Contributions from Shannon Knutsen & PW.
Gotnews.com has obtained the train forum username of Brandon Bostian, the 32-year-old train conductor responsible for the deaths of at least 8 people.
We were the first to publish Bostian’s name yesterday before the rest of the media stole our content. (Such is life.)
Using some Gotnews.com sleuthing, we found some interesting posts from one of the train forums.
==Sept 2002- Questions for the people who operate passenger trains in the “real world” regarding train speed while approaching stations:
==May 2003- He posts with the argument that Amtrak be allowed to sue drivers who get into train collisions… assuming they survive:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,560446==Oct 2004- He wants to know the status of high speed testing of Amtrak trains:
==Feb 2007- Saying a conductor is responsible for passenger safety and he would be fired if one got hurt:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1341098]
==April 2007- He comments on a post about a train outrunning a NV wildfire, noting that it’s interesting that the train was a passenger train:
==July 2007- He posts about crews needing to stop at 12 hr days for safety:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1441724]==Sept 2008- In reference to a conductor named in a crash, Bostian posts:
“I wish that the media would not release the names of crewmembers involved in accidents like this. Oh, well… purely wishful thinking. “
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1758725]
== April 2009- He posts in reference to an Amtrak collision, he mentions being scolded as a rookie for mentioning a compliance problem over the radio:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1907160]
==Sept 2009- He posts about the maximum speed allowed for a train:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2019084]
==October 2009- He posts about 12 hour crew days, saying:
“Everyone wants an extension to hours of service to avoid inconvenience, but what will you say when the crew that’s been on duty for longer than 12 hours accidentally falls asleep and passes a stop signal and rear-ends a loaded hazmat train, killing dozens or hundreds of people?”
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2046125]
==Oct 2010- He posts in reference to a train accident in which the conductor alleged she was affected by loss of concentration, he agrees with the loss of “situational awareness” explanation:
Later in the thread, he posts that he thinks PTC, Positive Train Control, could have prevented the accident:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2307015]
[Note: PTC is a system that tracks trains speed, movement, etc to improve safety. The media is already asking if PTC would have helped in Bostian’s wreck]==March 2011- He posts a rant about the lack of funding and focus on PTC, saying the railroads have had over 100 years to come up with a solution to “mitigate human error” and with few exceptions, “failed to do so”:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2414365]
==May 2011- He posts about “flagging a signal” and travelling at restricted speed:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2458413]
==May 2011- He posts in reference to DOT regulations on PTC, advocating for cabin signal technology to improve safety:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2479490]
==Feb 2012- Bostian gives his advice on a post asking what to do in an impending collision:
[Ref: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2679103]
==Aug 2012- Re: article on PTC not being ready by 2015… he complains again about
Congress and says PTC would have prevented a 2008 train collision:
==Nov 2013- His posts his advice for the “First day on the job” saying that if you see a co-
worker doing something odd that conflicts with your training, ask THEM why they’re doing it that
way and NOT a manager. He explains that the co-worker could be breaking a rule and you don’t
want to get them in trouble with a manager and get a bad rep for yourself:
“When you land on a railroad job for the first time, you’re not going to be fully aware of how punitive the
industry can be or how adversarial relations can be between labor and management.”
[Ref: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:675HmJiYSpQJ:www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php%3F1,3242345,page%3D2+&cd=35&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us]
