What I'm gathering from draskoasshat is that even if the line was ptc compliant, that doesn't mean the locos were.This line is double track from Cheyenne to Salt Lake city with a lot of traffic. I've seen the upgrading to ptc over the course of 3 years and now the old equipment is being removed. I'm assuming that his comment about the first ptc train from LA to Chicago was successful recently went through this area. It is the COLA/ Overland route at all.
No, our (BNSF) first trip pete. I don't work for the UP.
My point is this, theres a CRAP TON more to PTC than you guys can even think. The amount of things PTC can do and prevent. Its not just signal based and doesn't just make sure you stop for a red although that was the original purpose. I wont and shouldn't go into more details as to how it works and what it uses but I will say this, PTC can and will see a whole lot more than you can imagine. Unless youre in the line of work im in, even if youre in train service, youll just be speculating.
If this was a runaway, unless it was a mechanical malfunction, and not being over zealous in train handling abilities for the train, PTC would have kept the train slowed before and on the descent.
Drasko
