Railroad Accidents Part 9

23. Pa.s.senger brakemen will place themselves at the steps of coaches at stations, and will a.s.sist pa.s.sengers in entering or leaving the cars. Special care must be taken with children and aged and infirm pa.s.sengers, a.s.sisting them to and from trains, giving them ample time to insure safety. They will prevent pa.s.sengers boarding or leaving the train while in motion, see that pa.s.sengers are provided with proper tickets, and that they take the right train.

24. When a pa.s.senger train has stopped at a station platform, it must not move to take coal or water or do other work until the conductor permits by the usual signal.

25. Freight conductors and brakemen must be on hand not less than thirty minutes before the leaving time of their trains. They shall examine their trains while stopping at stations on the road and see that everything is in proper order.

26. Freight train employees are required to examine very carefully the condition of all brakes and ladders that they are to use, and to know that they are safe and in good condition before using them. If brakes are unsafe, or ladders out of order, brakemen will report them to the conductor at once.

27. Conductors leaving cars on side tracks will see that they are properly secured and sufficiently clear of the main line. In leaving loaded cars at any station they will place them most conveniently for unloading. The cars must be so placed as not to project over line of highway crossings. If a car be set out without a brake, conductors must securely block the wheels.

Cutting off engine and cars before a train has stopped and allowing the balance of train to follow is prohibited.

28. Conductors must call the attention of the repairer of cars, or that of the station agent in his absence, to any damage which may have been done to the cars, or to any which may come to their knowledge, that they may be promptly repaired, and they must note these in their reports. Cars in bad order, set out at stations, will be reported at once by the conductor, by telegraph, to the train dispatcher, stating number and initials of car, contents, nature and extent of damage, and will note the nature of defect on waybills.

29. Enginemen must use every precaution to prevent damage by fire from their engines. They should report all defects in netting, ash pans, etc., at the end of their run. Ash pans or front ends must only be cleaned at designated points.

30. No person will be allowed to ride upon the pilot of a locomotive, either in the discharge of duty or otherwise, and they are prohibited from getting on the front end of engines or cars approaching them.

31. Turntables must be locked with a switch-lock by enginemen and others immediately after use, except when in charge of employees.

When turntables are found unlocked, and when tables or locks are out of order, report at once to the Superintendent by wire.

32. Engines must not be permitted to stand nearer than 100 feet to a street or highway crossing, or under any bridge, when it can be avoided, nor in the vicinity of waiting-rooms, offices, or near cars occupied by pa.s.sengers, where the noise or smoke will disturb occupants.

33. Agents are instructed to make a personal inspection of all special loadings and where same do not comply with these requirements and ill.u.s.trations and where there is any question in their minds as regards the safety or proper loading of the same they should at once communicate with the Superintendent of Car Department, who will send a man, competent to judge, for the purpose of inspection and pa.s.sing on same before car is forwarded.

(a). Yardmen, conductors, and trainmen must familiarize themselves with these instructions and will not take cars into their trains unless they come within the requirements of these rules and ill.u.s.trations. Where defects occur in loading of cars in transit, unless they can remedy the same, they will set the car out and notify the train dispatcher.

34. Whenever pa.s.sengers or employees are injured, see that everything is done to care for them properly, calling the company's nearest surgeon to treat them, or, if prudent, remove to the nearest place at which the company has a surgeon, and leave them with such surgeon for care and treatment.

If the injury be serious call the nearest competent surgeon obtainable to attend until the company's surgeon arrives.

35. Whenever an accident happens to any train on which pa.s.sengers are carried, whether collision or derailment, of whatever nature, on main line or siding, or within the yard limits where trains are reconstructed, conductors must take down the name and address of every pa.s.senger on the train, and ascertain from the pa.s.senger, and note opposite his or her name, what injury, if any, they received. In such cases, conductors, after first making everything safe, must give their undivided attention to the care and comfort of their pa.s.sengers, especially to those who are injured. Bedding and linen may be taken from the sleepers for this purpose, the conductor keeping a careful account of all material so taken, and its return or safe keeping attended to; and when deemed necessary, injured persons may be put in the sleepers. When a number of persons are injured the service of competent surgeons in the vicinity should be at once secured, and every possible effort made to care for the injured, the company's surgeon in each direction being notified by wire to come immediately to the place of the accident.

36. When persons (other than employees) by reason of climbing on or jumping from moving trains, or walking or lying on the track, are injured, they should be sent to their homes or placed in charge of the local city, village, or towns.h.i.+p authorities and no expense incurred on the part of the company in the matter.

37. A report of all accidents must be telegraphed immediately to the Superintendent or his a.s.sistant by the conductor, engineman, agent, yardmaster, foreman, or person in charge, by wire, giving the names of the injured persons and witnesses, the extent of injuries, and the names of the owners of the property damaged and the extent of damage, and as soon as possible a full and detailed report made and forwarded to the Superintendent or his a.s.sistant, a separate report being made for each person injured. If the person injured is an employee he should also make and sign a statement of facts in relation to the accident in his own handwriting on the same form; should he be unable to write, the statement should be written at his dictation, and after being read over to him he should sign it by making his mark, the person writing and reading statement signing same as a witness.

38. Whenever an employee, whether on duty or not, witnesses an accident in which a person is injured or property damaged, in which the company is in any way concerned, he must report it immediately. Every effort must be made to procure the names and addresses of all persons, particularly outsiders, who witnessed the accident, especially when persons are injured within the corporate limits of any city, town, or village, or when crossing the tracks at a public highway.

39. When an accident occurs on an engine, or is caused by an engine striking any person or conveyance, or when cars are being coupled or uncoupled, a full report must be made by the engineman, as well as by the conductor or the person in charge of the train.

40. When persons are injured while coupling or uncoupling cars or in getting on or off cars, whether pa.s.senger or freight, or in any other way, in which the accident may have been caused by defective appliances or machinery, the cars or appliances must be immediately examined by the person in charge, or by the agent, to ascertain their condition, and report made of the inspection, giving the numbers and initials of cars examined and the names of the persons making the inspection. The Superintendent or his a.s.sistant will then notify the inspector at the first division terminal, who will also examine the machinery, cars, or appliances and make report. When an accident is caused by defective machinery or by the breaking of machinery, tools, appliances, or rails, the broken or defective parts must be so marked as to be readily identified and immediately turned over to the Superintendent or his a.s.sistant.

41. When an accident occurs which results in the death of any person, the remains of the deceased must be immediately picked up and carefully conveyed to the nearest station building, care being taken not to remove the body outside the limits of county and state in which the accident happened. The agent at such station will then notify the Superintendent by wire, as well as the family or friends of the deceased.

42. Apply the brakes lightly at a sufficient distance from the stopping point, and increase the braking force gradually as may be found necessary, so as to make the stop with one application, or at the most two applications of the brakes.

43. In making a service stop with a pa.s.senger train, always release the brakes a short distance before coming to a dead stop, except on heavy grades, to prevent shocks at the instant of stopping. Even on moderate grades it is best to do this, and then, after release, to apply the brakes lightly to prevent the train starting. This does not apply to freight trains, upon which the brakes must not be released until the train has stopped.

44. A train must, at all times, have not less than 50 per cent of its cars equipped with air-brakes, which must be operated.

45. They must see that all switches are in perfect order and that frogs, guard-rails, and switch-rails are properly blocked and s.p.a.ces in planked crossings kept clean.

46. They must permit their hand cars to be used only in the service of the company, and no one will be allowed to ride on these cars except employees in the performance of duty, unless provided with a written order from the proper authority. When two or more hand cars are following each other they will keep at least 300 feet apart. Hand or velocipede cars belonging to private parties will not be allowed on the track except by order of the Superintendent.

47. When obliged to run hand and velocipede cars after dark, two red lanterns must be so displayed on the car as to be visible to trains in both directions.

48. Hand, dump cars, and velocipedes must not be attached to moving trains, nor shall they be used upon the main track in foggy weather, unless properly protected, and they must not be taken from the track at public or private crossings, except to avoid an approaching train.

49. No wood, ties, or property of any description must be piled within six feet of the main or side track, or elsewhere, in such manner as to obstruct the view of, or from, approaching trains.

Old ties, fencing, and similar property, also links, pins, draw-bars, spikes, and all other material and iron work that is found on the section must be picked up at once, piled neatly, or disposed of as directed by the roadmaster. Rails and other material must _not_ be left scattered about station grounds.

50. While at station conductors will do such switching as may be required by the station agent. Trainmen and switchmen must not couple to or move cars that are being loaded or unloaded on side tracks without first ascertaining whether anyone is in or about such cars and giving them ample notice that same are to be moved.

They must not obstruct street or public crossings with their trains and be particular when at junction points not to allow any part of their train to stand on railway crossings or interlocking plants.

51. All employees are prohibited from going between cars or between car and engine for any purpose or in front of any moving car to fix couplers while same are in motion.

52. Enginemen must keep the headlights of their engines in good order, and when running after dark, or when storms, fogs or other causes render it necessary, they must be lighted. When trains are waiting on side tracks, clear of main track, or on the end of double track, headlights of engines must be covered.

53. When trains meet by special order or time-table regulations, conductors and enginemen must inform each other by word of mouth what trains they are.