Large Scale Central

Hmmmm now that is interesting!

Prototypes
#1

Last night coming down the North Thompson Valley listening to the scanner (CN train standby Coldwater Sub):

Eng: You know that I’m out here under protest.

Op man: I think we should take this conversation to Channel x

Eng; We can’t because the radio is defective, the only thing that seems to work is the train standby.

Op man: whatelse is not working?

Eng: I have no speed indication. at the last meet I had to ask the crew to estimate my speed. My estimate was 20mph, their’s was 30mph.

Op man: I guess things can happen.

Eng: I had similar defect last week.

Op man: did you file the reports?

Eng: Yes, in detail!

Op man: Hmmmm

Eng: In any case this time I’ll report it to Transport Canda, this is strictly against the rules.

I already reported it to RTC (rail traffic control), together with the insistence that I’m out here under protest. As it is this train should not be out on the line.

As I mentioned there are plenty of tidbits on the standby lines. Basically I was just waiting for the op man to tell the engineer or conductor to count the seconds between mile posts and calculate the speed.

:stuck_out_tongue: :wink: :slight_smile:

#2

I guess no one thought to grab the GPS unit out of their car or by a new one for $75.00 at Wal-Mart.

A working speedo does not seem like a lot to ask for.

#3

Makes you wonder what else was dodgey on that engine …

#4

Vic Smith said:
Makes you wonder what else was dodgey on that engine …

Remember that video I posted

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/71207285[/vimeo]

some of this stuff appears symptomatic.

#5

Under the rules I worked under (GCOR), if the speedo was operating when you left the initial terminal, and failed in route, it was legal to continue without an operating speedo using your watch and the time chart in the back of the time table. I ran a few SD40-2’s this way. Per the rules you had to stop at the next qualifying terminal were repairs could be made. Conveniently this always happened to be at the AFHT (Away from home terminal)…

A working speedo is part of the locomotive daily inspection. If the loco doesn’t pass the daily inspection you can’t use it in your consist. Certain things like operating speedo, and radio qualify the unit as ‘operable’ but only as trailing units.

From the sounds of the conversation, it doesn’t sound as if the hoghead did a proper daily inspection…

#6

Craig,

The way that sounded on the standby line: apparently he got sent out despite the electronics being iffy and he did under protest. He didn’t say, or I tuned in too late, what the crew he spelled off related to him regarding the “defects”, it is possible that the stuff was working at the crew change, but he was told that it was iffy and he got sent out anyway. What came across loud and clear: he was mighty steamed and he was going to do something about it!

BTW this isn’t the first time I overheard a conversation where an op man would have liked to take the conversation to Channel x and couldn’t, because the engineer decided it was the right channel.

:wink: :slight_smile:

That goes for both CN and CP.

#7

Trainmaster or who ever probably wanted to go to a non-recorded channel… Engineer wanted to stay on recorded channel so if he got in trouble he could have the tapes pulled. :slight_smile:

#8

Craig Townsend said:

Trainmaster or who ever probably wanted to go to a non-recorded channel… Engineer wanted to stay on recorded channel so if he got in trouble he could have the tapes pulled. :slight_smile:

Now that’s a routine I’m familiar with. :slight_smile: Thumbs up for the engineer, being played for a sucker is strictly for those who should have been fish in the first place.

#9

Wouldn’t be the first time management tried to tell train crews what to do… Heck I watched a trainmaster tell a crew that they ran through a facing point turnout. How the heck do you do that? :wink:

#10

My first incident, I was aboard a DASH-9 when it went on the ground in about 2ft of snow. Trainmaster tried to say teh conductor threw teh switch while I was going over it. IF the derailment occured between axles 3 & 4, there could have been an argument. The derailment occured between axles 2 & 3. That means he tried to line the switch with a 410,000pound locomotive sitting on teh points!

Maybe superman could have done that?

We should all thank the good lord that trains don’t derail as readily as threads in forums on the internet!

#11

come on–keep this thread going–i want more interesting storys of real life on the rails–lol

#12

You must have stronger conductors than we do on the UP! No way to throw a switch with that much weight on it!