Does the conductor take over for a few minutes? Or does the engineer bring the train to a stop? Or do they just have to hold it until the next red light? Something I've always wondered.
Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40.
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
Most diesel road locomotives have a toilet........
This goes all the way back to the 50's......or before.
Steam is a different story.......
Sheldon
If you can wait for the next stop, fine. If you can't wait that long, you bring your train to a stop. Even if the conductor is a set-back engineer, they can only run the engine in the presence of the engineer. My employer defines that as being able to immediately take over the controls. If you're down in the toilet compartment you aren't in a position where you can take the controls back if you have to.
Jeff
jeffhergert Even if the conductor is a set-back engineer, they can only run the engine in the presence of the engineer.
I'll take "Completely Stupid Rules" for $500, Alex.
Sure - you can get called whenever to run that 45,000-foot, 30 billion ton train, but you can't watch the train for 30 seconds so the (other) engineer can take a whizz.
WHAT ? ! Are you actually implying that common sense should be applied here ? Geeeeze.....next thing you know, those in the cab will want to eat their lunch/dinner while on the job, too. We've got rules, ya know ! (sarcasim intentional)
zugmann jeffhergert Even if the conductor is a set-back engineer, they can only run the engine in the presence of the engineer. I'll take "Completely Stupid Rules" for $500, Alex. Sure - you can get called whenever to run that 45,000-foot, 30 billion ton train, but you can't watch the train for 30 seconds so the (other) engineer can take a whizz.
Oh it gets better. We have a retention/reserve board where instead of being completely furloughed, those holding it work two days a week and maintain their insurance. These people, for example, were a full fledged conductor on Monday. On Tuesday they get cut off the regular boards and go to this reserve board. The instructions are that all reserve board people must be within 50 feet of the conductor they are working with out in the field. These people, fully qualified and working as a conductor yesterday, today must be treated as if they are new-hires on their first day after just having a lobotomy. For example, you couldn't use this fully qualified trainman to ride a shove while the conductor makes the cut when setting out cars. You would have to have both of them ride the shove in and then walk/ride in a van back to the cut. (I think they don't want these people used as a brakeman because they don't want any evidence that a second trainman on a crew that has work events makes the work go easier.)
Yet when the extra boards are exhausted they will try to call a reserve board person to work as a conductor for a trip.
zugmann Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40.
mudchicken zugmann Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40. OK -now we know who's writing the script for Blade Runner - 3
OK -now we know who's writing the script for Blade Runner - 3
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edblysard mudchicken zugmann Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40. OK -now we know who's writing the script for Blade Runner - 3 mudchicken zugmann Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40. OK -now we know who's writing the script for Blade Runner - 3 Ah hah!
Ah hah!
When the Engineer suffers the 'hydraulic failure' which craft has the clean-up?
Does the Conductor have to watch?
Every train crews worst nightmare explosive diarreha and your the engineer on a drag fright in single track territory your train is to big to fit into any passing sidings and if you have to stop your going to tie up the main for miles.
samfp1943 edblysard mudchicken zugmann Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40. OK -now we know who's writing the script for Blade Runner - 3 When the Engineer suffers the 'hydraulic failure' which craft has the clean-up? Does the Conductor have to watch?
edblysard mudchicken zugmann Engineers don't go to the bathroom. They just blow up when they turn 40. OK -now we know who's writing the script for Blade Runner - 3
Next crew bad orders the engine for toilet failure!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
IbanezGuiness What does the engineer do when he needs a bathroom break
What does the engineer do when he needs a bathroom break
To boost crew efficiency I have heard that Hunter Harrison is considering having all CSX road personnel fitted for catheters.
Oh! I thought he would be taking the current engineer's seats out and installing toilets in their place.
Johnny
Has anyone noticed that the walkway behind the cab is stained on almost all locomotives?
mvlandsw Has anyone noticed that the walkway behind the cab is stained on almost all locomotives?
Batteries are under there, it's just the leaking acid I swear
Move along folks, nothing to see there...
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Wonder how these things were taken care of back in the days of steam? I suppose ya just hung it over the side.....or maybe ya had to grab a handful of old flimsees and scramble back onto the coal pile in the tender. (" Say, Bob, that's a funny looking lump of coal there on your shovel......wait a second....PEWEEEEEEUUU.")
GREG HODGES or maybe ya had to grab a handful of old flimsees and scramble back onto the coal pile in the tender. (" Say, Bob, that's a funny looking lump of coal there on your shovel......wait a second....PEWEEEEEEUUU.")
or maybe ya had to grab a handful of old flimsees and scramble back onto the coal pile in the tender. (" Say, Bob, that's a funny looking lump of coal there on your shovel......wait a second....PEWEEEEEEUUU.")
From talking to a couple really old heads that's exactly how it was taken care of. The results were quickly disposed of into the fire.
They went silent when I asked whether the same shovel would be used to fry eggs or bacon.
SD70M-2Dude GREG HODGES or maybe ya had to grab a handful of old flimsees and scramble back onto the coal pile in the tender. (" Say, Bob, that's a funny looking lump of coal there on your shovel......wait a second....PEWEEEEEEUUU.") From talking to a couple really old heads that's exactly how it was taken care of. The results were quickly disposed of into the fire. They went silent when I asked whether the same shovel would be used to fry eggs or bacon.
On a completely unrelated note, a circuit breaker happened to trip. The conductor is looking for the source of the problem. It should be fixed in a few minutes.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
mvlandswHas anyone noticed that the walkway behind the cab is stained on almost all locomotives?
Whilst in the USAF I was warned not to touch the handrails on the stairs leading up to airfield control towers...
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...
Yeah, no one stops trains just so the engineer can use the toilet.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
That's why NS paints their engines black. That and to hide the oil leaks. That sound plausible Mr. Z?
traisessive1 Yeah, no one stops trains just so the engineer can use the toilet.
With the slight grade through here, Eastbounds tend to crawl, and not too many houses on the south side of the tracks...at least the cut is deep. The Westbounds tend to move pretty quickly (New High Speed switch on Westend).... I guess that is why when they get to Wellington... The engines are parked on track adjacent to the Yard Office..Beginning to make sense.
This converstation reminds me of a line from Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans".
"The passengers will please refrain" was in reference to flushing the toilet while the train was in the station. Of course that was before the EPA got involved and demanded holding tanks. Gotta have compassion for MOW crews back then. I'm sure they encountered some very unpleasant stuff.
Norm
As someone who worked outside in the Florida heat for 25 years, let me shed some light...
.
The cab in a steam locomotive was probably very hot. The engineer probably rarely had to relieve himself. He was probably doing well just to keep up with the fluid he was sweating out.
There would be days I would drink over a gallon of water and never use the bathroom once.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
On the WC we did a project to lower the high noses on a group of Southern SD45s. One thing they unwittingly did was cut a rather large slot on the top of the traction motor blower duct (toilet room floor) It wasn't discovered until I had to use the toilet on one of its first trips after rebuilding. Mid pee, the room turned into a vortex and I was turning my body to arc it into the can. Arcing it in stopped working in notch 8.
I almost never use the locomotive toilet. On the WC and elsewhere I would stop the train to (inspect).
I have Crohns disease so it was difficult for me to be an engineer or a conductor. On the RR I worked for in Maine there were many single man crews so stoppping along the way was common. There was also a spot of nice undulating track that worked when I had 100+ train. I could simply leave the locomotives in notch 5 and the train was happy trudling along at 25 MPH for enough time to do what I needed to do (or until the alertor went off).
On one occasion I was engineer on a snow plow and we were having a long day because of tresspassing snowsleds. We had derailed twice so we were more than a little irritated. Towards the end of the trip we came across another pesky snowmobile trail across and along the track and since we had stopped an hour before for hotdogs and coffee I realy had to go. I told the conductor up in the plow I was stopping to do my thing. I stopped the engine directly on the narrow snowsled crossing, went out the rear door, dropped trousers, hooked my arms around the handrails and let it fly like only a post surgical Crohns patient can . There were a group of snow sleds on the other side waiting for us to move. The spot I left in the snow had to be visable from orbit!
My conductor in the plow happened to look back and said that it looked like a big fire extinguisher going off. I guess because it was 15 below zero .
In any case the snow sledders were faced with a choice. There was only one way around.. straight through..
Randy
Thank You.
Really? We really need this conversation?
zugmannReally? We really need this conversation?
Well! NASCAR is having the Southern 500 at Darlington, SC today as a 'throw back' race with 'classic' car paint schemes.
This is just a 'throw back' on answering nature's call. Railroaders in the field have never been accused of bein 'couth' - at least back in the 50's-60's-70's they weren't.
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