Remote Control operations

SteelWheels21 wrote:--On a side note Remote Control operations are in use the Finger Lakes Railways main line only in the Auburn, NY area from Owens-Illinois to where the old Agway used to be a distance of 5 to 6 miles apart. On occation a 2 man crew will do the work if they have power layed up in the shop.--

Aren't they running remotes in the industrial area at Solvay too? My dad applied to FGLK a while ago and he was told that was where he would likely work; he even went out there one day to check out the operation.

They are runing remote in Solvay its not an everyday thing but they do have the signs posted as far as West as Southern Containor. and in the Auburn Area only. I think these are the only 2 locations where remote is in operation on the FGLK. I do know that all of there locomotives out side of 2201 are set to run on remote control when paired with one of the two cabooses that house the equipmnt.

Have been remote certified for two years. GE and Catron systems used in our region. Zones are protected from outside traffic. No one may enter zone without operators permission, nobody.
The biggest drag is poor lighting in old yards. You cannot always see if all your cars are with you on a pull.
Time spent walking the line for gaps would be better used if more lights, cameras or helpers were added to these ancient, poorly lit yards.
Good yardmasters are hard to find in some yards. As a remote operator you must know the footage and state of all tracks you are using.
As for performance, I can kick cars faster than an engineer, try me. However, when working with Auto Racks, air and the like, a conventional enging seems to work better when charging up the same.
With a Zone activated, a competent yardmaster at the desk and clearly defined switched lists, under the full moon, night sky, the RCL world can be an enjoyable and productive environment.
I have worked in the South and the North, remotes are very similiar in application. EOM...........aj northern region

reefrunner9 wrote:Have been remote certified for two years. GE and Catron systems used in our region. Zones are protected from outside traffic. No one may enter zone without operators permission, nobody.
The biggest drag is poor lighting in old yards. You cannot always see if all your cars are with you on a pull.
Time spent walking the line for gaps would be better used if more lights, cameras or helpers were added to these ancient, poorly lit yards.
Good yardmasters are hard to find in some yards. As a remote operator you must know the footage and state of all tracks you are using.
As for performance, I can kick cars faster than an engineer, try me. However, when working with Auto Racks, air and the like, a conventional enging seems to work better when charging up the same.
With a Zone activated, a competent yardmaster at the desk and clearly defined switched lists, under the full moon, night sky, the RCL world can be an enjoyable and productive environment.
I have worked in the South and the North, remotes are very similiar in application. EOM...........aj northern region

Congratulations, you've impressed the hell out of me! When ever there's a "kicking cars the fastest" (?) contest, we'll call you!

reefrunner9 wrote:As for performance, I can kick cars faster than an engineer, try me.

Ooooohhh... sounds like a challenge! Your statement is contrary to most RCO's experiences kicking cars, how did you discover/invent this "breakthrough" method of kicking cars? Instead of "try me", why not post your method of kicking cars really fast on this forum so all the other RCO's can learn something, since all of them state kicking cars can't be done effectively with RCL's, compared to a conventional switch crew with a "slow" Engineer...

Did you ever consider in your 2 years experience with RCL's, was it possible before then when you were "new" and not RCO qualified you kicked cars with a new Engineer also? Kicking cars is a skill that must be developed; maybe back in your "dark ages" before you knew what you were doing your hoghead was also fairly new, and wasn't yet "up to your standards"? You now say, with 2 whole years, that you're better than Engineers at kicking cars. Did you say that when you had 2 weeks as an RCO? Or did your skills develope over time also, like an Engineer's? Experience developes skills, so you may now be "better" than a "new" hoghead at kicking cars, so how do you compare?

Hey reefrunner...try this challenge:

Next time you go to work and are kicking cars, count the number of moves on your switch lists. That is, every line drawn between each cut of cars on all the tracks. Say for example you've got 26 lines/cuts on 5 different tracks. Start your stopwatch when your RCL begins moving for the first move, end your time when the last move is complete and the RCL is again stationary, all work complete. Note the elapsed time.

Please post your total number of moves and elapsed time. I'd love to see those numbers...

Thanks for posting there Reefrunner9, but your wrong. I've done every job on a switch engine before and after RCL, its not faster.

As far as what you think it takes to have a good shift on a goat, right there tells me your not the switch formen you think you are. I've been told im pretty good at it. (back when i hired on) Give me the worst dope, worst helper, worst hoghead, a dummy in the tower and i could still get more done then the average guy with the best conditions. Thats when you know your good at switching.

Back when i had just a few years on the UP, i was working an afternoon goat, before RCL, as the formen. There was a new hire class going threw school, out in the field practicing getting on and off, hand signals and what not. I remember they stopped what they were doing and were watching me kick cars around. One of those guys who im now good friends with told me that the instructor said "Now that guy can move some cars." My buddy said he always kinda looked up to me after that day.

RCL levels the field when it comes to a guys skill at switching. Theres no one who stands out as being exceptional at it. You either know how to operated it.... or you suck. The only way the work speeds up is if you start breaking rules like getting on and off moving equipment, take more chances on blind shoving when the rails start filling up. Risking getting in trouble/hurt/killed because of the boxes is foolish.

So do tell us how you think its quicker there Reefrunner9?

UPRR engineer wrote:
So do tell us how you think its quicker there Reefrunner9?

reefrunner9: Only 1 post, and chimes in on how great a switchman he is! "...try me...try me...try me...I can kick cars!!! I'm the bestest!!!...try me...try me...try me..."

Probably an internet Troll, union flunky, manager that's under pressure to make his yard more productive, got hollered at by some old hoghead at the beginning of his career and holds a grudge, or is the self appointed "king of the late-night switching lead" that's the "best" guy on the crew; no place to go from zero, but up...

reefrunner9 wrote:Have been remote certified for two years. GE and Catron systems used in our region. Zones are protected from outside traffic. No one may enter zone without operators permission, nobody.
The biggest drag is poor lighting in old yards. You cannot always see if all your cars are with you on a pull.
Time spent walking the line for gaps would be better used if more lights, cameras or helpers were added to these ancient, poorly lit yards.
Good yardmasters are hard to find in some yards. As a remote operator you must know the footage and state of all tracks you are using.
As for performance, I can kick cars faster than an engineer, try me. However, when working with Auto Racks, air and the like, a conventional enging seems to work better when charging up the same.
With a Zone activated, a competent yardmaster at the desk and clearly defined switched lists, under the full moon, night sky, the RCL world can be an enjoyable and productive environment.
I have worked in the South and the North, remotes are very similiar in application. EOM...........aj northern region

You really impress me! I think you are either a UTU stoolie, a company
management stoolie or an idiot. I doubt that you will ever become an
engineer as bragging about your exploits running a remote controlled
locomotive is not something to be proud of.
There is another name for people like who who gloat over taking over
somebody's job and that is SCAB.
I need to throw up after reading about this.
Noel Weaver

The thing with Beltpack is it has to come to a complete stop before you can change directions. That adds more time.

Other than that ... the time to move really isnt all that much different.

When I am using it here, at CN we are allowed getting on and off moving equipment. I get on and off at 7 per all time time, off at 10-15 sometimes as well. Riding the cut with your foot holding up the cut levers that wont stay up is done a lot because todays junk equipment ... the pins just dont stay up.

It is impossible to switch effieciently without breaking a rule. BIGGEST one I would say is operating handbrakes from the ground.

But it really doesn't matter how fast you go anymore. That is no longer an issue. Do it safely and effieciently period. Speed is NO LONGER a concern. If they are telling you to go faster ... talk to a union rep. These are not the old days of switching.

gp9rm4108 wrote: It is impossible to switch effieciently without breaking a rule. BIGGEST one I would say is operating handbrakes from the ground.

On the BN you can't get off or on moving equip. but we can tie a brake from the ground. Gee, are these so called rules for our safety or just to cover the companys a$$, I vote for the latter. The was only one thing that improved when RCLs arrived, the yard channel was a lot more quiet.

gp9rm4108 wrote:Here we go again ... enough with the Beltpack bashing ... they are perfectly safe if used properly.

...it has to come to a complete stop before you can change directions.

I get on and off at 7...off at 10-15 sometimes as well.

Riding the cut with your foot holding up the cut levers...

...operating handbrakes from the ground.

It is impossible to switch effieciently without breaking a rule.

REVISED: It is impossible to switch efficiently with an RCL without breaking a rule.

SooLineRob wrote:

gp9rm4108 wrote:Here we go again ... enough with the Beltpack bashing ... they are perfectly safe if used properly.

...it has to come to a complete stop before you can change directions.

I get on and off at 7...off at 10-15 sometimes as well.

Riding the cut with your foot holding up the cut levers...

...operating handbrakes from the ground.

It is impossible to switch effieciently without breaking a rule.

REVISED: It is impossible to switch efficiently with an RCL
without breaking a rule.

Yes, I just qualified and didn't break any of those rules, like he said, if you follow the rules and don't take shortcuts, then I don't see why they are not as safe as any other operation.

One thing I've learnt while being on my derail is, whether working with an engineer or working RCO, if I'm not sure of a move, I stop everything and have another job briefing.

powerpro69 wrote:
Yes, I just qualified and didn't break any of those rules, like he said, if you follow the rules and don't take shortcuts, then I don't see why they are not as safe as any other operation.

Sir, please review: He (gp9rm4108) said they're perfectly safe...blah...blah...blah...then later tells us how "safe" he is doing his job!!! The point made here is he's a reckless RCO. And sure, he's getting work done, at his own peril, for the sake of increased efficiency due to the RCL's inherent inefficiency.

When people take shortcuts to increase efficiency, that's when safety is degraded. So, you simply can't have efficiency and safety with RCL's. Therefore, the whole RCL operation encourages reckless behavior and fosters an unsafe enviroment. So, yes! RCL's are unsafe because many RCO's chose to operate them in an unsafe manner. Many collisions/wrecks have been swept under the rug by railroads so as not to put RCL's in the spotlight. If these same wrecks had a hoghead running the engine, these crews would've been suspended/fired. But, to keep the "dirty little secret" of RCL's quiet, railroads simply slap RCO's fingers and deny it was an "RCL-related event". It wasn't the technology's fault, it was "human error". NO KIDDING. But, had the RCL operations not had these built in flaws trying to merge safety and efficiency, these wrecks wouldn't be happenning in the first place.

You RCO's must chose which one you want, safety or efficiency, because you can't have both.

I laugh and laugh and laugh whenever RCO's spout off about how great and fast they are and want to challenge any Engineer to a switching contest. RCL's are slower than conventional crews, period. For an RCO to puff their chest out and hold their head up high and declare "I'm great" shows everyone how naive and ridiculous they are. The railroads know RCL's aren't as efficient as conventional crews. Do your job safely, work falls behind. Do your job recklessly, you get done quicker. It's a Catch-22. But don't think for a New York minute you're "equal" to a conventional crew with a hoghead in terms of safety and efficiency! For an RCO to smugly believe that he/she is in the same league as a Locomotive Engineer is outright idiotic and embarrasses the RCO's that take the box at face value; another railroad idea that saves money but makes the job go slower if done correctly.

To all RCO's:

Do your jobs safely. I want you to go home at the end of your day unharmed. Don't take shortcuts to get the work done. Do the best work you can with the tools the company gave you. Be safe, and don't let some desk jockey hurry you and your crew. You are my friends and co-workers and I want all of you to reach retirement in good health.

But, don't tell me you're safe and efficient; your credibility goes immediately to ZERO.

It has been reported to me that the UTU will not defend an remote control
operator who screws up as they want more remote control jobs and fewer
engineers positions.
The UTU will not find fault with the technology nor training of the operaters
of this stuff as they want the work at any cost and no matter who gets
hurt, even their own people.
Noel Weaver

Rcl switching can be done with gusto, perhaps I was a bit hyped about prime time switching. Good engineers are indeed great members of a switching team. The throttle response of an engineer makes up for the lag time of remote signal transmission. In hump yards great effect, flat yards, a drag...bottom line, be safe, be happy....must regain economic parity and political strength from this time forward.
What sayeth ye to dat ?

jg greenwood wrote:

reefrunner9 wrote:Have been remote certified for two years. GE and Catron systems used in our region. Zones are protected from outside traffic. No one may enter zone without operators permission, nobody.
The biggest drag is poor lighting in old yards. You cannot always see if all your cars are with you on a pull.
Time spent walking the line for gaps would be better used if more lights, cameras or helpers were added to these ancient, poorly lit yards.
Good yardmasters are hard to find in some yards. As a remote operator you must know the footage and state of all tracks you are using.
As for performance, I can kick cars faster than an engineer, try me. However, when working with Auto Racks, air and the like, a conventional enging seems to work better when charging up the same.
With a Zone activated, a competent yardmaster at the desk and clearly defined switched lists, under the full moon, night sky, the RCL world can be an enjoyable and productive environment.
I have worked in the South and the North, remotes are very similiar in application. EOM...........aj northern region

Congratulations, you've impressed the hell out of me! When ever there's a "kicking cars the fastest" (?) contest, we'll call you!

I'd like to get in on the kicking contest too!! As for my opinion on RCL's, just look at my avatar....