Quentin
QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar ...Ed, when it is necessary to set out a defective car and you pull it ahead to the nearest siding and place it there....Then you go on to your destination with the rest of the train...what message alerts other operators following later {maybe at night}, and possibly they must use that siding to allow another train past...What alerts the crew of the train pulling into that siding that it is blocked with the defective car...{It may not be visible at night before it's too late.....}
23 17 46 11
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Originally posted by Mookie Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply zardoz Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Kenosha, WI 6,567 posts Posted by zardoz on Friday, April 29, 2005 7:29 AM There are three seats in the cab of most locomotives. Some of the current railroaders will have to enlighten us about the new locomotives, but in the SD40-2 and the GP's there are normally two seats on the left side, one in front of the other; who sits where is determined usually by chosen by the conductor. On F units, there is normally only one seat on the left side of the cab. Back in the days of the 5-man crew, the fireman and head brakeman shared the cab with the engineer, and the rear brakeman and conductor rode in the caboose. How much different it was operating a locomotive when there were people in the caboose. Train handling was much more complicated then, as the wrong move on the engineers part could cause a run-in (or out) of slack severe enough to cause serious injury to someone in the caboose. These days, there is rarely a brakeman on a road freight train, unless it is a way-freight that has many stops along the way and/or industries to switch. Many yard jobs still have a switchman in addition to the foreman. Reply edblysard Member sinceMarch 2002 9,265 posts Posted by edblysard on Friday, April 29, 2005 7:28 AM Mookie, In the yard, I put in about 4 to 5 miles a day, along with the nice work out of lining switches. Helper puts in about the same. On the road, we both spend a lot of the time on the ground, walking the train, lacing up air hoses, lining switches. When its time for the air test, and it is an initial terminal air test, the rules require both side of the train be inspected for defects, (missing or broken brake shoes, bad wheels, missing rungs/ladders, safety appliances) so both myself and the helper(brakie) walk it, one on each side. For a simple air test, I put the gauge on the last car, get a reading and leak test, pull the gauge, get the engineer to set them up, check that the brakes work on the rear, then have him release them. If all that’s good, I get him to do a minimal application, and, if space permits, I have him shove back to me, checking that all the brake cylinders have the pistons showing. No space, I walk it up to the head end. Changing a couplers knuckle isn’t that bad, if you can get the pin to stay put when you lift the lever up....but bust a entire draw bar / coupler means you have to find a way to set the car out, some where. If you’re lucky, and the broken one is on the rear of a car, you tie the rest of the train down and head to the next siding, leave the damaged car, and shove back to your train, air it back up and go. If you’re unlucky, it’s the one facing you...then you get to figure out how to move a car without a knuckle. BNSF has a neat little tool. Called a Carry Lite Drawbar. A nylon strap, about 3" wide, 1/4" thick, and 10' long, with a come-a-long ratchet. Looks like a big nylon tow strap. You slip the strap into the sill or drawbar key way, the other end on to the last good car, cut the damaged car away from the rest of the train and ratchet the damaged car up tight against the knuckle of the last good car. You are actually tying the car missing the drawbar to the next cars knuckle, with a big nylon belt/tow strap. Then you head out, real slow, to the next siding.... You don’t try to change a drawbar/entire knuckle by yourself on the road. One reason, you don’t have a spare! And you have no way of knowing what caused the failure in the first place... Bad casting on the shank, worn keeper key, something wrong with the sill... Imagine going through all the work required, then, as you start up, the sill on that car fails completely, and rips the bottom out of the car! Ed 23 17 46 11 Reply tree68 Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Northern New York 25,010 posts Posted by tree68 on Friday, April 29, 2005 6:44 AM I once saw something that said that the conductor would walk the length of his division during a shift. I'm thinking the divisions might have been a little shorter then, and I believe they were talking about working a local. Still, it is a lot of walking! 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... Reply Mookie Member sinceJune 2001 From: US 13,488 posts Posted by Mookie on Friday, April 29, 2005 6:00 AM Plus if you are on the head end and the trouble spot is 10 cars from the rear..... Hope the engineer brought plenty of coffee and snacks! This has to be a little spooky at night or during rain/snow, or both! She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw Reply tatans Member sinceMay 2004 4,115 posts Posted by tatans on Thursday, April 28, 2005 3:30 PM What about the fireman??? oh yeah, a cowboy on a chicken ranch eh? So now there is no fireman so that leaves the other seat for the conductor, right? oh, now there is a brakeman, or does the conductor replace the fireman and the brakey, are there 2 seats across from the engineer? see what happens when you get rid of caboosii ! ! It's getting pretty crowded up there isn't it??? Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 28, 2005 2:26 PM What would a Brakeman do compared to the Conductor? Reply Edit chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Thursday, April 28, 2005 1:20 PM 2-3. I wonder...when there is a 3 man crew...who walks the train....the conductor or the brakeman? Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 28, 2005 1:14 PM OK. How many crew members are there? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 28, 2005 10:42 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie Ok - so this isn't going to tax anyone's brain - but having read all about conductors, etc. and their duties, it brings up the question: Isn't there an awful lot of walking involved in that job? And long distances? Anyone want to give me/us some examples? Mz Moo Mook - There is indeed a lot of walking in the job of conductor or trainman. Walking yard tacks to bleed off cars, wlaking the brakes on a brake test, walking trains in emergency, walking to throw switches during switching on the road or in the yard, walking to spot cars or inspect cars at locations where there are no car department people, walking to inspect for defects when a train trips a detector, walking to install or remove an EOTD, and literally dozens of other times as well that I am just not thinking of now. Why do you think the condutor is almost always the thinner member of a train crew? LC Reply Edit chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Thursday, April 28, 2005 10:35 AM I'm not a railroader but I have been on many cab rides. In all those times I only remember one time where the conductor had to walk further than across the tracks for a roll-by. That was when we had an undefined emergency and he had to walk the train. Reply Mookie Member sinceJune 2001 From: US 13,488 posts Take a hike! Posted by Mookie on Thursday, April 28, 2005 10:15 AM Ok - so this isn't going to tax anyone's brain - but having read all about conductors, etc. and their duties, it brings up the question: Isn't there an awful lot of walking involved in that job? And long distances? Anyone want to give me/us some examples? Mz Moo She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw Reply Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » Search the Community Newsletter Sign-Up By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
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...
QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie Ok - so this isn't going to tax anyone's brain - but having read all about conductors, etc. and their duties, it brings up the question: Isn't there an awful lot of walking involved in that job? And long distances? Anyone want to give me/us some examples? Mz Moo
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.