengers as he could and end up in the middle of the car. It just does
not
>add up!

I agree that it does not add up, but just to clarify a few things....

He did not have to set the brake. A deadmans handle is fitted. As soon as he
took his hand off it, there would have been a full emergency brake
application.

As for unlocking the door, whilst the doors are fitted with locks, they only
lock the outside of the door. Getting out of the crew compartment would have
been as easy as opening a door on a house, probably easier given the
adrenalin that would have been flowing.

Thirdly, there would not have been that many people in that end seating
area. There are only 6 seats there, and it is not an area that passengers
tend to stand in. Given that there were 7 killed, and the area seated 6, it
is reasonable to surmise that the train was not crowded (full, certainly,
but not crowded).

Hence, it is easy to see how the driver could have got to the middle of the
carriage.

Dave