204. I GET IT–YOU ARE TRAUMATIZED. WE ARE, TOO.

The ground has shifted under our feet–we are realizing that we live in a dystopia. This is agonizing for all of us.

More about the derailed train, by Frederick R Smith from Frederick R. Smith Speaks

Commentary by Robert Yoho: 

In this age of censorship, trust in information sources has vanished, and our skepticism meters are all flashing red. Here is further background to help you understand our position about the train wreck. 

About Fred: I met him over a year ago in the comment section of Matt Briggs’ blog. We have been communicating weekly ever since, are fast friends, and I trust him. He is also in his 60s and is another committed truth warrior. He would never shill for anyone. Fred is a more sophisticated student of today’s reality than I am because he has been studying the corporate-government cabal far longer. We each have specialized expertise; his is railroad management, and mine is medical corruption. 

As the train debates began, we spotted a chance to improve general understanding. Fred has been a railway geek since his pre-teen years. During his professional career working for railroads, he participated on-the-scene in 12 (twelve) other railway disaster evaluations, a third of which involved toxic cleanups. He was also the technical editor for dozens of other reports of train derailments, collisions, and fatalities.

He followed this one closely and had informed opinions immediately. As you recall, Fred also consulted with a colleague whose specialty is supervising hazardous materials rail transportation. Since none of us has expertise in human toxic exposures, we confined our commentary to the events.

My initial ideas about the situation were primarily from Doomberg. It is one of the most reliable sources on Substack. 

We scrambled to create a coherent message, and it was not a casual effort. Including this reply, Fred has worked for 20 hours, and I spent nine hours editing and sharpening his focus. 

The rest is Fred’s: 

This post addresses some criticisms of my essay “The East Palestine Ohio Train Wreck: a Study in Hysteria,” which was reposted on the Surviving Healthcare Substack.

I aimed to analyze the information about Norfolk Southern’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023, and dispel some of the more doubtful claims. Readers’ responses ranged from thanks to aggressive criticism. We are thankful for all the involvement, but when you comment, remember that authors cannot reply to everyone individually or necessarily accept reading assignments. 

Our focus was within my expertise and that of my collaborating specialist. I hope the following will improve your understanding. 

·       Dioxin. This appears only in the section dealing with conspiracy theories and only once. Several readers attempted to morph my essay’s focus into a debate. They were mistaken if they thought my words were an editorial about dioxin. Maybe I misspoke, but sensitivities run so high now that I doubt it. 

This area is specialized. Though it may seem implausible in our era of mistrust, I defer to experts here. Although many leaders are psychopaths, few of those working on the ground-level are. 

·       I was struck by the statement about “the biggest cloud in history.” Other claims, such as “laying waste to the east coast,” were also hyperbole. These do not advance rational debate. 

·       Silence about the “other chemicals.” I discussed the eleven high-hazard materials cars and referenced other petroleum hazards using a link to the official list of cars. All the spilled products at the site are obviously environmental and health concerns. 

·       Only one car with a malfunctioning relief valve. Why was it necessary to control-burn all five vinyl chloride cars with only one malfunctioning valve? I do not want to speculate about this because my knowledge is incomplete. The position of the cars, the risks involved, and other factors are still unknown. Highly skilled hazardous material professionals are on the scene, and I assume they are trying to make the best decisions. Many more details will appear in the NTSB’s final report, and I may comment about that later.

·       Why did they not transload the vinyl chloride? See above. Also, vinyl chloride is a compressed gas, and transferring from rail to truck out in the open, away from a loading or unloading facility, is tricky. From what I have been told, this is rarely practical.

·       The essay sounds like Norfolk Southern propaganda. Yes—these days, any support for the government or corporate messaging does seem like propaganda. But we should never automatically flip the conspiracy switch. I am independent; I don’t own any Norfolk Southern stock, nor have I ever worked for that company.

·       Very long trains. One commenter indicated that NS’s trains traveling through East Palestine are typically less than 100 cars long. Please see my discussion about Precision Scheduled Railroading and Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes. Other information about the makeup of the train is not available yet but might bear on this issue. Disclaimer – I’m not fond of excessively long trains for several reasons. 

This is a free speech zone, so I appreciate all comments. The wreck and the aftermath are obviously a terrible situation for the residents of East Palestine and possibly the entire nation. Acrimony is understandable. We must exchange ideas to make the nation’s transportation network as safe as possible.

If you respect Fred as much as I do, click the byline above to check out his Substack.