Santa Fe & Conrail Flatcar and Tank Car Safety Videos, 1993 & 1994

Two old videos in my collection, one from the Santa Fe on Flat Car safety, like getting off and on, riding, etc., from 1994 and another similar video from Conrail a year later in 1994. Although there are similarities, it is interesting to note the differences as well as to what was considered "safe" and what was not. There were a lot of changes in safety rules on the railroads in those years as many things once considered "safe" were now made unsafe, and many changes were made regarding the hard to ride flatcars AND tank cars.

It is hard to believe when I hired out in 1975 we used to hop on and off MOVING flat and tank cars like monkeys, and would ride those flats with our butts almost dragging in the ground, raising up as we passed over switch stands, etc., lol. It was all an art form, much like watching a ballet, and it used to be pleasurable to watch a seasoned crew switch cars and their smooth and fluid movements getting off and on and riding the equipment.

Anyway, these old videos, themselves perhaps obsolete by today's standard are presented in the interest of history and in promoting safety, particularly on short line and tourist operations who may not have extensive training materials.