Much like what csx_engineer says, the freight pools in Danville have off days for the conductors, but not the engineers. This has caused a problem because we are regularly short on engineers. Since they don’t have a regular off day to rely on they work all the time. Eventually even the most dedicated workers run out of steam and end up taking personal days or vacation days, or just plain lay off sick just to get some sleep. Just about every engineer at Danville takes 10 for 12 because they know they’ll be called in twelve almost every time. I’m going to Indy tomorrow to start qualifying and the freight pools there are managed much better. The money isn’t as good, and there are no off days, but the pools are so large that once someone gets home they are usually at home for at least 24 hours before they are out again. Increased or decreased train traffic can change the time at home; as usual nothing remains constant on the RR.
On the BNSF the engineers extra boards have a 7&3 rest cycle which means we work 7 days and are off 3. We on BNSF are running out of engineers & conductors if it wasn’t for the 7&3 I would have ran out of steam. Being the baby engineer and getting called to get on a train every 8 hours to go to Chicago hopeing to get held out for a couple hours to get a nap.
Rodney
Locomotive engineer