What's a dog catcher?

[tatm07]

Listening to the scanner this afternoon the BNSF dispatcher on the Chilli sub told a train that the "dog catcher" would meet them in Yost.  So is this slang for something or did they pick up some stray pups along the way?

[CShaveRR]

I've heard the hours of service rule (twelve-hour limit, basically) referred to as the "Dog Law", though "Hog Law" is more frequent.  Anyway, the crew in question was apparently about to run out of time, so the "Dog Catcher" crew would meet the train at this point (presumably the first crew had time enough to get there), and take the train the rest of the way into the terminal.

[tatm07]

That makes sense,

                          but the idea of stray dogs hopping the train sounded more interesting.

 

 

[zapp]

Really slow and heavy freight trains are called "dogs". These trains usually suffer delays from being under powered, making bad meets, or having to do alot of work online. Either way the crew runs out of time, so the corridor manager will call a "dog-catch crew" to drag it into the terminal. Usually we have to catch more then one train.

Most of the time (depending on local agreements) these crews are made up of extra board guys.

[nbrodar]

Yup,

Crew expired under hours of service or Dog Lawed.  The recrew sent to get them is called a Dog Catcher, especially, if the crew is called to recrew multiple trains.

Nick

[Railfan1]

Well, I've learned my new fact for the day.

[Anonymous]

especially, if the crew is called to recrew multiple trains.

Nick

 

OK, so you have an "engineer/conductor" pair on the extra board, that you call out.

 

These guys can either get called out for a regular run, which means they will be staying at the away terminal after their run. Or they can get called out as "dog catchers".

 

What happens to these guys if:

 

A)  they only have to bring the train in 10 miles to the terminal? Do they get paid for time worked and sent home,  (to be called back) or are they normally put onto the next outbound regular train? 

 

B) If they are going to dog catch more than one train, are they paid for their time in between "catches", or does their work only  begin once the train is crewed?

 

Thanks in advance. 

[nbrodar]

A)  they only have to bring the train in 10 miles to the terminal? Do they get paid for time worked and sent home,  (to be called back) or are they normally put onto the next outbound regular train? 

If they are called for one recrew, they rescue the one train, get a basic day's pay and go home.  However, if they get another train....the crew will get another time ticket and another day's pay.

B) If they are going to dog catch more than one train, are they paid for their time in between "catches", or does their work only  begin once the train is crewed?

They are paid continous time while on duty.  Sitting or recrewing as long as they are on duty they are being paid.

But all of this is contingent on the local operating agreement...so it may differ from place to place.

Nick

[Anonymous]

But all of this is contingent on the local operating agreement...so it may differ from place to place.

Nick

Yeah, I know the local operation with NS has an oddball set up, where they claim they don't pay for hours worked, they pay for runs (trips) which makes me wonder if they would get shorted if they were asked to take two short recrew stints.

 So for instance if a crew from here to chicago gets paid $xxx dollars for the trip, they get paid the same if they make it in 8 hours, just the same as if it takes 12 hours. Basically meaning  (when it comes right down to it) you aren't getting paid for the time you spend sitting in a siding.

So under such an agreement, I'm wondering how they might abuse a guy who was (for instance) at his away terminal, gets called to recrew  an inbound, and spends 3 hours bringing the train the last 10 miles

 The first crew is going to get their trip pay, will the relief crew get paid for a full trip, and get sent back to the motel? Sounds almost too good to be believed.  Or just for the 10 miles?

 

[zapp]

I'll use the area and boards I'm familiar as examples. We we are called off the Extra board (XE45 Ft Worth North Engineers Extra Board) to fill a through freight vacancy. We'll say it's a empty coal train. The regular engineer has laid off, he is on a through freight pool, in this case it would be the RE45 (Ft Worth to McAlester North Through Freight). They would call me to protect this vacancy. So I'm protecting the RE45 board. So I simply take a train from Ft Worth to McAlester just as if I was in the RE45 pool.

But when they call me to go "dogcatching", I'm called to protect the WE45 board. This is a "working" Board. It protects everything from "dogcatchers" to work trains, etc. If they call me off this board I can take a train to McAlester, but I must be deadheaded back home. I'm not in through freight service, therefore I don't layover at a Away From Home Terminal (AFHT).

When we are dogcatching we are paid by the hour, not by the train or trip.

[jeffhergert]

But all of this is contingent on the local operating agreement...so it may differ from place to place.

Nick

Yeah, I know the local operation with NS has an oddball set up, where they claim they don't pay for hours worked, they pay for runs (trips) which makes me wonder if they would get shorted if they were asked to take two short recrew stints.

 So for instance if a crew from here to chicago gets paid $xxx dollars for the trip, they get paid the same if they make it in 8 hours, just the same as if it takes 12 hours. Basically meaning  (when it comes right down to it) you aren't getting paid for the time you spend sitting in a siding.

So under such an agreement, I'm wondering how they might abuse a guy who was (for instance) at his away terminal, gets called to recrew  an inbound, and spends 3 hours bringing the train the last 10 miles

 The first crew is going to get their trip pay, will the relief crew get paid for a full trip, and get sent back to the motel? Sounds almost too good to be believed.  Or just for the 10 miles?

 

  Even if that crew only worked 10 miles, I would guess they would at least get a basic day of 8hrs/130 miles.  If they have trip rates in effect, and a pool crew is being used to dog catch instead of an extra board crew, I think they would get the trip rate.  Depends on what their agreements are.

  I currently work a pool assignment.  There have been times when I've been asked to dog catch off the pool because there is no available extra board person.  We have trip rates in effect, and being off the pool, I get the trip rate the same as if I had taken a trip to the away from home terminal.  For one or two trains and being on duty less than 8 hours, the trip rate is better.  There are times the extra board can make more. 

 If an extra board engineer is dog catching, they will get at least the basic day of 8hrs/130 miles.  If they go out over 25 miles to get a train, that engineer can claim another basic day for every trip out after that.  If they don't go out over 25 miles, they can only claim another day if they were only called for one train and then sent out, or more likely, if they are sent out of the terminal after being 8 hours on duty.  The conductors used to have to go out over 50 miles, but their trip rates may have done away with this provision.  If called for multiple trains they only get another day going out after 8 hours. 

 Jeff    

[BaltACD]

Really slow and heavy freight trains are called "dogs". These trains usually suffer delays from being under powered, making bad meets, or having to do alot of work online. Either way the crew runs out of time, so the corridor manager will call a "dog-catch crew" to drag it into the terminal. Usually we have to catch more then one train.

Most of the time (depending on local agreements) these crews are made up of extra board guys.

Any and all train are subject to going on hours of service for a variety of reason, the hottest train on the railroad can have problems that can put it on the law.  Effective dispatching has the 'Dog Catcher' crew in place to relieve the crew that will 'Dog' prior to the train's Hours of Service demise so as to keep the line fluid.  Bad Dispatching has the trrain die and then the recrew gets ordered.  Working crews are required by rule to notify the Train Dispatcher prior to going on the Hours of Service, the amout of advance notice varies by carrier. 

 

When ordering a recrew one has to bear in mind that from the time the decision is made to order the recrew it takes a minimum of 2 hours to get the crew on duty and then they must be transported to the anticipated location where the train will stop for the Hours of Service.  Matching recrews and trains going HOS is not the easiest action in the world.  

[al-in-chgo]

 

Out with the cow catcher, in with the dog catcher.  lol .  

al-in-chgo     

 

[zapp]

Really slow and heavy freight trains are called "dogs". These trains usually suffer delays from being under powered, making bad meets, or having to do alot of work online. Either way the crew runs out of time, so the corridor manager will call a "dog-catch crew" to drag it into the terminal. Usually we have to catch more then one train.

Most of the time (depending on local agreements) these crews are made up of extra board guys.

Any and all train are subject to going on hours of service for a variety of reason, the hottest train on the railroad can have problems that can put it on the law.  Effective dispatching has the 'Dog Catcher' crew in place to relieve the crew that will 'Dog' prior to the train's Hours of Service demise so as to keep the line fluid.  Bad Dispatching has the trrain die and then the recrew gets ordered.  Working crews are required by rule to notify the Train Dispatcher prior to going on the Hours of Service, the amout of advance notice varies by carrier. 

 

When ordering a recrew one has to bear in mind that from the time the decision is made to order the recrew it takes a minimum of 2 hours to get the crew on duty and then they must be transported to the anticipated location where the train will stop for the Hours of Service.  Matching recrews and trains going HOS is not the easiest action in the world.  

We don't normally dogcatch A,I,Q, or Z trains unless something big has happened, ie; derailment. Most of the time it's going to be a mixed freight, loaded coal, or grain trains.  

[tatm07]

OKay,

Now that I know what the term "dog catcher" means and thank you all that responded, It did make me think about the time that all you train people spend on sidings and waiting for signals. have you've ever been apraoched  by animal life or other very scary situations?

 

[NV Railfan]

I know this is an old post but Google brought it up as I was searching for "Dog Catcher" as railroad slang. My first thought was it was railroad police looking for stowaways or trespassers (I'm on good terms with all the local law enforcement community including the U.P. Police). Thanks to everyone for clearing that up. Yup they did send a crew change van out. My first post here :). Thanks again.

[mudchicken]

Elephant tracker - chew on that one for a while.

[diningcar]

MC, I know, of course, but will not tell. 

[243129]

In the early 60's (on the New Haven)" dog catchers" were the Interstate Commerce Commission inspectors (I.C.C.)