Stevie Posted April 5, 2012 Share #1 Posted April 5, 2012 I was on the R train and I was wondering why does the driver sit on the right side of the cockpit instead of on the left like in a car? Wouldn't it be safer for them to be closer to the people standing in the station so they can see them better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjbr40 Posted April 5, 2012 Share #2 Posted April 5, 2012 This is not London Underground Tube. This is NYc and USA. We drive on the right not the left. We stay to the right not the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azspeedbullet Posted April 5, 2012 Share #3 Posted April 5, 2012 its due to the way how the subway system was built 100 years ago and the placement of signals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted April 5, 2012 Share #4 Posted April 5, 2012 all trains in this country have thier controls on the right hand side. and it's a cab the TO rides in, not a cockpit. Cockpits are on planes and anything plane based (Ie, the space shuttle), and F-1 racecars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted April 5, 2012 This is not London Underground Tube. This is NYc and USA. We drive on the right not the left. We stay to the right not the left. And we sit on the left so why not in a train? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted April 6, 2012 Share #6 Posted April 6, 2012 the guy driving needs to see the signals, which are mostly mounted to the outside of the line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTimer Posted April 6, 2012 Share #7 Posted April 6, 2012 The funny thing is that on the left it would be better to see stuff at a distance but not up close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjbr40 Posted April 6, 2012 Share #8 Posted April 6, 2012 Now i can see Stevie point of view. That is a weird situation to think about. When i was in St Thomas the driver is on the left while driving on the left side of the road. Who know why they put it like that on train. Nobody know for sure. I don't even know how this got started. Only in America we are weirdo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted April 6, 2012 Share #9 Posted April 6, 2012 St. Thomas and the rest of the USVI drive on the left because they were driving on the left before the US took control of the islands in the leadup to WWI. It was simpler to let them stay that way. most of the cars a LHD because shipping a car from the mainland is not considered importing since it's US terirorty. On heavy rail trains, it is considered normal for the operating posistion to be on the outside side of the direction of operation. The simple answer to the question is that when the railroads switched the "rule of the road" to RHR, they never moved the driver to the other side. to quote the wiki article on "driving side" There is potential safety benefit for the train driver to sit on the nearside,[citation needed] farthest away from a collision with whatever might protrude from an oncoming train on the opposite track, such as an open cargo door. The driver's placement on the nearside can facilitate his or her view rearward of station platforms either directly or using mirrors, and of signs and signals usually placed on the outside of double tracks—on the right for right-hand traffic and on the left for left-hand traffic. If 'train orders' or 'tokens' (permission to continue) need to be handed up to the driver while the locomotive is in motion, he or she is best able to receive them from the nearside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighton Express Posted April 6, 2012 Share #10 Posted April 6, 2012 all trains in this country have thier controls on the right hand side. and it's a cab the TO rides in, not a cockpit. Cockpits are on planes and anything plane based (Ie, the space shuttle), and F-1 racecars. Well, depends where you are. In England, planes are expected to drive on the right side. US, the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTimer Posted April 6, 2012 Share #11 Posted April 6, 2012 On misc. diesel equipment, the T/O is actually in the center-left area of the cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjbr40 Posted April 6, 2012 Share #12 Posted April 6, 2012 i agree with you two timers. I seen some locomotive have either left or right handle to control cabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted April 6, 2012 Share #13 Posted April 6, 2012 Well, depends where you are. In England, planes are expected to drive on the right side. US, the left. what the heck does that have to do with what I said? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedChikkin Posted April 9, 2012 Share #14 Posted April 9, 2012 I was on the R train and I was wondering why does the driver sit on the right side of the cockpit instead of on the left like in a car? Wouldn't it be safer for them to be closer to the people standing in the station so they can see them better? Based on the description you give, I'd say you were at an express/gap-stop station when you caught the train making the rest of your question moot for most of the line stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share #15 Posted April 9, 2012 Based on the description you give, I'd say you were at an express/gap-stop station when you caught the train making the rest of your question moot for most of the line stations. I'm sorry my thread bothered you. Maybe it's because someone changed the title and it made less sense. Or maybe this site just doesn't welcome questions. Now I know and I won't do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nostalgia Posted April 9, 2012 Share #16 Posted April 9, 2012 Well, depends where you are. In England, planes are expected to drive on the right side. US, the left. What do you mean "planes are expected to drive on the right side." Planes aren't driven. They are flown. Now I understand the expression that the United States and England are separated by a common language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighton Express Posted April 9, 2012 Share #17 Posted April 9, 2012 Y'all are so damn literal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedChikkin Posted April 9, 2012 Share #18 Posted April 9, 2012 I'm sorry my thread bothered you. Maybe it's because someone changed the title and it made less sense. Or maybe this site just doesn't welcome questions. Now I know and I won't do it again. Did. You. Read. My. Reply? If you caught the LOCAL train at an EXPRESS station platform you'd see, as you described, the train arriving against the wall with the Train Operator opposite the connecting platform that the doors will open on... at every other, local station the train will roll in with the platform on the opposite side that of the express and the Train Operator positioned adjacent the platform and according to the English structure of your question-not the title-this would make your question moot since MOST OF THE TIME the Train Operator IS adjacent to the platform and people thereon. Don't take offense, re-read your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATCOman Posted April 10, 2012 Share #19 Posted April 10, 2012 For PATCO, the engineer is on the left side. Thats because all of their stations have island platforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan Railer Posted April 11, 2012 Share #20 Posted April 11, 2012 Y'all are so damn literal. We also don't sound like uneducated 5 - year - olds online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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