COVELL, NICHOLAS A.

Railroad Safety Consultant/Expert Witness

Covell Consulting LLC

2194 Pebblestone Lane

Lincoln, CA 95648

(916) 408-8837 Home

(916) 412-3312 Cell

E-Mail: rrsafcon@aol.com

Web Site: http://www.nickcovellrailroadsafetyconsultant.com

Mr. Covell is a railroad safety consultant/expert witness with expertise in Railroad Operations and Railroad Operating Practices.

Mr. Covell has substantial railroad operating experience having worked as a Brakeman, Conductor and Locomotive Fireman and Engineer. He has experience in Commuter Passenger Operations as well as in Freight and Yard Operations.

Mr. Covell retired from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in March 2003. He had 15 years experience with the FRA as an Operating Practices Inspector and Regional Operating Practices Specialist.

As an FRA employee Mr. Covell has worked extensively with Railroad Operating Rules, Federal Hours of Service Law, Railroad Drug and Alcohol Regulations, Railroad Radio Rules, the Blue Signal Protection of Workers Regulation, the Engineer Certification Rule and the Accident Reporting Rule. He has performed many inspections and served as Team Leader on inspection audits involving all of these regulations.

Mr. Covell is experienced in Railroad Accident Investigation and was given a letter of commendation from the FRA for an accident investigation. He was a certified Operation Lifesaver Presenter in Wyoming and has attended a class on Grade Crossing Collision investigation.

Formal classroom training that Mr. Covell received with the FRA includes Railroad Accident Investigation, Basic Railroad Operating Practices, Alcohol and Drug Compliance, Fatigue Countermeasure Seminar (NASA), Railroad Accident Reporting, Train and Yard Operations, GCOR and Control Systems Review (Train Dispatching), Basic Investigation Skills, Railroad Operating Methodologies, Accident Investigation Fundamentals, Operating Practices Investigations and Reporting, Train Handling Techniques and Railroad Operating Rules.

KORVE, HANS W.

DMJM Harris/AECOM

155 Grand Avenue - Suite 700

Oakland, California 94612

(510) 622-6630  Fax: (510) 763-2796

E-Mail: hans.korve@dmjmharris.com

Senior Vice President of DMJM Harris/AECOM. Masters of Science in Engineering. Research and investigations of railroad related accidents and injuries.


 

MODOC RAILROAD ACADEMY

David Anthony Rangel, Deputy Director

P.O. Box 432

Madison, CA  95653

(916) 965-5515

Website:  modocrailroadacademy.com

Since 1995, the nation's first and only full service educational railroad training school.

The Modoc Railroad Academy revolutionized the railroad industry by combining industry developed and approved curriculums and then adding practical "hands on experience." A concept long used in other industries now used to produce some of the most sought after employable candidates available. Graduates from Modoc Railroad Academy work at railroads across the nation.

At Modoc Railroad Academy, students enjoy a railroad exclusive learning environment while at the same time benefiting from a multi-million dollar investment in new locomotives, railroad cars, cabooses and a state of the art railroad training center like no other. Modoc Railroad Academy features outdoor laboratories and classes that challenge students to excel.
 

PERCY, DENNIS G., P.E., P.L.S.

Delta Engineering Group

8092 Valencia Drive

Huntington Beach, California 92647

(714) 842-6773

Fax: (714) 847-6218

E-mail: noderails@earthlink.net

Website:  www.railroadexperts.com

Mr. Percy received a degree in physics from California State University, Long Beach in 1972. He is a registered civil engineer in California and also a licensed land surveyor in California. Projects consist of civil and structural design of track, crane rail systems, conveyors, retaining walls, drainage design, bridge and culvert design, etc.

He has thirty-six (36) years experience in the design, construction, maintenance, inspection (including FRA requirements) and cost estimates for railroad track, special track work, switches/turnouts, grade crossings, grade crossing geometry, grade crossing surfaces, bicycle crossings, drainage, walkway/toe path and clearances. He was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad for a period of five years after which he went to work for various railroad contractors. Having completed the design of several hundred railroad projects, he is often called upon to complete very difficult geometric designs for other firms. Experience extends to mainline track, industrial track, short line railroad track, portal crane rail systems and overhead cranes.

He has performed analysis of derailments for the National Safety Transportation Board. Analysis includes track geometry, track profile, structures and clearances. While employed with ontractors and as a consultant, he worked on over a hundred track derailments in California. He has performed geometric analysis of collisions between trains and pedestrians and vehicles at intersections and along right-of-ways.

He and his staff have performed "accident surveys" for various railroad claims departments - these include fatalities of trainmen in switching yards, injuries from hard-to-throw switches, trip and fall accidents, etc.

Where railroad workers are injured in the performance of their work, we can perform physics analysis and force measurements of hard-to-throw switches, hard-to-turn car brakes, hard-to-open hopper doors, etc. Being familiar with most track tools and track construction/maintenance machinery, we perform analysis and measure the forces required to use those tools. We work in conjunction with other experts to determine the bio-mechanical forces generated by various railroad work activities.

We perform track surveys/inspections to determine compliance with FRA requirements, walkway and toe-path requirements and track clearances. We perform safety inspections on railroad bridges and culverts.

Mr. Percy is an experienced photographer. The site photograph utilized can be set up to establish geometric relationships of the scene for the purposes of crash reconstruction. He is able to explain the railroad jargon and railroad issues in terms the layman will understand.

Membership in Chi Epsilon, A.R.E.M.A., A.C.E.C., CELSOC, S.A.M.E., N.A.R.S.C.I., F.C.A. Available for plaintiffs and defendants.

TURNER, DUDLEY

DT Railway Consulting

6412 B Solitary Lane

Carmichael, California 95608

(916) 944-3522

Cell: (916) 600-3141

E-Mail: dtrailway@comcast.net

Consultant/Expert Witness (4 years) specializing in railroad accidents and injuries involving train crews or other individuals who handle or work around equipment.  Also specialize in rail grade crossing accident investigation.  Retired FRA Chief Regional Inspector (15 years).  Background includes interpretation of Federal Railroad Administration Rules and Regulations.  Experienced in all FRA safety disciplines with special expertise in Motive Power and Equipment.  Acted as Inspector-in-Charge at major train accident investigations.  Determined causal factors and failures.  Worked with NTSB on many major accidents.

Former Illinois Central Railroad mechanical department machinist, supervisor and technical instructor (25 years).  Trained supervisors, machinists, electricians, pipe fitters and carman.  Course work included FRA Rules and Regulations (including inspection and testing of cars and locomotives), Railroad Safety Appliance Standards, Railroad Power Brake and Draw Bars, and Blue Signal Rules.

Available for plaintiff or defense.