Starting a new thread based on a comment in the thread about the Empire Builder accident.
My understanding is that PTC is supposed to enforce speed in slow orders and also track occupancy limits when track is taken out of service by MOW. My question: who enters/ removes those slow orders into the PTC system whent hey occur? MOW personnel? Dispatcher? Somebody in an IT center somewhere?
Dispatchers using CADS input Temporary Slow Orders into system. MofW personnel responsible for the track segment gives the limits and speed for the Temporary Slow Order. On CSX, after the Dispatcher inputs the required data for the temporary slow order into CADS successfully, CADS will provide the Dispatcher a Train Message number for that individual slow order, that number is then provided to the MofW person requesting the slow order. PTC reads the appropriate data from CADS for the enforcement of temporary slow orders and MofW track authorities.
Dispatchers are the 'ultimate' authority for inputting and issuing MofW authorities for trackwork. On CSX, the 'request' of MofW track work authorities are input by MofW personnel using a Mainfame computer applcation, the data in that application is imported into CADS at a specific time of day. CSX procedures required MofW trackwork authorities to be in place on Train Messages 14 hours before the effective time of the authority.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Thanks, Balt.
One other question - is there any sort of authentication process that a dispatcher must follow to ensure that they are talking an actual CSX MOW employee authorized to add/ remove slow orders, and not just some random person who happened to get the dispatchers phone number?
adkrr64Thanks, Balt. One other question - is there any sort of authentication process that a dispatcher must follow to ensure that they are talking an actual CSX MOW employee authorized to add/ remove slow orders, and not just some random person who happened to get the dispatchers phone number?
Personal voice familiarization with MofW personnel on the specific territory that the Dispatcher handles is one check. A second check is that employees requesting authorities must give their employee number in the transaction for any authority or slow order. That employee number is contained in a CADS database that will only permit authorities to be issued on territories that that individual employee number is shown to be qualified on. Most MofW authorities and Slow Orders are transacted over the company radio system - not telephone.
Dispatchers are in routine and constant contact with MofW personnel on their territories - normal contacts are Signal Maintainers, Roadmasters and Track Inspectors - all of which are required to perform routine periodic inspections on the territories they are responsibile for. Those periodic inspection normally require the employee to obtain a authority to hi-rail the territory - many temporary slow orders originate from such routine inspections.
Other temporary slow orders originate from programmed track work where the track structure is disturbed by the work. First train over the distrubed track will get a 10 MPH Slow Order. Track will be inspected by MofW after that train, if things are OK, the slow order will be raised to 25 MPH for a period of time and ultimately Track Speed. MofW will perform inspections prior to raising any speed restrictions. All temporary Slow Orders are issued with a 'cause code' being retained in the database for management purposes by MofW Management.
On our temporary slows due to disturbed track because of track work, CAD will compute how much tonnage has been ran over a section and raise the speed in the system. PTC will immediately display the new speed. I've seen this happen approaching or just starting into the restriction. When it happens, I'll call the dispatcher for instructions. It's always been that my train will fulfill the current tonnage and the system prematurely raises the speed.
Sometimes the dispatcher will issue instructions that the speed may be increased on the display, but we are to follow the lower speed until clear of the restriction.
Our speeds are 15, 30, 45 and 60 mph and then removed. So many tons over the track at each speed.
On any temporary that I've heard MOW give the dispatcher by radio, there is also a code letter and number given that gets put into the system. The code reflects the condition requiring the slow order.
Since most MOW/Signal people now have "remote authority" capability, many things formerly done by radio are now done through the computer.
Jeff
Understand what Jeff is saying, but the old rule of watching first and last train over a slow order tied to surface repair or track changes still is a better way. The big catch is ballast consolidation tied to moisture/temperature/weather. Pure tonnage is not always an honest gage of ballast consolidation effectiveness, especially where the mudmonster lives (subgrade).
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