Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding Suppose, just suppose, that some unnamed Class 1 railroad ran through an unnamed rural town. On each side of this unnamed town, the unnamed railroad has had a slow order on the tracks for more than a year. Suppose a short train came flying through today at regular track speed in the 40 mph range, even though all trains before and after were still putt-putting along at around 10 mph. What common scenarios could be involved? Someone didn’t get the memo? The rule doesn’t apply to trains of only 10-15 cars? Someone’s flirting with disaster? Casey Jones is late for the Western Mail? And why is there spellcheck on new thread titles but not anywhere else on the forum?
Suppose that unnamed railroad repaired the slow order and trains were operating at the lines 'track speed' of 40 MPH.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Except the trains before it and the trains after it today still have her hooked in granny speed.
Murphy Siding Except the trains before it and the trains after it today still have her hooked in granny speed.
Call the Trainmaster and report the crew by engine number and time of occurence.
The trainmaster can pull the "tape" and see what was going on.
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...
Maybe the slow order has been moved to a nearby location, which still requires long, heavy trains go slow through the town, while a short local can accelerate and slow down much more quickly, and still comply with the slow orders while racing through the town.
The only way to know for sure would be to have the current bulletin orders & rulebook for that railroad while trackside, along with a radar gun.
Weight may also be a factor, some of our subdivisions have speed restrictions that apply differently to trains over a certain tonnage, or to loaded unit trains. A short, light local could well be exempt from such restrictions.
Could the crew have made a mistake and been speeding? Yes, it is possible. But I must say I am disappointed to see our resident (retired) dispatcher suggesting for the crew to be called on the carpet in the absence of solid proof, when he knows full well how railroad "discipline" really works.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Depending on how close (time wise) the following trains were, they may have not received word that the slow order had been voided. I know our dispatchers don't often notify trains when slows have been lifted. You always follow your paperwork unless the dispatcher voids something out.
The worst example happened when I was in engr's training. We heard the section foreman tell the dispatcher that a 10mph was OK for normal speed. We rang up the dispatcher and asked if he would void out the 10 to us. The location was at the bottom of a short stiff grade and we had a loaded coal train. The dispatcher said he was too busy, we should just follow our paperwork.
Jeff
BaltACDCall the Trainmaster and report the crew by engine number and time of occurence.
SD70DudeBut I must say I am disappointed to see our resident (retired) dispatcher suggesting for the crew to be called on the carpet in the absence of solid proof, when he knows full well how railroad "discipline" really works.
I was a Trainmaster for over 10 years in addition to the time I spent Dispatching, being a Train Order Operatior and being responsible for the programing of computer systems that 20 terminals used to operate their terminals.
Jeff highlights a reality - all trains MAY not be carrying the SAME slow orders at a given point in time. From the dispatcher's viewpoint it is run off critical that NEW SLOW orders be communicated to trains that will be operating over that segment of track. It is not so critical (you won't get run off) if you don't annul a slow order to a train - so it is very possible for a train to have a slow order on their Train Bulletin that they got 8 hours ago, or so, and for MofW to have raised the speed or annulled the slow order and for the Train Dispatcher not to give the 'upgrade' to a train.
With all that being said - exceeding the speed through a slow order is dangerous for the train that does it - the slow order was issued for a reason, a reason known primarily to the individual that issued it. On CSX when a slow order is issued, the MofW person issuing it must identify the cause with a 3 digit code - MofW knows the codes, the rest of the operating department - not so much. The code is retained in the CADS and various reports get generated using the code. The code DOES NOT appear on train messages.
Diverging route or siding switch nearby?
Fomites aside, most wouldn't know a trainmaster from a hole in da ground, much less being able to find a listed contact*. For all we know, track dept or signal rabbited the train after making repairs to observe the repaired defect before turning it loose. Too many variables at play here and you were not invited to play in the game.
If you had not noticed, the webmasters (clueless and living in a wrong universe) have crafted websites for a single purpose, to support the even less-with-it marketing tribe. (same applies to the pocket guide which now is largely useless)...in the end, the few managers still around don't need to be bothered by John Q or other outsiders.
To be honest, it's not place to tell anybody that they're doing their job wrong, let alone call somebody to expose my ignorance on the subject. I'm just an observer who notices details like varying train speeds. Unless the train comes through at 100 mph, streaking flames, with Nicholas Cage at the throttle, I'm not going to get too excited. I'm just a naturally curious person. A couple clues in the posts above give some clues. Maybe another clue is that the short train was what I'd call a local. The other trains were mostly long grain trains. Maybe the longer trains didn't get the memo yet?
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