Runaway Train !!!

You say first and then I will tell if I agree! Fredrik

How does the signaller know the future? How can he tell that five workers will be killed on the right-hand track when it hasn't yet happened?

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:
Runaway Train !!!

Its night. A group of railway workers have just loaded their trolley with 2 tonnes of steel when they accidently release the brake and the trolley starts rolling silently along the track which slopes downhill for two miles. The near-by signaller observes this all happen.

A mile and a half away is a right-hand fork (diverging junction), with the points set to the right. Beyond the junction, on the right hand track is a gang of 5 railway workers digging ballast in the four-foot (ie standing between the running rails). This is the route the runaway trolley will take. The trolley is silent and it will kill all five when it mows them down.

Beyond the junction, on the left-hand track is a single railway worker in the four-foot. This is the route the runaway trolley will take if the signaller throws the switch to re-set the points to straight ahead. His fate will be the same.

What should the signaller do? Should he throw the switch to save the five. Or should he leave fate alone?

PS the signaller and others simply can't contact either set of workers.

Cheers

Don

I see what you're doing, Don. How many organs could the five potentially donate to save even more lives, though?

Mark

No mention of which football teams the workers support either.

Don, have you been reading this weeks 'New Scientist' perchance ??

Ian

In a modern workplace, the signaller should not be making such choices without a clear directive from management that god-like ethical decision-making skills are a core-competency.

Going forward, that is.

quote:

Don, have you been reading this weeks 'New Scientist' perchance ??

I only look at the pictures.....

Cheers

Don

Don, once we've developed our moral reasoning abilities a bit, can we do an abortion thread?

Two tonnes of steel on a trolley is going to gain some speed over 1.5 miles downhill. The left option is a straight track, but the right option is a bend. The workers are beyond the bend. I would chance taking the right fork hoping that the trolley wouldn't make it round the bend, and therefore won't make it to the workers.

which one is the boss?

I also forgot to mention that in my scenario, the laden trolley crashed down an embankment and landed on the motorway, killing 72 old people on a Saga coach trip to Morcambe.

.

You never get a group of five railway workers actually working. At least three would be standing around drinking tea.


Nigel

well that's all a bit sobering now....might have been nice for you to point that out Don.

quote:

The trolley is silent and it will kill all five when it mows them down.

Nonsense, rolling stock is far from silent, they would hear it coming a mile off.

Yes but at the crucial moment the sound might be drowned out by a train going in the opposite direction on the neighbouring track...

Hopefully there would be some leaves on the track and those would stop the train er...according to British Rail.

Don,

The signaller would mount a false flag operation in conjunction with MI5,CIA and MOSSAD in order to blame Muslim extremists. It's obvious really. The police would raid the home of a muslim trainspotter who had been seen in the area the year before (wearing an anorak)and they would remove incriminating evidence such as a computer, maps and a notebooks. The muslim terror suspect would then be tortured by being forced to eat British Rail sandwiches before being quietly released due to lack of evidence.

Acad

quote:

Originally posted by JonR:
Yes but at the crucial moment the sound might be drowned out by a train going in the opposite direction on the neighbouring track...

They should clear the track on the approach of a train from either direction.

...anyway, I suspect the signaller could derail the train by setting the points half way between left and right?

Dear Acad,

That is the thought that crossed my mind immediately, but I was not going to let Don off so easily! I also wondered if there was a Donor Organ aspect to this! Pressuamably railway workers would tend to be healthy young men!

ATB from Fredrik

If a train hits them, there won't be much left of their innards now will there.



Sanch

It is surprising how many mangled motorcyclists end up being donors! There is always a chance!

ATB from Fredrik

Am I the only one having difficulty linking the words "railway" and "workers" together ?

I expect the group of railway workers who loaded the truck and through their action or inaction set this train of events into motion will be open to both criminal and civil law suites and it then falls to the signaler to mitigate the body count as best he can. He can save five by his prompt action and will I expect be will then be hailed as a hero by his union, peers and the media but by his deliberate action of changing the point setting he is condemning to certain death the other worker and perhaps opening himself to law suits both criminal and civil upon the death of the worker. I would expect the points to be changed thus saving five and so accruing to him a massive amount of goodwill that will see him through what will follow.

A thought has just crossed my mind that railway workers whatever the time of day or night would them self have posted lookouts whenever they are working between the rails not to do so may well be against the rules and could be considered as contributing to what may follow, as for the chap working alone between the rails would I expect also be against the rules.

The only chap who comes out well is the chap who could change the points and perhaps save five and kills one so for him it is a win-win but for the others some you win and some you loose.