Another derailment... Jamaica 11/23

LI Tool, very interesting conclusion. I figured it had might have something to do with the Roll Back feature and the "no 3rd rail" dynamic brake. Thats one thing I miss about the M3's, when you go to coast off 3rd rail you get a true coast, unlike the M7's which apply dynamic brake when off 3rd rail. I didn't know they increased power to the cars on 3rd rail... For example, start out in Harold at 38mph at 16 Br. take the crossover switch from Main Line 2 to Main Line 4 in coast and by the time the train gets to 18 Br. you're going 25mph. Take it in an M3, slow down only 4-5mph. You can feel each car when it comes on and goes off third rail, and sometimes, even in Min power there is bad slack action.

Are they going to do anything about this?

-ACB

Making the move from the station to the west hempstead branch is done at a reduced rate of speed. not mas like the trains going right through to babylon

Nobody knows what is going to be done about this, but we are guessing that nothing will be changed. Helena has given it all to Metro North to figure out and has kept LIRR people completely in the dark on all this. She hasn't asked us what we think nor consulted with us at all.

So I guess it isn't a problem, is it?

Everyone: Interesting findings on this derailment-I never knew that the M7 cars that have power would "nudge" those that did not have power at gaps as such. At least MNCR is looking into its cause and NOT some connected consultant. MACTRAXX

Did I miss something here? How does Metro-North get the responsibility of investigating a LIRR derailment? I understand that M-N personnel assisted in clearing the wreckage; that's understandable. But investigating the cause?

The present president is viewed by most as holding nothing but contempt for her employees, especially the older ones with opinions and experience. She has driven virtually all eligible employees into retirement.

She's therefore forced to seek advice elsewhere. Advice from MetroNorth generally costs what it is worth:

Nothing.

I know her and her CMO forced Charlie the wreck master into retirement.

LongIslandTool wrote:Advice from Metro-North generally costs what it is worth:

Nothing.

Hey, what's that supposed to mean?

Signed,
A Metro-North fan.

LongIslandTool wrote:Advice from MetroNorth generally costs what it is worth:

Nothing.

As a long-time Metro-North employee who has no beef with his counterparts at the Long Island Rail Road, I think it's unfortunate that this allegedly well-placed LIRR employee has resorted to insulting his counterparts at Metro-North as a way of venting his frustration at the current situation in his own company.

If Metro-North's advice, experience, and capabilities were worth the "nothing" attributed to them by said LIRR employee, the LIRR would be looking a lot better than Metro-North to its customers and the politicos that love to criticize it. However, on virtually every metric, a comparison of the Long Island Rail Road with Metro-North puts the LIRR in a bad light. Many of us are quite cognizant of the several valid reasons why the LIRR hasn't been able to achieve the successes that MNR has had, but the people who matter - customers and politicians - don't understand that and don't really care. Regardless, to say that any advice offered by Metro-North is worthless is clearly the babbling of a bitter, beaten-down individual. The numbers--and the experience of their customers--clearly demonstrate Metro-North's capabilities. I'm not suggesting that MNR is more capable than the LIRR, I'm saying it's inappropriate to call MNR's advice and capabilities worthless.

If you're angry that Metro-North is even offering advice or assistance on something you believe the LIRR employees are fully capable of doing without assistance, fine. Just remember: Metro-North didn't barge into Jamaica uninvited. I'm fairly certain that, in a similar situation, the LIRR would be doing the same if requested by Metro-North. As they should.

I, for one, feel bad when I see what's going on at the LIRR. As a group, it is a company of highly-professional, motivated employees, and no group of such employees should be thrown under the bus the way this group has been. But it bothers me that, in their moment of difficulty, some of them take out their anger on people who have no responsibility whatsoever for putting them in the position they're in. Grow up, and direct your anger in more productive ways.

Jim

Oops... Excuse me Erie and Otto... I take it back. Sorry. My slight against Metro North was indeed misplaced and unfounded.

I too have found our Metro North brothers to be competent professionals. Excuse my rant there. The problem comes when the wrong people are consulted, and the administration seldom seems to seek out the experienced field people for advise, whether locally or from other roads.

What we too often get are the views of political appointees far removed from operations. That's what is feared here.

Forgive me?

Unfortunately, the days when the way to the top started in the mailroom are long since over. Today, go to a "good" school, have the right friends or sleep on the right casting couch are all that is required. Mores the pity.. Elsie Kay

LongIslandTool wrote:Oops... Excuse me Erie and Otto... I take it back. Sorry. My slight against Metro North was indeed misplaced and unfounded... Forgive me?

Didn't offend me, just wondering what you had against MN. I understand where your frustration must come from.

-otto-

"Unfortunately, the days when the way to the top started in the mailroom are long since over. Today, go to a "good" school, have the right friends or sleep on the right casting couch are all that is required. Mores the pity.. Elsie Kay"

EdM,

Your above quote has a few flaws in it. Coming from a good school shouldn't be held against someone for want to earn a living. In fact way back in the days of the railroad, the only way one was hired was through someone else. Basically you had to know somone to get on. I worked with a lot of people there and most new someone else like a family member who brought their sons and daughters on board. I'm not saying it was the right way of doing thing, but it was done for many years, and from your comments it appears in today's times you have aproblem with it.

We inside the LIRR see four major personnel problems that have decimated the commitment to quality in the past several decades.

1. The reduction of management salaries to a point where no experienced and few rational and competent people will take a promotion. Also, the duplication and expansion of management positions where all accountability has been removed from the jobs. This has brought with it a contempt for experience and knowledge.

2. Affirmative Action as it is called has reduced the acceptable standards to a point where a considerable amount of the workforce and management is not competent, not disciplined or qualified. Discipline is afforded according to one's race and gender.

3. Rampant age discrimination forces employees to resign at or before age 50. In management ranks, older employees are given horrible assignments to force them out the door.

4. With the inflow of unlimited funding, labor rules are broken hourly by managers who aren't aware they exist. This results in a huge expense to the company in penalty payments. Additionally, with few checks and balances in the budgeting, inferior materials are specified over and over again and replaced over and over again also at a huge expense in money and employee morale.

You can write a book about poor Human Resources practices. The LIRR would be guilty of all of them.

[quote="LIRR272"]"Unfortunately, the days when the way to the top started in the mailroom are long since over. Today, go to a "good" school, have the right friends or sleep on the right casting couch are all that is required. Mores the pity.. Elsie Kay"

EdM,

Your above quote has a few flaws in it. Coming from a good school shouldn't be held against someone .

Except when the only thing the school supplies is good connections. I was just lamanting about the current "suits" ignorance of what goes on in the trenches.. and their contempt for the Gomers doing the work.. I saw some blacklash from that in earlier posts.. Not worth talking about.. Ed