View was probably worse than a Big Boy!
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| Posted by on March 31, 2014 | |
15 minutes to set out a unit... what speed. Today that would have taken over an hour, what with brake tests and resetting the FRED to link with the new lead unit.
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| Posted by on April 2, 2014 | |
15 minutes for a setout was in that era before safety vests and 3 point protection.....
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They also had 4-5 man crews, used a caboose, and valued the priority of the traffic on this train, which included the USPS and UPS. They had a stiff competitor in CNW-UP Falcon service, and train 3 would hit 70 mph out around Quincy, WA. In fact, this train overtook me as I was driving on Hwy 28 between Winchester and Quincy, and I was pretty surprised to see it stopped in Quincy. The crew was pretty savvy about setting out the SD45 and getting things underway again. I was only able to catch them at Trinidad once they left Quincy.
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Great photo and great story Bill. This is just too cool!
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| Posted by beano on December 5, 2022 | |
As is really nice to know the operating procedure of times in the past and how much labor has been cut from operations like crew sizes and manning these days. The railroad companies are making real big profits and cutting jobs . Working folks yet again get bit and take the hit. Seven paid sick days was all they were asking for. As a ILWU member on the west coast told me they to are seeking a fair contract and fighting automation and cuts in manning and jurisdiction issues. The facts are that Biden did what he had to do before things really got crazy in the supply chain and then what.... all the big businesses would be cutting jobs and playing the union blame game when in reality all the workers union and non union folks have been keeping things rolling esp in the transportation industry thru the pandemic. Have these companies no mercy. Men and women are not machines. Oh, and what a deal they still have two man crew on a freight train that is really three trains in one. I hope Biden gets this settled quickly for America and the companies take heed and give a little as has labor. Let's be real and give the President a little time to get this for all the working folks as he said he would esp for the TWIC card holders.
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