Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I'm on vacation but there still be some railroading going on

We are in Memphis for the Holidays.

This little guy is too cute for words... bought this for my Harry Potter addicted daughter but guess who likes it? We are not allowed to turn it off while he is awake.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

ML home LM up, Dodging Winter - 135 to go

Caught the ML ribbon rail home and turned right around to catch the LM back out on our rest... at least that is what the current lineup shows... never mind we are not rested yet so it won't really happen... this is bogus information.. I sure get tired of that.
Train Call Time Assign Rested Available
MLAUMIS118 09:30-17 R LA26 LA26 07:55-17 09:55-17
Helper Arrive Depart 11:30-17 E

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job. Last trip before vacation for 6 weeks. I'm dodging winter.

EDIT UPDATE 0930: we ended up getting a Grain Train at 1130... rather have the LM!
GTHPKAL915 11:30-17 R LA26 LA26 Rested 09:55-17 EBLGS A 09:30-17
Helper Arrive Depart 13:00-17 E

2045 Update 2 from Helena... tied up at 2045... that's 8'45" on duty on a "heavy"... very rare, very rare

Didn't work much last half - put in a bunch of vacation days -

START DATE/TIME END DATE/TIME DESCRIPTION CREW

2011/12/04 2130 2011/12/05 1015 LA24 LA24
Job: LA24 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: HKCKPAS902
2011/12/05 2320 2011/12/06 0745 LA24 LA24
Job: LA24 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: ECECSCM139
2011/12/09 2230 2011/12/10 0845 LA26 LA26
Job: LA26 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: GSSDTAC909
2011/12/11 0230 2011/12/11 1030 LA26 LA26
Job: LA26 01 From HELEMT To LAURMT Train: ECECCAM001
2011/12/14 2145 2011/12/15 0945 LA26 LA26
Job: LA26 01 From LAURMT To HELEMT Train: GHGMINB913

Friday, December 16, 2011

You would think they would learn - 136 days left

I hate to complain... it's so common.

Dispatchers have got to where they are hard pressed for some reason to give us information.

We caught the U-MISLAU... it was an empty ribbon rail train.

Years ago they tacked one of these trains on the rear of my 196 train. I warned the Helena trainmaster it wasn't a good idea. The equipment is old and the cars are light. It's a recipe for sliding wheels. My complaint was ignored. We went through Lombard and the crew there told us we had wheels sliding. It was so cold that it was impossible to get a good release. I had stopped the train, made a full service and continued but because the ribbon rail train was so far back there we could not see it. 5-7" flat spots on 9 cars were the result. We set 7 of them out at Stanley and 2 more at Clarkston.

I caught this one today at 0035. Dark but only 35 cars... We had the MRL 256... the bell quit, the radio didn't have a screen, it had flat spots and we had to inspect the power. We also had the MRL 290... both with red ball paint. I intended to get pics after I was off duty but it didn't happen. Photo above is my file photo in the old paint. Is this the last blue power I will ever run?... kinda fun, I do like the old stuff.

I thought maybe they had learned a lesson with these trains. Nope... doomed to make the same mistake they wanted to have us pickup the east ML traffic at Livingston. Too bad they didn't ask us until we were nearly to Big Timber. We did pick up the Mean Green Machines (The shuttle power) It would have worked as it has been unseasonably warm so far this year.