And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Happened to my friend’s dad at the steel mill. I don’t know how he got caught, but as I heard it they called for an ambulance and left him in between the couplers. He was obviously in great pain, but still conscious. When the ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later, they uncoupled the cars and he died right then. To say traumatic is underselling it by an order of magnitude.
worked the RR years ago. some knuckle pins have my initials forged into head.
ReplyDeleteHeard about a guy that was caught in one of those. Didn't end well.
ReplyDeleteThat was also a scene from The Omen
DeleteBack in the days of link and pin couplers, when the men had to stand between the cars to couple them there were many injuries. And no insurance.
DeleteHappened to my friend’s dad at the steel mill. I don’t know how he got caught, but as I heard it they called for an ambulance and left him in between the couplers. He was obviously in great pain, but still conscious. When the ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later, they uncoupled the cars and he died right then. To say traumatic is underselling it by an order of magnitude.
DeleteHaving rode Amtrak, it is amazing, looking at the necessary back and forth movement, how smoothly the cars roll, no jerking
ReplyDeleteCouplers are really strong. In the 1940s C&O RR T1 2-10-4s were hauling 17000 ton coal trains.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much mass it is pulling a large consist of cars with relatively small knuckle. Weight is on the wheels.
ReplyDelete