Remote Control - The cutting-edge of new technology!?

About three weeks ago in the NS Rutherford Yard, a remote crew ran a train OUT THE WRONG END OF THE YARD. The operator was so far away from the train, he could not see it. His co-wroker on the head end was sleeping (claims he was in the bathroom). They went east instead of west, ran a switch, then hit a derail.

-r

As a UP, BLE engineer who has worked as a yard hog and done remote control, its about time we "the BLE" stopped whining about it. If we could say that nothing ever happened when there was a hog on the goat that would be different, but that aint the case. Wish they would have spent more time and money trying to get me a consolation prize insted of fighting remote control. I feel like apologizing for the way my union is acting. All that finger pointing makes me feel like there switching to the UTU tactics. Cars get smashed, locomotives get mangled, its all part of the job.

Razor----and Mr. Greenwood,


I know that these remotes are not good for our industry----they are taking away jobs --not to mention the safety factor that yall have both stated. My question being a newbie is are they operated by conductors (which I have heard) or Engineer's???? Also Razor, if they are operated by conductors have you been trained or heard when you are up for it? Can you turn it down?

Mr. Greenwood, I know you have alot of knowledge in that old rail head of yours---do they have remotes in Nashville yard?


Take care guys,


Nashville Newbie

The UTU holds the contract for remote control. The word isnt conductors.....its trainman, who work the yard and or hold the brakemens board run the box.

Dont buy into the idea that remote control isnt just as dangerous as having a engineer up there. Plenty of stuff still happened before they RCL's showed up.

If the best you can hold is a yard job when you mark up you better take remote control training or you might not work, so no, you cant turn it down. If you get a chance take the class and do the training, it will just be another "feather" in your hat if you get cut back from the road to the yard.

Sorry for the confusion, hope this edited version clarifies things.


I can't tell you about any remote operations at Nashville. My career with the CSX only lasted a few months. I hired-on for Erwin, TN. in Sep-96. I was going to move my wife to the Erwin area after my oldest daughter delivered our second grandson. In Jan-97 my wife suffered a heart attack. With no children at home to keep an eye on her, I was forced to resign and return to the St. Louis area.

Nashville Newbie

I'm sorry to hear about your wife. Similar thing with my wife -- she died.
Two daughters.

I don't accurately know about CSX operations at Radnor Yard in Nashville, but if it is like any other major yard on CSX, it has several yard switcher or road switcher units that have remote control capabilities, and are used in non-hump yard switching operations.

Take care and best wishes!

ACLfan

Thats jg's wife there ACL. He messed up the quote thing so it all ran together.

UPRR ENGINEER-


Thanks for the info-makes sense.

Where have you been the last couple of days UPRR---I haven't seen you on here-been riding that 4-wheeler?


Nashville Newbie

On the NS, conductors hold the remote jobs, because the BLET never came to the bargaining table. Thankfully, I'm a road conductor and have not had to deal with the stinking remotes.... yet.

-r

In the land of the witless, the half-wit is the king.

razor wrote:On the NS, conductors hold the remote jobs, because the BLET never came to the bargaining table

The real story is, the RR's came to us first. We wanted everyone to be a certified engineer before running the box. We werent trying to steal the UTU's yard jobs and replace them with hogheads, it just would have gotten all you new guys in the chair alot quicker costing the RR's a ton of cash. (about $130,000 a pop here on the UP) So they then turned to the UTU and they jumped on what ever they where handing out. I dont care eather way of what happened, our contract or yours, the RCL's were on there way. It would have been nice to see more new guys get into engine service alot quicker.

NASHVILLE-NEWBIE wrote:Where have you been the last couple of days UPRR---I haven't seen you on here-been riding that 4-wheeler?

Thanks for seeing i was gone, lol. My GF got a new job at her place of work, i layed off last week and went to Gillette Wyoming (northern end of the powder river coal) so she could get trained. I thought about bringing my quad, glad i didnt. Theres no where to ride up there. Its all private ranch land and coal mines. So i headed east to the Black Hills everyday and fished, saw Devils Tower and MT. Rushmore again, gave all my money to the saloons in Deadwood. Wanted to catch me a pike to hang on the wall..... ya that didnt happen. I couldnt believe how big the coal seams were up there. It was a good time. Goofy town Gillette is, with all the money thats up there, there town was pretty hick. Insted of putting there pay checks back into there town i think they run to Deadwood a bit too much.

When the railroads starting putting remote controlled switch engines to work in yards around the country, did they ever consider the consequences of what would happen if Arab terrorists got a hold of one, packed the cab full of explosives and sent it head on into a passenger or commuter train? They don't necessarily need to get a hold of the control box to turn a locomotive into a bomb on wheels. What's more,there are still plenty of sleeper cells in this country. The best of the remotes, in my opinion are those that retain the capability of being operated manually from inside the cab. Rail security needs to be beefed up. Moreover, I do not believe remote controlled units should be allowed to be operated with tank cars full of dangerous goods, especially LP gas, chlorine, etc. Too many rail executives are cutting corners on safety. Not only that, too many of them are Wall Street types who have no business near a rail terminal, let alone office.

Used to be, you would always PROTECT THE POINT.
Guess as long as the beancounters see money in it, such measures can be overlooked. Of course this will be shown, once again, to have been caused by human error and no fault in the carrier's implementation of hazardous work practices in the name of profit.

In Pasco WA they got rid of the remotes because they werent moving enough cars .