During the steam era there was reports a five person crew was required to run the locomotive when there was reports there was an engineer and conductor along with a head end brakeman when there was a fireman and stoker to run a steam locomotive as contacts were redone to make a long distance freight and or passenger train travel a reality. During the dieselization era the crew size had shrunk to three or sometimes two persons as there still was work for an engineer and conductor along with seating in the cab of the leading or trailing locomotives for a brakeman. For shortlines and transfer runs there may be work for just an engineer.
As the population grows we need to concentrate on moving people by rail...maglev down the middle of the interstate system...General and President Dwight Eisenhauer would be proud...Uber by rails
Electroliner 1935 tree68 Electroliner 1935 Some regional railroads such as the Indiana Railroad (see map below) are running some trains with one man crews. There's a line in Quebec running one-man crews. Due to the virtual wilderness the line runs through, I believe they have a helicopter on standby should there be a problem. I would opine that for a straight-through run between point A and point B - no switching enroute - a one man crew is sufficient. There is always the failure issue, of course, but if you're a bean counter, "just in case" isn't necessarily a good justification for the extra expense of another crew member. OTOH, jobs will be lost. If there is quick response planned for and truly available, it is reasonable and I think justifiable. But with the use of multi-mile long trains in heavily populated areas (example; the 200 car coal trains through Racine) where a breakdown can block crossings for hours, the consequences of one man operation are too detrimental to the public to be aceptable IMHO. I suspect there will be a backlash against railroads after a number of events where life is lost which I think will occur with the multi-mile long trains tieing up municipalities for hours. I hope it doen't get to that but it seems that that is where the industry is going. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I remember back in the late 1930's when a nearby house burned down because Glen Ellyn had one fire station and it was on the other side of the C&NW/CA&E ROW. Not much fuss at that time but today the example in Barrington of CN (former EJ&E) blockage is one example of the fury that will grow with more events to initiate laws to address the problems. Two expresions that I think apply: Beware of unintended consequences. and S__T HAPPENS.
tree68 Electroliner 1935 Some regional railroads such as the Indiana Railroad (see map below) are running some trains with one man crews. There's a line in Quebec running one-man crews. Due to the virtual wilderness the line runs through, I believe they have a helicopter on standby should there be a problem. I would opine that for a straight-through run between point A and point B - no switching enroute - a one man crew is sufficient. There is always the failure issue, of course, but if you're a bean counter, "just in case" isn't necessarily a good justification for the extra expense of another crew member. OTOH, jobs will be lost.
There's a line in Quebec running one-man crews. Due to the virtual wilderness the line runs through, I believe they have a helicopter on standby should there be a problem.
I would opine that for a straight-through run between point A and point B - no switching enroute - a one man crew is sufficient. There is always the failure issue, of course, but if you're a bean counter, "just in case" isn't necessarily a good justification for the extra expense of another crew member.
OTOH, jobs will be lost.
If there is quick response planned for and truly available, it is reasonable and I think justifiable. But with the use of multi-mile long trains in heavily populated areas (example; the 200 car coal trains through Racine) where a breakdown can block crossings for hours, the consequences of one man operation are too detrimental to the public to be aceptable IMHO. I suspect there will be a backlash against railroads after a number of events where life is lost which I think will occur with the multi-mile long trains tieing up municipalities for hours. I hope it doen't get to that but it seems that that is where the industry is going. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I remember back in the late 1930's when a nearby house burned down because Glen Ellyn had one fire station and it was on the other side of the C&NW/CA&E ROW. Not much fuss at that time but today the example in Barrington of CN (former EJ&E) blockage is one example of the fury that will grow with more events to initiate laws to address the problems.
Two expresions that I think apply: Beware of unintended consequences. and S__T HAPPENS.
I think so too. Probably best not to fiddle around with crew size reduction if and until PTC is long in place and well proven. Maybe then it might make sense to run one person crews for some work while two or more may still be required for other work such as switching. If the railroads are too aggressive on crew reductions too early on and something happens it will be a long time before anyone will be able to broach that subject again. In the meantime, two people on most trains doesn't seem excessive to me.. in all likelihood a second person on that Lac Megantic train would have averted that disaster and saved the railroad.
Everybody complains about grade crossing blockages but I rarely see a governmental body that is willing to spend the money to eliminate the problem. A three-man crew won't be able to work much faster to solve a problem on a very long freight so grade crossing elimination is the only realistic answer.
Electroliner 1935Some regional railroads such as the Indiana Railroad (see map below) are running some trains with one man crews
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...
jeffhergert You can also sometimes have 3 or 4 on a crew because of crew members in training or those qualifying on a route.
You can also sometimes have 3 or 4 on a crew because of crew members in training or those qualifying on a route.
For a while I worked a switcher assignment where the crew had alternating days off (3 were required, Engineer, Conductor, and a Brakeman). The Conductor had Fri-Sat off, Brakeman One had Sun-Mon off, and Brakeman Two had Tue-Wed off (the Engineer worked 6 days, with Saturday off). This meant that every Thursday we had a 4-man crew.
A couple times we had both Engineer and Conductor trainees along with the regular crew. Cramming 6 guys into a spartan cab is tough...
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Some regional railroads such as the Indiana Railroad (see map below) are running some trains with one man crews. So far it seems to be successful. I believe they have support from a roving individual.
http://www.inrd.com/images/system_maps/pdf/inrd_system_map.pdf
CSX has been operating 1 man yard crews. Conductor has a belt pack to control the engine. In some cases a Utility Brakeman' may get assigned to that Conductor to perform specific tasks. When the tasks are completed the U man may get attached to another Crew 2 man or 1 man.
I am not familiar with the specifics that may require a U man for either size crew.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Thanks, Jeff.
Two man crew on road freights. In some places, road trains that do a lot of intermediate work may have a third person (brakeman). Other places may not. Local freights may or may not have a brakeman. It all depends on what labor contracts are in effect.
On the big class ones that are an amalgamation of numerous railroads, labor contracts, in part or in whole, may still be in effect. Railroads that are long gone live on in that respect.
Jeff
What size crews are most Class 1 roads using now? I know that these days regionals and short lines usually have two men. (And in some cases, one man.)
When it comes to the Class 1s, is this a battle that's being fought division-by-division, seniority district by seniority district? So that there are some twos and some threes? If so, what are the relative percentages of each?
Back (long ago ...) when I worked on the railroad, there were five-man crews. I missed out on steam, but at least I railroaded in the caboose era.
Still in training.
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