Is the message "Don't get comfortable." common on the railroads?
Considering that railroaders have to pay attention to everything, it would seem that there is no time to get comfortable.
Have any of the real railroaders found themselves saying "Don't get comfortable."?
Andrew Falconer
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
to the contrary.. we get confortable every chance we get and i have been told a few times by the dispatcher get confortable..your going be there a while...
csx engineer
Wow!
If the engineers and conductors have to comfortably wait so often on the CSX, are they all well rested when they finish their time?
Andrew
i never said that it was possable to get comfortable but when your dead on your butt tired.. anytime you stop you grab a few Zs regardless if your confortable or not...
csxengineer98 wrote: i never said that it was possable to get comfortable but when your dead on your butt tired.. anytime you stop you grab a few Zs regardless if your confortable or not... csx engineer
You mean to tell me they let you sleep ???? heck when i stop and try and nap the conductor wont shut up, but let me start moving and he is asleep again..... I can hear it now why dont you just wake him up if he wont let you sleep..... well its like this, He is silent and not bothering me sleeping and besides i dont want to hear the same stuff over and over and over, thats why i come here......
i keep my conductors awake when i run..becouse i look at it like this.. they are part of the crew and if i cant sleep while running then they cant sleep while im working....they can call the signals over the radio and talking keeps me awake when im tired.. also if you keep them awake when you do stop.. they are tired now too and will sleep so they arent keeping you up while your trying to sleep...
Now what would happen if your sitting in a siding waiting for a fleet movement and the Dispatcher tells you to "get comfortable, you'll be there for a few hours", after seeing the first couple of trains, the conductor dozes off, then the engineer dozes off, the last of the trains that you are meeting are gone, got the green to procede and you both are sleeping.
The questions are: if your both are in a deep slumber, you get the green and no movement on the dispatchers board......what happens? Im sure the dispatcher will try and get a hold of you, but you dont hear it. How often does this happen (that both crew members are sleeping)?
I've heard on the CN this happens with their "Burn and Turn", not both crew members sleeping but the conductor gettting their ZZZZ's running and the Engineer getting theirs on long waiting meets. My friends been working 80 hours a week, couple of 70-72 hours thrown in, for the last 4 months, and he says whenever he gets the chance, he dozes off when theyre on the move, but he dismounts to give the rolling roll-by on meets. At this time, he lets the Engineer get his ZZZZ's if they choose to.
http://www.youtube.com/user/pavabo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulvbox
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
wabash1 wrote: ... besides i dont want to hear the same stuff over and over and over, thats why i come here......
Soo 6604 wrote:Now what would happen if your sitting in a siding waiting for a fleet movement and the Dispatcher tells you to "get comfortable, you'll be there for a few hours", after seeing the first couple of trains, the conductor dozes off, then the engineer dozes off, the last of the trains that you are meeting are gone, got the green to procede and you both are sleeping.The questions are: if your both are in a deep slumber, you get the green and no movement on the dispatchers board......what happens? Im sure the dispatcher will try and get a hold of you, but you dont hear it. How often does this happen (that both crew members are sleeping)?I've heard on the CN this happens with their "Burn and Turn", not both crew members sleeping but the conductor gettting their ZZZZ's running and the Engineer getting theirs on long waiting meets. My friends been working 80 hours a week, couple of 70-72 hours thrown in, for the last 4 months, and he says whenever he gets the chance, he dozes off when theyre on the move, but he dismounts to give the rolling roll-by on meets. At this time, he lets the Engineer get his ZZZZ's if they choose to.
also you keep the radio loud..so you can hear the dispatcher yelling at you.. and as zug said..leave the window open or slighty open to hear passing trains...
if the crew should be lucky enought to get themselfs into a deep sleep and dont hear the trains or the dispatcher yelling at them.. they can have a passing train stop and wake them up..it has happend once around here..not to me..but i knew a crew that was so dead tired that when they stopped they slept for almost 2 hours waiting on passing trains..well the DS tried to yell at them on the radio..and no responce.. this went on for about an hour..finaly the DS told a train that was getting near there location to stop and wake up the crew... well needless to say the DS wasnt happy and when the crew got ahold of the DS he has a few words for the crew...
Ted M.
got trains?™
See my photos at: http://tedmarshall.rrpicturearchives.net/
Ted Marshall wrote:I can't understand why the rules would be any different for railroaders. In just about any other profession that I'm aware of where you're on somebody elses dime, sleeping on the job would be grounds for diciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.
Mandating that crewmen remain awake and alert when there is nothing to do but watch the scenery (and at night there is very little of that) was found to increase the incidence of crewmen falling asleep while the train was in motion, thus the rule change to permit cat napping.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
On the NS it is terms for dismissal that is why in most cases that the engineer sleeps when stopped and the conductor while moving. but i have had conductors go to sleep while im sleeping i will wake up and find them sleeping so i will stay up. I also wont trust them ever again. and trust means alot on the railroad. there several that dont want to work with me because i dont trust them and I wont cut them any slack its by the letter of the book while others i dont care what they do and wont question them because i trust them they have proven themselves.
matt and I have come up on a train stopped and the crew was so tired they thought we were a crew van coming to get them.It does happen.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
At least you get power naps to balance out the long days of waiting.
I would hope that only half the crew is napping at any given time.
wabash1 wrote:there ha sbeen times your so tired that you stand up to run so you wont fall asleep i have also been waken up by the alerter. sometimes it happens.
Railroading IS a different beast than any other profession.
Did you just come across wrong or are you really that big of a goodie two shoes?
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
I hate those *** alerters. I usually put a piece of duct tape over the red light so that it's not "blinding bright" and a piece over the vent where the speaker is so that you still hear it but it's not gonna scare the **** outta ya if you're being inattentive.
Going down the tracks, blow the whistle and start screaming "OH MY GOD WATCHOUT". They wake up real fast , look around, and are generally cofused.
Alls fair in love and war, and well, working for the railroad aint love.
This space reserved for SpaceMouse's future presidential candidacy advertisements
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.