Off the Rails

I just took a trip by Amtrak to central New York, via the Empire Builder to Chicago, then the Lake Shore Limited along the south end of several Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes region. In between the train trips, I saw this vehicle in a hotel parking lot:


I guess railroad crews who work the tracks have to stay over night somewhere, just like the rest of us!

It did make me wonder, though, what would happen if I pressed the buttons or pulled the red lever on the front bumper.