Well I am now over the hill. I turned 40 a few days ago, and some days it feels like it. My wife and I did not do much of anything for this big day, which was fine, I got to spend my time with her, and my kids, and also had a good lunch with my best friend. That is all that matters, family and friends.
I know that we could have done a lot more, but with the passing of my wife's mother, it makes things hard on her, and everyone around here. Also with her having Mono, and phenomena you just can't plan anything during these hard times.
Secondly, with my birthday being so close to Christmas it is hard for me to get any time off at work, since most of the vacation time is selected by seniority, and I don't have enough to be able to bid on it. And usually the kids are still in school that week, so we can not plan on going out of town.
Things are slowing down at work. I don't envy anyone who has hired out for the railroad in the past 3 to 5 years, because it looks like you are going to be cut off, or will be chasing work with your seniority. All I can say is that it is part of the job, and hang in there, we were all "new hires" at one time, and we had to go through it also.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Block of Cheese
Here is my first story. This is one of the issues I see happening with the next generation that has been hired with the railroad. Now I understand why a lot of the “old heads” when I hired out were so grumpy, and seemed to be so mean, and so many did not want to work with them. I can say I am becoming one of those “old heads” with my 15 years of railroading, and understanding why.
I will set this up for you. Many of you know that there are a few things out there that are important to me, first my family, and second is my job. See, my career provides for my family, so if I did not have it then where would I be?
This incident happened a few months back down here on the Gulf Division and it has been eating on me for a while. We talk about this a lot on each of our trips, I guess just to reinforce what not to do next time. I believe many of us can, and do learn from other mistakes, and I want all of you learn from this also.
I will try to explain it in the way I see what happened. Granted, I don’t have first knowledge of the crews involved, how the territory is laid out, etc, but from what I have read and observed this is what I feel has happened.
They were working in TWC/ABS single track territory. I am not sure at what time all this took place, but I am guessing some time during the evening. Two trains were involved, train “A” was traveling east and train “B” was traveling west. Train “A” had a track warrant to the east switch of a passing siding, let’s call it ANNA, basically they were to hold the main track at last named point. Train “B” had a track warrant also to the east switch at ANNA, but was also instructed to clear at last named point. So, train “A” and train “B” were to meet at ANNA, with train “A” on the main, and train “B” to pass them thru the siding. No big deal, this happens hundreds, or even thousands times a day all across the system.
Train “A” stops maybe a quarter of a mile from the east switch so they won’t fowl a road crossing. The engineer then asks the conductor if he is going to line the switch so train “B” can enter the siding. The conductor tells the engineer that the switch is all ready lined and he should not have to worry about it. So the engineer props his feet up to get a “power nap”.
Once train “B” gets near the approach signal to the meeting point they call and ask train “A” if the east switch is lined for the siding. The conductor informs them that it is. As train “B” gets closer they as two more times if the switch is lined, and the conductor tells them that it is from the cab of locomotive.
Train “B” continues on approaching the red signal, and figures that the switch is lined into the siding, allowing them to pass train “A”. Upon noticing that the switch is not lined for their route the engineer places the train in to emergency, causing all the brakes to apply on train “B”. They get stopped approximately 500 feet from impacting into train “A” on the main.
Now this is where I get so mad. The lazy, and I mean lazy, conductor on train “A” would not go and do his job by walking 1400 feet to the switch and verifying that the east switch is lined in to the siding. It is not the engineer’s responsibility to do it. That is why the “block of cheese” is sitting there in the other seat he is to do his job just as much as the engineer is to do his job. Granted, the engineer should have been a little more vigilant, and insured that he got off the engine and checked the switch, but we are not babysitters, and we are all adults out here, and some people have to be responsible for what they do and don’t do.
I know that if I was the engineer on train “A”, there would have been a heated discussion on why he felt he should not get off and check the switch. Also, if I was the engineer on train “B” I would be in the cab of train “A” in a “New York Minute” to give that “block of cheese” a piece of my mind once we got stopped.
The conductor on train “A” doesn’t understand that when he assumed that the switch was lined, that he just put his life, and three of his co-workers lives in jeopardy. He also doesn’t understand that all four of them are now going to be fired, put under the microscope, and drug thru the carriers kangaroo court system. All because the SOB was too lazy to get off the engine and walk 1400 feet and line a switch.
Granted a few years ago, the crew on train “B” would have just recovered the air, and backed up enough to line the switch, head into the siding and be on their way. And there would have been some heated discussions going on between the two crews, but no harm no foul. But now, there is always someone in the “sky” watching everything you do with the remote downloading of the event recorders, and all the forward pointed cameras in the locomotives we run.
From my stent as a local chairman I know exactly what is going to happen in the investigation. The carrier is going to rake all four over the coals, and give them all time off. Just because one person “assumed” that the switch was lined for the siding. If the “block of cheese” in train “A” would have nutted up and took the blame for his own actions, then there would have been no investigation, and three of the four would have kept their jobs. But being a “new hire” and in the generation “Y”, he doesn’t care, and it is always some else’s fault.
Granted, the crew on train “B” was at fault also. The rules do stat that you are to be running at restricted speed when you pass that red signal, but when you are told that you are lined into the siding, than you go on that other person’s word and enter the siding at restricted speed, but not having to look out for the switch not being lined incorrectly.
The moral of the story as I see it is get off your lazy butt and do your job. If a switch needs to be lined, then go get it done. Don’t just assume anything out here, it will get you killed, fired, and, or injured.
Some of the conductors I work with wonder why I always want a copy of the crew boards with me. This is a prime reason. I want to know who I am meeting, and were everyone is at. Granted, we all have list of who we have problems with, and we want to be able to alleviate them. Don’t get me wrong, I truly enjoy just about everyone I work with, but there is always a bad apple in the batch. You just learn to look out for them and let them do their thing.
Emory
P.S. Many of you know where the "Block of Cheese" phrase comes from, and BC Taylor, this is for you.
I will set this up for you. Many of you know that there are a few things out there that are important to me, first my family, and second is my job. See, my career provides for my family, so if I did not have it then where would I be?
This incident happened a few months back down here on the Gulf Division and it has been eating on me for a while. We talk about this a lot on each of our trips, I guess just to reinforce what not to do next time. I believe many of us can, and do learn from other mistakes, and I want all of you learn from this also.
I will try to explain it in the way I see what happened. Granted, I don’t have first knowledge of the crews involved, how the territory is laid out, etc, but from what I have read and observed this is what I feel has happened.
They were working in TWC/ABS single track territory. I am not sure at what time all this took place, but I am guessing some time during the evening. Two trains were involved, train “A” was traveling east and train “B” was traveling west. Train “A” had a track warrant to the east switch of a passing siding, let’s call it ANNA, basically they were to hold the main track at last named point. Train “B” had a track warrant also to the east switch at ANNA, but was also instructed to clear at last named point. So, train “A” and train “B” were to meet at ANNA, with train “A” on the main, and train “B” to pass them thru the siding. No big deal, this happens hundreds, or even thousands times a day all across the system.
Train “A” stops maybe a quarter of a mile from the east switch so they won’t fowl a road crossing. The engineer then asks the conductor if he is going to line the switch so train “B” can enter the siding. The conductor tells the engineer that the switch is all ready lined and he should not have to worry about it. So the engineer props his feet up to get a “power nap”.
Once train “B” gets near the approach signal to the meeting point they call and ask train “A” if the east switch is lined for the siding. The conductor informs them that it is. As train “B” gets closer they as two more times if the switch is lined, and the conductor tells them that it is from the cab of locomotive.
Train “B” continues on approaching the red signal, and figures that the switch is lined into the siding, allowing them to pass train “A”. Upon noticing that the switch is not lined for their route the engineer places the train in to emergency, causing all the brakes to apply on train “B”. They get stopped approximately 500 feet from impacting into train “A” on the main.
Now this is where I get so mad. The lazy, and I mean lazy, conductor on train “A” would not go and do his job by walking 1400 feet to the switch and verifying that the east switch is lined in to the siding. It is not the engineer’s responsibility to do it. That is why the “block of cheese” is sitting there in the other seat he is to do his job just as much as the engineer is to do his job. Granted, the engineer should have been a little more vigilant, and insured that he got off the engine and checked the switch, but we are not babysitters, and we are all adults out here, and some people have to be responsible for what they do and don’t do.
I know that if I was the engineer on train “A”, there would have been a heated discussion on why he felt he should not get off and check the switch. Also, if I was the engineer on train “B” I would be in the cab of train “A” in a “New York Minute” to give that “block of cheese” a piece of my mind once we got stopped.
The conductor on train “A” doesn’t understand that when he assumed that the switch was lined, that he just put his life, and three of his co-workers lives in jeopardy. He also doesn’t understand that all four of them are now going to be fired, put under the microscope, and drug thru the carriers kangaroo court system. All because the SOB was too lazy to get off the engine and walk 1400 feet and line a switch.
Granted a few years ago, the crew on train “B” would have just recovered the air, and backed up enough to line the switch, head into the siding and be on their way. And there would have been some heated discussions going on between the two crews, but no harm no foul. But now, there is always someone in the “sky” watching everything you do with the remote downloading of the event recorders, and all the forward pointed cameras in the locomotives we run.
From my stent as a local chairman I know exactly what is going to happen in the investigation. The carrier is going to rake all four over the coals, and give them all time off. Just because one person “assumed” that the switch was lined for the siding. If the “block of cheese” in train “A” would have nutted up and took the blame for his own actions, then there would have been no investigation, and three of the four would have kept their jobs. But being a “new hire” and in the generation “Y”, he doesn’t care, and it is always some else’s fault.
Granted, the crew on train “B” was at fault also. The rules do stat that you are to be running at restricted speed when you pass that red signal, but when you are told that you are lined into the siding, than you go on that other person’s word and enter the siding at restricted speed, but not having to look out for the switch not being lined incorrectly.
The moral of the story as I see it is get off your lazy butt and do your job. If a switch needs to be lined, then go get it done. Don’t just assume anything out here, it will get you killed, fired, and, or injured.
Some of the conductors I work with wonder why I always want a copy of the crew boards with me. This is a prime reason. I want to know who I am meeting, and were everyone is at. Granted, we all have list of who we have problems with, and we want to be able to alleviate them. Don’t get me wrong, I truly enjoy just about everyone I work with, but there is always a bad apple in the batch. You just learn to look out for them and let them do their thing.
Emory
P.S. Many of you know where the "Block of Cheese" phrase comes from, and BC Taylor, this is for you.
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