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i don't know how long you've been on the railroad, bnsf 1088, but the utu did do something about the remote control engines. they endorsed them! the issue came up a little more than a year ago, as several carriers wanted to start using remotes for switching operations. the ble fought against the idea, stating that it was unsafe and it would cost jobs. the whole issue went before an arbitrator, and it was deemed as ok, since no one is willing to fight against technology. the jobs that are being lost, typically come from the utu members, as the trickle down effect from an engineer being removed from one job, forces everyone below him to find another, typically ending with a new hire, being laid off. since the carriers are simply looking for ways to save a buck, and couldn't really care less about safety, productivity, or our jobs...they are successful. let the economy turn around and the yards start getting plugged with cars, or, even worse, one of these remotes runs away or derails some really good hazardous materials, maybe then, someone will wake up and get rid of the things once and for all. for small industry switching, they are ok. not for big time railroading. the best thing we can do as employees facing this threat to our jobs is slow down! the less that gets done with them creates a backup of switching, that results in full crews being called to clear the mess. slow down and save your job!
Posts: 85 | From: owingsmills, md. | Registered: Aug 2002
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I will have 1yr on April 22,2003 i know that the utu wanted more use of the damn things that is why i am not working.The utu needs to rethink this issue before it gets worse.from what i have heard these things are very dangerous and it takes a long time to switch cars.
posted
well, i will state some facts about the remotes. most of ours are run by new hires, such as yourself. not to berate you, but you have little experience in handling trains, even when switching. when to use air, how much, how much power to use, etc., you wont really know until you get the opportunity to go to engine school and learn how to run a train. it seems that the railroads figure these remotes to the like of model trains, it doesn't matter how many cars you put behind the engine, just fire up the power pack and the engine will go. the bottom line is that you still lose a member of the crew, one is running the engine as the other is working switches, and tying down tracks...you lose flexibility, and therefore productivity. cn has just sent out a letter claiming just that, and plans to restore regular 3 man crews to many switching jobs. at least one big player has learned the hard way. what will it take to get rid of these things...let one get away, or derail some haz-mat. i'm sure the feds and the local media will love that!
Posts: 85 | From: owingsmills, md. | Registered: Aug 2002
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A few months ago Trains had a photo that showed a remote-controlled train passing by a sign alerting people to "empty cab trains".
Do these trains go across grade crossings?
Years ago there was a line in Ohio--Muskingum Electric--that had trains run remotely, but the track was separate from other lines, there was no switching, and it was more like a conveyor belt.
In the LA area, they had originally tried to run one of the metro lines with driverless coaches, but that idea got rejected. This line has cross-overs but no grade crossings (it runs down the center of a freeway). The union protested, but I don't think that was the main reason it got shot down. I think the traveling public was not ready to ride in driver-less rail cars!
Posts: 874 | From: South Bay (LA County), Calif, USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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Try the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London's east end (London UK). Although there is a train captain on every train, in normal service he does not drive the train but can take over at any time if necessary. You can sit at the front where the driver sits (as long as he's not driving, of course!) and see ahead! It's great, especially as some of the gradients are spectacular (1 in 17). No grade crossings of course, but there are lots of junctions. Well recommended. In terms of safety, where it runs alongside main line railways, there are phones every couple of hundred yards at the trackside direct to the signalling centre.
Geoff M.
Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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there is the whole point... the terms of the remote agreement with the unions is that if the engine is to be operated by remote, no one is in the cab...period. if there is to be someone in the cab, might as well be a qualified engineer!
Posts: 85 | From: owingsmills, md. | Registered: Aug 2002
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conrailkid Do you think we will ever get those jobs back this to me just dosn't make sense if you have someone in the engine why can't it be a hog head.
[This message has been edited by BNSF 1088 (edited 04-12-2003).]
posted
hey there bnsf1088! i sure hope that we get those jobs back. it has been demonstrated at many locations on csx that the remotes don't do the work that a full crew does, and has also been proven that they are not nearly as safe. as an added plus, we have seen notices from cn that they are getting rid of some of the remote operations, because of the lack of productivity. that is about the only saving grace for us on csx, is that freight has been off for quite some time. if it ever got back to being busy, the yards would be so jammed full of cars...which happened for about 4 weeks after that big snow that hit the mid-atlantic back in early february. all we can do is hold our breath, and hope that the remotes fail miserably, or someone in management wakes up and gets rid of those dispicable remotes!
Posts: 85 | From: owingsmills, md. | Registered: Aug 2002
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in the mid-atlantic area, probably over 40 engineers have been displaced, ultimately forcing out 40 new hires.
Posts: 85 | From: owingsmills, md. | Registered: Aug 2002
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Lafayette LA we are geting RC engines more job cuts for us i just don't understand the way the yard is set up it just doesn't look like it could work.
Posts: 210 | Registered: Apr 2003
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