Remote Control operations

When we had engineers we used to use one SD9 for all the yard work .Since the sissy GP39-2 doesnt have enough poof or finesse it is doubleheaded with an SD40-2. So thats fuel and maintenance for two locomotives vs. one. Human factor rail incidents (crashs) were also non-existant. Over the last four years since the RCO there is something usually every couple of months. Run through switchs are most common, had a couple of derails ran over, the best is when they drove the other RCO engine through the metal door at an industry. I want my SD9 back!

I ran remote control switchers at U S Steel and the only true advantage was a reduction in payroll for the company.
Besides having mechanical breakdowns we also had frequent electrical problems with the remotes.
One locomotive ran-away and struck a track crews buggy and seriously injured a man.
I had an engine that as soon as I gave the throttle one notch on the box, it went to full speed.
If you're riding a gondola and the engines decides to go into emergency, you better be holding on tight or you'll be thrown off.
There was suppose to be a safety factor built into the box via a mercury switch so that if you fell down, the enginbe would go into emergency and stop, but I know by persaonal expierence that it failed to work on two memorable occaasions when I tripped on debris or slipped on ice while the engine kept coming.
The remote was suppose to have a ten car length limit for safety, but some would go thirty car lengths, and it's hard to watch the head end at that distance.
I saw the crews go from three men to two men to one man. It was largely the fault of a few people who liked to take turns working the ground while the other man sat in the cab. Didn't they think that management was watching ? Working four hours a day on the ground instead of eitght was nice until you get laid off .

My first question about the RCO boxes is the radiation. If this box is strapped to me for 8 hours or more 5 or 6 days a week what are the effects on my body? Have any studies been done? What frequency do they operate on? Are they microwave signals? What kind of radiation levels do they give off since they are always transmitting during use? How about the LCU at the head end? That must be giving off something too. I have tried and can't find much regarding what frequency or amount of RF being put off by RCO boxes. This is all I was able to find off the FRA website.

Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) Emissions

FRA has contracted the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to conduct a study of the EMF emissions produced by beltpacks. The Volpe Center is located in Cambridge, MA, and is used by the Department of Transportation to conduct research on transportation matters. The study is currently underway. The United Transportation Union (UTU) will be notified of the results of this study when it is completed.

Here is a link to the FRA page about the EMF emissions
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/529

at the very bottom of the page is...The Interim Report was sent to Congress on May 13, 2004. The report indicates that fewer accidents and injuries have occurred during RCL operations than conventional operations.

Where is the data? is the EMF testing still on going?

My first question about the RCO boxes is the radiation. If this box is strapped to me for 8 hours or more 5 or 6 days a week what are the effects on my body? Have any studies been done? What frequency do they operate on? Are they microwave signals? What kind of radiation levels do they give off since they are always transmitting during use? How about the LCU at the head end? That must be giving off something too. I have tried and can't find much regarding what frequency or amount of RF being put off by RCO boxes. This is all I was able to find off the FRA website.

Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) Emissions

FRA has contracted the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to conduct a study of the EMF emissions produced by beltpacks. The Volpe Center is located in Cambridge, MA, and is used by the Department of Transportation to conduct research on transportation matters. The study is currently underway. The United Transportation Union (UTU) will be notified of the results of this study when it is completed.
Here is a link to the FRA page about the EMF emissions
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/529

at the very bottom of the page is...The Interim Report was sent to Congress on May 13, 2004. The report indicates that fewer accidents and injuries have occurred during RCL operations than conventional operations.

Where is the data? is the EMF testing still on going?

RadioPersonality wrote:The Interim Report was sent to Congress on May 13, 2004. The report indicates that fewer accidents and injuries have occurred during RCL operations than conventional operations.

That's because RCO's do less than half the work of a conventional crew least not forget the railroads have fudged the numbers on FRA reportable incidences. I'm resigned to the fact that RCO's are here and it would take an act of congress to get rid of them since the Shrub has been in office the railroads have pretty much had free reign to do as they please seeing several of his administration came off of or had some railroad background. As for the radiation Canada had beltpacks a decade before they migrated down south. Most of those I know who were forced to get RCO qualified to stay working in the yard complain more about back pain from carrying those devices on their chest. I look at RCO's more as a tool for downsizing then safety as a reason the railroads have embraced this technology not all railroads have gone full throttle on the idea but I work for CSX which has lovingly embraced it.

RadioPersonality wrote:My first question about the RCO boxes is the radiation.

If the cellular phone EMI studies are any example, no study will be able to find any effect, and people will continue to worry anyway. I mean, it's RADIATION, it must have SOME bad effect, right? But sunlight is radiation too, and it helps your body create Vitamin D; too much and you get a sunburn.

RadioPersonality wrote:My first question about the RCO boxes is the radiation.

I wondered the same thing there buddy. Thanks for sharing there dude.

COEN77 wrote: That's because RCO's do less than half the work of a conventional crew least not forget the railroads have fudged the numbers on FRA reportable incidences.

And how. How many yard derailments have those devil boxes caused versus a conventional 2-3 man crew? I want to see the real numbers on those.

And how. How many yard derailments have those devil boxes caused versus a conventional 2-3 man crew

I'm by no means a big fan of RCO's, I d much rather work a conventional job with an old grumpy smelly hoghead, haveing said that though, most derailments, well actually all, are caused either by Human screw ups (I know we have a lot of lazy toads who just don't care, here in the Houston sub) or bad rails etc..

The actual box doesn't cause any derailments!

Ever consider that RCO jobs are an avenue to contract out the entire yard?

Our yard will soon be completely RCO eliminating all engineers from the regular jobs and creation of "utility engineers". Eventually we will have "mock engineers" wherein they will have the authority to run the engine conventional, then jump on the ground and switch RCO. It was rumored that an intercepted BNSF email specified when productivity fell below a certain level it would be advantagous to contract the yard, HERZOG.

Productivity will fall. The particular end of the yard where RCO's will soon be installed is a high pedestrian area and utilized heavily by carmen. This necessitates a crew member to ride the point out and walk back to switch. Smaller cuts also will be made to insure we don't run the block signals. That means a reduction in productivity and an eventual contract to a slime outfit like HERZOG. BNSF wants to eliminate yard jobs in favor of the transcon.

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GCOR 1.7 wrote:

COEN77 wrote: That's because RCO's do less than half the work of a conventional crew least not forget the railroads have fudged the numbers on FRA reportable incidences.

And how. How many yard derailments have those devil boxes caused versus a conventional 2-3 man crew? I want to see the real numbers on those.

That's a problem there are no real numbers. Unlike the FRA certification of locomotive engineers in 1991 which were placed under federal regulations the remotes only have federal guidelines which some railroads have used to their advantage. I personally have witnessed run through switches, derailments, and other rules violations covered up in various yards associated with the RCO. It's a technology that the railroads want and will do everything to see that it works. On CSX the training to run a remote is 2 weeks and they force every new hire in certian yards to be qualified. That's like giving a 4 year old the keys to your car. At ACCA yard in Richmond when the yard becomes bottlenecked they put on extra conventional crews for a few days to clear it out.

All I have to say is look at me avatar! I'm happy I work for a RR that has all but given up on rcl's, atleast in the Chicago area...

A note about the incident in my avatar, there was never an accident report filled out and no investigation was held. People did get time off however.

RadioPersonality wrote:I have tried and can't find much regarding what frequency or amount of RF being put off by RCO boxes.

These devices are usually in the UHF band (450-470MHz) with an output power of 1 Watt. This is similar to EOT/HTD equipment.

Typical RR VHF handheld radios are 5 watts.

I'm more concerned with riding on top of two traction motors for 8 - 10 hours at a time. Although guys have been doing it for years, I wonder what the long term effect is on TE&Y crews?

Is this gonne be like those people in the southwest that think WiFi is bad for you?


you live with RF Every day. I can nearly guarantee you that there are going to be stronger sources of radiation around you than your beltpack or your HT.


Your local police station probably has a minimum of a 250W repeater on a tower and youre only a mile or 2 away? What is giving off more radiation?