BNSF crews frequently change crews here at Eola yard in Aurora, IL. At times they will change within minutes of stopping at the “crosswalk” where employees cross the mainline, and at other times the incoming crew will “tie down” their train on the main-line and the train will wait for literally hours on the main for the outgoing (new) crew. We see this very often here.
For some reason, I always thought crew change points were determined by how long it took to get there. In older times, it would take much longer as the trains were slower. Frisco always changed freight crews at Newburg, MO but my grandpa as passenger conductor changed at Monett, MO, which was farther down the line.
I can remember when the “featherbedding” talk began, about needing to keep crews in the trains longer because the trains were faster and did they really need three men in the cab and two in the rear.
I hear talk about crews having to be changed because trains are late and their time is up, that doesn’t seem to go by mileage. I know OTR truckers are only to work so many hours before they have to sign out and rest.
Same with RR’ers in TEY service. They can only work 12 hours by federal law. Back in the 60’s, the SP had a run out of Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, CA. Sometimes it would take the the full 16 hours on the HOS to make the run. Then in 1972 (after the HOS was changed to 14 hours, Dec. 26, 1970) the company decided to open up an inter-divisional run from LA to San Luis Obispo), and have us do it in 14 hours, which really worked good. The dispatchers were forced to make better meets, yardmasters to get trains out of the yards better and so on. Today, 41 years later and the HOS at 12 hours (changed Dec. 26, 1972) the crew usually do not have trouble making it from SLO to LA (which is still inter-divisional, but only a one ended pool).
SLOCONDR
Some crew change points were simply the points at which one railroad had a junction with another. For instance, Sanford, Florida, was the south end of one railroad and the north end of another; both roads were absorbed by the Plant System–which went into the Atlantic Coast Line. If I had not already packed my 1893 Guide in preparation for moving, I could give you the name of each road.
And, crew change points were (and still are) not always the same for engine crews and for train crews on the same train. Men in road service on the Louisiana Division of the IC were based in McComb, Mississippi, which is about 100 miles from New Orleans and from Canton, Mississippi–and about 149 miles from Gwin, Mississippi, on the route through the Delta (the last two were junctions with the Tennessee Division) Passenger trains ran between Canton and New Orleans, and through freights ran between Gwin and New Orleans, on the Louisiana Division. Back when there were foru passenger trains each way on the division, except for the City of New Orleans, passenger train crews changed southbound (the City train crews changed northbound), ran to New Orleans (Canton), then ran through McComb to Canton (New Orleans), and then back to McComb, covering 400 miles in 24 hours (and then had 24 hours off). All engine crews changed in McComb; thus all passenger engine crews ran 100 miles from start to finish. Men in chain gang freight service preferred being called in McComb for a run to Gwin, since it was farther than a run to New Orleans. I wish I had asked a trainman how the pay was calculated, since some of the turn arounds were short.
Probaly a question for Jeff H… Does the UP still have a Proviso to Boone long pool? Or, did they get rid of it because there was too much congestion / delays east of Clinton?
Thanks,
CC
No, they never had a Proviso - Boone long pool. Only the Clinton - Missouri Valley long pool.
About ten years ago the railroad proposed moving almost everyone from Boone to Rochelle. Then run pools (through Clinton) to Missouri Valley (hot intermodals only), to Boone (everything else), and pools to Des Moines and Mason City. The unions were able to get the UP to agree to leave Boone as home terminal for the Rochelle - Boone pools, but shortly thereafter the railroad dropped the whole idea. At the time we were having trouble going from Boone to Clinton in 12 hours. I doubt many trains could’ve made the extra 70 or so miles to Rochelle on their hours. Currently, it’s possible to make Clinton and tie up within 6 hours on duty, on a coal train no less. Something unheard of even 5 years ago, just before the bottom dropped out.
When they eventually finish their Blair and Clinton projects (not any time soon) I expect a push to change the crew districts.
Jeff
Good threads on this string. A minor correction to Agentkid’s posting. The oldest long crew division on CP in Canada is the Brooks Subdivision from Medicine Hat to Alyth (Calgary). However, the longest crew division is CP’s Belleville Subdivision from Smiths Falls ON to Toronto Yard (197 track miles) where the Toronto Terminal officially begins or ends. The “run through” was established in 1970, not too long before I started my railway career with CP in that area. Trenton ON was eliminated as an away from home terminal for Toronto East Pool and Smiths Falls West Pool crews. From then to now trains on this subdivision are crewed by running trades employees whose home terminals are at Toronto and Smiths Falls.
I’m sure that longer crew districts in other places are coming…
In the east and the Midwest having a good contract with a reputible hotel chain is key. CSX got rid of the bunkhouses and YMCAs 15 years ago. So the town has to have at least a Days Inn and a Hampton.
In Buffalo NY Depew Station… you can get a free ride to the Millenium Hotel in Cheek-ta-Vegas next to the mall out there. There is nothing around that station and public transit is non existant.