Relay Jobs

My Dad was a NYC Lake Divivsion engineer from the 1940's until his retirement from the Penn Central. I recall him using the term "relay job" many times. From what I remember, this term referred to the transfering of locomotives from Collinwood to the various Cleveland area yards and the Cleveland Union Terminal.

Can anyone tell me how this was done? Did this "job" include bringing fresh units for the passenger trains departing from C.U.T.?

Thank you.

DET760,

Relay crews worked out of both Collinwood and Linndale.
They moved fresh power to outlying locations and power
needing work to the engine houses. These were "short" crews,
usually consisting of Engineer, Fireman, and Brakeman.

Cleveland territory had several seniority districts: Lake (Erie) Div., Ohio
Div.Road, Ohio Div. Yard, Toledo (East) Div., Cleveland Div. Road, Cleveland Yard - East, Cleveland Yard - West, and Cleveland Union Terminal. From the 1940's on, various seniority districts and rosters were merged as operating conditions changed.

Relay crews could make multiple trips within a single tour of duty. Pay
scale would differ if they were road crews or yard crews. Penalty
payments would have been involved if a crew did the work of another seniority district.

After Linndale was closed and the CUT electrification discontinued, all
NYC power was dispatched out of Collinwood. Passenger trains which ran through Cleveland would change power at Collinwood if required with no relay crew involved. For trains originating or terminating at CUT or for the CUT switchers, relay crews would take the power to Collinwood if it was not schedulled for an outbound train.

After the PC merger, the PRR engine house at Kinsman St. was
closed and the work came to Collinwood. For example, relay crews would
take fresh power down to the Whiskey Island Ore Dock Yard, or to Motor
Yard for BD-3.

Hope this helps.

shlustig,

Thank you for your quick and well detailed answers to my questions. In your explination, you talked about pay scales differing between relay "road crews" and "yard crews". What determined the difference?

Thank You,

DET760,

Yard jobs worked at a 5-day rate, overtime after 8', overtime for 2nd tour of duty on 8' rest, and holiday pay. Jobs were bulletined to start within spceific hours: 6:30AM to 8AM, 2;30PM to 4PM, and 10:30PM to 12M. On some railroads, there were also 6-day yard jobs.

Yard jobs worked within designated territories which were defined as "Yards". (This is not the same as "Yard Limits" which was a term used in connection with a specific manner of operation through designated territories listed in the employee timetable.)

Road jobs were bulletined as travelling switchers, local freights, through freights, etc and were paid on a time and miles basis: 150-mile basic day for passenger crews and 100-miles for freight crews. Jobs could be started at any hour. For local freights and travelling switchers, there were usually bulletined working limits.

If a road crew did yard work in a designated yard, there was usually a penalty payment to both the road crew and to the yard crew that was not called.

HJope this helps.

Shlustig,

Once again, thank you. You have a great deal of knowledge and posess excellent skills in answering questions.....