Arfbe,were you speaking of deadheading in the cab or in a caboose?I can’t recall the movie,Danny Glover and Kevin Costner were in ,was about snow trains with caboose mounted flange plows,great movie.Did you work in the Rockies?Which line?What position?Etc.I’m interested in all things past in railroading. Thks,jim
In my part of the midwest, that is what I’ve been told, as I’ve posted before. I’ve essentially worked the road most all of my railroad career and have been in a lot of different situations. You are correct in saying that working right up to the twelve isn’t usually an issue but it does happen. I will run it by an FRA man again and see what he says but I do not wi***o pass on erroneous information regarding sitting on trains and securing them, etc.
Art, I got in on the last of the sixteen hour days, I WOULDN’T want to go back to that again!!!
[quote]
Originally posted by edblysard
If you are ordered to violate a rule, say, couple up the air on more than one double over, the crew can timeslip the railroad, (claim a work rule violation) and get another days basic pay.
A good rule book shark can, on a road crew, almost double your days pay.
Again, a lot of this depends on your local contract.
Ed
Ed,
I need to clarify something that you posted in your note. You mentioned rules a couple of times in reference to work (or contract) rules. For example, your note about buckling air on more than one double is a contract provision, not a part of the General Code of Operating Rules. Same with the way you mentioned “A good rule book shark.”
Just a note of clarification.
Lane
Very true, Lane.
From our general chairman, the local contracts can be more restrictive than the national contract, but never more permissive.
The national might not make mention of the number of double overs, but your local contract can limit them…
Quite a few railroaders, and non railroaders, seem to think that the GCOR and the other rule book, the one CSX, NS and other east coast roads use, are laws…
They are not, although some parts of the rules do use federal laws as their basis…
Rules are not laws, but all the laws are in the rules.
But the rules are nothing more that industry written guidelines.
Your national contract follows and incorporates these rules into its system, and provides a way for the employees to “fine” a carrier if that carrier breaks any of these rules, via time slips…
I don’t hold myself out as an expert on any aspect of railroading, rules compliance especially!
So, the only “advice” I would ever offer anyone in a situation they don’t understand completely is the “first rule of railroading”…CYA, or “Cover your ***”.
If you’re not sure about something you are ordered to do, then make sure, if you decide to comply with the order, that you do so under protest, and document everything!
If you are consistently order to break a rule, remember, the FRA is only a call away.
Ed
Dear railroaders:
As a railfan, this business about voluntarily braking rules is starting to make me a little worried. From your examples, it seems to be usually harmless. But say you’re at the point of a train of chlorine-laden tank cars, and the dispatcher tells you to pass an absolute red signal at track speed when you can see another train coming your way. Doing so under protest won’t do much good when all four crewmen are dead and there is a multi-million dollar toxic spill.
Also, how would the FRA have authority in matters of rules-but-not-laws infractions?
I had always thought railroads took a more “by the book” approach than you have presented here. And by the way, what is “doubling the air on more than one double”?
Sincerely,
Daniel Parks
Daniel,
The rules don’t tell you what to do, they tell you what not to do.
Example, a rule states you can not stop your train closer than 500 feet from the fouling point of a main track.
It does not say you have to stop 500 feet away, all it says is you can’t stop closer than 500 feet.
If you want to, you can stop 550 feet, or 600 feet away, but not closer than 500 feet.
GCOR calls restricted speed…
6.27 Movement at Restricted Speed
When a train or engine is required to move at restricted speed, movement must be made at a speed that allows stopping within half the range of vision short of:
Train
Engine
Railroad car
Men or equipment fouling the track
Stop signal
Or
Derail or switch lined improperly
The crew must keep a lookout for broken rail and not exceed 20 MPH.
Comply with these requirements until the leading wheels reach a point where movement at restricted speed is no longer required
It does not say restricted speed is 20 mph…It says not to exceed 20mph.
6.28 Movement on Other than Main Track
Except when moving on a main track or on a track where a block system is in effect, trains or engines must move at a speed that allows them to stop within half the range of vision short of:
• Train
• Engine
• Railroad car
• Men or equipment fouling the track
• Stop signal
or
• Derail or switch lined improperly
Note the rule reads the same, almost.
What it dosn’t say is you may not move over 20 mph…it leaves your speed up to you, you have to decide what speed is safe, up to the speed limit on that track or section.
Your example of a potential head on wouldn’t happen except by accident.
We don’t get a say in which rules we break…if ordered to violate a rule, we do so under protest…and if we were ordered to violate a rule we know would endanger someone, anyone, we don’
Dear Ed,
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
What is “Doubling the air on more than one double?”
Sincerely and gratefully,
Daniel Parks
Daniel,
Draging a track out, and backing onto another track, making the coupling, and cutting in the air, (lacing up the hoses and opening the anglecock)then knocking off the hand brakes…
A double over is coupling up the two tracks, and each time after that is another “double over”.
You keep “doubling over” till you have all you tracks assembled into your train.
Also refered to a folding it up or folding it over, folding one track onto another.
Not all yards are long enough to put all the cars for a train in one track, or have dedicated departure tracks, so you set them side by side(if your lucky!) and then, when the train is ready to depart, you fold 'em up one by one till your train is assembled, then get your air test and go…
Ed