Hello Mr. Hartford,
I can see that you're still whining and using half truths and "Mitigating circumstances" to back up your half-baked theories.
I have no qualms about telling the readers of a post such as yours that there are NO mitigating circumstances when it comes to Safety.
Since you ask, locomotive steps are outside of the rail, where footboards span the entire track. You are away from the rail and wheels. No, in most museum settings it is not safer, but to put not too fine a point on it, you need to protect your own ass.
Climbing on the pilot deck is a no brainer, you do what hundreds of railroads did around the end of steam. You build a stirrup step behind the Pilot beam, supported by the pilot Beam and the pilot Deck in an "L" shape. Prototype? C&S 3' gauge 2-8-0's when equipped with road pilots.
I figured that the Uncoupling rods were the problem, as you mentioned climbing on the deck to work with the coupler. For the life of me, I couldn't think of anything else, unless you are talking about adjusting the coupler to mate with its counterpart on another piece of equipment, which can be done from the ground or you can't get your pin to drop, in which case you close the knuckle, manually drop the pin and open the knuckle on the other piece of equipment. Or are you one of those people who is fascinated watching the knuckle open and close? Other than that, I can see of no earthly reason to even get near a coupler other than to change a knuckle, which, if you can't do that from the ground, you must be a midget.
You are advocating a course of action here that could lead the unknowing to the loss of a limb, or wore their life. As for you, I figure that since you know it all already, talking to you is like talking to the Pilot Beam that I just mentioned. Even after the few years Senority that I have working for the Class I's, I still try to learn something new each trip. I am just in awe of people like you who know so much more than I ever will about all aspects of railroading. Golly what a Compleat Rail you must be.... You ought to write a book about that.
My reply about (not to) your post is to warn anyone who is just beginning to railroad to NOT follow your example or what it implies. There are no half-measures or mitigating circumstances when it comes to your personal safety. If It is unsafe then DON'T DO IT, Period.
You are advocating very dangerous actions and you ought to think before you post such drivel. There are lurkers here who can think "Well if he does it, so can I..." Well, if no one else does, I'm here to tell them "Don't do it". Equipment can be modified or repaired. Once you lose a finger, or a leg, or your life there is no repair to you.
I would love to stop responding about your postings, but it is impossible to contain myself in such a target rich environment.
The railroads have always advocated "Safety First" it's still true. There are no mitigating circumstances. If its unsafe, then don't do it. Period, no questions asked.
Rick Steele
