I thought I posted this item here earlier but maybe I did not do it correctly.
Another try.
This topic came up on the NHRHTA forum the past few days and so I thought I would put some comments on here to address
the issue.
If you are a certified engineer for a freight, commuter or Amtrak and you are doing volunteer or other work for one of the
tourist railroads that operate under federal jurisdiction and many of them do, you are jeopardizing your job with Amtrak,
Metro-North, CSX or whatever major railroad that is providing your bread and butter.
For example, you choose to operate a tourist train for XYZ tourist railroad on your day off. The feds make a surprise visit,
summon the person in charge and go out on the line, they place a lighted fussee in the gauge of the rail and you expecting
a local prank keep going. You are greeted by a reception committee when you arrive where you are going and lightning
strikes. You end up suspended on the XYZ railroad which is no big deal for a computer engineer who is there on weekends but for a locomotive engineer who is there on their day off, it can give you some time off without pay. You might be used
to working a passenger train between main line points under ABS or TCS rules and you get nailed for a lapse in paperwork,
bingo, you could well get a vacation without pay from your commuter train as a result.
My suggestion is to volunteer in some other capacity that keeps you off the engine, selling tickes, selling refreshment,
mechanical work on locomotives or cars, clerical work or anything other than operating the locomotive. Most tourist
railroads will be understanding of your situation and if they are not, that should be their problem and not yours.
I have heard comments on this from railroad officials, rules people and BLE people and they are all in agreement with me
on this one.
Better think about this one, the job you risk is yours.
Noel Weaver
Another try.
This topic came up on the NHRHTA forum the past few days and so I thought I would put some comments on here to address
the issue.
If you are a certified engineer for a freight, commuter or Amtrak and you are doing volunteer or other work for one of the
tourist railroads that operate under federal jurisdiction and many of them do, you are jeopardizing your job with Amtrak,
Metro-North, CSX or whatever major railroad that is providing your bread and butter.
For example, you choose to operate a tourist train for XYZ tourist railroad on your day off. The feds make a surprise visit,
summon the person in charge and go out on the line, they place a lighted fussee in the gauge of the rail and you expecting
a local prank keep going. You are greeted by a reception committee when you arrive where you are going and lightning
strikes. You end up suspended on the XYZ railroad which is no big deal for a computer engineer who is there on weekends but for a locomotive engineer who is there on their day off, it can give you some time off without pay. You might be used
to working a passenger train between main line points under ABS or TCS rules and you get nailed for a lapse in paperwork,
bingo, you could well get a vacation without pay from your commuter train as a result.
My suggestion is to volunteer in some other capacity that keeps you off the engine, selling tickes, selling refreshment,
mechanical work on locomotives or cars, clerical work or anything other than operating the locomotive. Most tourist
railroads will be understanding of your situation and if they are not, that should be their problem and not yours.
I have heard comments on this from railroad officials, rules people and BLE people and they are all in agreement with me
on this one.
Better think about this one, the job you risk is yours.
Noel Weaver