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I was called last second to become a train dispatcher for CSX. I will be in Jacksonville for classroom training for 2 1/2 weeks, and then back to Indianapolis for on the job training. The stress in my life may increase, but I still think it’s a good trade for a better quality of life.
Wow, that’s an interesting turn!
Good Luck with that, certainly it will give you a more concrete work schedule with your new family, even if it’s straight graveyards for the next few years. [;)]
Dude,
Two years ago, you were wondering if you should go to work for a railroad in the first place…
Man, moving up the ladder like greased lightning!
Good deal…and congratulations.
Ed
Nathan, I congratulate you for succeeding in getting what you want but I wouldn’t have it on a bet. What they put up with for eight hours wouldn’t be worth the trouble to me but that’s a personal opinion based on both hearsay and observation. Good luck.
Congratulations on your new job!!![:D][8D][:D][8D]
I agree with the others,Good luck! Just make sure you that 6 PACK on the side just in case. Allan.
I figure I can find a way to get beaten and battered for eight hours and then go home and forget about it till the next time. I like challenges and I like bosses breathing down my neck because it gives me the edge I need. Plus I get a nice little vacation in JAX, nice hotel that they are putting us up in. It is the oppostie of the one I stayed in on the West side off Lane Ave. Thanks for the well wishes and I’ll keep ya’ll updated. By the way, I’m going to keep paying my union dues to hold my trainman seniority just in case things get a little sketchy for me, I always try to have a back up plan.
Congratulations. I wish you the best with your move.
On the other hand, I’m glad to see you are keeping your seniority. Being a DS is tricky and high pressure. Many DSTs don’t make it or become DS and burn out. Watch the sit down hazards of caffiene, aspirin and alcohol on the side.
I do wish you all the best, but remember, walking away from that job is nothing to be ashamed of if you go and try it and it isn’t your cup of tea. I’ve never tried it, and I wouldn’t trade places with you for the world. Perhaps if Mr. Hemphill is around he can give you some pointers.
LC
Nate-Congrats on the new assignment. It is too bad that Mark deleted his older posts, I think there were many on the life of the dispatcher.
On the light side, you should check out a humorous anecdote by Ed King in the August Trains. He talks about an incident when he was dispatching on the Milwaukee Road.
Jay
Also you may get frustrated dispatching cool consists and locomotives and not being able to take pictures of them…a kind of heck for a railfan anyways.[:D]
CONGRADULATIONS[bow]
nathan
csx dispatch jacksonville over
dispatch go ahead
this is q508 we have a false activation here at milepost 69 and a dark signal at the I&O diamond.plus the I&O train on the diamond has a busted coupler on the diamond.we also go dead in about 30 minutes.
hope you have lots of asprin
congrats stay safe
joe
Nathan, congratulations![^][8D][tup][tup]
Hope everything goes well for you as a dispatcher!!
I am new so I hope it will not be remiss of me to add my congratulations. I am also in the signalling trade as well. Though the j.d. between the US and UK is somewhat different.
Congrats & good luck to you in your new career. [:o)][:p]
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Originally posted by n_stephenson
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Nathan…in less than a year and a half, you have gone from hiring, school, ojt, more school for remotes, changed terminals, DAD, etc. Take that rocket off and breath son! Oh and good luck in the new endeavor! Please heed Mark’s words. Stay green while you stay clean…lol. [tup]
Let us know if you are assigned to F tower in Fostoria. There is a test of strength; I did some less then stressful simulation dispatching there and it wasn’t too easy particularly after CSX did a diamond replacement.
I often listen to Fostorialive on the net and they handle trains non-stop. The one time I heard an Amtrak had caught fire at station sign Sandusky and it really clogged the junction afterwards.
Thanks everyone for your well wishes. This past year has been a whirlwind and it would be nice to touch the ground for once! I just met with the chief today and got a tour of the facility in downtown Indy. I was impressed with what I saw and the dispatchers are very kind, which is a great thing because I know I will need to rely on them for just about everything. Junction Fan, I will be dispatching the mainline between St. Louis to Cleveland, the Toledo Branch, the Scottlawn Sub, and the Columbus sub. The area you describe is most likely dispatched from JAX. Although, there is a lot cooperation between the Indy and JAX offices due to our lines crossing and connecting. Anyway, I’m excited and I hope things work out.
I thought once about making a craft transfer into the DS ranks. After spending a day observing what goes on in the office, I said no way. Isn’t for me.
Yes n_stephenson I hope eveything works out for you well becomeing a dispatcher. I wish you all the best and I will say what everyone else has said and say Congratulations!!!
listen to the crews… if they have a better idea… consider it…dont just ingor it… sometimes the crews in the field have a better idea on what is going on on the rails then you will by watching lines and dots on a computer screen…
csx engineer