rrboomer [snip] Always leave the engine in the clear. [snip]
Always leave the engine in the clear.
[snip]
Please excuse my ignorance here, but -
What exactly does this mean ? If anything other than making sure that the engine is far enough into the siding and beyond the 'fouling point' at any switch/ turnout ? And/ or, separated from any standing cars that are not that engine's train by a couple of carlengths ?
Thanks in advance.
- Paul North.
Paul_D_North_Jr rrboomer [snip] Always leave the engine in the clear. [snip] Please excuse my ignorance here, but - What exactly does this mean ? If anything other than making sure that the engine is far enough into the siding and beyond the 'fouling point' at any switch/ turnout ? Thanks in advance.
What exactly does this mean ? If anything other than making sure that the engine is far enough into the siding and beyond the 'fouling point' at any switch/ turnout ? Thanks in advance.
That's all. leave it far enough in a track so it doesn't trade paint with anything...
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Always leave the the engine in the clear:
Won't have to ruin the coffee break/beans to move it.
No body can shove a track from the other end in the side of it, thus avoiding lots of paperwork.
If it's in the clear and it gets hit someone else does the paperwork.
Chris:
Sharpshooting is using anything at your disposal to position yourself (or your crew) to catch a choice/primo assignment on the next call. You can also sharpshoot to try to force someone on the board ahead of you to catch a miserable job so you don't. You need to know the Agreement, the train lineup, the tendencies of others on the same board/pool, be able to do a creative tie up/arrival/markup, etc. It's not an exact science in that others also may find the ways to be more creative and/or the lineup changes, someone marks up or lays off unexpectedly, etc
rrboomer [snips] Sharpshooting is using anything at your disposal to position yourself (or your crew) to catch a choice/primo assignment on the next call. You can also sharpshoot to try to force someone on the board ahead of you to catch a miserable job so you don't. You need to know the Agreement, the train lineup, the tendencies of others on the same board/pool, be able to do a creative tie up/arrival/markup, etc. It's not an exact science in that others also may find the ways to be more creative and/or the lineup changes, someone marks up or lays off unexpectedly, etc
Good brief explanation, without getting bogged down in a lot of detail or with a specific example. In other contexts, 'sharp-shooting' the extra board would be called "gaming the system". What can make it interesting and inexact is that it's interactive - what Crew A does may affect the options that are available to Crew B, and vice-versa. Kind of like a real-time chess game with live people and really big pieces. The economics and operations research type of professors and experts use 'game theory' to figure out the options and probabilities and likely outcomes for this kind of challenge in everything from oil pricing to nuclear warfare . . . But I'd put my money on an old-head crewman with about 25 years seniority on the same district to beat any of them at his game . . .
And thanks to zugman and rrboomer for the answers to my question about what "Always leave the engine in the clear" means.
I knew a couple of older master sharpshooters who played the game by cultivating favor with various yardmasters and callers in the terminal. And maybe a few dispatchers, too.
I've often wondered what a couple of the sharpshooter would have done with today's wide availabilty of information via computer of what is coming and what might run first. On the other hand, they wouldn't have the callers located locally, as today's mega-systems have centralized call offices and being best buddies with the caller seemed to be a key ingredient for any good sharpshooter of the past.
Valley,
Yeah, sharpshooting is definitely more difficult now then in the past. Many of today's systems have guards in place to limit the practice...such as there has to be an hour difference in the off duty times to change your standing order.
But it's still possible if you can figure out the rules. It's still possible to make nice with the callers, especially if you have assigned callers at the mega crew management center. Speaking of callers, I can always tell how desperate they are for a body by the message they leave. If they REALLY REALLY REALLY need someone, they call me Nick or Mr. Brodar. If not...it's just dead air.
It's also amazing to watch some of the guys sharpshoot for off days. You'd mark up on a job knowing you'd get bumped, in order to string together three, four, five, or possibly more days off, and not get charged for them.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
nbrodar [snip] Speaking of callers, I can always tell how desperate they are for a body by the message they leave. If they REALLY REALLY REALLY need someone, they call me Nick or Mr. Brodar. If not...it's just dead air. [snip] Nick
Exactly that - both aspects, too - was the subject of the following article/ essay by former PRR/ PC/ ConRail engineer and Road Foreman of Engines (I believe) John Crosby - 'Al' was the caller:
You win, Al Trains, April 1977 page 30 an award for acting ( CR, CREW, "CROSBY, JOHN R.", DISPATCHER, ENGINEER, TRN )
nbrodarIt's also amazing to watch some of the guys sharpshoot for off days. You'd mark up on a job knowing you'd get bumped, in order to string together three, four, five, or possibly more days off, and not get charged for them.
Corrections officers (AKA prison guards) around here are famous for their swaps - they have to carry calendars to keep them straight. There is always a market - folks who want a lot of time off in the summer are more than willing to trade with folks who want a lot of time off during hunting season, f'rinstance.
HoS rules that out on the railroad, of course.
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...
A "Duck" gets wet when it's raining.
An Engineer shouldn't ,but sometimes unfortunately does
Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."
Keep your brakes warm. Especially in the winter. Snow brakes are no brakes.
I'll wear the Carhartt over 2 or 3 layers. Helps when it's below zero out. I also have some of the lock de-icer they sell in gas stations. It works pretty well. Much easier on the lock than torching it with a fusee.
If you can arrange it, carry a spare independent brake handle. (All our engines have 26 air) The plastic ones don't weigh much. Spare automatic handle wouldn't be bad either. A small pry bar to adjust brakes helps, too, when assigned to outlying terminals. I already have the duct tape, zip ties and spare reverser handle. Found a yellow one, so I remember to take it back if I need to use it.
Yard switching is similar to playing chess, with big pieces. A strategic cut can save a number of moves down the line. I'll help a new guy out for a while, but if he keeps making bonehead moves, I won't say much, just let him do whatever. They can only work us for 12 hours.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
WSOR 3801If you can arrange it, carry a spare independent brake handle. (All our engines have 26 air) The plastic ones don't weigh much. Spare automatic handle wouldn't be bad either. A small pry bar to adjust brakes helps, too, when assigned to outlying terminals. I already have the duct tape, zip ties and spare reverser handle. Found a yellow one, so I remember to take it back if I need to use it.
Funny you should mention that...even though all our handles are pinned in place, I still have a set of brake handles in my grip. The new guys always ask what they are.
Carried a spare reverser for years but I've never carried brake handles, don't see the need with the pinned ones we've had all this time. Very rarely do you ever find one that will actually come off.
Some of the old boys would carry chromed brake handles, their own personal set. Never saw one that anyone had actually gotten engraved, though.
One time I had to deal with a broken jammer handle. It was one of the nice L-shaped ones, but the top horizontal part had broken off. So here I am trying to deal with this vertical jammer handle, at a derailment site. After that I pretty much carry one with me.
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