State Rep. Perryman files railroad safety bill

Perryman Files Railroad Safety Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY -- State Rep. David Perryman (D-Chickasha) has filed legislation to help protect the public from railroad-related accidents in Oklahoma.

House Bill 2874, currently pending in the House Transportation Committee would require all freight trains running in Oklahoma to be operated by a crew that consists of at least two people.

Federal law used to mandate two-person crews on freight trains, but a recent rule change by the Federal Railroad Administration omitted the requirement.

“A freight train weighs between 3,000 to 18,000 tons depending on what it is hauling,” Perryman said. “That is a lot of weight moving at a high speed across the state and through our communities. That is compounded by the fact that so much of the freight hauled in Oklahoma is combustible or caustic in nature.

“Having a second person aboard is essential to ensure the safety of rail movements and respond to emergencies when they occur. It could be the difference in preventing a bad situation or preventing a bad situation from turning into a local catastrophe.

“The elimination of the nationwide rule is a clear signal that the federal government wants the states to take care of this issue,” Perryman said, “And we should.”

Union Pacific No. 844

On April 8th, Union Pacific's last steam locomotive on the tracks, No. 844, chugged into Muskogee, and carried close to 50 passengers to Eufaula, before heading further south. State Rep. George Faught's office helped to coordinate the event.

Here are some pictures from the stop and ride.

(The conductor, my mom [Becky Faught], and UP's Clint Schelbitzki)

I was given the opportunity to ride in the locomotive on the way down to Eufaula. I took a few pictures, and some video, with my phone.




These videos were taken with my BlackBerry, and I didn't have the settings right, hence the poor quality...





I'd like to thank Clint Schelbitzki for giving me the opportunity to ride in the locomotive. It was an unforgetable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's so wonderful that Union Pacific has kept this historical gem on the tracks.