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Good bye, conductors?

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Posted by Andrew Falconer on Saturday, July 26, 2014 8:52 PM

A person in the front unit and a person in the distributed power unit is a way to keep a two person crew.

 

Andrew

Andrew

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Posted by Ulrich on Saturday, July 26, 2014 7:41 PM
Not a bad idea either. I'm going to ask CN... now I'm curious.
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Posted by The Butler on Saturday, July 26, 2014 6:15 PM

Ulrich
The railroad would still need to do its own pre employment test... I've had a CDL for 22 years.. haven't had a drug test in at least 15. In regards to the physical, railroads have to do their own anyway as well.

Well, it was an idea.  Smile

James


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Posted by Ulrich on Saturday, July 26, 2014 3:30 PM
The railroad would still need to do its own pre employment test... I've had a CDL for 22 years.. haven't had a drug test in at least 15. In regards to the physical, railroads have to do their own anyway as well.
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Posted by The Butler on Saturday, July 26, 2014 3:15 PM

Ulrich
Paul_D_North_Jr

Ulrich
[snipped - PDN] . . . although now that you mention it, CNR does prefer to hire candidates with a CDL. Not sure if it's a requirement or just a preference. But the CN job postings I've seen mention the class 1 CDL. Not sure why.. maybe only to separate the wheat from the chaff. There's a big overlap between truck and rail... thus sometimes both are discussed. I work with both. . . .

If those job postings were for MOW or C&S positions, a lot of times the position - or the next promotion (such as to equipment operator), or a possible 'arbitrary' (additional pay) - will  or could include driving the big trucks with equipment and materials from one job site to the next.    

- Paul North. 

I get that, but I'm referring specifically to conductor positions. CN notes the requirement/preference for candidates with a class 1 CDL.

I would guess that a valid CDL requires passing a physical and drug test.  A cost saved by the railroad.

James


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Posted by wanswheel on Saturday, July 26, 2014 2:08 PM
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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, July 26, 2014 10:10 AM

Quoting Jeff Hergert: "Change is always good, when the negative consequences affect someone else." Yes, especially when the change benefits you.

And Paul North's quotation of a David P. Morgan quotation reminded that I did meet him, and had a brief conversation with him on a steam excursion out of Birmingham. I do not remember if it was the same excursion on which I had a brief conversation with Graham Claytor.

Johnny

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Posted by Ulrich on Saturday, July 26, 2014 9:44 AM
jeffhergert

mackb4

 

   You know this is why myself and the other railroaders on here get in a fighting mood when those that think it's great or it's just gonna happen anyway accept it.

 

 

Change is always good, when the negative consequences affect someone else.

Jeff

change is what it is..
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Posted by Ulrich on Saturday, July 26, 2014 9:42 AM
Paul_D_North_Jr

Ulrich
[snipped - PDN] . . . although now that you mention it, CNR does prefer to hire candidates with a CDL. Not sure if it's a requirement or just a preference. But the CN job postings I've seen mention the class 1 CDL. Not sure why.. maybe only to separate the wheat from the chaff. There's a big overlap between truck and rail... thus sometimes both are discussed. I work with both. . . .

If those job postings were for MOW or C&S positions, a lot of times the position - or the next promotion (such as to equipment operator), or a possible 'arbitrary' (additional pay) - will  or could include driving the big trucks with equipment and materials from one job site to the next.    

- Paul North. 

I get that, but I'm referring specifically to conductor positions. CN notes the requirement/preference for candidates with a class 1 CDL.
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Posted by Ulrich on Saturday, July 26, 2014 9:40 AM
ACY

Uhhhhh.

You do realize the CDL and robot comments were just to inject a bit of levity, don't you?

So was my barber school comment..
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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, July 26, 2014 8:59 AM

Ulrich
[snipped - PDN] . . . although now that you mention it, CNR does prefer to hire candidates with a CDL. Not sure if it's a requirement or just a preference. But the CN job postings I've seen mention the class 1 CDL. Not sure why.. maybe only to separate the wheat from the chaff. There's a big overlap between truck and rail... thus sometimes both are discussed. I work with both. . . .

If those job postings were for MOW or C&S positions, a lot of times the position - or the next promotion (such as to equipment operator), or a possible 'arbitrary' (additional pay) - will  or could include driving the big trucks with equipment and materials from one job site to the next.    

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, July 26, 2014 8:54 AM

jeffhergert
Change is always good, when the negative consequences affect someone else.

Jeff

Excellent point, well said - applicable to many different scenarios (not just on the railroad).  Economists call it "external effects" or "diseconomies", or something similar.

As David P. Morgan* quoted at least once an Army lieutenant he served with:

"Morgan, it all depends on whose ox is being gored."

(*Long-time Trains magazine Editor, from the early 1960's to late 1980's - some here will know and remember him, but some wouldn't have had the opportunity.)

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, July 26, 2014 8:27 AM

mackb4

 

   You know this is why myself and the other railroaders on here get in a fighting mood when those that think it's great or it's just gonna happen anyway accept it.

 

 

Change is always good, when the negative consequences affect someone else.

Jeff

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Posted by mackb4 on Saturday, July 26, 2014 1:45 AM

ACY

Uhhhhh.

You do realize the CDL and robot comments were just to inject a bit of levity, don't you?

    Yes,that's the exact reason for my little story.

  Sorta like when you wreck real bad on your mountain bike,and you know it's bad,gonna hurt later,but you tell everyone watching ," Oh,I'm alright it's just a little scratch...(laugh,laugh,laugh)." but you really realize it's gonna hurt like all mad when you get up and start walking.

 

Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."

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Posted by ACY Tom on Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:56 AM

Uhhhhh.

You do realize the CDL and robot comments were just to inject a bit of levity, don't you?

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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, July 25, 2014 11:30 PM
mackb4

  A railroad "conductor"  telling the robot with human intelligence replacing him a story 40 years from now ,"Yeah son..I can remember when we used keys to start a vehicle to drive around to do our job,because we couldn't do everything from this desk....imagine that,we had to get up from this desk to do our job,yeah them were the days....Oh and before we started population reduction we had a reason to have Engineer's and conductor's....well ones that had to eat."

   You know this is why myself and the other railroaders on here get in a fighting mood when those that think it's great or it's just gonna happen anyway accept it.

   Well with almost 25 years on the job,having what seems like a career and not just a job seemingly at a few peoples disposal makes you sick.

   And guess what.If companies and the people running them thinks this is gong to be the norm,they best remember their a number also.Less employees to manage,equates to less mangers to mange them ,kinda redundant isn't it. Tongue Tied

 

Oh well... there's always barber school..
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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, July 25, 2014 11:21 PM
No mention of a CDL requirement in the Norfolk Southern posting ACY although now that you mention it, CNR does prefer to hire candidates with a CDL. Not sure if it's a requirement or just a preference. But the CN job postings I've seen mention the class 1 CDL. Not sure why.. maybe only to separate the wheat from the chaff. There's a big overlap between truck and rail... thus sometimes both are discussed. I work with both. Some people will whine no matter what..
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Posted by ACY Tom on Friday, July 25, 2014 11:06 PM

In the future, will robots hire out on the railroad because of "The Romance of the Rails"?  The visceral excitement that gets the ol' hydraulic fluid pumping?

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Posted by mackb4 on Friday, July 25, 2014 10:54 PM

  A railroad "conductor"  telling the robot with human intelligence replacing him a story 40 years from now ,"Yeah son..I can remember when we used keys to start a vehicle to drive around to do our job,because we couldn't do everything from this desk....imagine that,we had to get up from this desk to do our job,yeah them were the days....Oh and before we started population reduction we had a reason to have Engineer's and conductor's....well ones that had to eat."

   You know this is why myself and the other railroaders on here get in a fighting mood when those that think it's great or it's just gonna happen anyway accept it.

   Well with almost 25 years on the job,having what seems like a career and not just a job seemingly at a few peoples disposal makes you sick.

   And guess what.If companies and the people running them thinks this is gong to be the norm,they best remember their a number also.Less employees to manage,equates to less mangers to mange them ,kinda redundant isn't it. Tongue Tied

 

Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."

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Posted by ACY Tom on Friday, July 25, 2014 10:10 PM

Used to be, you could identify a Conductor by his ticket punch and his Hamilton.  Maybe in the New Order, the hallmark will be a set of pickup truck ignition keys.

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Posted by mackb4 on Friday, July 25, 2014 8:57 PM

Ulrich
The trucking industry is always hiring... always looking for good people. It's been that way since 1988 at least, the year I got into it. Lots of opportunities for drivers and non-drivers alike. If you believe you may be cut then take a look a my industry as a fallback.. you've got options.

 Yeah ,they'll always need drivers to shuffle containers around the inter-modal yard's when the tonnage to fuel ratio is too much for the trucking industry to deal with.

 I thought this was a site called TRAINS not TRUCKS  Stick out tongue

 

Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."

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Posted by ACY Tom on Friday, July 25, 2014 7:47 PM

Just curious.  Did the NS job notification include the line "Must have CDL"?

Enquiring minds want to know.

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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, July 25, 2014 3:48 PM
Just got a Norfolk Southern job alert sent to my Facebook page. NS is looking for conductors in Harrisburg, PA.
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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, July 25, 2014 10:08 AM

Ever since the diesel fireman dispute and maybe even before that, labor unions have always come out looking bad on work-rules issues.  To the public at large, unions look like they are trying to protect jobs that are no longer necessary or have been eliminated by technology.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Ulrich on Thursday, July 24, 2014 8:26 PM
The trucking industry is always hiring... always looking for good people. It's been that way since 1988 at least, the year I got into it. Lots of opportunities for drivers and non-drivers alike. If you believe you may be cut then take a look a my industry as a fallback.. you've got options.
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Posted by schlimm on Thursday, July 24, 2014 3:09 PM

As I and Ulrich and others have said, change is coming.   It won't be fast and initially just the conductors will be affected gradually spreading to the other lines.  Engineers?   Who knows, but I don't see many driverless trains anywhere soon.   So there really is no more cause for their alarm now than 30 years ago, etc.

Farther down the track I expect we will see the RoWs purchased by the government to modernize and upgrade.  Freight lines will become contracting operators as in many other countries.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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Posted by mackb4 on Thursday, July 24, 2014 2:44 PM

  Good read on how the rank and file union members fill about this.

               http://www.galesburg.com/article/20140723/NEWS/140729876

        

 

Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."

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Posted by Ulrich on Thursday, July 24, 2014 12:24 PM
NorthWest

Ulrich
It may not have occurred to you because no one anywhere has proposed running one person crews at CSX or even in the east. People get all worked up because they jump to conclusions.

If one railroad finds that they can lower costs doing something, chances are that the other railroads won't be far behind.

Not necessarily so... one person crews have been the norm for a number of roads for years.... QN&L is one example that comes to mind. Completely crewless trains have also been around for years.
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Posted by NorthWest on Thursday, July 24, 2014 12:13 PM

Ulrich
It may not have occurred to you because no one anywhere has proposed running one person crews at CSX or even in the east. People get all worked up because they jump to conclusions.

If one railroad finds that they can lower costs doing something, chances are that the other railroads won't be far behind.

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