Train Crew Inspections out on the road!

[Anonymous]

Hi,
It has been many years since I worked in Train Service as a brakeman for the Old SP out of the SF Bay area. Was curious if crews on trains are still bushwhacked by sneaky trainmasters boarding trains that are sitting in sidings and the like to check for possesion of rule books, watch cards, and basically checking on train crews knowledge of the rules? I assume that the random inspection of train crews by railroad management has grown since security issues and accidents have risen over the years. Anyone in active train service please feel free to reply and tell your stories.

Thanks,
Brad

[Anonymous]

Oh you mean the weed weasels. Yes they are still out there annoying us train crews, and testing us on every little *** rule. A trainmaster in Great Falls Montana when I was up there on a barrow out was chasing a train from Laurel to Great Falls testing them along the way. Anyways the "weed weasel" rolled his jeep into the ditch and totaled out the the company owned vehicle. And I just love getting tested by these morons that don't even know the rules they are testing. That is so much fun when they look like a big idiot.

[Anonymous]

The local NS trainmaster said that one of his functions was to hide out in the weeds looking for safety violations. He said he hated doing it, because it took away time he would have spent with his family, but that some trainmen didn't seem to understand how serious NS was about safety issues.

Erik

[BaltACD]

EAch of the carriers has various requirements on the number of 'Efficiency Tests' each Transportation Officer is required to submit each month. Some carriers even go so far as to specifiy (verbally-no written record) the percentage of test failures that must be returned.

While the carriers may do this of their own choice, when the NTSB investigates railroad incidents that have occured due to rules compliance failures, they take the carriers to task for the lack of failures in their efficency test records.

[pmsteamman]

I once heard a "old head" that the first day they hire you they try to fire you every day after that."

[youngengineer]

If one follows the rules, than one will not be fired. I always love the stories about how so and so got fired but when the whole story comes to light, gosh, why did he break that rule. The rules are there for one important reason, somebody probably died or was seriously injured, the railroads dont want rules, why you say, because rules slow down production. So if we take that a step further, when one is working and one wants to get home, lets see if I do this or do that it will be quicker, aww those rules are only there to fire me, next thing you know someones missing a leg or worse dead.

I love when people say *** those trainmasters testing me, but hey if they didnt than many more rules would be broken. I know I sound like a trainmaster but I am not,(I am an enigneer) I am however from another industry previously that had injuries and we decreased them by doing the same things. The company doesnt want rule violations, becasue they turn into injuries which are expensive and crashed trains.

[Anonymous]

Try working in Lincoln Yard. The yardmaster, and trainmaster are always trying to get you to break the rules to move faster. You know if it helps them out for you to break the rules to get the train out of the yard faster than you better do it, is their mentality. But if it back fires and something goes very wrong then it is your butt that is fired. There has been a lot of times I have been in that yard and they want me to break a rule to move things along faster, and nobody better do it because even if you help them out, they will be out there trying to fire you tomorrow. They want you to help them out, but they never help you out for some reason or another.

[Anonymous]

First of all, train crew inspections, or efficiency tests, are required by the FRA.
Second, if you don't want to get in trouble, then don't break the rules. Now I realize that sometimes they get bent a little to get the job done, but for the most part, if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, you will be fine

[UP_North]

Or you can just play the game. my answer to every question is " I don't know". I'm not paid to know the rules or else I wouldn't have to carry all those books. I am paid to know where to find them in the GCOR.

[SealBook27]

QUOTE: Originally posted by youngengineer

If one follows the rules, than one will not be fired. I always love the stories about how so and so got fired but when the whole story comes to light, gosh, why did he break that rule. The rules are there for one important reason, somebody probably died or was seriously injured, the railroads dont want rules, why you say, because rules slow down production. So if we take that a step further, when one is working and one wants to get home, lets see if I do this or do that it will be quicker, aww those rules are only there to fire me, next thing you know someones missing a leg or worse dead.

AMEN! I wouldn't have had to grow up without a father if a train crew on the Standard Railroad of the World hadn't broken just one rule.

[Anonymous]

If you don't work by the rules, then the company does want to fire you.

If you do work by the rules, the company wants to make sure you are complying. And they DON'T want to fire you.

What happens is that Train and Enginemen get out on the road and get some experience and soon figure that they don't need any supervision.

They object strenuously to the "weed weasels" giving them any supervision at all.

But they forget that company (and government) files are chock full of accident and injury reports, most of which record occurrences caused by these folks who figure they don't need any supervision.

Having been both a "weed weasel" and one on the other side of the fence, I fully understand both points of view.

But if you have the attitude that you don't need supervision, you're an accident waiting to happen.

Old Timer

[csxengineer98]

here is the thing about the rules...
the book is so thick with rules and regulations...to the point that if you follow one rule to the letter..deeper in the book someplace there is a rule that says your doing it wrong anyways and can be fired... if one was to follow all the rules to the letter...a train would never turn a wheel..... i have this police when it comes to the work rules... i follow all of them to the best of my ability but i am also only human... i dont do anything that is going to put myself in physical harm..but if the carrier realy wanted to fire me for a rules violation..im sure there is soemthing somewhere in the book they could get me for..as well as all my coworkers..becouse like i said... the rule book is nothing but 1 big controditory book...where one rule as a rule that says its wrong somehwere eles in it...
csx engineer

[ValleyX]

Sometimes, it's the supervision doing the testing that gets you, somebody who hasn't much experience but they've put said someone in supervision, they've not done it but they can hammer on you if they think you're not doing it right. And, with the more sophisticated information they have from the engine event recorders, it makes it much easier for someone to question every notch used. In its defense, it can and will save you, too.

[Anonymous]

Always remember, 100% rules compliance...

For those of you that short cut rules, that enables you to be fired, and bad mangers to continue to manage that way..