Tales from the road

[Hawghead]

A couple of trips ago I was taking the Z train Portland to Hermiston at about 2:00 p..m.  On the radio comes the Corridor Manager (The guy overseeing all the dispatchers for a certain area, some railroads refer to him as the "Chief Dispatcher") talking to the train behind.  "A concerned citizen had called the dispatching center to report that the red blinking light on the end of the train was not working."  Now I can only hear the corridor manager's side of the conversation as the train is to far behind to hear their end of the conversation.  Next thing we hear from the corridor manager is "So there is a sensor on the "FRED" that turns the light off during the day?"  Again we can't hear the train's response.  Finally we hear the corridor manager say "Never mind then, forget I called."  I immediately got on the radio and said "Forget! Dude people are going to be telling this story for the next 20 years!"  He didn't answer though I'm sure he heard me. 

Same trip, we were going through a 25 mph temporary slow order at Hood River.  About a mile past that slow order we go over a real soft spot in the track (we're 12,000' long).  I call the dispatcher and tell him about the issue and that he needs to have MOW come out and take a look at it.  He acknowledges, the next thing I know PTC is screaming at me about "Over Speed Warning" and puts the train in emergency!  What the hell!  Yep you guessed it, the dispatcher put a 10 mph slow order on the location until MOW could get out there to look at it and while we were still going over it.  That slow order was instantly transmitted over the PTC system which put the train in emergency.  We called the dispatcher and asked him if he had put a 10 mph slow order on that spot we had reported?  When he replied that he had, we asked him if he knew we were still going over it?  Silence.  We said we'd be recovering the train and be back on the pull in a couple of minutes. 

Let me know if you'd like to hear more, I've got a great one about a non-existing grade crossing.  I know we have other railroaders on this forum so feel free to regale us with your "Tale from the Road".

Scott 

[Jbub]

A couple of trips ago I was taking the Z train Portland to Hermiston at about 2:00 p..m.  On the radio comes the Corridor Manager (The guy overseeing all the dispatchers for a certain area, some railroads refer to him as the "Chief Dispatcher") talking to the train behind.  "A concerned citizen had called the dispatching center to report that the red blinking light on the end of the train was not working."  Now I can only hear the corridor manager's side of the conversation as the train is to far behind to hear their end of the conversation.  Next thing we hear from the corridor manager is "So there is a sensor on the "FRED" that turns the light off during the day?"  Again we can't hear the train's response.  Finally we hear the corridor manager say "Never mind then, forget I called."  I immediately got on the radio and said "Forget! Dude people are going to be telling this story for the next 20 years!"  He didn't answer though I'm sure he heard me. 

Same trip, we were going through a 25 mph temporary slow order at Hood River.  About a mile past that slow order we go over a real soft spot in the track (we're 12,000' long).  I call the dispatcher and tell him about the issue and that he needs to have MOW come out and take a look at it.  He acknowledges, the next thing I know PTC is screaming at me about "Over Speed Warning" and puts the train in emergency!  What the hell!  Yep you guessed it, the dispatcher put a 10 mph slow order on the location until MOW could get out there to look at it and while we were still going over it.  That slow order was instantly transmitted over the PTC system which put the train in emergency.  We called the dispatcher and asked him if he had put a 10 mph slow order on that spot we had reported?  When he replied that he had, we asked him if he knew we were still going over it?  Silence.  We said we'd be recovering the train and be back on the pull in a couple of minutes. 

Let me know if you'd like to hear more, I've got a great one about a non-existing grade crossing.  I know we have other railroaders on this forum so feel free to regale us with your "Tale from the Road".

Scott

I do enjoy reading stories like this. Thanks for sharing.

[Buck.H]

@Hawghead please share more. I think it’s awesome to learn about how it works out there in the real world. My favorite railroad book is by Josie Moore Crum, about the Rio Grande Southern. It’s full of story’s from train crews just like the two you shared.

[Englewood]

I was working a super hostler job in the yard once, basically we double a train together, drag it out about a mile, get it air tested, then hand it over to the outbound crew. Then repeat until they send us home. Anyways, we'd tied our power into the first track and told the yardmaster we were ready. He then calls the dispatcher to get us signals. We pull up to the red signal and waited. We can't pick up the rest of the train without signals. About 10 minutes later, a manager jumps on board our train and starts giving us crap because we weren't getting our train together and we were delaying the train and we're just sitting on our rear ends doing nothing. After his rant, my engineer quietly points to the light and tells the manager that we can't run a red light. The manager didn't say another word and left. I think it was about another hour or so before we finally got a signal.

[Hawghead]

The non-existing crossing.

While heading east toward Hermiston, we were just coming up to Castle about m.p. 155 when the dispatcher contacts us.  He contacted us to give us an XG order which means there is a road crossing that is out of service and that we have to stop and protect the crossing before occupying it.  "UP 7326, comply with XG order at m.p. 164.4".  My conductor reads back the order and we continue on our way.  Now as we continue I'm thinking of where the Xing is as to prepare to stop short of it. 164.4...164.4 humm, that's between the west and east ends of the siding at Boardman...  There is no Xing at Boardman.  So I call the dispatcher back up, "Yeah dispatcher did you say XG at 164.4?"  "Yes that is correct 164.4"  "Uhh dispatcher there is no Xing at mile post 164.4"  now wait for it... "Yes I know!  The three previous trains have confirmed there is no Xing at that location."  "If you know there is no Xing there why put out an XH order on a Xing that doesn't exist?"  "The signal department won't let me take the order down."  "So you want me to pull up to but short of a Xing that doesn't exist, have my conductor get down and protect a Xing that doesn't exist, pull ahead and occupy a Xing that doesn't exist, have my conductor get back on and continue eastbound?"  "Well you should do what you have to, but yeah."  So that is exactly what we did.  Why?  Because this was so bizarre I was sure it had to be some idiot manager's idea of a test.  When we were back on the move I contacted the dispatcher and asked him if he had thought of the possiblity that if the signal department had put out a Xing order but had got the mile post wrong, that there was, somewhere, a Xing that needed protection but wasn't being protected?  He didn't have an answer for that.

Scott

[JeffB]

Interesting stories...  From my son's nearly 2 years of experience working for the UP out in Portland, he's got a few as well.  Definitely not a boring job!

BTW Hawghead...  He just got a conductor's job on a small regional shortline here out East.  Went for a ride along yesterday with the evening crew he'll be working with and loved it.  Said it was entirely different from working for the UP.

Keep them coming... 

Jeff

[Hawghead]

Jeff,

While he was here your son stayed in the yard so I never got the chance to work with him unfortunately.  Short lines tend to be more close knit than the class 1 railroads due to their smaller size.  Working a regular job with a good crew on a local is, in my opinion, the best job there is.  Unfortunately, they don't pay very well unless it's a twelve and tow job every day.  I wish your son every success in his new job.

Scott

[JeffB]

Jeff,

While he was here your son stayed in the yard so I never got the chance to work with him unfortunately.  Short lines tend to be more close knit than the class 1 railroads due to their smaller size.  Working a regular job with a good crew on a local is, in my opinion, the best job there is.  Unfortunately, they don't pay very well unless it's a twelve and tow job every day.  I wish your son every success in his new job.

Scott

Thanks Scott, I've passed your well wishes on to my son... 

He looks back on his experience with the UP as being positive.  Ultimately, he chose to come back to the East Coast to be closer to family and friends.  I honestly wasn't sure he'd go back to railroading based on his comments, but he put out a few feelers and got a few hits. 

He had a really good time with the NX-13 crew on the Housatonic yesterday, which is the crew he'll be on once he passes a physical and drug test (which won't be a problem).   The superintendent and crew seemed pretty enthusiastic to have him on, and he liked the guys almost immediately, so I think it'll be a good fit. (I say "crew" but it's two guys, the locomotive engineer and the conductor/switchman, who he'll be replacing as the guy he met is leaving)

As you say, the pay isn't as good, or won't be as good in the future as it might have been on the UP, but he's starting only a few dollars an hour under what he was making in Portland when he left.  Living at home with us, he'll still be paying mom "rent", but not "Portland rent", so it'll more than make up for short fall. 

He told us that they want to cross train him and get him certified as an engineer once he's up to speed with the job he's starting at. 

All in all, I think it's a good fit for him and he seems to agree.  We'll see.

I relayed the two stories you told us here on Railwire and he laughed and said...  "that sounds about par for the course..."  As I said in my initial commentary, he's had some interesting stories of his own.  Not as exciting or unusual at "road stories" but interesting none the less.

Thanks for "looking in" on him from time to time out in Portland...  It is a shame he never got to work with you.  He told me this afternoon that he did know a few "Scotts" in passing, but it probably wasn't you.

Jeff

[lock4244]

The non-existing crossing.

While heading east toward Hermiston, we were just coming up to Castle about m.p. 155 when the dispatcher contacts us.  He contacted us to give us an XG order which means there is a road crossing that is out of service and that we have to stop and protect the crossing before occupying it.  "UP 7326, comply with XG order at m.p. 164.4".  My conductor reads back the order and we continue on our way.  Now as we continue I'm thinking of where the Xing is as to prepare to stop short of it. 164.4...164.4 humm, that's between the west and east ends of the siding at Boardman...  There is no Xing at Boardman.  So I call the dispatcher back up, "Yeah dispatcher did you say XG at 164.4?"  "Yes that is correct 164.4"  "Uhh dispatcher there is no Xing at mile post 164.4"  now wait for it... "Yes I know!  The three previous trains have confirmed there is no Xing at that location."  "If you know there is no Xing there why put out an XH order on a Xing that doesn't exist?"  "The signal department won't let me take the order down."  "So you want me to pull up to but short of a Xing that doesn't exist, have my conductor get down and protect a Xing that doesn't exist, pull ahead and occupy a Xing that doesn't exist, have my conductor get back on and continue eastbound?"  "Well you should do what you have to, but yeah."  So that is exactly what we did.  Why?  Because this was so bizarre I was sure it had to be some idiot manager's idea of a test.  When we were back on the move I contacted the dispatcher and asked him if he had thought of the possiblity that if the signal department had put out a Xing order but had got the mile post wrong, that there was, somewhere, a Xing that needed protection but wasn't being protected?  He didn't have an answer for that.

Scott

I enjoy these stories, please keep them coming.

I am reminded of an incident I witnessed (visual and via scanner) about 15 years ago or thereabouts on CN's Kingston Sub. Just west of the Newtonville crossover and HBD at mile 278.9ish was one of the many wooden bridges that crosses over the double track route between Newcastle and Port Hope, this one was the Nichols Road bridge, more commonly known as the Newtonville Bridge or by local railfans as the Bee Bridge (something about a frozen bee, was before my time). Anyways, the Nichols road at this point was a farmers access road so traffic was about 90% railfan, 9% couples looking for a quiet place, and 1% farmer. A railfan mecca, with two bridges (CP is immediately to the north, maybe 50' between CN's north tack and CP's main) and a high embankment between the two rofw's. I spent many a fine day between those two mains photographing trains and chatting with other foamers; the quintessential place to train watch.

This all came to an end once day in 2006? maybe when a dimensional load on CN demolished the Bee Bridge... took out one off the supports and the bridge collapsed onto the train. After the accident you could find splintered wood all over the place, so the impact was with quite a bit of force. I do not know the story of how this happened, but if the bridge wasn't on the list of restricted clearances it sure was after it was demolished. The local MP was being lobbied by a local foamer to try and force CN to rebuild, but they ended up paying off the farmer (I assume) and the road was closed as a through route, the CP bridge which had been totally rebuilt in 2001 was allowed to deteriorate until it was at the point of collapse, then it was removed in 2017.

But that's not the incident I'm writing about... a few years after the bridge was demolished that a WB crew operating with a dimensional load had orders in their general operating instructions (GOI) to stop and proceed at a restricted speed past the long gone bridge, which they did, and once they got going having confirmed visually that the D6 or whatever the load was clear the non-existent obstruction, the crew asked the RTC (dispatcher) to look into having the Nichols Road bridge removed from the GOI as it no longer existed. The crossovers a quarter mile east of the bridge was the summit of the ruling grade on the Kingston Sub, and having to stop and proceed with their monster drag stretched over both sides of the summit was a potential break in two situation for 150 car freights in the days before DP's were the norm.

It seems protecting against things that do not exist is not uncommon.

[RockGp40]

Not to completely hijack your thread, but there is a retired MOW guy from the Santa Fe named Rocky Myrtle. He's a published author with several books out there. Some of which are compilations from other retired/active railroaders. He puts out snippets of his experiences on Facebook too and are always worth the read.  FYI only. If you are so inclined, I'd reach out to him.

[Hawghead]

Which came first the shooter or the dragger?

In these days of PSR, trains have, in many cases, out grown the length of available sidings leaving fewer and fewer places where trains can pass each other.  While heading east toward Hermiston we were running short of time and were discussing with the dispatcher where the best place was to stop where the relief crew could get to us.  I told the dispatcher, with the time left to us I thought the best place to crew swap was at the depot at Hood River.  He agreed and contacted the relief crew to meet us there.  As we approached the siding at Meno (the last siding before Hood River), we had signals that showed we'd be stopping on the main track at Meno.  I said to my conductor, "What is this guy doing?"  "We're already short on time and he sent another train to meet us?  It's going to be close getting to Hood River."  We stopped and shortly a west bounder pulled into the siding at Meno.  The train pulling into Meno was a little shooter, not more that 5000'.  "What the hell!  The dispatcher should have held him at Mosier (The next siding after Hood River and one of three short sidings that are rarely used now)."

We get a light at Meno and start pulling east to Hood River.  This is going to be close!  A couple of minutes later the dispatcher calls us.  UP 5678 stop your train, stop your train!  I quickly set 20 pounds and brought the train to a stop (consistent with good train handling techniques of course  ) UP 5678 I need you to pull your train ahead and stop the rear of your train east of the east end of Meno.  "Dispatcher what's going on?"  "I need you to pull east of Meno so the relief crew can protect the shove so you can shove into the clear in the siding and they'll relieve you there."   Well I hadn't set my counter when leaving Meno as we were on the main and I had no need to know when the rear of the train cleared Meno.  This is where PTC came in handy.  On the PTC display there is depiction of the train on the screen, from the head end of the depiction to the edge of the visible screen toward the rear of the train is 7200', if your train is shorter than 7200' then you can see the end of your train on the screen, if longer the end is hidden off the edge of the screen.  As we were just a shade over 9000' the end of the train was off the visible portion of the screen.  So I figured all I had to do was pull ahead until the signal icons at the east end of Meno went off the visible edge of the screen, set my counter and pull an additional 2000' and the rear should be clear of the east end of Meno.  We had just enough time to get the rear end clear of Meno, stop the train and die.  Where we stopped there is a 50' shear drop to the Colombia river on one side and a shear 100' cliff face on the other.  We tone up the dispatcher.  "Dispatcher this is UP 5678, do you show us clear of the east end of Meno?"  "Yes you are clear of the OS."  "Dispatcher we're also dead on our hours of service."  "What the hell is going on?"  After much hemming and hawing he tells us there is a 10,000' dragger of a train stopped at Mosier (the siding at Mosier is only 6350' long).  While I can't be 100% sure how this happened I'm willing to bet he mixed up the order of the west bound trains and thought the little shooter was behind the 10,000' dragger and that the dragger would get by us at Meno and the relief crew would meet the little shooter at Mosier.  Finally the dispatcher asks for our head end location so that he can have the relief crew go there and relieve us. "Dispatcher the only way the relief crew is going to get to us here is a boat with a really long ladder or a highrailer"  After about an hour, sure enough, a highrailer shows up with just the conductor of the relief crew as the highrailer is so full of junk there was only room for one other person other than the driver.  So he drops off the relief conductor and takes my conductor to Hood River, collects the relief engineer drops him off then takes me to Hood River where my conductor and myself get into a van and deadhead to Hermiston.  There was a lot of congestion on the sub division that day to begin with and as a result of this fiasco I want to say 8 trains all together died on their hours of service and it took about 12 hours to clear the log jam.  In fact the crew that came out to relieve us ended up dying on their hours of service before reaching Hermiston.  I understand the dispatcher got a little 30 day unpaid vacation for this 

Scott