Railroad Forums 

  • Certified engineers volunteering or moonlighting.

  • General discussion related to all railroad clubs, museums, tourist and scenic lines. Generally this covers museums with static displays, museums that operate excursions, scenic lines that have museums, and so on. Check out the Tourist Railway Association (TRAIN) for more information.
General discussion related to all railroad clubs, museums, tourist and scenic lines. Generally this covers museums with static displays, museums that operate excursions, scenic lines that have museums, and so on. Check out the Tourist Railway Association (TRAIN) for more information.

Moderators: rob216, Miketherailfan

 #552437  by Noel Weaver
 
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
 #552556  by GSC
 
Anything that can be taken as a stop signal, you stop. Then ask questions to see who put the fusee there and why.

As posted above, Federal regs apply, no matter where you are working.
 #574520  by Mitch
 
rbarcus wrote:I agree - regardless if you're on a class I or a tourist operation, passing an obvious "stop indication" (whatever it may be) is a definite no-no and you probably should be suspended anyhow.
I'm going to agree with my neighbor, Bob, and some of the others. Safety first is the same whether on a class 1, or tourist line. As an old friend of mine would say up at IRM, "These cars don't know they're at a museum. They still think they're at work." Working on another line on your day off is fine as long as you're aware of the consequences. You have to be legaly rested before your tour of duty on the tourist line, and same applies upon your return to the class 1.

If you show up gassed, run a red signal, or roll by a fusee just because you "think" it was placed by a prankster then your entire make-up is not right for the responsibilities entrusted to you. If one is a qualified engineer on a class 1, the folks at the tourist line are looking up to you as an example of excellence. You knew that when you excepted that responsibility.

Don't just "think." "Know" for sure.
 #941302  by Engineer Spike
 
With the hours caps now in place, it is foolish to volunteer anyway. Make sure that you do not volunteer in any covered service. You could exceed your monthly hours, or even weekly starts. You would have to end up marking off to cover your rest. I would rather spend my allotted hours putting food on my family's table.
 #942820  by DutchRailnut
 
Even a single run could get you in trouble with Hours of Service laws, under Comingled service rules even if you just moved an engine out of way but worked in any other capacity at the museum your entire tour would be concidered Hours of Service subject.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/ ... r228.7.htm item a.5
 #991340  by kevin.brackney
 
I agree with the statements above regarding safety and rules on a tourist line. Keep track of your hours, read the rule book(s) of that tourist line/operating museum
and comply with them. If you're a professional railroader volunteering your time at an operating museum, I salute you; especially if your volunteerism gets you dirty and greasy doing mechanical work in the enginehouse. Treat it as an extension of your regular service. 13 years in Army Railroad Operations as a reservist, while simultaneously working for commercial railroads qualifies me to say this. The U.S. Army Military Railway System is listed in the GCOR. Imagine this: Screw up big on a military installation, and not only jeopardize your civilian career; but also be subjected to punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). And that applies to everything, not just railroads.