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Re: (erielack) RULES OF THE OPERATING DEPARTMENT
Refer that man to rule 220.
Just kidding.......he obviously knows everything.
Walt Smith
>From: Steven Kay <s.kay4_@_verizon.net>
>Reply-To: "EL Mail List" <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
>To: The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
>Subject: Re: (erielack) RULES OF THE OPERATING DEPARTMENT
>Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:11:20 -0500
>
>I actually had an argument with a rules examiner on this very point. He
>claimed that if a crossing was being flagged by the railroad police (as
>opposed to local police) or the signal department I could ignore the Form D
>instructing my train to flag a crossing.
>
>There is way in the world he was right and I told him so.
>
>Steve
>--
>Mechanical defects are no problem
>as long as they don’t affect anyone working in an office.
>www.ble272.org
>
> > From: Walter Smith <wsmith5957_@_hotmail.com>
> > Reply-To: EL Mail List <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
> > Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 19:55:32 -0500
> > To: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>, <snopercod@citcom.net>,
> > <PapaG1954_@_gmail.com>, <s2choochoo@bellsouth.net>,
> > <richardble_@_worldnet.att.net>, <pemchugh@aol.com>,
><railwriter_@_comcast.net>
> > Cc: <overcrailway_@_aol.com>, <alfred_runte@msn.com>,
><terryem010762_@_yahoo.com>,
> > <dewilkin_@_earthlink.net>
> > Subject: (erielack) RULES OF THE OPERATING DEPARTMENT
> >
> >
> > Speaking of Rule 220 - page 40 of the Rules of the operating
> > Department/Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. This rule clearly states that
> > "Trainorders are in effect until they are fulfilled, superseded or
> > annulled". CSX has this same rule and it applied to the employees of the
> > TRI_RAIL.
> > Shortly after the TRI_RAIL began operating, an entire train crew
>was
> > dismisssed and one of the rules broken was this particular one. It
>happened
> > as follows...........
> > The crossing gates at 79th Street in Miami (a heavily traveled
>4-lane
> > road) were inoperative and the CSX began isssuing a trainorder to 'Stop
>and
> > flag 79th Street acct gates inoperative.' This went on for several days
> > since it is easier to issue a T/O rather than repair the gates. On the
>day
> > of the disaster, a passenger crew left the Miami airport station and
> > approaching 79 th street on the mainline, stopped and flagged - thereby
> > complying with the trainorder. On the Southbound trip, they did the
>same,
> > stopped and flagged the crossing. Now, they had to return from the
>airport
> > station and enter the yard to put their train away, having comleted
>their
> > days work. The switch to enter the trainyard is JUST across 79th street
>and
> > the engineer had his train slowed to near restricted speed to enter the
>yard
> > lead but did not STOP. He properly sounded the horn with the 2 longs, a
> > short, and a long but traffic had backed up on all 4 lanes and an
>impatient
> > man raced around the other stopped autos and arrived at the crossing at
>the
> > exact same time as the train. His car was hit and became airborne
>landing on
> > a car headed in the other direction. The mans' little boy died, the man
>was
> > injured, and a party in the other car was injured. I believe the CSX
>fixed
> > the gates the next day but the crew was GONE forever. These were all
> > experienced men..........not newhires.
> > A few years later, gates were inoperative at a crossing near Boca
> > Raton and the same thing happened. Another crew forgot to stop and flag
>and
> > a woman in a step van got right in front of the locomotive and was hit.
> > ANOTHER crew gone for failure to comply with a trainorder.
> > After hearing all this, you'd think everyone on the property
>would
> > be aware of this particular rule but a conductor told me he had an
>official
> > observing his train near Commercial Boulevard station in Fort
>Lauderdale.
> > He asked the official the reason and was told "you've been reported for
> > delaying your train here". The conductor showed him a trainorder telling
>him
> > to 'stop and flag Commercial Boulevard acct gates inoperative' . The
> > TRI-RAIL man just said "OH" and left. The point here is.......all the
>other
> > crews were just gliding through the crossing - NOT stopping and
>flagging.
> > A year or so later, I was operating southbound and holding orders
>to
> > stop and flag a crossing in Pompano Beach. As I approached the road in
> > question (a 6-lane highway) a CSX signal maintainer came on the radio
>and
> > said "I'm protedting the crossing, Walt, you can just take off". I
>thanked
> > him and said I had a trainorder to stop and flag the crossing. He lost
>his
> > temper and began yelling "I'm telling you to GO!! Are you going to delay
> > that train??". I said "I had a traiinorder and had he had it annulled
>by
> > the dispatcher?" By now we were at the crossing and conversation was
> > screaming threats to have me fired, etc. I instructed my young assistant
> > conductor to take the flag and flag the crossing which he did - staying
>well
> > away from the CSX signalman who now began yelling on the radio "I won't
>flag
> > for you anymore, Walt, I'll just let you crash right into cars!". I
>wshed
> > him to have a nice day and proceeded to Miami only to find he had jumped
> > into his truck and beat the train there and reported my crew to TRI-RAIL
>for
> > 'wilfully delaying a passenger traiin'. The ever-courageous TRI-RAIL
> > officials told my crew to report to the redneck signalmans' office where
>he
> > accuseed us of 'writing him up for delaying trains and it was all our
> > fault". I looked him in the eye and told him I'd NEVER written him up. I
> > then questioned my conductor and AC in his presence and they'd never
>written
> > him up. I don't doubt soem crews may have, but not my crew.
> > After a few more threats, he subsided like a burping volcano telling us
>we'd
> > "better be careful'.
> > Until I left the EL and entered the chaotic world of present-day
> > railroading, I had no idea how bad things were. I thank my lucky stars
>that
> > I had a good grounding before entering the arena as it is today. I'm
> > reminded of when I was a kid reading about the Japanese Kamikaze pilots
>-
> > sent out with little or no training to do or die.
> >
> > Regards to all
> >
> > Walter E. Smith
> >
> >
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >> << image001.gif >>
> >
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