Is there a minimum length for the buffer car?
I believe this is how they get away with having one buffer on the head end, and one buffer on the tail.
from reading the postings it seams that each railroad has its own rules and there is some confusion regarding the interpetation of the rules
so my question for the forum members who work on the railroads is… what happens with interchange when a train arrives without a buffer car… what would their railroad do …would there be some official complaint… perhaps the first railroad does not req buffer and the second does… there fore should the first railroad have made up the train to the rules of the second railroad???
thanks peter
All railroads must comply with the DOT Hazmat rules. The rules are the same for all carriers. Each carrier may interpret compliance slightly differently.
From experience derived from working with the same carrier in a number of different locations and divisions over my 45 year career, one thing I have found out is that each division of the carrier has slightly different interpretations of the same rule. ie. the carrier is separated by a common rule book. Hazmat rules are the same.
If you have no buffer, you leave the hazmat sit.
In the words of our AAT/TTC trainer at Rattlesnake Junction: " Nikes, don’t fail me now!" [swg]
Those are trenchant observations about the inherent nature of people, organizations, and their officials - notice how the trend starts at the “carrier” level in the 1st para., and then continues down at the division level in the 2nd para. I have no doubt that there are same subjects that are applied or performed differently by - say, other yards or terminals as well, such as the local 'timeslip",“arbitraries”, and expenses rules, etc. . . . [:-^]
And that’s a funny and creative adaption of that old joke about how the Americans and English are two similar peoples separated by a common language ! Thanks for the post. [bow]
- Paul North.