"Wilson entered an engineer's seat of an Amtrak train after midnight on October 22 and started "playing with the controls" of the train, according to Czaplewski’s account."
Um... was this on a moving train?
If so, how could he "sit in the engineer's seat", when the engineer would have been sitting there, running the train?
Another instance where the reporting is all wrong.
Let's clear up a few things.
This was The California Zephyr, a long-distance train.
Runs from CA to Chicago.
The train would have TWO locomotives (almost certainly GE-built P-42's).
There's something about the P-42 you need to know before going further. It has a "back door" (into the train behind it), but no "front door" on the hood of the engine.
Amtrak usually runs these "elephant style", that is, both units facing forward (instead of "back-to-back", with the lead unit facing forward and the one behind it facing backward. The reason for this is if the first unit becomes disabled (say, in a grade crossing accident), it can be cut off and the train could continue with the second unit instead.
So it looks like this guy walked to the front of the train (may be either the crew dorm car or baggage), then got into the rear engine (nobody's going to be on it).
So he could have sat in the engineer's seat, even though that unit is set up for "trail".
Here's what the console looks like:
The big red handle is the automatic brake valve. It would be "cut out" in the trailing position, but the "emergency" position (all the way forward) is ALWAYS active.
So.. maybe he played around with that and "dumped" the air.
There's also another big red knob elsewhere in the cab on the conductor's side that will initiate an emergency application of the brakes.
Once activated, the valve would have to be reset manually.
It's also important to know that EVERY car on a passenger train has an emergency brake valve within reach of anybody. (On AmFleets they're near the end doors).
When a moving passenger train goes "into the hole", one of the first things the conductor will look for is whether someone pulled the emergency valve.
Another possible cause could be a brake pipe hose parting between the cars (it happens).
In any case, going to take a little time to find it.
Also, the article said the passengers sat in the dark a while. I'll guess that the "head end power" (electricity from the engine which runs through the train for heat and lights) was running off the second engine. Maybe this guy hit the "kill button" for it, as well.
So.. he never really got to the actual "controls" of the train, other than the cut-out controls of the second unit.
And... "dumping the air" (emergency) and perhaps killing the HEP as well was about all he could do...
