Danger on the track

In the Oct. 22 issue of the Bangor Daily News there was a photo of two people walking along the railroad tracks in Thomaston. I wish your staff had thought a little beyond what was, admittedly, a pretty picture.

As a part-time veteran conductor on the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad, I can absolutely state that no railroad employee wants to see people on the track ahead of his or her train. Even though trains are large and hard to miss, they also can be amazingly quiet as they approach an unaware pedestrian, especially if the wind is blowing in the opposite direction. Add headphones or other distractions to the equation and the chances of disaster increase dramatically.

As for the photo itself, the pair shown are walking on track that recently has undergone a major upgrade to carry trains, loaded with cement, at speeds of up to 40 to 45 miles an hour. Such a train can take a half mile or more to come to a complete stop. While these folks were probably in no immediate danger, the message implied in the photo is unfortunate.

Bob Bennett

South China