samfp1943 M636C wrote the following post [in part]: "...So while these trains will probably require a crew on board for some time to come, it will almost certainly be only one person..." Peter >**************************************************< I am somewhat certain that in the area of 'American shortline railroads'; One man crews are a practice that is not uncomon. Specifically, I have seen some WATCO trains with just an engineer in the cab. They also seem to have another crewman[conductor(?)] who follows a train in a pick-up truck, to throw switches and make changes when required to drop or pick up cars. I'm not sure how widespread this practice is, but I've observed it with some regularity, over time. I've also had some conversations with individuals who indicated, the single crewman, can, at times be required to change out a brakeshoe,fix air connections, fix a broken knuckle, and preform other duties, when the time, a lack of traffic, and a 'chaser' permits. I guess this whole single crewman issue becomes a tug of war between the employees, unions, and 'bean counters' . How far it will go in the USA remains to be seen?
M636C wrote the following post [in part]:
"...So while these trains will probably require a crew on board for some time to come, it will almost certainly be only one person..."
Peter
>**************************************************<
I am somewhat certain that in the area of 'American shortline railroads'; One man crews are a practice that is not uncomon. Specifically, I have seen some WATCO trains with just an engineer in the cab. They also seem to have another crewman[conductor(?)] who follows a train in a pick-up truck, to throw switches and make changes when required to drop or pick up cars.
I'm not sure how widespread this practice is, but I've observed it with some regularity, over time. I've also had some conversations with individuals who indicated, the single crewman, can, at times be required to change out a brakeshoe,fix air connections, fix a broken knuckle, and preform other duties, when the time, a lack of traffic, and a 'chaser' permits. I guess this whole single crewman issue becomes a tug of war between the employees, unions, and 'bean counters' . How far it will go in the USA remains to be seen?
Jeff
Can you see 5 trains waiting on 1 driverless boxcar to clear up in the block, much less a whole fleet of them dispatched 1 at a time. Dude I have never laughed so hard in my life. Seriously, can you imagine blasting down the main at 60 mph and wondering what the local cement company is doing with their automated cars. *oops, paint spill* that. Keep your science experiments in the laboratory Frank, I have a job to do.
I wonder if the future might look more like having a virtual crew on the train. Instead of having a crew in the locomotive, the crew would be sitting in front of a video screen in Dallas, or Atlanta, or sadly -India. A good operator might be able to handle several trains at once. The conductor’s role would be taken care of by that group of roaming conductors in pickups or Ninjas in black helicopters.
It would be just like playing a video game for 8 hours a day. I'd guess about a fourth of my children’s’ generation already have the required skillset. All they would need is about 2 days of specific training so they knew which toadstool to kick to get the extra points. Drinking 2 liter bottles of Diet Mountain Dew and eating 2 big bags of Cheetos per shift is probably not that big a deal if you’re not in the actual cab of a locomotive.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding It would be just like playing a video game for 8 hours a day. I'd guess about a fourth of my children’s’ generation already have the required skillset. All they would need is about 2 days of specific training so they knew which toadstool to kick to get the extra points. Drinking 2 liter bottles of Diet Mountain Dew and eating 2 big bags of Cheetos per shift is probably not that big a deal if you’re not in the actual cab of a locomotive.
Suspect they would rapidly loose interest when their train was placed in a siding for other priority or opposing traffic. Railroading is not always a 'thrill ride' a lot of it is mind numbing waiting.
Those roaming conductors won't offer much help when weather grounds them or prevents their movement around the territory.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDRailroading is not always a 'thrill ride' a lot of it is mind numbing waiting.
With the catch, of course, that the PIC doing the 'waiting' continues to have to be vigilant that the train hasn't started creeping toward a foul, etc. The worst of both worlds in IxD.
The old golden-bullet use for telepresence was in precisely the situation where crews were required to 'man' trains being operated mostly automatically - the extensions of PTC and LEADER and so dorth we've mentioned in other threads being ample enough already to qualify. Operating in conditions of boredom while expecting 'screaming terror' through event or malfunction at any moment is well known to be a recipe for human disaster. Problem is... it's likely to be the fancy telepresence that fails or breaks...
BaltACD Murphy Siding It would be just like playing a video game for 8 hours a day. I'd guess about a fourth of my children’s’ generation already have the required skillset. All they would need is about 2 days of specific training so they knew which toadstool to kick to get the extra points. Drinking 2 liter bottles of Diet Mountain Dew and eating 2 big bags of Cheetos per shift is probably not that big a deal if you’re not in the actual cab of a locomotive. Suspect they would rapidly loose interest when their train was placed in a siding for other priority or opposing traffic. Railroading is not always a 'thrill ride' a lot of it is mind numbing waiting. Those roaming conductors won't offer much help when weather grounds them or prevents their movement around the territory.
I had an experience of trespassing about twenty years ago to view a coal train that ran to Commonwealth Edison's plant in Romeoville IL from a connection with the EJ&E. As I got to the vicinity of the track, I saw the train coming, coal cars first accompanied by a pick up truck on the road alongside the track with the driver/operator remote controlling the pushing unmaned locomotive. As this was a "private area" there was no grade crossings or other problems to encounter.
Electroliner 1935 I had an experience of trespassing about twenty years ago to view a coal train that ran to Commonwealth Edison's plant in Romeoville IL from a connection with the EJ&E. As I got to the vicinity of the track, I saw the train coming, coal cars first accompanied by a pick up truck on the road alongside the track with the driver/operator remote controlling the pushing unmaned locomotive. As this was a "private area" there was no grade crossings or other problems to encounter.
There was at least one tresspasser that could have been a problem!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
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