push-pull operations dead

And with CSX SB-007, we eliminate another time saving past railroading practice, as a knee-jerk reaction to a runaway locomotive due to 1 crew member's stupidity. (Don't even get me started on the REDI center and how everybody that walks into that place for engineer school comes out with an honorary degree, no matter how stupid or incompetent)

Effective last Thursday, push-pull operations are banned on CSX unless the trailing locomotive is DPU, RCL, or an manned helper crew.

Gonna be a big $$$ summer for road switcher crews.

Personally I like it when the RR makes a decision, generally means their gonna fill my pocket sometimes they even fill the second. As many old timers told me you gptta learn to work slow.

Does this affect commuter railroad operations? Or is this mainly aimed at top and tail operations?

The bulletin is written by lawyers. So that means it can be interpreted 5 different ways in an employee disciplinary hearing.

But my interpretation: Cab car on the hin-end is OK. Locomotive on the hin-end is bad, unless it is manned by an engineer.

soooo... for those of us that don't know, what happened in the incident that caused this ban on push/pull?

Will crimp VRE operations.

Believe it means the end of topped/tailed operation on local freights,meaning more run around moves to work facing point
switches.

I know CSX has utilized locomotives on either end for local freights on the Northeast Corridor. I was under the impression that Amtrak requires any freight on the corridor tracks proper to have an Automatic train stop equipped unit at either end? Providence & Worcester does this for their operations on the NEC..

Couldn't they just run the trailing locomotive dead in tow to get around that then power it up when needed? I know that may not be practical for a longer train.

so what actually happened in this runaway incident?

ekt8750 wrote:Couldn't they just run the trailing locomotive dead in tow to get around that then power it up when needed? I know that may not be practical for a longer train.

That's the normal practice. The auto stop shuts the locomotive down.

v8interceptor wrote:I know CSX has utilized locomotives on either end for local freights on the Northeast Corridor. I was under the impression that Amtrak requires any freight on the corridor tracks proper to have an Automatic train stop equipped unit at either end? Providence & Worcester does this for their operations on the NEC..

Positive train control IS REQUIRED on the NEC. However, having a locomotive on each end IS NOT required by Amtrak. It is simply done to expedite moves.

The story I got was SOMEWHERE on the Albany Division, a crew was switching out cars at an industry. The APU shut down the trailing engine, conductor cut away from that trailing engine ( handbrake was ineffective) and the engine rolled into a cut of cars and the couplers bypassed.

So rather than get to the root of WHY we can't cut out the APU when needed, or WHY an engine was being used with a bad handbrake, it's easier to blame the crew and add another chapter to the rule book.

If a locomotive shuts down, the brakes fail as soon as the air runs out in the main reservoir. A dead locomotive needs to have mr air from a live unit, or the dead engine feature cut in, which supplies air from the brake pipe. This is the disadvantage of the APU or smart start systems. I have had smart start fail to restart. In a push pull one would never know if the rear unit shut down. Even without smart start, one never knows if an air bubble tripps the low water,or what ever. If they want you to run around the train, who cares. Tow in always pays.