Human body parts discovered in cracked nose of Japanese bullet train

[captaincranky]

The first thing I thought of when reading the article is that they will need to use proper steel on the front of the train instead of whatever lightweight polycarbon it looks like. You can't be letting one misguided fool be putting a valuable train out of commission for repairs. Get it back on the tracks - there are lots more people waiting to be mowed down. Tick tock.

An entertaining post for sure, but keep in mind, polycarbonate, Kevlar, and other carbon based composites are as strong as steel in certain applications. In fact, modern jet fighters are using more and more of them to great advantage, because of superior strength to weight ratios.

Besides, a steel nose cone would likely have been, at the very least, dented up from the encounter. Then picture yourself, getting into an Uber vehicle with previously sustained front end damage....

 

[JamesSWD]

I find it funny that they refer to this serious damage and gaping hole as a 'crack' in the nose. Funnier that the first driver didn't take it seriously (never mind the blood stains), but the second driver non-chalantly thought it should be reported.

 

[captaincranky]

I find it funny that they refer to this serious damage and gaping hole as a 'crack' in the nose. Funnier that the first driver didn't take it seriously (never mind the blood stains), but the second driver non-chalantly thought it should be reported.

Well James, calling the cracked nose cone "serious damage", may be a bit overstated. I do agree that the cone's shape is crucial to the aerodynamics of the locomotive. But yeah, I imagine it would erode consumer confidence, being asked to board a train which has been visibly involved in an accident..

Another member has suggested the said nose cone be made of a more durable material. However, had that been the case, the body likely would have bounced off the nosecone, and impacted the windshield.

Windshield wipers normally aren't powerful enough to scrape of dead bodies, so it's a slam dunk they would have had to report that, after having driven the last part of the run, not being able to see where they were going.

To the upside, the engineers are likely there because of union regulations, and the train can't really help but go where it's supposed to, because of the tracks it's riding on.

 

[JamesSWD]

Well James, calling the cracked nose cone "serious damage", may be a bit overstated. I do agree that the cone's shape is crucial to the aerodynamics of the locomotive. But yeah, I imagine it would impact consumer confidence, boarding a train which has visibly involved in an accident..

Another member has suggested the said nose cone be made of a more durable material. However, had that been the case, the body likely would have bounced off the nosecone, and impacted the windshield.

Windshield wipers normally aren't powerful enough to scrape of dead bodies, so it's a slam dunk they would have reported that, after having driven the last part of the run, not being able to see where thry were going.

To the upside, the engineers are likely there because of union regulations, and the train can't really help but go where it's supposed to, because of the tracks it's riding on.

None of this remotely applied, or is even relevant, to what I posted. I simply commented that what they stated as a crack is actually serious nose damage.

 

[captaincranky]

None of this remotely applied, or is even relevant, to what I posted. I simply commented that what they stated as a crack is actually serious nose damage.

Yeah I know. You were basically just back seat driving the bullet train (*). I'm sure you would be able to do a much better job, and would have acted much more responsibly than they did.

How's that? Am I back on track, so to speak?

Or would a better appraisal be, "Monday morning quarterbacking the post accident damage assessment and actions of the engineers"?

Truth to tell, without any underlying structural damage, (bent frame, twisted firewall, broken windshield, or major damage to other major sheet metal parts)), for all intents and purposes, the cracked nose cone is fairly superficial.

I agree that the damage to the locomotive could possibly be responsible for creating future problems, and should be repaired ASAP..

It's really hard to say how the railroad would react to the situation. Since loss of life was involved, it could result in the engineer's termination, even though he was no way at fault.

And I think with his income at stake, he opted to take the self preservation route, and down play the incident.

BTW way, I spent quite a bit of time as a truck fleet mechanic, and have a degree in photography. Thus, I don'r really need anyone to interpret those photos for me, or make any conclusions about a damage assessment..

 

[Danny101]

Nobody noticed that somebody was hit by the bullet train. Well it's time to install biological sensors. If it happens again, it's likely it too will go unnoticed unless checked.

 

[captaincranky]

Nobody noticed that somebody was hit by the bullet train. Well it's time to install biological sensors. If it happens again, it's likely it too will go unnoticed unless checked.

Why? Because someone who wants to die shouldn't be allowed to make that happen for them self?

Why? Because no one should ever be permitted to die as a result of an accident?

First of all, slamming on the brakes of a train traveling 200 miles per hour, would undoubtedly cause dozens of injuries on on a full train, and precipitate perhaps as many as hundreds of lawsuits.

The loss of one individual, who pretty obviously no longer wanted to be here, should be easily considered an "acceptable loss", either in the actuarial sense, or demographically disposable.

People must die, that's a natural law. Homo sapiens has suspended and superseded Darwin's "survival of the fittest" paradigm, many, many, times over. But then again,, "we were made in god's own image", and the medical profession is entitled to the hundred of thousands of dollars required to keep someone's 100 year old granny alive for another week and a half.

Every species on earth has but one purpose, the continuance of itself, and with 7 billion of us on the planet, I'd say we're doing that in overabundance, and we have quite a few to spare.

IMHO, one casualty certainly doesn't merit revamping the entire Japanese railway system's safety protocols

However, speaking for myself, I'm a skeered to deaf to get behind the wheel of a car I have to drive myself. I'm gonna hide under my bed and suck my thumb, until self driving tanks become readily available.

 

[Danny101]

Why? Because someone who wants to die shouldn't be allowed to make that happen for them self?

Why? Because no one should ever be permitted to die as a result of an accident?

First of all, slamming on the brakes of a train traveling 200 miles per hour, would undoubtedly cause far more injuries on the train, and precipitate perhaps as many as hundreds of lawsuits.

The loss of one individual, who pretty obviously no longer wanted to be here, should be easily considered an "acceptable loss", either in the actuarial sense, or demographically disposable.

People must die, that's a natural law. Homo sapiens has suspended and superseded Darwin's "survival of the fittest" paradigm, many, many, times over. But then again,, "we were made in god's own image", and the medical profession is entitled to the hundred of thousands of dollars required to keep someone's 100 year old granny alive for another week and a half.

Every species on earth has but one purpose, the continuance of itself, and with 7 billion of us on the planet, I'd say we're doing that in overabundance, and we have quite a few to spare.

IMHO, one casualty certainly doesn't merit revamping the entire Japanese railway system's safety protocols

However, speaking for myself, I'm a skeered to deaf to get behind the wheel of a car I have to drive myself. I'm gonna hide under my bed and suck my thumb, until self driving tanks become readily available.

I didn't say it will prevent it. Just that they will at least know it happened; when, where, and if there are remains left to be collected.

 

[captaincranky]

I didn't say it will prevent it. Just that they will at least know it happened; when, where, and if there are remains left to be collected.

Which for some perverse reason, calls to mind an ancient riddle, "if an airplane were to crash directly on a state line, in which state would you bury the survivors"?

Besides, in this case, you can look at the issue two ways, either the funerary urn is half full, or half empty.