Storytime with Charlie

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No, more like T-rated for tragic!

CT

 

well then there is always PM or email:tb-cool:

 

this is the story I talked about on the "Engineers Class" board.

I was on the brakemans extra board & was called for a yard job at Eola,a helper on a day
shift job. Turns out there was a train tied-up in the siding at Big Rock(IL) on the C & I, the YM tells our crew that we are gonna dog-catch that train & yard it at Eola. We get some track warrants and jump in the transport van. Big Rock is not all that far from Eola
so it didn't take very long to get there. When we arrive, the conductor tells me to tell
the driver to stick around until we give him the highball to leave. We board the train, look around for the Wheel Report and any of the old track warrants. There was no paperwork of any kind on those engines. In other words, we had no idea of what was in,on,around,above or below our train, no idea of any hazmat,or how many cars,tonnage,length..... Nothing, Nix, NADA! So I said to the conductor, the van is still here, I'll go back to Eola, have them print a Wheel Report and bring it back so we can
leave. Now mind you, we have to know all this information, train length,tonnage,hazmat content etc before we can legally take this train on the main track. So at any rate I jump back in the van, go back to Eola, step into the yard office and tell the YM that I need a Wheel Report and would he print it out for me. He then begins to give me a ration of s**t about why did I need the Wheel Report, he knew what was on the train(he didnt!)and if it was him,he would have brought the train in. I told him I didn't need a lot of bulls**t, just print the Wheel Report,cuz we weren't gonna move the train until we had one! He grudgingly printed it up for me and I took it and started to head back to the van. As I was leaving the yard office, an "old head" hogger who was visiting someone there pulled me aside and told me in so many words that I was doing the right thing and that "cutting corners" for the sake of expediency never got him anywhere.
I got back to my train, we got permission to enter the main line, got the board and lineup and did our thing.

To this day I keep thinking about what the first question would be in the investigation
that would surely have been held for the gross violation of rules had we followed the
YM's suggestion.

"What were you thinking"?

As I've said before, never do them a favor, it will only come back to bite you on the haunches! Nobody gets fired by following the rules.

CT

 

Sad to say, but most don't care about rules/safety. Just as long as the work gets done. We have "Trainmasters" that have never worked in the field. Makes it hard to explain why things take the time that they do when the "boss" doesn't have a clue what your talking about...

 

Gotta agree witcha dere Joe! Two sayings I learned from the "old heads" when I first marked up...

1/ "Do what you're told; line your pockets with gold!"

2/"The more they think, the more money we make!"

I cant begin to tell you how many times those axioms were profitable to me!

CT

 

The more they think, the more they change their minds, the longer it takes to start the work, the longer it takes to finish the work('cause they changed their mind after you started the work), the more overtime you work, the more your wallet weighs:tb-biggrin:


Went through 9 hrs of this today and missed a run at the club:tb-mad: You know, add 2 units to that train. Oh, your done, well, umm... I need you to take one unit back off and add it to the DP on this train. It'll be a while before it gets here, so use it to work this fill...(1hr later) Oh, I just found the air slip from the previous shift, that fill's already been worked..(1hr later) Oh, that train doesn't need another unit on the DP, so put it back on the first train you put it on. By the end of the day:cry2eh: and then :beer:



Oh, the joys of holding a Hostler job... It's a good job. I'd be a great job if we didn't have Trainmasters...

 

Actually, that sounds like my model railroad. It's great fun, but not very productive as far as getting something done.

 

That prompted another memory...

Was working as a switchman on a day job at Cicero(IL) yard. We were at the west end of the yard taking some spot time(while "they" were thinking)before making our next move.
There was a WB manifest train ("H" category "junk" freight) on a departure track. It was
a transfer job(CRS if it was off the BRC or Conrail). Enehay... the TM is on the radio telling
the hogger that he is gonna be departing momentarily. I should add that the crew of this
train had tied on to this train with power from the Clyde RH, there were no engines on the
train. So the hogger sez that he would be pleased to leave Cicero but not until he had an
air test! TM sez that train was already air tested. Hogger asks where the air slip is then!
TM sez train was a transfer and was air tested prior to its leaving wherever. Hogger sez "fine" but I need proof,sez conductor is on the ground ready to walk a set & release.
Conductor sez "Yes I am" over the radio. Now you can imagine the WHOLE subdivision is
listening to this discourse. TM insists that the train was air tested. Conductor sez that he
will begin walking the set/release. TM still insisting that train was airtested, hogger still asking for proof,sez if they could even produce the crew that brought the train there, he
would accept their word for it. TM finally realizes he ain't getting nowhere with this hogger
and orders the carmen to air test the train and give him a written air slip!
Score:
Hogger 1
TM 0
There were a couple of "way to go"s over the radio!
Joe(SP4009)or Jerry(OC engineer) can tell you what would happen if anyone would move a train onto the mainline without proof of a valid airtest, or in lieu of that,without performing a set & release
of the whole train when there is no proof that the train has been disconnected from an air
source for less than the authorized time period.

NEVER,NEVER,NEVER move a train unless you are sure it is possible to stop it. A train is,in effect, a 10,000+ton javelin travelling at 50mph or greater.
As I've said previously, "you cant be fired for following the rules".

CT

 

Oh, there was a switchman in the S.F. Bay Area whom followed the rules. 100%. Never got any work done. They watched and watched but couldn't catch him doing anything wrong. Finally they took him to "Investigation" (railroad "court"). He was tried for "Malicious Rules Compliance.":tb-confused:

Of course the "charges" were dropped...

 

Sounds something like the guy who was my union griever as a trainman. He would walk a set & release to the letter of the rule,he would spin exactly the number of handbrakes required to tie down a train. He got the work done alright but it was "12 & tow" on every job he was on.
He was another "BN millionaire"! LOL

CT

 

In a departure from regular "Storytime", I would like to offer a word of advise and caution
to fellow rail hobbyists out there. A post on another board on "Trainboard" prompted me
to write this...
Subject: Copper theives.

Last week my oldest daughter and I were going to U.S.Cellular Park to a "make-up" day game for which we had "raincheck" tickets. The White Sox wound up "sweeping" the Twins.
Anyway...
We take public transportation most of the way. We drove he car a couple of miles to the
Orange Line "L" and take that to Roosevelt Rd station and transfer to the Red Line subway and backtrack to 35th/SoxPark station. The ball yard is just up the stair and to the west of the Red line. Very convenient! At the Pulaski Rd station where we board the
Orange Line there is a single track railroad line which,IIRC, has multiple owners over its length. The line itself is basically an East/West line geographically and extends on the east from a connection with the BNSF(former ATSF-Corwith Yard)and the CN(former GTW-at what was Elsdon Yard), it extends west crossing the BRC N/S main and then joining with the Bedford Park main of the BRC. It is used for transfer jobs mostly,light engine and relatively short trains.
Well as my daughter and I were walking from the parking lot(after paying our parking fee)
I noticed a young man walking along the right of way,he was carrying some items which I was able to identify as some copper wire and tubing plus some tools. I guess he noticed me staring at him and he looked back at me. Now this just wasn't adding up!
Why was he walking right down the middle of the tracks carrying this stuff. He was definitely NOT a railroader performing service!
I'll tell you why!
1/ He was wearing short pants, like "camo" shorts. (Against RR rules)
2/ He was wearing athletic shoes (against RR rules)
3/ He was not wearing safety glasses (against RR rules)
4/ He did not have any safety vestments,ie. reflector belts,safety vest etc(again a rule violation)
5/ He did not have a radio, a definite requirement for track workers(another rule viol.)

There was a CTA employee standing outside the station lobby,performing security duty
and I asked her that if she saw that young man again that she should call the RR police and I told her why.

Folks, if you see something like this happening while you are out 'fanning, get on your
cell or the nearest phone and call the RR or the local police, BUT dont attempt to stop them yourself. While I didn't see this person take anything, he most certainly looked suspicious. This was possibly a copper thief, stealing rail bonds,signalling wire and messenger wire for crossing gates. I dont have to tell you how dangerous this practice is. Again if you witness some dubious activity, err on the side of caution, I just gave you
an example on how to recognize a rail worker. BTW if they are NOT a rail worker, they have no business being on the R.O.W. anyway. Call the proper authorities!

Charlie

BTW... I didn't have my phone and my daughter had hers buried at the bottom of her
purse and we were hurrying to catch the train. That's why I told the CTA employee.
Anyway the guy got the idea that he was being watched, since he kept looking back to
see if I was still watching(I was)but as I said we were hurrying to catch the train.

 

That should happen, but this may also cause crossing gates to malfunction. This particular
stretch of railroad is unsignaled except for the crossings with the CN(former GTW) and the BRC. No matter where it is, it is still dangerous.

Charlie

 

Anybody have any questions for me?

Charlie

 

Nope, don't recall you asking any.