"Hot" crew changes

[Anonymous]

UPRR hasn't allowed it for at least 6 years, the only exception up until a few months ago was lining a power switch, loading/unloading coal, and at a crossing while protecting it (on the leading end of a locomotive, less than 2mph)..now, it's not allowed whatsoever.  No exceptions other than emergency situations.

[spikejones52002]

I watch RFDTV on Satalite Monday 17:00 CST.

I watched a video of a crew getting on a moving confort cab at the beginning of the platform.

The commintator stated that did it so as not to stop the train, because of the problem to get the train moving again.

The old crew got off near the end of the platform. They spent about two to three minutes together.

[al-in-chgo]

BASIC MODERN RAILROADING 101: 1ST WEEK OF CONDUCTOR TRAINING: CSX SAFEWAY GS-11: GETTING ON OR OFF MOVING EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY

Just learned this rule this week.

I love the course and am getting as much info as possible. Keeping in mind that I will not know it all and will have to remain humble when I actually get to touch the real thing....

Funny you say that is a CSX rule.  Back before they ripped up the St. Louis Main the only time I saw a CSX train stop for a crew change in Parkersburg was when there was also a drop off or pickup from the yard.  If there was no other reason to stop the crew change was made on a moving train.

 

I was under the impression that GCOR did not absolutely forbid an employee from jumping off a slowly moving engine; but ilast year it did ban any kind of hot jumping on.

Of course, CSX can tighten their own rules, and schools can set their own standards of training. 

At any rate, jp, you're right, CSX is doing a good thing by prohibiting ALL on/off hot jumps by train crew. 

Note:  I apologize for the similarly-worded and redundant post.  I had encountered a flood protection wall; and since I couldn't retrieve my first msg assumed it was in Word Heaven.

I think they say pretty much the same thing.  a.s.

 

[al-in-chgo]

BASIC MODERN RAILROADING 101: 1ST WEEK OF CONDUCTOR TRAINING: CSX SAFEWAY GS-11: GETTING ON OR OFF MOVING EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY

Just learned this rule this week.

I love the course and am getting as much info as possible. Keeping in mind that I will not know it all and will have to remain humble when I actually get to touch the real thing....

Funny you say that is a CSX rule.  Back before they ripped up the St. Louis Main the only time I saw a CSX train stop for a crew change in Parkersburg was when there was also a drop off or pickup from the yard.  If there was no other reason to stop the crew change was made on a moving train.

 

*******************************

I was under the impression that GCOR rules were changed last year:  it is not forbidden for an employee to jump OFF a slowly moving engine, but it is absolutely forbidden to  hop ON.

Nonetheless, jp, I agree with you and I also agree that CSX can tighten to rules on its own road--a.s. 

 

[JonathanS]

BASIC MODERN RAILROADING 101: 1ST WEEK OF CONDUCTOR TRAINING: CSX SAFEWAY GS-11: GETTING ON OR OFF MOVING EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY

Just learned this rule this week.

I love the course and am getting as much info as possible. Keeping in mind that I will not know it all and will have to remain humble when I actually get to touch the real thing....

Funny you say that is a CSX rule.  Back before they ripped up the St. Louis Main the only time I saw a CSX train stop for a crew change in Parkersburg was when there was also a drop off or pickup from the yard.  If there was no other reason to stop the crew change was made on a moving train.

[Doublestack]

...Gillett, WY clips this corner of SD...

Trivial and minor nitpicking coming up!!!!

Gillette, WY

Gillett is in Arkansas, Florida and Wisconsin. And it's always mispronounced-so I gotta keep the poor place that is pronounced correctly from innocent errors in spelling.

If only we still had any tracks to have 10 trains a week on, let alone 10 crew changes a day. Sob!

 

Hi Kevin,

Good catch - my bad.   I grew up within a stone's throw of the C&NW line from Green Bay to Pulaski - to Gillett, WI.    Are you in that vicinity?   Pulaski was MPH 16, so MPH 32 would be pretty close to Gillett, I guess.   When I was a kid, the C&NW was still hauling pulp from "up north" down to Green Bay and I'd watch the trains trundle along at perhaps 10 MPH.   Got a short caboose ride at Green Valley once.   Sure miss that line.

- -  Stack

[jp2153]

BASIC MODERN RAILROADING 101: 1ST WEEK OF CONDUCTOR TRAINING: CSX SAFEWAY GS-11: GETTING ON OR OFF MOVING EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED, EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY

Just learned this rule this week.

I love the course and am getting as much info as possible. Keeping in mind that I will not know it all and will have to remain humble when I actually get to touch the real thing....

[StillGrande]

I wondered how safe it would be.  In the video, one guy does not get off until he is right in front of the next guy who has to wait for the back steps to come up to get on, rather than the front like the first guys.  It really threw me because all I have read here is that such a thing is not allowed. 

[Murphy Siding]

...Gillett, WY clips this corner of SD...

Trivial and minor nitpicking coming up!!!!

Gillette, WY

Gillett is in Arkansas, Florida and Wisconsin. And it's always mispronounced-so I gotta keep the poor place that is pronounced correctly from innocent errors in spelling.

If only we still had any tracks to have 10 trains a week on, let alone 10 crew changes a day. Sob!

  I lived in Gillette for a while, and have never heard any other way to pronounce it than like a Gillette razor.

[UP 829]

UP used to do this all the time at Cheyene(WY) right at the station platform, don't know if they still do. It didn't seem all that difficult on most diesels, but this was back before widespread use of full-width cabs. I'd guess a U-50 or any other big Alco would have been a good climb.

[Kevin C. Smith]

...Gillett, WY clips this corner of SD...

Trivial and minor nitpicking coming up!!!!

Gillette, WY

Gillett is in Arkansas, Florida and Wisconsin. And it's always mispronounced-so I gotta keep the poor place that is pronounced correctly from innocent errors in spelling.

If only we still had any tracks to have 10 trains a week on, let alone 10 crew changes a day. Sob!

[Doublestack]

About 5 years ago, I was at Edgemont, SD at the crew change.   The BNSF line from Alliance, NE to Gillett, WY clips this corner of SD (its part of the powder river basin network).    Out of about 10 crew changes that I watched, 8 came to a complete stop, but on two, both new crewmen got on, then both inbound crewman got off.  Perhaps with the slow speed equipment used while loading trains (is it called Pace-Setter?) they could run through easily at about 3 MPH while swapping out personnel.  As noted above, it didn't really save that much time and it certainly wasn't safer, but interesting to watch.

[SFbrkmn]

I saw the very same  type of crew change on the same track @ Las Vegas,NM in 1986 on the LaJunta-Barstow 448 train. First, this would not be allowed under present rules as all movements are required to come to a complete stop prior to getting on & off engs & cars. Second, it was silly to even change the crews this way. Stop the train, have a job briefing w/each other on any conditions the outbound crew should be made aware of, get on then proceed.

[BaltACD]

CSX Safety Rules do not permit mounting or dismounting moving equipment.

[StillGrande]

I got a video yesterday and on it is a crew change at Raton of a Santa Fe unit coal train.  I think it was 1992.  They do a rolling crew change where one crew member gets off and a new one gets on, then the other gets off and the next on.  They also change the crews of the mid-train helpers this way.  Do they still do this today?  How common are they?