HAZARDS IN RAILROADING A TWO-WAY PROPOSITION

Encounters between moving trains and individuals along the rails usually end grimly. Most often, the result is a crushed automobile whose driver sped carelessly into a crossing or a pedestrian whose encroachment on railroad right of way is resolved tragically. Those who pilot these locomotives are not exempt from hazards, however, as was the case this summer when a Scott City man was injured by an object thrown at the train he was operating. Train safety is a two-way proposition, and persons both in and out of the rail industry need to be cognizant of that.

Testament to the dangers of this line of work can be offered by Randy Holder, an engineer trainee last summer when he was hit in the face by a piece of mortar thrown by a man standing along the railroad tracks. Holder's train was traveling about 50 miles an hour when the object was thrown; the rock severed an artery and smashed Holder's jaw, and he has not returned to work since the July 11 incident. Quick action on the part of Holder's co-workers may indeed have been life-saving work.

While Holder's case hits close to home, this is not an unusual circumstance. The Federal Railroad Administration reports that 58 train personnel were injured in 1990 when struck by thrown objects. Trainmen interviewed for a Southeast Missourian story last week indicated it is not unusual for objects to be hurled at trains they are operating. In this case, almost miraculously given the circumstances, authorities tracked down and arrested a suspect for the incident that injured Holder; the Hayti man goes on trial next week, facing a felony assault charge.

A moving train is one of the most powerful modes of ground transportation. Its mass should not be mistaken for invincibility, however. While we frequently take care to warn motorists about getting in the path of moving locomotives, so too should we warn people about reckless actions that could seriously injure those who ride the rails for a living. On trains, risks can cut two ways.