News Clips

Summer 2003
Volume 110 - No. 2

BLE News Clips

"I never wanted to see this happen to anybody. This is the third amputation; there were already three deaths." - BLE Regulatory Research Coordinator Bob Harvey, on an injury related to a remote control locomotive in the Union Pacific Railroad's Hinkle Yard in Hermiston, Ore. Daily Journal of Commerce, June 3, 2003. Circulation 4,000.

"Our problem with the whole situation is that we have no experience with this here in the U.S. They'll supposedly be able to run the engine, but these are guys who are out of the cab on the ground. They're doing this without watching the crossings or even being able to see the crossings." - California State Legislative Board Chairman Tim Smith, on the problems of remote control implementation. Sacramento Bee, March 30, 2003. circ. 369,365.

"I do not fault them for that decision. If you would have let that cut of cars continue to roll, it could have conceivably hit another train. To think that this cut of cars traveled 30 miles and didn't hit another train is itself amazing."- BLE Union Pacific-Western Lines General Chairman D.W. Hannah, on the runaway railcars which derailed in Southern California. (Riverside, Calif.) Press-Enterprise, June 24, 2003. circ. 165,043.

"You're going to a locomotive without any eyes and any ears on the head and end of the trains to warn the pedestrians or general public if the train is approaching." - BLE Union Pacific-Southern Region General Chairman Gil Gore, on remote control locomotives. (Galveston, Tex.) County Daily News. March 24, 2003. circ. 23,978.

"It comes down to the training of the people who use these devices. We think it puts people and communities at risk."- BLE Editor John Bentley Jr., on the training of remote control operators. Morris News Service. April 24, 2003. Serves the Southeastern U.S.

"It is a disaster. There should be a person in charge, an engineer that is certified how to shift down in case of emergency." - BLE Division 494 (Minneapolis) member and member of the Douglas County, Wisc. Board of Supervisors Jim O'Brien, on the dangers of remote control and the reasons behind Douglas County's remote control safety resolution. (Superior Wisc.) Daily Telegram. June 11, 2003. circ. 27,615.

"Our main issue is that it is a safety issue. It's not who runs the trains." - Jim Lance, BLE Division 228 (Pocatelo, Idaho) local chairman, on the issue of remote control locomotives. Idaho State Journal. July 11, 2003. circ. 46,080.

"It's about safety. We're still going to be working. We're just concerned these employees only get two weeks training." - BLE Union Pacific-Western Lines General Chairman D.W. Hannah, dismissing the notion that the BLE's position on remote control is simply a fight between unions. San Bernardino Sun. July 1. circ. 164,164

"I don't think I like it." - Rialto, Calif. Mayor Grace Vargas, on the idea of remote control locomotives operating in and around her community. San Bernardino Sun. July 1. circ. 164,164

"When you sit in an engine, it's uncanny. It's almost like riding a horse. You can tell what it's doing. You can almost anticipate what it's doing." - BLE BNSF General Chairman Rick Gibbons, on the differences between running a train by remote and running it while in the cab. Springfield News Leader. June 27. circ. 140,494.

"If there had been an engineer, the accident probably could have been averted." - BLE Division 13 (LaCrosse, Wisc.) member James Kinsman, on a remote control accident in BNSF's La Crosse Yard on June 11, 2003. La Crosse Tribune, June 13. circ. 51,003.

"BLE is still very concerned about the safety issues. They have not implemented any barrier in case these things get away. BLE is dedicated to making sure all technology introduced to the railroads is done in the safest way possible." - Brother Kinsman, on his support of public hearings in regards to remote control safety in LaCrosse. La Crosse Tribune. June 12. circ. 51,003.

"It's horrible. If you are operating with a remote-control device on the ground, you have no feel exactly of what that engine is doing." - BLE Division 307 member Patrick Pino, on a remote control accident in San Antonio that injured a locomotive engineer. San Antonio Express-News. June 1. circ. 935,933. ·

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