3- Friday, January 30, t987 - North Shore News TRAIN COMPANIES, CREWS DIFFER ON SAFETY ISSUE abooseless controversy RAILWAY COMPANY officials and railway crews have taken separate tracks on the future of the caboose. The two sides will present their views when the Railway Transport Committee holds a special hearing Feb. 2in Vancouver. The committee is reviewing an application by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways to By KIM PEMBERTON News Reporter remove the reas crews and the cabooses in which they work from freight trains. CN and CP offictals argue the elimination of rear crews will not jeapardize safety because they plan to install an electronic End-of- Train system (EITS) to monitor the rear end. But the United Transportation Union, which represents about 14,000 railway employees in Canada, says the electronic system cannot perform all of the safety- Castle Vancouver is still homeless CASTLE Vancouver must seek elsewhere for a permanent setting. West Vancouver Council has rejected the Vancouver Coevorden Society’s proposal to set the castle at Ambleside Park. The castle is a close replica of an ancient castle in Coevorden, in the Netherlands — and the origin of the family of Capt. George Van- couver. Constructed on Georgia Street in Vancouver in conjunction with Expo 86, it must find a new loca- tion by February. Given a doubtful original recep- tion by council in December 1986, the proposal was referred to the Parks and Recreation Commmis- sion for further consideration. ‘It was a good presentation by the Coevorden Society,’’ said Ald. Mark Sager, ‘‘but the commission Weather: Friday and Saturday, cloudy with showers. Highs near 9° C. felt there was not enough time and details available. We have recom- mended to council that the matter not be pursued.”’ Paul Waggler of the Coevorden Society had said the castle could become an attractive teahouse at Ambleside Beach, and that the location was perfect because of its natural beauty and location at the entrance to the inner harbour into which Capt. Vancouver sailed June 14, 1791. INDEX Classified Ads.......23 Doug Coilins.........9 Editorial Page........6 Home & Garden...... 11 Horoscopes... . Bob Hunter..... Lifestyles...........17 Mailbox..........-..7 Movie Listings......20 TV Listings.........21 What's Going On..... 16 NEWS photo Terry Poters telated issues currently being per- formed by rear crews. CN spokesman AL Menard said rear crews cost CN in excess of $30 million per year in Canada. He added staff will not be reduced, but rather moved to the locomotive. “We've found the caboose is no longer necessary to railway opera- dons,” said Menard. “At one time the caboose was the office where the conductor did his business, and it was essential to monitor the train movement. But with the End-of- Train system there will be no jeopardy to safety. In the U.S. they've been running cabooseless trains for a number of years and they've found the safety has not been jeopardized.” Bod McDiarmid, Vancouver's tocal employees, disagrees. He said rear crews are essential for safety, because they do certain functions that EITS could nat per- form. ‘We would welcome any tech- nological invention to make trains safer,’’ McDiarmid said. ‘‘But we don’t believe (EITS) is a replace- ment for the rear crew. It has none secretary of for CN of the senses of a human being. It can’t ses, hear ar smell problems dealing with the rear portion of a train.** McDiarmid said he would prefer that the rear crews remain, and as an extra safely precaution railway companies also install the End- of-Train system. “Safety measures should be re- tained and improved upon rather than reduced,”’ he said. ‘They're using the economic argument. But 1 can see where these dangerous commodities are being carried more and more. A freight train could carry 90 tonnes of liquid chlorine and that’s enough to an- nihilate all of Vancouver." North Vancouver District Coun- cil, which has been concerned with the transportation of dangerous goods through the North Shore, has taken the position thar cabooses should remain. The Railway Transport Com- mittee hearing begins Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. in the Sheraton Plaza 500. The committee began its hear- ings on the caboose issues in Oc- tober in Hull, Quebec. Its final hearing is scheduled for Winnipeg in February. CN spokesiaan Al Menard looks over a few. of the cabooses at the CN. - railyards in North Vancouver. The caboose will be # thing ‘of the past: if.CN and CP Rail are successfal in their ‘application to remove rear.” crews, The Railway. Transport Committee is holding a hearieg ‘on the issue Feb. 23 in, Vancouver, NEWS photo Stuart Davis VANDALS SMASHED the Plexiglas bubble of a helicopter sitting on the roof of North Shore Refrigeration Ltd. The $20,000 helicopter sustained $2,000 in damage. elicopter hit VANDALS STRIKE, $2,000 DAMAGE A LOCAL businessman’s $20,000 helicopter suffered thou- sands of dollars in damages Jan. 24 when it was vandalized on the roof of his North Vancouver business. Fred Struchen said about $2,000 damage was done to the Plexiglass bubble of the Bell Ranger that he keeps on the roof of his North Shore Refrigeration Ltd. building at 55 Bewicke Street. The helicopter, he said, which was without engine or rotor blades prior to the vandalism, is unable to fly. “But it’s the last piston helicopter they (Bell) made,”’ Struchen said. ‘‘And it could have been a real (ready to fly) helicopter. {t’s just the idea that somebody would tamper with an aircraft. That’s a federal of- fence.” Struchen, who repairs and builds helicopters as a hobby, said he had been planning to donate the helicopter to the local aviation museum. He said the vandalism occurred at 4:10 a.m. Major damage in the attack was dong to the helicopter’s plex- iglass ‘windshield, which was kicked in, but Struchen said the cockpit interior had also been damaged and some external sheet meta! had been bent. He added that, in its present state, the helicopter is worth about $20,000. Fully outfitted and ready to fly, he said it would be worth around $60,000.