"Ugly" Scenario, courtesy of the UTU.

Oh, it's coming. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow or even next year. But I'll make a bet 10 years from now one-person crews (can you even call it a "crew" if it's only one person?) will be common. And I'll go even further out on a limb by predicting 30 years from now, over-the-road trains will be run by computer and GPS, with no humans on board. I suppose they'll still have to have people on board at terminals to do switching and spotting of cars.

Makes me glad I won't still be working to see that, I'm glad I started when I did. The woman quoted in the article says they used to have 4-man crews, when I started they had 5 and that's after they got rid of the flagman - it often used to be 6. Hey guys we're dinosaurs, on the way out!

Aji-tater wrote:Oh, it's coming. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow or even next year. But I'll make a bet 10 years from now one-person crews (can you even call it a "crew" if it's only one person?) will be common. And I'll go even further out on a limb by predicting 30 years from now, over-the-road trains will be run by computer and GPS, with no humans on board. I suppose they'll still have to have people on board at terminals to do switching and spotting of cars.

Makes me glad I won't still be working to see that, I'm glad I started when I did. The woman quoted in the article says they used to have 4-man crews, when I started they had 5 and that's after they got rid of the flagman - it often used to be 6. Hey guys we're dinosaurs, on the way out!

You're absolutely correct, it is coming. There were six-man crews in the early 70s', in the states that required the "third man." Arkansas and Indiana were two of the states with the 3rd. man law, I'm sure there were more.

Oh yea, it's only a matter of time for the one man crews

blippo wrote:Oh yea, it's only a matter of time for the one man crews

Unless we do away with the technology geeks that invent the software and products......oh, and get rid of the UTU as well.


U.T.U. = U Took Us or Useless Trainmans Union

In Europe no conductors or trainman have been on freight train's since the 1960's, and yes the freight trains are not as long and don't travel as far but even Coal and Ore trains are habled with just an Engineer.
Only place you find conductors is on Passenger trains.

CSX Conductor wrote:

blippo wrote:Oh yea, it's only a matter of time for the one man crews

Unless we do away with the technology geeks that invent the software and products......oh, and get rid of the UTU as well.


U.T.U. = U Took Us or Useless Trainmans Union

Yeah, and the teamsters really have the trainmans' interests at heart!

Broken League of Ethics

Bull$hit Lies and Excuses

thebigc wrote:

CSX Conductor wrote:

blippo wrote:Oh yea, it's only a matter of time for the one man crews

Unless we do away with the technology geeks that invent the software and products......oh, and get rid of the UTU as well.


U.T.U. = U Took Us or Useless Trainmans Union

Yeah, and the teamsters really have the trainmans' interests at heart!

Broken League of Ethics

Bullstuff Lies and Excuses

OUTSTANDING Bigc!!!!!!!! In all seriousness, the BLE has a history of being too passive. It bit them in the a$$ re: the remotes, what's next?

DutchRailnut wrote:In Europe no conductors or trainman have been on freight train's since the 1960's, and yes the freight trains are not as long and don't travel as far but even Coal and Ore trains are habled with just an Engineer.
Only place you find conductors is on Passenger trains.

IIRC, BHP Iron-Ore in Australia has some engineer only trains. We're talking 26,000 ton ore-trains here!

One of our instructors alluded to Australia, saying they were doing things with remotes that would "blow our minds" (his words not mine).

jg greenwood wrote: IIRC, BHP Iron-Ore in Australia has some engineer only trains. We're talking 26,000 ton ore-trains here!

True, JG, but there are some differences between them and US freight operations. Remember that the entire population of Australia rings the coast of the continent. The interior is mostly desert, especially where all the ore carriers run in the NW quadrant of the country. No populus = No politicians. Also, those carriers are pretty much captive operations.

thebigc wrote:

jg greenwood wrote: IIRC, BHP Iron-Ore in Australia has some engineer only trains. We're talking 26,000 ton ore-trains here!

True, JG, but there are some differences between them and US freight operations. Remember that the entire population of Australia rings the coast of the continent. The interior is mostly desert, especially where all the ore carriers run in the NW quadrant of the country. No populus = No politicians. Also, those carriers are pretty much captive operations.

Believe me BigC, I'm not at all in favor of one-man operations, under any circumstances! I've spent far more time on the left side of the cab vs: the right. IMHO, any train with more than two set-outs/pick-ups should require a brakeman.