Hello all, just finished my Remote Control training this past Friday. I marked up on the switchman’s extraboard on Sunday and worked that night during third trick. The best part of remote training for me was learning more about the locomotives themselves and more about the both independent and automatic braking systems. I also enjoyed working three straight weeks of days having weekends off. I’ve had several engineers come up to me and ask me why I would go to remote, one even went to so far as to call me a sell out!! From a previous posting you all already know why i chose the remote route and that’s the same reason I gave them.
I’ve discovered one thing about working the yard that i do not like whatsoever that may bring trouble between myself and many of my coworkers. I am new to the remotes, and I work very carefully with them; many of my coworkers say I go too slow and they want a quit so they can go home, BUT I"M NOT ABOUT TO RISK MY JOB OR A LIFE OVER A TWO HOUR QUIT!!! Why does everyone have to be in such a hurry?? My first job out of training I was receiving a lot of verbal assualts from my foreman over the radio!!! “you know you can go 10 mph on these yard tracks!” “How long does it take to make a cut??” “Blah Blah Blah.” And then what made me even more mad is that my foreman, who hasn’t been in the yard that long herself starts messing with the switchlist and doesn’t like the way the yardmaster does her job!! So now my switchlist is garbage because every move we make is changed. And it’s all because we would have had to handle a few cars twice. Big deal, if we had gone by the switchlist in the first place we would have been done a long time ago. By the end of the night I had enough and the foreman could tell. She eventually apologized and said she was just used to working with someone more experienced and she realized I’m new and it will take a little time for me build up speed. When we were finished that morning the yardmaster approached me and said "Your for
Welcome to railroading. I can see be it a 5 man crew or remotes everything’s the same. Firemen that joined the UTU instead of the engineer’s union were called sell outs. Enginemen that would take a brakeman’s assignment in an emergency were called sell outs. It’s endless. People aren’t necessarily in a hurry. They’ve been doing it for some time so it becomes routine, and easy. But you stay safe and do the right thing. I had conductors that used to play “hide the switchlist.” It’s an old game. The next time someone hassles you about being new and carefull ask them, “What. Were you born with a silver switchkey up your butt?”
Mitch
Of course, they’re going to call you a sellout or a traitor or worse. Being a newer employee, the time was going to come that you were going to have to learn to operate those remotes, anyway, without any choice, so you’ve gone ahead and done it. As an engineer myself, I don’t like it but it only adds to the list of things I’ve seen that I don’t like, so it’s no big deal. Just do it safely and don’t let anyone harass you into getting yourself hurt, a la your super yard foreman.
Two hour quits? Wow, that never happens in my part of the railroad world.
n_stephenson:
Remember the old Latin phrase: Illigitimati non carborundum.
Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Do your job, SAFELY.
Old Timer
n_stephenson,
My dear friend Mitch has a way with words. Seriously, though, these guys are right. Being new anywhere can be frustrating, but in railroading it can cost lives. Do what you’ve got to do. As you become more comfortable with the technology and everything else that’s new, too, I have no doubt you’ll pick up speed and become an old pro. Until then, take the time you need to stay safe.
Kathi
There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!! I worked with Louie today on 2nd shift and he was great. He is very agreeable and we talked out all our moves and the shift went so smooth I couldn’t believe it!!! We even ended up with a two hour quit and the two of us follow the tortoise philosphy as close as anyone…Slow and steady wins the race. [:D]
I just wi***he yard paid a little better than it does, so I’m going back to the road, and if the company desperately needs me I’ll take a call off the road board and work in the yard. I know this is against the gentleman’s agreement at my terminal, but I’m here to make money not make friends. Ed, csx_engineer, and others do the folks at your terminals get hot when someone off your board takes calls for something they don’t have to. It seems to be a dig deal at my terminal. I’m in it for the money; I don’t know about everyone else at my terminal. Am I missing some point here or am I justified in my position?[%-)]
Thanks Mark, makes me feel better about my decision.
Some do, some don’t. There are seperate conductor boards for each district but they’re generally exhausted and so they use people off the other districts, this is the wonder of one big seniority roster. Some duck calls and do everything they can to keep from working other districts and some don’t want to work the yard. Others like to jockey for position and will work it. Some talk bad about others but that the railroad, you can always hear bad talk about someone!
As for the pay, I guess you didn’t realize until you actually saw your own figures that there is a substantial difference between the road and yard. When’s the baby due? Perhaps you can duck back in sometime closer to due date.
Sounds like everyone is giving you sound advice and feedback about what you already know Nathan. Everyone has their own agenda. Stay safe and keep your family first. The best is yet to come![;)]
Keep it up! The only thing I might add (for when you are working with the remotes – or anything else new, for that matter) is that there will come a time when you feel real good about it; that’s the time to be a little extra careful for a while…
Nathan
glad things are working out.Safety above all else.
Joe
Nathan-
Stay safe, ignore the idiots.
LC
Thanks for the advice and support everyone. ValleyX, the baby is due in mid January, so I probably will go back to the road for awhile and if the company needs me in the yard, just give me a call.
And, it’s all but official, I’ll be transfering to Indianapolis in April/May of next year. I was in Indy today and talked to the trainmaster there who said they always need people. I will first have to qualify in the yard, and then take it from there. The place I’ll be moving to is about five minutes from Avon Big Four Yard, so the 40 minute commute will disappear. In Danville there are five yard jobs that run all day long, at Avon there are about 15 every eight hours, so there will be a little more work for me. And then there are lots of road runs: Indy to Cincinnati, Indy to Salem, IL, Indy to East St. Louis, Indy to Crestline, OH and Indy to Toledo. These runs pay big time! About 230 miles each way instead of the 130 I run now. Basic trip rate for 130 miles to Chicago pays $160 and I think the 230 mile runs out of Indy pay nearly $300 each way. I’m excited just because there are so many more possibilites [:D] If anyone knows anything about running in, around, or near Indy give me some heads up I’d like to hear what you have to say!!!