REC Emergency Procedures & Accident Response 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: After an unplanned emergency brake application stops a train on the main track, what must the engineer do FIRST?
- Release brakes and proceed at restricted speed
- Protect the train and notify the dispatcher before moving (Correct answer)
- Walk the entire train length to inspect for damage
- Contact the conductor and request a track warrant
Correct answer: Protect the train and notify the dispatcher before moving
FRA rules require the train to be protected from following trains and the dispatcher notified before any movement resumes after an unplanned emergency stop.
Question 2: In a grade crossing collision, what information must the engineer provide to the dispatcher immediately?
- The locomotive number only
- Location, train number, and whether there are injuries (Correct answer)
- Only the mile post of the crossing
- The car numbers of all nearby freight cars
Correct answer: Location, train number, and whether there are injuries
Location, train number, and injury status are critical for dispatching emergency services and railroad officials to the correct location.
Question 3: The 'Blue Signal' protection rule is designed to protect:
- Trains approaching yard limits at night
- Workers on or near cars or locomotives being worked on (Correct answer)
- Engineers operating in reduced visibility conditions
- Trains waiting at a stop signal
Correct answer: Workers on or near cars or locomotives being worked on
Blue signals are displayed at both ends of equipment being worked on to prevent unexpected movement and protect workers from injury.
Question 4: When a fire is discovered on a locomotive while the train is in motion, the engineer's first action should be to:
- Continue to the nearest station before stopping
- Stop the train at a safe location, shut down the locomotive, and evacuate (Correct answer)
- Increase speed to blow flames away from the cab
- Radio dispatch and wait for instructions before taking any action
Correct answer: Stop the train at a safe location, shut down the locomotive, and evacuate
Stopping at a safe location, shutting down the locomotive, and evacuating crew are the priority actions for a locomotive fire to prevent injury and limit damage.
Question 5: What is the standard horn/whistle signal used to indicate an emergency on a railroad?
- One long blast
- Two short blasts
- A succession of short blasts (Correct answer)
- Three long blasts followed by one short
Correct answer: A succession of short blasts
A succession of short blasts is the emergency warning signal prescribed by railroad operating rules to alert others of a dangerous situation.
Question 6: When a broken rail is spotted ahead and there is insufficient distance to stop, the engineer should:
- Apply service brakes and reduce speed
- Apply emergency brakes immediately (Correct answer)
- Sound the whistle and increase speed to pass over it quickly
- Apply only the independent locomotive brake
Correct answer: Apply emergency brakes immediately
An emergency brake application provides maximum braking force and is the correct response when a broken rail is detected with insufficient stopping distance.
Question 7: Under railroad operating rules, when protecting a disabled train on a main track, the flagman must go back far enough to:
- Stand exactly 500 feet behind the last car
- Stop any following train before it reaches the disabled train (Correct answer)
- Return to the previous station building
- Stand at the nearest numbered milepost marker
Correct answer: Stop any following train before it reaches the disabled train
The flagman must provide sufficient warning distance to stop any following train given its speed and stopping distance, not a fixed arbitrary distance.
REC Emergency Procedures & Accident Response 1
After an unplanned emergency brake application stops a train on the main track, what must the engineer do FIRST?