Originally posted by BNSF railfan. Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 8:59 AM Let me get this straight. I am in no reason doing any kind of bashing the UP of what so ever. I was just simply asking a normal question,I mean that is what the web site is for isn't it? come on people let's get real for god sake. I mean for god sakes you don't ever hear me complaining "UP SUCKS" all the time do you. I mean if it's this hard to just ask a simple question then ill just go away from this forum and never come back. this is just crazy. I mean there alot of railroaders who just think that thy know it all but you you don't hear me barking back. So much for just asking simple stupid question......... BNSFrailfan. Reply Edit spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 9:57 AM The way I read your post it appeared YOU KNEW that the UPRR operations dept in Omaha was not replying to questions from the field quick enough. If we are lucky & their is someone on ths board who works in the UPRR dispatch center in Omaha do you really think he would confirm your allegation that he is not doing his job correctly? To me it seemed stranged that you would be plugged into inside info of such a vital cog in the UPRR wheels their operations center. That is why I brought up the UPRR bashing. Something similiar to what another poster seemed to allege that the UPRR was holding up the entire BNSF transcon on purpose. [:o)][:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:19 AM He didn't tap any phone lines. This is something that anyone with a scanner can hear. Eolafan stated it pretty good. These dispachers cover rather large areas and or more than one area and can not always give there full concentration to one train. And of course they also get breaks. I don't know how UP does things, but back in the days of SPs WR dispachers sometimes on the weekends and non-peek shifts dispachers would dispach more than one desk. Like on weekday afternoons two dispachers would be needed for the Modoc (WR44) and Siskyou (WR46?) lines. On sunday night only one person would dispach both WR44 and WR46. There were similar arangements in the bay area and LA. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:24 AM He wasn't bashing anyone. It happens everywhere, and he was just wondering why. Pretty good question, I might say. I've read and reread BNSF's question, and I don't see any bashing. m Reply Edit spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:25 AM Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:28 AM Well if you do not consider "why it takes 3 minutes to answer the phone" as sought of a bash when how would anyone know how long it takes to answer a phone in the dispatch center unless you work there? [:o)][:p] Originally posted by mehrlich [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:36 AM He's not talking about the telephone. He's talking about the radio. You key in the dispachers code on the radio and it "calls" the dispacher. [8D] Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:39 AM Aha misread the dial up & radio. So sorry BNSF railfan & thanks to U! [:p][:I][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jeffhergert Member sinceMarch 2003 From: Central Iowa 6,848 posts Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:44 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas I don't see any reference by BNSF Railfan to telephone calls. He is referring to train crews using the radio. When we call the dispatcher we dial him up using a keypad. The normal procedure for my area is to press the star key ,then the 2 digit numbers. This rings in on a radio tower and lets the dispatcher now someone is needing to talk to him/her. When the signal is received by the radio tower, it gives a tone to let you know your call request went thru. Sometimes you can be in a bad spot and try 3 or 4 times to get thru. The worst time to try to get a dispatcher is during shift changes. Other times they may be talking on another part of their territory, planning strategy with the corridor managers or just be taking a break(dispatchers on human, too). Jeff Reply Hugh Jampton Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Southern Region now, UK 820 posts Posted by Hugh Jampton on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:04 AM And that's why bein a dispatcher is more stressful than an air traffic controller according to some hearsay about a report produced by the Canadian Transport Commission or some such.in the 80s. Generally a lurker by natureBe AlertThe world needs more lerts.It's the 3rd rail that makes the difference. Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:05 AM Yes I said I misread it ( see my post above) & said I was sorry to BNSF railfan for the misread. [:p][:o)] Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by BNSF railfan. Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:19 AM He didn't tap any phone lines. This is something that anyone with a scanner can hear. Eolafan stated it pretty good. These dispachers cover rather large areas and or more than one area and can not always give there full concentration to one train. And of course they also get breaks. I don't know how UP does things, but back in the days of SPs WR dispachers sometimes on the weekends and non-peek shifts dispachers would dispach more than one desk. Like on weekday afternoons two dispachers would be needed for the Modoc (WR44) and Siskyou (WR46?) lines. On sunday night only one person would dispach both WR44 and WR46. There were similar arangements in the bay area and LA. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:24 AM He wasn't bashing anyone. It happens everywhere, and he was just wondering why. Pretty good question, I might say. I've read and reread BNSF's question, and I don't see any bashing. m Reply Edit spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:25 AM Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:28 AM Well if you do not consider "why it takes 3 minutes to answer the phone" as sought of a bash when how would anyone know how long it takes to answer a phone in the dispatch center unless you work there? [:o)][:p] Originally posted by mehrlich [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:36 AM He's not talking about the telephone. He's talking about the radio. You key in the dispachers code on the radio and it "calls" the dispacher. [8D] Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:39 AM Aha misread the dial up & radio. So sorry BNSF railfan & thanks to U! [:p][:I][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jeffhergert Member sinceMarch 2003 From: Central Iowa 6,848 posts Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:44 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas I don't see any reference by BNSF Railfan to telephone calls. He is referring to train crews using the radio. When we call the dispatcher we dial him up using a keypad. The normal procedure for my area is to press the star key ,then the 2 digit numbers. This rings in on a radio tower and lets the dispatcher now someone is needing to talk to him/her. When the signal is received by the radio tower, it gives a tone to let you know your call request went thru. Sometimes you can be in a bad spot and try 3 or 4 times to get thru. The worst time to try to get a dispatcher is during shift changes. Other times they may be talking on another part of their territory, planning strategy with the corridor managers or just be taking a break(dispatchers on human, too). Jeff Reply Hugh Jampton Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Southern Region now, UK 820 posts Posted by Hugh Jampton on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:04 AM And that's why bein a dispatcher is more stressful than an air traffic controller according to some hearsay about a report produced by the Canadian Transport Commission or some such.in the 80s. Generally a lurker by natureBe AlertThe world needs more lerts.It's the 3rd rail that makes the difference. Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:05 AM Yes I said I misread it ( see my post above) & said I was sorry to BNSF railfan for the misread. [:p][:o)] Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by chad thomas Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:28 AM Well if you do not consider "why it takes 3 minutes to answer the phone" as sought of a bash when how would anyone know how long it takes to answer a phone in the dispatch center unless you work there? [:o)][:p] Originally posted by mehrlich [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:36 AM He's not talking about the telephone. He's talking about the radio. You key in the dispachers code on the radio and it "calls" the dispacher. [8D] Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:39 AM Aha misread the dial up & radio. So sorry BNSF railfan & thanks to U! [:p][:I][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jeffhergert Member sinceMarch 2003 From: Central Iowa 6,848 posts Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:44 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas I don't see any reference by BNSF Railfan to telephone calls. He is referring to train crews using the radio. When we call the dispatcher we dial him up using a keypad. The normal procedure for my area is to press the star key ,then the 2 digit numbers. This rings in on a radio tower and lets the dispatcher now someone is needing to talk to him/her. When the signal is received by the radio tower, it gives a tone to let you know your call request went thru. Sometimes you can be in a bad spot and try 3 or 4 times to get thru. The worst time to try to get a dispatcher is during shift changes. Other times they may be talking on another part of their territory, planning strategy with the corridor managers or just be taking a break(dispatchers on human, too). Jeff Reply Hugh Jampton Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Southern Region now, UK 820 posts Posted by Hugh Jampton on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:04 AM And that's why bein a dispatcher is more stressful than an air traffic controller according to some hearsay about a report produced by the Canadian Transport Commission or some such.in the 80s. Generally a lurker by natureBe AlertThe world needs more lerts.It's the 3rd rail that makes the difference. Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:05 AM Yes I said I misread it ( see my post above) & said I was sorry to BNSF railfan for the misread. [:p][:o)] Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by mehrlich [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply chad thomas Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Ely, Nv. 6,312 posts Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:36 AM He's not talking about the telephone. He's talking about the radio. You key in the dispachers code on the radio and it "calls" the dispacher. [8D] Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:39 AM Aha misread the dial up & radio. So sorry BNSF railfan & thanks to U! [:p][:I][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jeffhergert Member sinceMarch 2003 From: Central Iowa 6,848 posts Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:44 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas I don't see any reference by BNSF Railfan to telephone calls. He is referring to train crews using the radio. When we call the dispatcher we dial him up using a keypad. The normal procedure for my area is to press the star key ,then the 2 digit numbers. This rings in on a radio tower and lets the dispatcher now someone is needing to talk to him/her. When the signal is received by the radio tower, it gives a tone to let you know your call request went thru. Sometimes you can be in a bad spot and try 3 or 4 times to get thru. The worst time to try to get a dispatcher is during shift changes. Other times they may be talking on another part of their territory, planning strategy with the corridor managers or just be taking a break(dispatchers on human, too). Jeff Reply Hugh Jampton Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Southern Region now, UK 820 posts Posted by Hugh Jampton on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:04 AM And that's why bein a dispatcher is more stressful than an air traffic controller according to some hearsay about a report produced by the Canadian Transport Commission or some such.in the 80s. Generally a lurker by natureBe AlertThe world needs more lerts.It's the 3rd rail that makes the difference. Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:05 AM Yes I said I misread it ( see my post above) & said I was sorry to BNSF railfan for the misread. [:p][:o)] Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by chad thomas [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply jeffhergert Member sinceMarch 2003 From: Central Iowa 6,848 posts Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 10:44 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas I don't see any reference by BNSF Railfan to telephone calls. He is referring to train crews using the radio. When we call the dispatcher we dial him up using a keypad. The normal procedure for my area is to press the star key ,then the 2 digit numbers. This rings in on a radio tower and lets the dispatcher now someone is needing to talk to him/her. When the signal is received by the radio tower, it gives a tone to let you know your call request went thru. Sometimes you can be in a bad spot and try 3 or 4 times to get thru. The worst time to try to get a dispatcher is during shift changes. Other times they may be talking on another part of their territory, planning strategy with the corridor managers or just be taking a break(dispatchers on human, too). Jeff Reply Hugh Jampton Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Southern Region now, UK 820 posts Posted by Hugh Jampton on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:04 AM And that's why bein a dispatcher is more stressful than an air traffic controller according to some hearsay about a report produced by the Canadian Transport Commission or some such.in the 80s. Generally a lurker by natureBe AlertThe world needs more lerts.It's the 3rd rail that makes the difference. Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:05 AM Yes I said I misread it ( see my post above) & said I was sorry to BNSF railfan for the misread. [:p][:o)] Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed Yes I can understand the scanner thing if he is nearby to the UPRR dispatch center. But, he also contended that it took "1 to 3 minutes" to answer the telephone in the dispatch center. How would he know that? That was the reason for the "tapped" phone remark. [:D][:o)] Originally posted by chad thomas I don't see any reference by BNSF Railfan to telephone calls. He is referring to train crews using the radio. When we call the dispatcher we dial him up using a keypad. The normal procedure for my area is to press the star key ,then the 2 digit numbers. This rings in on a radio tower and lets the dispatcher now someone is needing to talk to him/her. When the signal is received by the radio tower, it gives a tone to let you know your call request went thru. Sometimes you can be in a bad spot and try 3 or 4 times to get thru. The worst time to try to get a dispatcher is during shift changes. Other times they may be talking on another part of their territory, planning strategy with the corridor managers or just be taking a break(dispatchers on human, too). Jeff Reply Hugh Jampton Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Southern Region now, UK 820 posts Posted by Hugh Jampton on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:04 AM And that's why bein a dispatcher is more stressful than an air traffic controller according to some hearsay about a report produced by the Canadian Transport Commission or some such.in the 80s. Generally a lurker by natureBe AlertThe world needs more lerts.It's the 3rd rail that makes the difference. Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:05 AM Yes I said I misread it ( see my post above) & said I was sorry to BNSF railfan for the misread. [:p][:o)] Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by chad thomas
Originally posted by jeffhergert Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by spbed Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:10 AM A very big thank U from Florida. Some common sense would have led down the same road that you posted. I certainly do not think someone in the dispatch center does not want to reply to the query ASAP! [8D][:o)][:I] Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply spbed Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Austin TX 4,941 posts Posted by spbed on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:19 AM Sorry just misread your question[:D] Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
Originally posted by BNSF railfan. 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 Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:32 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen. Plus, ya gotta pee eventually! Seriously, I've been in various dispatcher's offices, and as Mark said, it is a very demanding, fast-paced environment. No time to let your mind wander, even for a moment. I have the utmost respect for those that can do that job. Reply mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,794 posts Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:43 PM (1) To the Industrial Engineer that sold management on centralizing the dispatchers in one place and cutting down on the number of dispatcher territories (and dispatchers): YOU'RE FIRED![}:)] Looks good on Wall Street, but sucks bigtime in the real world. (2) BNSF Railfan: What are you whining about? 1-3 minutes?......I've seen 30-50 man tie and steel gangs sit in the hole for DAYS waiting on the DS and the Operating (oxymoron?) Department to let them out!....more than once in a week![censored][censored][censored] This is saving money? We also have heard train crews whine when going into the hole because there was no coffee shop there (Frick, CO...Sutton, KS....Orsa, CO....Onava, NM.... Siberia, CA....Christie, CA....Port Chicago, CA..... come to mind)....and then the DS calls the train to let them out in other places on the railroad and there is no answer, nobody home! Listen to Mark & Zardoz......it's not a simple fix! [banghead][banghead][banghead] Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:21 AM Well, I doubt that any train crews are complaining.... they do get paid by the hour after all. :) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:40 AM drfizzix, you'd be suprised about that too. the logical reaction of most crews is to just sit and wait, but some people get a little cranky when they gotta wait. one engineer i rode with, who works off our notorious piggy back pool, would throw the handset around when the dispatcher didn't answer him right away or told him he'd half to wait. needless to say this behavior and similar behavior by other engineers on the pool has lead the chiefs to threaten cutting the pool entirely and just making one "super pool" where all the pigs and freights are called from the same board. in a lot of terminals there is no seperate pool for piggy backs, but somebody's always gotta whine. Reply Edit 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
QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark_W._Hemphill Simple answer to original question: Because they are really busy. Who will call the train? Only one person at a time, usually, and maybe only once an hour! Who will call the dispatcher? Every Tom, *** and Harry on the railroad with a radio or a phone, and too many will expect instant service of THEIR call the moment they make it. In my time on the console, it wasn't at all unusual to have 15-20 requests for my attention waiting at any given time -- all the radio towers lit up with calls from trains and maintainers, all five phone lines lit up, a couple of people in the office needing an answer or waiting to pass on something. Oh, and clear signals for trains, call crews not a minute too early nor a minute too late, and all the other things, too. I know of no one that will be called upon to concentrate as hard as a dispatcher, without break, for eight hours. It's like no other job I've ever seen.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.