Electroliner 1935 Bruce Kelly
Bruce Kelly
Plan - he don't need no stinkin' four letter that he doesn't understand.
Where do trains get delayed - Yards - do away with them.Where do trains get delayed - Passing Sidings - do away with them.
Run 1 train from Albany to Chicago today; after it arrives Chicago run a train from Chicago to Albany. It will only be about 100K or 120K long, no problem.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Electroliner 1935 Bruce Kelly Railway Age editor Bill Vantuono summarizes the recent developments here: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/whats-going-on-at-csx.html?channel=00 Hunter did away with the rule banning getting off moving equipment. He currently has a team working on a design to single-track from Albany, N.Y. to Chicago.” Illinois Central again. Look out Amtrak.
Bruce Kelly Railway Age editor Bill Vantuono summarizes the recent developments here: http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/whats-going-on-at-csx.html?channel=00
Hunter did away with the rule banning getting off moving equipment. He currently has a team working on a design to single-track from Albany, N.Y. to Chicago.”
Illinois Central again.
Look out Amtrak.
I've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks and ended their napping policy.
Jeff
jeffhergertI've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks
Just shows how out of touch this guy is. Unreal. He does know this isn't 1960 anymore? No one goes for that "tough guy" railroading BS anymore.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Single-track from Albany to Chicago? I don't know, Hunter's asking for a midnight visit from the ghost of Commodore Vanderbilt, and I wouldn't want to be there when it happens. He'll find out what a real tough guy's all about.
"You caitiff!!! You diletantte!!! WHAT are you doing to MY railroad!!!"
If he does that UPS and Fed Ex will remove every single can they ship from CSX and switch what they can to NS or back on the road. If that happens be ready for about 400 trucks a day needing parking in the northeastern United States and the people of those states screaming about them. Just a little observation from my way. Just were are you going to put them for their mandated breaks in a area that is so short of parking already.
I wonder: how long before Mr. Harrison succeeds in running his traffic sources off and the shareholders realize that they voted for a man who does not care for the survival of the road but cares only for a quick profit to the shareholders who want to make a killing and cares nothing for the shareholders who hoped to have income from their shares?
Johnny
zugmann jeffhergert Just shows how out of touch this guy is. Unreal. He does know this isn't 1960 anymore? No one goes for that "tough guy" railroading BS anymore.
jeffhergert
I had no issues when instructions were to use brake sticks - if available. Where it got beyond tedious was when brake sticks were required and nothing would get secured unless one got dug up from somewhere. All being done to 'extend the day'. The S word!
It got the the point that the Baltimore Dispatchers office obtained a couple of them - for emergency use.
DeggestyI wonder: how long before Mr. Harrison succeeds in running his traffic sources off and the shareholders realize that they voted for a man who does not care for the survival of the road but cares only for a quick profit to the shareholders who want to make a killing and cares nothing for the shareholders who hoped to have income from their shares?
The shareholders that voted EHH into office don't care about anything other than how much money EHH can put in their pockets THIS QUARTER. They can't see next quarter and don't care about next quarter until it becomes THIS QUARTER. If the return isn't there THIS QUARTER they'll be gone before next quarter ends. If CSX is a wrecked shell of a company with all its financial resources plundered - THEY DON'T CARE!
Look out for an extra dividend ! Quick bump in stock price, awarded as of a certain date and shareholders bail after that date !
Last I looked, both CN and CP are still in business, going strong, contrary to some of their employees' dire warnings when EHH alledgedly dismantled them for scrap.
http://marketrealist.com/2017/07/behind-canadian-national-railways-number-1-position-in-week-28/
https://www.fool.ca/2017/07/20/canadian-pacific-railway-limited-beats-q2-expectations-buy-now/
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
deleted
zugmann jeffhergert I've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks Just shows how out of touch this guy is. Unreal. He does know this isn't 1960 anymore? No one goes for that "tough guy" railroading BS anymore.
jeffhergert I've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks
I'd heard of the old classic brake club, but CN doesn't use these so I had to look up what the newer version was. For those who are unfamiliar they allow you to reach in and apply/release a handbrake without climbing onto the car (our standard method) or stepping between cars.
How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
I wonder what he has against brake sticks? Since they seem to not be used in Canada, they should not be used in the U.S.? Is he afraid that an employee will use one on a fellow employee?
Or come after him?
http://m.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/whats-going-on-at-csx.html?channel=00
Meltdown and gridlock in the name of efficiency?
SD70M-2DudeI'd heard of the old classic brake club, but CN doesn't use these so I had to look up what the newer version was. For those who are unfamiliar they allow you to reach in and apply/release a handbrake without climbing onto the car (our standard method) or stepping between cars. How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them.
So I am scratching my head on that device. I understand why the brake wheel is between cars as if it were on the exterior of the car......passing through heavy brush might spin the wheel with a moving train.
However, why don't they lower the brake wheel a foot or two and off center it a little more to make it easier to reach?
SD70M-2DudeHow long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them.
At least 10 years. Keeps you from having to climb up on cars. And I've worked yard jobs where you had to apply 30-40 handbrakes a night shifting out a train. Brakesticks are great.
I have a feeling EHH thinks "real RRers" climb on cars to put on brakes. Like I said earlier, that old-style thinking is stupid at best, dangerous at worst. Like to see he climb his wrinkly old butt up on a railcar to put a brake on.
zugmann SD70M-2Dude How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them. At least 10 years. Keeps you from having to climb up on cars. And I've worked yard jobs where you had to apply 30-40 handbrakes a night shifting out a train. Brakesticks are great. I have a feeling EHH thinks "real RRers" climb on cars to put on brakes. Like I said earlier, that old-style thinking is stupid at best, dangerous at worst. Like to see he climb his wrinkly old butt up on a railcar to put a brake on.
SD70M-2Dude How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them.
I've said for years EHH was hated by employees, as an old friend on the IC/ICG/CN told me from his bitter experiences. I recall saying that on here long ago when most forum members looked the other way. So now it's chickens coming home to roost. But some of the dire warnings of ruination sound like chicken little. CSX will be a bad place for many to work but it will survivein spite of EHH. He's just another capitalist (albeit a pretty repulsive one) doing his thing, which is always for sharholders' benefit, not for most employees.
Oh well. He's old. So like the times of sand, he too, will pass.
Unless he's some souless immortal being. Which I would never rule out.
Huh, I was skeptical when looking at some pictures of them but now I'll keep an open mind if they show up here one day. I'm still relatively young and spry so I don't mind climbing on and off cars but I see why one would want to eliminate that part of the job for safety reasons. And of course there are a lot of Conductors with physiques that make climbing steps a challenge, let alone railcars. How good a grip do those sticks have, and how much leverage can you put on the wheel?
And I think Hunter's been getting grumpier and grumpier (to use a polite society term) as he gets older, CN seems to have been a warm-up act compared to CP, which in turn has been trumped by his recent actions at CSX, at least according to that Railway Age article. Or maybe Satan finally came to collect his soul, but felt so much at home in a rail exec's body that he decided to stay for a while and have some fun...
SD70M-2DudeHow good a grip do those sticks have, and how much leverage can you put on the wheel?
They're fine until they get covered in snow. then it's like an icicle.
How much leverage? I can put a tight enough brake on to slide loads. More than enough.
zugmann SD70M-2Dude How good a grip do those sticks have, and how much leverage can you put on the wheel? They're fine until they get covered in snow. then it's like an icicle. How much leverage? I can put a tight enough brake on to slide loads. More than enough.
SD70M-2Dude How good a grip do those sticks have, and how much leverage can you put on the wheel?
Which is what the grab irons and rungs can become too. I remember climbing on a car with a build up of ice to release a brake. A brake stick would've been nice that night.
In my area their use is required. They have them mounted in holders at places in the yard and out on the road where there use (places where trains/cuts are often tied down) is likely. Vans usually have them and conductors are issued them, if they want.
I've had to watch the video instruction, but don't use one on engines. They were coming out, but mostly for testing, about 2004. Shortly before I went into engine service. I think both extremes, use them ALL the time/don't use them EVER is wrong. I can see if you're going to tie a bunch of handbrakes or in slippery conditions they can be useful. I also think if you're just tying one brake it's just as easy to climb on the car, weather conditions permitting of course. I don't know if EHH thinks they slow a person down or the cost of providing them.
jeffhergertWhich is what the grab irons and rungs can become too. I remember climbing on a car with a build up of ice to release a brake. A brake stick would've been nice that night.
Fun times. Esp when it's raining and the temp is hovering around 32 degrees F. It's funny, before their use was mandatory, it was the old pre-85 conductors that were using them religiously. I started using them regular before it was required, too. Again, the whole 30-40 handbrakes on a night thing...
I always thought they should come with a scabbard, though. You could kind of tuck them in a RCO vest, but they slid out.
One of these days we need to get around to writing a book: Show new posts first: the Life and times of a Trains.com forum railroader.
zugmann Oh well. He's old. So like the times of sand, he too, will pass. Unless he's some souless immortal being. Which I would never rule out.
Reminds me of a story...
When the sleazy Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures died Groucho Marx was seen arriving at the funeral service, was spotted by an aquaintance, and...
"Groucho! What are you doin' here? I thought you hated Harry!"
"I did. I'm here just to make sure he's dead!"
zugmann I always thought they should come with a scabbard, though. You could kind of tuck them in a RCO vest, but they slid out.
A few conductors have outfitted them with a strap so they can carry them over their shoulder. One made his own scabbard to carry it.
SD70M-2Dude zugmann jeffhergert I've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks Just shows how out of touch this guy is. Unreal. He does know this isn't 1960 anymore? No one goes for that "tough guy" railroading BS anymore. I'd heard of the old classic brake club, but CN doesn't use these so I had to look up what the newer version was. For those who are unfamiliar they allow you to reach in and apply/release a handbrake without climbing onto the car (our standard method) or stepping between cars. How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them.
So why not mount the wheel further down and closer to the edge of the car? The brake wheel on gondolas, flatcars, and well cars is necessarily closer to the ground... what's the reason for mounting them so high on hoppers and boxcars?
Just a guess on my part, but maybe it's to prevent damage to the wheel? That brake wheel doesn't appear to be any more than a stamped piece of sheet metal, although I'm sure it's stronger than it looks.
Ulrich SD70M-2Dude zugmann jeffhergert I've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks Just shows how out of touch this guy is. Unreal. He does know this isn't 1960 anymore? No one goes for that "tough guy" railroading BS anymore. I'd heard of the old classic brake club, but CN doesn't use these so I had to look up what the newer version was. For those who are unfamiliar they allow you to reach in and apply/release a handbrake without climbing onto the car (our standard method) or stepping between cars. How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them. So why not mount the wheel further down and closer to the edge of the car? The brake wheel on gondolas, flatcars, and well cars is necessarily closer to the ground... what's the reason for mounting them so high on hoppers and boxcars?
These are brake sticks? You gotta be kidding me!
These things look like something that would be sold by Bed Bath & Beyond for about $20.
NKP guyThese are brake sticks? You gotta be kidding me! These things look like something that would be sold by Bed Bath & Beyond for about $20.
Good analogy.
Norm
NKP guy Ulrich SD70M-2Dude zugmann jeffhergert I've read that CSX has also banned the use of brake sticks Just shows how out of touch this guy is. Unreal. He does know this isn't 1960 anymore? No one goes for that "tough guy" railroading BS anymore. I'd heard of the old classic brake club, but CN doesn't use these so I had to look up what the newer version was. For those who are unfamiliar they allow you to reach in and apply/release a handbrake without climbing onto the car (our standard method) or stepping between cars. How long have these things been around? In 6 years of work I've never seen or heard of them. So why not mount the wheel further down and closer to the edge of the car? The brake wheel on gondolas, flatcars, and well cars is necessarily closer to the ground... what's the reason for mounting them so high on hoppers and boxcars? These are brake sticks? You gotta be kidding me! These things look like something that would be sold by Bed Bath & Beyond for about $20.
Not $20
https://www.aldonco.com/store/p/765-Brake-Stick-short-27-42.aspx
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