Thanks Jeff, for that explanation,
Now, their ( The Cabooses-Blizzard Busses)
presence makes perfect sense!
Propane. I think the one was refurbished after it was found that the heater wasn't working right. It wasn't venting properly to the outside, but letting exhaust and fumes build inside the caboose.
One set of deadheads at an away from home terminal refused to use it. Local management, which as usual thought the crews were just whining about having to ride it, finally called in someone to check the unit. The person who checked it said there was no way it could be used in it's present state. It was taken out of service and repaired.
Jeff
Jeff, what kind of heat did your blizzard bus have? Coal stove?
Johnny
samfp1943 To what narig01 said that has been an accepted way to "negotiate " a DOT volaton for quite a while, but it required a pretty believabe back-up 'story' as well as an ability to convience the questioning Official to accept it. jeffhergert said: "...When getting close to dying on the HOS and asking if we need to secure the train, unless they know there won't be a relief crew coming out, we are usually instructed NOT to tie the train down. You might sit on the train waiting for the relief crew for an hour or more after you're dead, but they don't consider it performing service. Violating the HOS is allowed for "emergency" situations. For us, that is usually severe winter weather when they can't get a relief crew to you. (Either they can't get a crew to you or there isn't a crew to be had.) The railroad can still be fined for the violations, but the FRA can (and has) reduce or waive the fines because of the extenuating cicumstances. When one has exceeded the HOS, our tie up screens have a place to record the name of the officer (initials, not the full name) who ordered the violation. All the times I've heard of instructions being given to violate, it's been the corridor manager who is the officer of record. You always want to be instructed to violate. If you violate on your own accord, you open yourself up to also being fined for the violation. I have been ordered to violate a few times, always during severe winter storms..." Jeff Which brings me to ask the following question: " For some time there were two cabooses that seemed to 'sit' unused in the UPRR yard at Parsons, Ks. As I recall they had some 'labeling on them' (do not remember the exact wording) but they related something to the effect that they were for 'CREW RELIEF". My questions: Would they be taken out to a "Dead Crew" for them to somehow get 'rested' so they could continue on their assignment? [ in lieu of an available crew transport service.] Or simply, get their proper rest period in one of those cabooses? I had never heard, or seen any others like them,( they were painted in that 'green' color UPR seems to favor for its MOW cars, but no designator on the car ID numbers) around on any other railroad. Obviously, the UPR had spend not only time, but money to create them, anyone have any ideas as to their WHY or to the WHAT of their Purpose?
To what narig01 said that has been an accepted way to "negotiate " a DOT volaton for quite a while, but it required a pretty believabe back-up 'story' as well as an ability to convience the questioning Official to accept it.
jeffhergert said: "...When getting close to dying on the HOS and asking if we need to secure the train, unless they know there won't be a relief crew coming out, we are usually instructed NOT to tie the train down. You might sit on the train waiting for the relief crew for an hour or more after you're dead, but they don't consider it performing service.
Violating the HOS is allowed for "emergency" situations. For us, that is usually severe winter weather when they can't get a relief crew to you. (Either they can't get a crew to you or there isn't a crew to be had.) The railroad can still be fined for the violations, but the FRA can (and has) reduce or waive the fines because of the extenuating cicumstances.
When one has exceeded the HOS, our tie up screens have a place to record the name of the officer (initials, not the full name) who ordered the violation. All the times I've heard of instructions being given to violate, it's been the corridor manager who is the officer of record. You always want to be instructed to violate. If you violate on your own accord, you open yourself up to also being fined for the violation. I have been ordered to violate a few times, always during severe winter storms..."
Which brings me to ask the following question: " For some time there were two cabooses that seemed to 'sit' unused in the UPRR yard at Parsons, Ks.
As I recall they had some 'labeling on them' (do not remember the exact wording) but they related something to the effect that they were for 'CREW RELIEF".
My questions:
Would they be taken out to a "Dead Crew" for them to somehow get 'rested' so they could continue on their assignment? [ in lieu of an available crew transport service.]
Or simply, get their proper rest period in one of those cabooses? I had never heard, or seen any others like them,( they were painted in that 'green' color UPR seems to favor for its MOW cars, but no designator on the car ID numbers) around on any other railroad.
Obviously, the UPR had spend not only time, but money to create them, anyone have any ideas as to their WHY or to the WHAT of their Purpose?
Probably a couple of "Blizzard Busses." Not Ed's RV, but used for crew transport when highways are impassable. We have one at Boone. It's one from the last batch of UP baywindow style cabooses and has been repainted yellow. It looks really nice.
I've ridden one once. The one I was on had seats that seem to have come from old passenger cars. It had MU connections on both ends so it could be (and was) sandwiched between two engines.
One fine morning back in Super Winter '78 I got ordered as engineer on a 7am snowplow extra out of West Chicago. We plowed right into CPT, turned and went west. We were promised a relief crew at WC but that did not happen and we were told to violate and run into Proviso. The weather was "gittin' worser and worser". The brakeman climbed off and walked home. The conductor figured we would never get home if we didn't make a move, so we called the dispatcher for a signal to head west. A bit later the dispatcher calls "It says on the sheet that you guys were on duty at 7am. Is that correct?" We replied in the affirmative. "Well," says he "you're in violation. But while I've got you, how about plowing out over GX (west of Geneva) for me?" Finally, at 4am we got back in the yard at West Chicago and tied up. I did catch hell from a company officer for the paper timeslip I turned in and he later had me re-write it. In the 'Time on duty' box I had put 7am and in the 'Time off duty' box 4am. 'Total time on duty' was 21 hours. The next job I was called for was also a snow plow - to Belvidere. We were already 12 hours old when we turned on the wye there. The trainmaster yelled at us that there was no way he could get the crew to the motel and that we were to 'get out of town', so we headed back to West Chicago. ...turned out to be a short day - only 19 hours on duty.
PAW
Falcon48 See the following link for an intersting little twist to this question: http://www.blet375.com/FRA-OP-0430-2004-02-03.pdf
See the following link for an intersting little twist to this question:
http://www.blet375.com/FRA-OP-0430-2004-02-03.pdf
When getting close to dying on the HOS and asking if we need to secure the train, unless they know there won't be a relief crew coming out, we are usually instructed NOT to tie the train down. You might sit on the train waiting for the relief crew for an hour or more after you're dead, but they don't consider it performing service.
When one has exceeded the HOS, our tie up screens have a place to record the name of the officer (initials, not the full name) who ordered the violation. All the times I've heard of instructions being given to violate, it's been the corridor manager who is the officer of record. You always want to be instructed to violate. If you violate on your own accord, you open yourself up to also being fined for the violation. I have been ordered to violate a few times, always during severe winter storms.
Well, it continues to be part of the saga of the continued meltdown of NS and the late running of the Amtrak 29 and 49. Not sure why the violation occured, but they did continue for about 3 miles then waited for a recrew.
Ed
1.17 Hours of Service Law
Employees must be familiar and comply with the requirements of the federal hours of service law. Employees are expected to use off-duty time so they are prepared for work.
If an employee is called to report for duty before legal off-duty time has expired, before accepting the call to work, the employee must notify the individual making the call that off-duty time has not expired.
A. Notification
When communication is available, employees must notify the train dispatcher or another authority of the time the law requires them to be off duty. Employees must provide notification early enough that they may be relieved, or transportation provided, before they exceed the hours of service.
B. Exceeding the Law
Employees must not exceed the hours of service law without proper authority. However, they must not leave trains, engines, or cars on the main track without proper protection. Employees must secure trains properly and, if possible, before they exceed the hours of service. Except as provided by this paragraph, employees are then relieved of all duties.
If Amtrak ordered a crew to violate the HOS, then I would assume leaving the train where it was at either presented a danger to the passengers or the general public in some manner.
23 17 46 11
Under what circumstance can the "Hours of Service" (12 hours) be violated? What steps are taken in order to do this?
I just heard this occur on Amtrak 49 in NW Indiana (running about 10 hours late).
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