Trains Unlimited Episode 25 The Engineers

[@Joshua-o6g9b]

Casey Jones was a young man in a time period that no one today could even imagine. Where stress, hard work, and making the company that you worked for happy, doing an impossible amount of work while also sticking to the companies safety and productivity rules and doing so most of the time on little to no sleep for sometimes 30+ hours straight was all a part of daily life. The railroad companies knew this but as long as profits were up why change anything? Over his career Jones had a small list of incidents but I didn't hear of any of them resulting in death or even injury or loss of revenue and on the night of his famous last ride he was doing those same things he did on every run.. trying to get there on time on little sleep and fate lead to what transpired. It is worth remembering that Casey Jones was a hero in the end. He told his fireman that he'd better jump and stayed in his seat with his hand still gripping the brake even in death in an attempt to slow the behemoth down. His heroic actions made what could have been much worse into just one sad and unnecessary death.. his own. Rest in piece John Luther "Casey" Jones.

[@pamhensley3126]

Absolutely

[@a.leemorrisjr.9255]

I was among last generation to actually see live steam at work (they were just starting conversions to diesel.) As a young boy I dreamed of day I'd operate 1 of those mighty machines. Still recall the smells, sight, sounds, & vibrations like it was yesterday. It was like those engines were alive, they even "talked" to you.

[@pamhensley3126]

When I hired on for CSX in 97 we had a couple engineers that had been fireman on steam engines in the yard in Knoxville

[@JerryLarson-h1u]

I recall 60 years ago the storys of Casey Jones . We used to sing songs about him.

[@a.leemorrisjr.9255]

Jones was probably no more reckless than many of his peers of the era. Railroading was hard, dirty, dangerous work & you were often under pressure from upstairs to keep tight schedule & even ignore possible safety hazards.

[@wasatchrangerailway6921]

That flagman was John M. Newberry. He was drunk, and only went back 1/4 mile when he was supposed to go back at least a full mile! His wife was Janie, and he had three kids, George Helen, and Johnny. Johnny was killed in WW1. His fireman was Simeon Taylor Webb and (his) wife's name was Pearl.

[@pamhensley3126]

Good info I used to have a copy of the original accident report recovered by a engineer off the Illinois central I think the report stated sim Webb settled for 20 dollars he was threatened to change his story he was a black fireman I would say they put him in a bad situation the other crews that is

[@TRAINBUILDER]

350 psi….. Did I miss something… The Big Boy pops off at 200psi… I believe these 1800’s locos popped off at 125-150… Regardless great episode!!

[@Blue3rd]

Engineer Charlie Creager is also at the controls in a long Coast Starlight cab ride/ride along video here on KZbin, titled Amtrak Coast Starlite #14 Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.

[@stanleydomalewski8497]

Great Series !

[@DCSk8er529]

Not making excuses for Casey Jones, but Casey Jones was unfortunately under pressure all the time to be on time. At that time you were given the ultimatum to be suspended for being reckless and wrecking on the job, or be fired for playing it safe and being late. All the engineers were reckless without a choice at that time. Not so sure I would buy the flagman's story. According to Sim Webb, there was no flagman. Even if there was, there's no way Casey could see him on time with him being on a left hand curve. Even if he did see him from a distance, the flagman wasn't far enough for Casey to see him and be able to stop on time. Sim Webb should've been rewarded. If Sim Webb doesn't see the caboose, it's a far worse wreck.

[@pamhensley3126]

I understand his reputation I really do but Casey had just came north and was supposed to be taking rest when they woke him up to go back south his train was already late and from the accident report which I use to have a copy of I think he had already made up 40 mins of the hour and a half and the accident report also stated in his initial interview the crew that was sawing in were not flagging properly according to sim and then when he gave his formal statement after he had been threatened he stated they just simply didn’t see the flag man Casey was in the wrong but he paid for it with his life my only problem with this episode is this arrogant pr!@k telling the story it said he was a retired engineer I wonder how good he was he seems awfully jealous of a dead man probably a engineer that had never done anything but be a hosler or hearder