There has to be a good way to maximise railfanning time. Seems to me that trais run in packs with a lot of quiet time in between.
CandOforprogress2Would there be a way to Schedule crews so they they can get home almost every night even if that means swapping crews in the middle of a corn field? This would minimise hotel and crew van costs?
That presumes there are home terminals on either end of a run. At present that is not the case.
On the Baltimore Division -
Home Terminal - Destination TerminalBaltimore - Philadelphia & RichmondPhiladelphia - North JerseyRichmond - Brunswick & PhiladelphiaCumberland - Baltimore, Brunswick, Grafton & New CastleConnellsville - Cumberland & New CastleChambersburg - Cumberland
Where the normal run is 6 hours or less, crews are frequently turned back when their inbound arrival matches the inbound arrival of a train destined back to their home terminal. The reality is there aren't all that many runs that are 6 hours or less.
Corn Field crew change meets imply that both crews have sufficient working time to make destination from the point where they change trains.
At various points in time so called 'Home & Home' pools have been tried with crews Home at both ends - The order of call was for a rested 'away' crew to be called for a assignment before a 'home' crew. Over time, one terminal's crews started complaining that the other terminals crews were getting more work - then the fights started.
Crews at each terminal want the work they are contractually entitled to. The company wants them to have the work they are contractually entitled to, however, if a terminal has situations (where staffing is at required levels) where a terminal over a period of time does not protect the work they are entitled to - the company can and does move the work.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Would there be a way to Schedule crews so they they can get home almost every night even if that means swapping crews in the middle of a corn field? This would minimise hotel and crew van costs?
CandOforprogress2 Allen Broham via the Bullsheet has CSX Train schedules with times for each train symbol. http://bullsheet.com/csxfreights200102.html so if Hunter Harrison is taking CSX to scedules railroading would some CSX Employee have access to current freight schedules? Allen was a CSX tower man.
Allen Broham via the Bullsheet has CSX Train schedules with times for each train symbol. http://bullsheet.com/csxfreights200102.html so if Hunter Harrison is taking CSX to scedules railroading would some CSX Employee have access to current freight schedules? Allen was a CSX tower man.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
CandOforprogress2 traisessive1 The schedule only means something for the origin terminal. Once it leaves the origin terminal there is no such thing as schedule. In reality, the schedule does carry through to destination. On the CADS system train ID's displayed on the Dispatchers model board are color coded for On Time/ Advance, upto Two hours Late, and beyond two hours late. In addition to the metric measuring On Time Origination, there is also a metric for On Time Arrival at destination. Internally each subdivision gets measured on its throughput versus the scheduled times over the subdivision. BaltACD Who would have acccess to the schedules? Crew Caller? Dispatch? Conducters bidding for jobs? Yardmaster?
traisessive1 The schedule only means something for the origin terminal. Once it leaves the origin terminal there is no such thing as schedule. In reality, the schedule does carry through to destination. On the CADS system train ID's displayed on the Dispatchers model board are color coded for On Time/ Advance, upto Two hours Late, and beyond two hours late. In addition to the metric measuring On Time Origination, there is also a metric for On Time Arrival at destination. Internally each subdivision gets measured on its throughput versus the scheduled times over the subdivision. BaltACD Who would have acccess to the schedules? Crew Caller? Dispatch? Conducters bidding for jobs? Yardmaster?
traisessive1 The schedule only means something for the origin terminal. Once it leaves the origin terminal there is no such thing as schedule.
In reality, the schedule does carry through to destination. On the CADS system train ID's displayed on the Dispatchers model board are color coded for On Time/ Advance, upto Two hours Late, and beyond two hours late.
In addition to the metric measuring On Time Origination, there is also a metric for On Time Arrival at destination. Internally each subdivision gets measured on its throughput versus the scheduled times over the subdivision.
Who would have acccess to the schedules? Crew Caller? Dispatch? Conducters bidding for jobs? Yardmaster?
Employees that need the information that is conveyed in the schedules (which is much more information than just times of arrival and departure at locations) have access to they schedules whenever they need the information via the CSX Computer system.
When 'assigned' T&E jobs are bulletined for bid the specifics for the job are posted - such information may include start time, start location, working limits etc.
Terminal personel (Trainmasters - Yardmasters etc.) have access all the necessary information concernng blocking and departure times. Dispatchers have all the necessary arrival and departure times and on line work so they can plan their railroad amongst all the trains on their territory.
For Crew Management, there is a computer system that supports the calling of trains, to a great extent Chief Dispatchers input a call time for a train at a location and in many cases the computer system calls the appropriate personnel without human intervention. In other cases there are so called 'Show Up Jobs' where those assigned to the jobs show up at the designated place and time without being called by Crew Management.
Needless to say there are various checks and balances as well as metrics that measure all the 'back office' actions that happen in the course of facilitating the operation of the railroad. Anyting the computer is involved in doing leaves a real time 'audit trail' of the timestamped actions it performed, manual interactions with these computer systems also record the timestamped actions performed.
BaltACD Who would have acccess to the schedules? Crew Caller? Dispatch? Conducters bidding for jobs? Yardmaster? traisessive1 The schedule only means something for the origin terminal. Once it leaves the origin terminal there is no such thing as schedule. In reality, the schedule does carry through to destination. On the CADS system train ID's displayed on the Dispatchers model board are color coded for On Time/ Advance, upto Two hours Late, and beyond two hours late. In addition to the metric measuring On Time Origination, there is also a metric for On Time Arrival at destination. Internally each subdivision gets measured on its throughput versus the scheduled times over the subdivision.
traisessive1The schedule only means something for the origin terminal. Once it leaves the origin terminal there is no such thing as schedule.
The schedule only means something for the origin terminal. Once it leaves the origin terminal there is no such thing as schedule.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
Saturnalia tree68 Recreating it would likely be a "crowd-sourced" effort of many folks combining their observations from around the network. Think no more, because there is just such a place. This is a wiki, and there are several people who are updating it on a regular basis, so it is a pretty good source to do a symbol look-up. The Q-train section, in particular, is always keeping pace with the times. http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/CSX_Train_Symbols
tree68 Recreating it would likely be a "crowd-sourced" effort of many folks combining their observations from around the network.
Recreating it would likely be a "crowd-sourced" effort of many folks combining their observations from around the network.
Think no more, because there is just such a place.
This is a wiki, and there are several people who are updating it on a regular basis, so it is a pretty good source to do a symbol look-up. The Q-train section, in particular, is always keeping pace with the times.
http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/CSX_Train_Symbols
The linked site gives O-D information for the various train identities. It does not provide schedule information (times of operation).
Well IF Hunter is claiming to run a sceduled railroad dont you think custumers and potentiol custumers would like to see a timetable? (myself as a shareholder as well.) Railroads up to about 1970s published freight schedules and the "Official Guide" freight railroad made a buisness out of it. Intermodal scedules are published but not general manifest. Hobos and Crew haulers did use Allen Brohams Bullsheet and it was accurate to within 2 hours or so.
I suspect the previously mentioned author of the "Bullsheet" spent a fair amount of time maintaining it, and with at least the tacit approval of the railroad.
As noted, that sort of information isn't lightly bandied about any more. I doubt the effort could be duplicated today. With cutbacks in manpower, things like idle hours spent in a tower simply don't exist.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Balt,
I understand and realize nost of those propritary systems operate on a virtual private network that only employees and competent hackers can access.
In the name of security most companies try to keep their information away from the public. Makes sense to me why they would do that.
Norm
Norm48327 CandOforprogress2 Allen Broham via the Bullsheet has CSX Train schedules with times for each train symbol. http://bullsheet.com/csxfreights200102.html so if Hunter Harrison is taking CSX to scedules railroading would some CSX Employee have access to current freight schedules? Allen was a CSX tower man. I wish you luck getting current schedules or other propritary information. Despite having contacts at both railroads in my area, propriatary info is hard to come by. I was looking for a more up to date track chart and one and my friends said that if they released one to me they could be compromising their jobs. I would not ask them to do that. You will be lucky to find any information less than ten years old.
I wish you luck getting current schedules or other propritary information. Despite having contacts at both railroads in my area, propriatary info is hard to come by.
I was looking for a more up to date track chart and one and my friends said that if they released one to me they could be compromising their jobs. I would not ask them to do that. You will be lucky to find any information less than ten years old.
The age of printed books of schedules and most other things are a thing of the past on CSX. Everything is maintained on the computer and it gets updated in real time. Just because a specified train was scheduled to depart at 4 PM today, doesn't mean that it's schedule won't be changed for tomorrow.
CandOforprogress2Allen Broham via the Bullsheet has CSX Train schedules with times for each train symbol. http://bullsheet.com/csxfreights200102.html so if Hunter Harrison is taking CSX to scedules railroading would some CSX Employee have access to current freight schedules? Allen was a CSX tower man.
CSX and its predecessors have been Scheduled railroads for decades.
CSX updates their schedules on a weekly basis to keep up with business realities and operational realities. Schedules also get updated when local officials see an opportunity to revise how service gets performed on their area's of responsibility.
Except for taking a hatchet to the numbers of CSX employees, EHH brings nothing new to the CSX operating plan - unless it is the intent to poorly serve selected customers.
During my career I worked with Alan personally in several capacities. After he retired from being a train order operator he got employment with one of the contracted crew movement company's and ferried crews around various locations on the Baltimore Division; I understand Alan's health has deteriorated and he lives in a assisted care facility.
I wouldn't try setting your watch from that list.
The times listed on thost schedules were at best an estimate - myriad factors "adjusted" the schedules.
A good number of the trains on what you posted don't even run any more.
Whether someone has access to the necessary information, time to assemble it, and doesn't end up with push-back from CSX is open for consideration.
I'm betting you'll never see the effort duplicated.
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