The managers actually do take the tests (at least the TMs and RFEs).
I just wish we were paid like lineman and crane operators. I guess we do better than some pilots, maybe.
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
zugmannThe managers actually do take the tests (at least the TMs and RFEs).
If you're working on a train, you're taking the tests, including check rides. We're pretty much all volunteer - even the RFE and conductor supervisor.
Our executive director took the rules class a couple of years ago and did work a number of trains as a trainman. Lately she just hasn't had the time.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
All field level supervision must be qualified on the rules that are applicable to their operation. They take yearly Rules Classes the same as rank and file operating employees and then in many cases become the instructors for the Rules Classes for their employees.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I'm just glad to be involved no longer with testing for rules, efficiency, whatever. You wouldnt know from how well I did (and how quickly I'd finish), but I dreaded those things. The classes seemed to get longer and longer each time, and there was always something new being inflicted on us. My job was limited in scope, and half of that sh...tuff I was expected to know I would never be using. If I ever became flustered by the answers (it was mostly multiple-choice), I'd apply logic, and that often helped. Not as much toward the end of my career--there were some wrong answers that I thought made more sense than the correct ones.There is definitely a gray haze in the sky that would have to have come from the Alberta wildfire. It colored our sunset last night. Fortunately, it's up high enough that air quality isn't affected here.Pat has finished sewing for Angel Babies this time around. In about one month she made 100 little gowns for mothers of stillborn or miscarried babies to dress their little ones in. They are donated to hospitals, and the parents may choose (or not choose) one, along with matching hats and blankets if they wish. Now she'll be sewing for our trip...new shirt for me, matching shirts for son-in-law and grandson, suff for herself, and so on. We should be out west at this time next month, although not to Lompoc just yet. Now to finish today's production of lawn clippings. It's been a high-yield year so far.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Spent all day getting mowers ready,Push mower easy other than sharpening. Small rider problem as found last servicing tech did not secure some bolts properly and had to remove back hitch and perform sheet metal work then new bolts with lock nuts. Air cleaned off all mowers and power washed. Big rider no sharpening. Now with all the rain we have had will be able to fight the fast growth.
Try being a nuclear plant operator.
evening
work busy.Ns was clear when I left work.Rain coming.More chores to do here at home.
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").
Wow - up here in Mookie Towers (2nd floor) - it is raining, hail yes - it is and we have had warnings of funnel clouds and flooding east of our burg. This all from the land of normally, no weather. But rain is appreciated since we were pretty dry. And kudos to our fire and police, since they have been covering just about everything imaginable all across the city.
Blue Angels did fly in a show here yesterday since the smoke from Canada cleared enough. Heard around 100k people were thrilled. I heard them (jets) leaving town this morning - just ahead of all this weather. Good timing as usual!
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
MookieWow - up here in Mookie Towers (2nd floor) - it is raining, hail yes - it is and we have had warnings of funnel clouds and flooding east of our burg.
Looking at the lighting map, things look pretty tough out your way. Stay safe!
Mookie Blue Angels did fly in a show here yesterday since the smoke from Canada cleared enough. Heard around 100k people were thrilled. I heard them (jets) leaving town this morning - just ahead of all this weather. Good timing as usual!
Blue Angels over my place in Jacksonville several years ago
We drove to hardest hit area in Lincoln - about 8 miles from home base - they had 1-3 funnel clouds, which wasn't so bad since no touchdown, but the hail did the most damage. Lots of car damage, roof damage and mostly leaf damage on trees.
What I found interesting was the number of roofing, gutter, plumbing, lawn, glass replacement etc service people - some just walking the blocks - finding business. I couldn't help but wonder if during the storm some of them weren't in their garages painting the side of the van-looking SUV "The Driver's Gutter, Downspout, Roof Repair and Lawn/Sprinkler/Mowing Service".....
And this area, which was all farm ground-who cares, most of my adult life is now a very beautiful & $$$ part of the city. But the city dam in the area did its job - altho it will be quite some time before you can fish or play softball near the lake. All of the park area is underwater, but the water is staying in the bowl just like it should.
No golf and dog run is for floaters only.
Oklahoma didn't fair as well....
MookieAll of the park area is underwater, but the water is staying in the bowl just like it should.
Reminds me of the Maricopa Live Steamers "layout" north of Phoenix, AZ. It's on a flood plain (along with a water park), and if they get a deluge, their nine miles (actual) of track probably will be on a very different alignment...
just rain here in Nw Ohio for now.Swamp grows and grows.Ns was clear when I left work.Chores to do.
Tree: You reminded me that we crossed the inactive Kyle Line going south out of Lincoln and the ballast was washed completely out under about 20 feet of track. Just past the crossing. They regularly check the tracks, so this won't be a big surprise except to the person looking for problems. And it is a public crossing, so someone will see it.
Mookie What I found interesting was the number of roofing, gutter, plumbing, lawn, glass replacement etc service people - some just walking the blocks - finding business. I couldn't help but wonder if during the storm some of them weren't in their garages painting the side of the van-looking SUV "The Driver's Gutter, Downspout, Roof Repair and Lawn/Sprinkler/Mowing Service".....
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
The other definition of storm chaser?
BOB WITHORN The other definition of storm chaser?
In the EMS world they call them "ambulance chasers..."
We had over an inch and a half of rain yesterday, but the nasty stuff stayed well away from us. More rain is expected tonight and into tomorrow morning. Our rainbarrels are full, with no need for sprinkling at the moment. If anyone from a drought-stricken area wishes to run a garden hose up to our backyard, help yourself!I will have a spousal guest on my train trip tomorrow. She wishes to see a museum that is displaying things related to Downton Abbey, and I will content myself with the rides to and from, and perhaps lunch at Portillo's and dinner somewhere else. It's our anniversary tomorrow (43) so we're doing a few things together.
Happy anniversary Cal and Pat.
swamp is mowed.storms tomorrow.Amtraks capitol limited had a couple extra cars this morning.Looked like former Milwaukee road.Time for bed.
15 straight days of measurable rain - where is this Spring everybody it talking about?
How wet is it? After our daily downpour this morning, I watched a man operating an industial strength, gas, weed-eater on a patch of weeds. As the weed-eater hit the vegetation, it was vaporized into a green cloud that drifted off about 2 feet off the ground.
BaltACD 15 straight days of measurable rain - where is this Spring everybody it talking about?
At least you're getting rain - areas north of here had a half inch of snow late on Mother's Day. Did an ambulance call on Friday involving a fellow who slipped on the ice on his porch.
We were beautiful yesterday, and are supposed to be nice today, but this coming weekend, we may see temps back in the 30's.
Carl will vouch for this, one of the weather prognosticators stated that some of the northern suburbs may get frost on Friday night/Saturday morning. Our weed patch is getting rather tall and the dogs are starting to get lost in it.
Carl will vouch for this, one of the weather prognosticators stated that some of the northern suburbs may get frost on Friday night/Saturday morning. Our lawn (weed patch?) is getting rather tall and the dogs are starting to get lost in it.
rain has arrived in Nw Ohio.Neighbor just got back from Upper Michigan where they had some snow.Ns was clear when I left work.Went into town.CSx has a grain train at the elevator.Tomorrow is Friday.Chores to do.
Larry, I think spring is here, but still behind schedule--you're now getting the April showers. We have had over four inches of rain so far in May, with an inch and a half of that coming last night. Paul's right--they're calling for lows this weekend in the mid- to upper 30s out by us, so there just might be a little frost. And they're talking about rain tomorrow night, again.Our anniversary celebration went pretty much as planned. We took the train downtown (today must have been ethanol day on the UP--met three ethanol trains!), used our Ventra cards on the CTA for the first (and second) time, had no wait when we went to the Driehaus (pronounced Dree-hoss) Museum, where actual Downton Abbey costumes were displayed in this Chicago mansion set up for the same time period, had a good anniversary dinner at Portillo's (yes, the hot-dog place...but Pat had spaghetti and salad, and I had ribs and salad), and were too stuffed to eat anything when we got home. We walked about 5.5 miles total, which is also good for us...I hope Pat doesn't fall asleep during choir practice.
I'm not surprised that Carl ate ribs on his and Pat's outing; twice when he came in and visited me when I was between trains he ate ribs and I ate something else.
Even though the trees have leaved out and the grass is green, we still have morning temperatures in the forties, though it does get up into the seventies during the day. We have rain every now and then, which is good. This morning as Katie and I were coming down from the hospital (doctor visit for me), we looked across the valley and saw a light haze against the Oquirrh Mountains, which bespoke a need for another low pressure cell to come in and let the gunk out of the valley.
Johnny
Big Giggle for the week:
Stayed in St. Louis at the Union Station (Doubletree) Hotel for two nights this week. Stayed in a PRR themed room/ wing under the trainshed. In the room, on a wall, was a framed explanation of the PRR passenger service to and from St. Louis. According to the revisionist historian that wrote the explanation posted on the wall, PRR service into St Louis (Spirit of St Louis, St. Louisan, Northern Arrow, Jeffersonian etc.) and PRR itself failed ultimately because PRR insisted on not modernizing its railroads with diesel engines and hung on to its inefficient steam engines for far too long.
Any idea whose crappy history textbook this gem came out of? Can't wait to see how it explained federal railroad land grants.
MC, it is obvious that the composer of that "explanation" has never read any true history of the decline of passenger traffic. How anybody could come up with such garbage is beyond me--unless such a person prefers his own ideas to reality.
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