Whats allowed/not allowed in the cab?

I am pretty sure that the "allowed" list is quite short, but what are guys (and gals) able to get into the cab and use?

Laptops, cells, electric grills, GPS's, PDA's?

Is it worth it, and how high will you be hanging if caught?

Lore has it if your stopped and not actively running a train, your good to go...

Pj wrote:I am pretty sure that the "allowed" list is quite short, but what are guys (and gals) able to get into the cab and use?

Laptops, cells, electric grills, GPS's, PDA's?

None of the above!

Pj wrote:Is it worth it, and how high will you be hanging if caught?

Very high!!!!!!!

Pj wrote:Lore has it if your stopped and not actively running a train, your good to go...

Not true, btt people still do it.

Use to have a engineer years ago bring a electric flat hot plate---he would cook one heck of a dinner as he was running down the track----pass me the pepper man these eggs need some more!!!!

The guys on my last road all carried XM or Sirius satelite radios, and a Radio Shack convertor, for the 74V outlet. Half a mile of cables, all over the cab, and the antenna mounted outside, to the sunvisor, or nose, and they had tunes/talk radio, the whole trip. Taking breaks, only to gab on the cell phones, or play portable games like XBox, or whatever those things were. As long as the trains made it to the final terminal, on either end, management didn't seem to care, one way or the other. (the SLE also was an engineer, had the highest score, on the golf game. He worked as my cndr on a regular basis, and I can still hear his game saying "nice shot", or "go for birdie", in a Japanese females voice...... ) Some places obviously are more strict, than others. UPRR in Houston, was not big deal. Have heard of guys in the west/northwest, gettting canned, for the same stuff. Go figure.........

As an engineer working a terminal with a whole lot of "noobs," I can't even BEGIN to describe how annoying it is when I get a be-bop instant conductor who's plugged into his headset or who's watching DVDs when he should be watching, learning, feeling, paying attention. I'm not one to throw my weight around, and I'm not going to blow someone in...but aside from rules violations, it's HIGHLY annoying. I don't mind if the conductor catches a catnap when he's able to (now, with calling signals and the "new" wayside signs, that's less and less often) but when he starts acting like he's on a pleasure trip, it chaps my posterior.

FWIW, I carry books, a laptop, sometimes some DVDs, and a cellular phone. They're in my grip, and they stay OFF - even the phone - when I'm running.

I expect the same of my conductor. When he's walking my train in the snow, and he calls me...if he had to hear a laugh-track off a DVD in the background, he would be p.o.'d, and rightly so.

Answer to the question: ALL electronic entertainment equipment is verboten.

I was visited the cab of a CSX GEVO leading a stack train one bitter cold Sunday afternoon. It was stopped in the middle of nowhere on account a busted air hose on a train ahead.

Anyway while on board I noticed a bunch of personal items in the cab:
- both crewmen’s cell phones
- a pair of binoculars
- a boombox with detachable speakers
- rechargeable 12 volt jumper/power pack powering the boombox
- an iPod plugged into to the boombox.
- the Sunday paper
- a ziplock bag full of carrot sticks (the conductor apparently was on a health food kick)

The crew had the boombox speakers perched either side of the companionway leading into the nose. The iPod connected to the boombox was turned off however. Instead the boombox was tuned to a Bills/Jets game.

Seemed like decent way to wait out the delay!

You can bring anything you want on the train, not getting caught using it is the key.

While it's perfectly fine to have fun on the job, it's not fine to have a crew member playing his or her computer games, head phones, or yakin away on the cell phone while on the move..
Sleeping is also a taboo in my book too.

I can honastly say that while I was a conductor, I never, ever went to sleep on my engineer nor played silly games while on the move. If I was on my cell phone it was because I was talking to the DS or FS and running on clears or stopped.

Once we were stopped, I would let the engineer get a nap in while I slept with one eye open so to speak and watch for signal changes. I would still roll-by trains and perform my duties. In my book it's the hogger who is doing all the work and once the train is stopped I make damn sure to take care of the hoghead.

Now that I am an engineer the only ones who do this anymore are a hand full of newer conductors and most of the old heads.

Since I have been with the railroad, three guys that I and a few members on this forum have worked with are now dead. All killed on the job because they had their head up their third point of contact and were not paying attention. Also an engineer and conductor that I had worked with several years ago were also responsible for killing three people on a commuter train because they were not staying alert.

As I said, sure we can have a good time doing our job but at the same time I see too many conductors as well as some engineers treat this job as a joke. Well, it's no joke. I don't think any of us would feel to comfortable flying on a commercial airliner if the pilot was watching movies on his laptop or sleeping.

Most conductors that work with me know not to sleep, watch movies, etc.. They know I will not say a word as bring the train to a stop. Nor will I blow anyone in. However, it will be the conductor who explains to the DS on the reason why I stopped the train. I don't put up with it. Period.
I worked too damn hard to get at where I'm at now. I am not about to throw away a 70 to 100k a year job simply because some joyrider does not want to do his or her job.



If engineer only trains do in fact become a reality we will know one of the reasons why!

Yeah, and if you're a railroad employee like MBCR/Amtrak, you could use a laptop for milepost guides, and have water/coke/Skittles/Chocolates if you need it, or even popcorn. I also agree with Golden-Arm with Sirius/XM satellite Radio so that you don't get bored in those long Amtrak runs (Silver Service, CHI-Portland, OR, or to EMY or CHI-LAX or on the Sunset Limited).

A knife with a blade over 3", yeah, I'll never break that law

Since PowerPro brought it up, even though some properties have rules against "packing", some places, you might not be expected to live, without packing. Like other verboten items, best kept in the pocket of your grip, in a waistband holster (if you have a CWP) or perhaps tucked into your boot. (you are wearing your steel-toed cowboy boots, aren't you..... ) Pretty much anything not issued by the carrier, or mandated to have as part of your attire, and possibly some portions of your lunch, could be against the rules, if the weed weasels say it's so.

I always wonder how many of the CSX crews in Baltimore are packing something, considering they often wait for signals in unpleasent areas.

Portable electronic items in use in cabs are forbidden. One exception
are cell phones. They can be used by the engineer provided the
train is stopped, the call is for RR use only, and the conductor has
been briefed that the phone will be used in accordance with RR duties.
(Amtrak Gen. Road Foreman Notice)

Boom Boxes, Xm Radio? Cut me a break!

DrawbarFlats wrote: Most conductors that work with me know not to sleep, watch movies, etc.. They know I will not say a word as bring the train to a stop. Nor will I blow anyone in. However, it will be the conductor who explains to the DS on the reason why I stopped the train.

Mr. Drawbar Flats, that's funny ... I did the same thing a couple of times. Word got around pretty quick that I was a "ball breaker", then all of a sudden, guys started to actually do their jobs when they worked with me...

I echo the previous replies to this topic; anything that's not specified as railroad material is forbidden.

amtrakhogger wrote:Portable electronic items in use in cabs are forbidden. One exception
are cell phones. They can be used by the engineer provided the
train is stopped, the call is for RR use only, and the conductor has
been briefed that the phone will be used in accordance with RR duties.
(Amtrak Gen. Road Foreman Notice)

Boom Boxes, Xm Radio? Cut me a break!

Wow, do they interfere with navigation of the engine? Then they shouldn't be banned, since a locomotiva cab is not the ssame as an aircraft cockpit, and cell hpones should be allowed 24/7/365 in case a crew memeber has to call home in an emergency.