If you already hate me for my previous posts, then please, refrain from reading this one.
So today the Metra Annonces that Train 2614 would be late due to track construction.
The train had already made it through
they never announced that it was on track one (inbounds are on two) so he had to stop short, let the passengers cross, and then go n’ load. More than likely they did this also at Deerfield too, causing a late arrival of equipment. The next outbound train it was on was also delayed.
Now for the funnier part…
On the annoncements ticker, they spelled out 2614 as 20 6 14…Are there three different trains that i don’t know of XD??
I must also point out that many of the freight trains had either come out later than usual (train 277 came out at around 4:30, and usually is out of Illinois by that time) or were delayed for a time (which is understandable since UP is having a hard time getting trains through Shermer Rd, where a bridge collapsed)
The umber of yard crews at Bensenville has been reduced to…mmm…5 (i think)while at the same time Harrison is killing the hump there, and thus, increasing the flat switching (more hours to the reduced number of crews, yo)
If I had the funds, i’d probably put my money in CN, since they’re promising growth in their oil shipments, raising their operating ratio, and the capacity on the EJ&E, while dealing with residents on the J in a civil matter.
I certainly don’t hate you, Mr. Railman, but it would help reader comprehension if you set the scene better before jumping into your story. Everybody, starting with me, doesn’t understand immediately that you are talking about Chicago’s suburban operation, and has to read down a ways, then back up and start over.
Starting out a post with the idea that everybody hates you doesn’t seem like a real good course toward intelligent discussion. What’s that tag line from the old Clairol hair coloring commercial? “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”?
A bigger issue, I guess to be honest, is to ask what’s your pont? Is it soley that you don’t like that Harrison took over leadership of CP? You sound as if you’re saying “See! See! I told you so!!!” 'Truth is, nothing as big as a railroad system is going to run perfect all the time. Pointing all the little difficulties CP has under Harrison is going to be a time consuming endeavor.
I think the title of the thread is the beginning of the off-putting. Were I a moderator, it would have been edited by now in view of its intended meaning. The rules prohibit the use of off-colour language.
If it really was messed up, how do you know you were in the right place?
Metra would be responsible for the announcements and signs. If they are not in communication with the dispatchers, things like this happen. A voice-recognition system might have been responsible for the mangling of the train number. I’ve seen on my own line (UP West) cases in which the wrong arrival track was announced. If I’m present (whether or not I plan on being a passenger), I check to see whether signal indications support (or at least don’t contradict) what the announcements say. Then I fix it, by letting the passengers know that the announcement is probably wrong…either cross or don’t cross, before the bell starts ringing.
There’s a difference between making the best of a bad situation and making the most of it.
Tend to agree with Selector’s/Crandell’s assessment!
The Poster ( Mr. Railman) seems to enter into conversations with more than a little attitude, and a confrontational bent. Kind of like, walking into the Family Thanksgiving meal and immediately going negative on the food and family. Confrontation does not immedaiely get one fuzzy feelings from the listeners, but will get everyone within earshot a negative attitude towards the speaker, and the potential to get asked to leave, immedaitely.
The Term used to describe the situation M/r Railman found at a Chicago METRA station seems to be designed to immediately create negativity for METRA and its Ops.
Taking Bensenville to mean Chicago, the Railroad Performance Measures webpage shows that the “Terminal Dwell” there has bounced around in the range from 18 to 22 hours for most of the summer since the early June strike - but since October 1st, has climbed into the 24 - 25 hour range. See: http://www.railroadpm.org/Performance%20Reports/CP/graph.aspx?Weeks=53 So there might be some factual basis merit to the portion of the Original Poster’s comment quoted above. (Hint to Mr. Railman: You’ll be a lot more persuasive with this group if you support your opinions and conclusions with facts and data like this, even better if it’s from CP’s mouth itself !)
Canadian Pacific says it will release its 3rd Quarter 2012 financial results tomorrow morning (Weds., 24 Oct.) at 7:30 AM Eastern time - see: http://www.cpr.ca/en/news-and-media/news/Pages/cp-q3-conference-call.aspx - so that will be some “proof of the pudding” as it’s now constituted ( [:-,] or perhaps I should say “constipated”, in view of the implications of that RPM data ?).
The CP has recently (actually it’s a WIP) installed new crossovers just north of Trusedel, WI. plus they have installed some new signals between WEPCO and Sturtevant to govern the new crossovers. There is also a new siding near Trusedel for the setting out of bad-order cars detected by the Somers detector. The CP is no longer delivering coal to the Pleasant Prairie power plant.
When one of my brothers came home from the Air Corps and another one came home from the Navy in 1946, I (10 years old) learned that the term is “Fouled up beyond all recognition.” Still, I do not believe that it is appropriate to use the acronym (or others that are similar) in postings to the Trains forums.
Ed, some people have thin skins, and have trouble making allowances for other peoples’ failure to satisfy them completely.
Of course, when you reach my age (76), you may have learned to make allowances for some failures to satisfy everybody.
Incidentally, I recently re-read your account of how two young men, who could have paid rail fare if they needed to travel, were subjected to what they considered to be rough treatment when they were discovered riding (for free) in an open freight car. These two, also, wanted everything their way. Their attitude could have been described using one of the acronyms.
I would have hate to have seen him on MY last load then. Here is how I spent my Last 2 Days at the consignee. I was at my destination and hooked up to their Hoses to unload and then to their Air Supply to Prevent any Contamination in the Product Medical Grade is what I had on. Well 20% into the Unload Process the Freaking Blower Quits quite Violently shall I say. Shut down and sit waiting for the Company do Decide what to do. Now if this stuff is Exposed to outside sources it can not be used for Medical so they say it is unloaded in a completely Sealed System and loaded after the Resin is UV Sterilized along with the Trailer. So I am hooked up to the trailer with Clean room supplied air that is not working to with sterlie Plastics and sealed trailers. So if I unhook I contaminate about 400K lbs of Plastic. Took them 2 Days to get the Blower for the unload process Repaired. I should get 10K in Detention time for this load.
What caused the Failure they forgot the refill the Blower with OIL after they serviced it.
My butt I had to stay in the truck until I was unloaded and also got it arranged. Only good thing about it was First trip in my new one and was able to get all my gear arranged how I want waiting for the repairs on their Equipment.