‘Rules Are Rules’

It was a normal day in Sharon Springs , Kansas ,when a Union Pacific crew boarded a loaded coal train for the long trek to Salina ..

The Bad news:
Just a few miles into the trip, a wheel-bearing became overheated, and
melted, letting a metal support drop down and grind on the rail,
creating white hot molten-metal droppings spewing down to the rail.

The Good news:
A very alert crew noticed smoke about halfway back in the train, and
immediately stopped the train in compliance with the Union Pacific
Safety Rules.

The Bad news:
The train stopped with the hot wheel over a wooden bridge, with
creosote ties and trusses.

The crew tried to explain to CEO ‘Higher-Ups’, but were
instructed NOT to move the train !

They were instructed ‘The Rules Book’ prohibits
moving the train when a part is defective !