Passenger Trains > relief crew question

Say a train needs a relief engineer 20 miles south of it's usual crew change point. Say the person callled for that job lives near where the train is sitting. Does the relief person have to drive all the way in to sign in, only to be driven back to the train? Or can he/she go directly to the train?
 

Whichever way is faster. They can  van back to their car when they get back their terminal.

He/she has to go to where the sign in sheet is. Also, where would they leave their personal auto? Perhaps he/she doesn't like the person they are relieving. They wouldn't want them in their car.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 17:39 by Grande473.

mt19a Wrote:
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> Whichever way is faster. They can  van back to
> their car when they get back their terminal.

That would be a pretty dedicated employee that left their car trackside to relieve a train. I can't say that I would, nor have I ever heard of anyone ever doing it.

At light rail in Denver we have several operators drive to the relief point in the relieved operator's car. Then the relieved operator goes home. At times several operators will ride out because these are fixed relief points. But there are times when feuding operators will not set foot in each other's car.
​  The sad fact is not everybody gets along.
​  Now on the heavy rail side. I might not have the best cars in the world but I wouldn't leave my car out in the sticks beside some railroad track.

Anybody ever hear of multiple reliefs?  You made the first relief that was a main line change, and an hour after the original on duty time you should be going home, but instead of going back to your car that is out by the tracks somewhere, you're on an engine 40 miles on the other side of the yard waiting for a track to open up to take you in.

Several of the larger companies don't want employees driving thir own cars for liability reasons also.  Nextly they want to sniff you when you show up, or you may be the random test person of the month, and if you aren't there, you're fired!
G

symph1 Wrote:
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> Say a train needs a relief engineer 20 miles south
> of it's usual crew change point. Say the person
> callled for that job lives near where the train is
> sitting. Does the relief person have to drive all
> the way in to sign in, only to be driven back to
> the train? Or can he/she go directly to the
> train?

This is sort of a moot point for a few different reasons.  A relief engineer probably wouldn't be qualified 20 miles beyond the usual crew change point, unless they work both directions.  He/she would need a pilot engineer to come along.  Second, if a new engineer is needed, there's a good chance a new conductor is needed as well.  (yes, I know, Amtrak crews don't always swap out at the same locations anyway)  Third, a new set of Track Bulletins, and if applicable, fresh General Orders, might be necessary. 

I understand what you're asking, but it's so rare for an engineer or conductor to be needed by his/her lonesome.  That's why it makes sense for the entire relief crew to meet at the same place when going on duty. 

Under current crew agreements, I believe, an outbound crew can go 25 miles beyond the normal crew change point to relive an expiring crew - if they are qualified. The relief crew would then handle the train thru the crew change point that is their normal initial terminal, and proceed to their final terminal. For example, at Roseville, CA, a Roseville-Oakland or Roseville-San Jose crew could relieve an expiring westward crew as far east as Bowman.

Such a crew would report to the crew change location - they'd have to get warrants and other necessary paperwork. Under normal ... OK, ideal ... conditions, the relieving crew would be called at such a time that they could do their prep, and catch the expiring crew before they expire.

don't forget the job briefings for the new crewman/men with the remaining crew but the biggest reason is the eyeball meeting with supervision/management at initial relief crew base ... could ya imagine if an engineer showed up in less than mandatory working condition and something negative occured as a result of his/her condition and it was found out the relief took over in that condition without ever being checked ...

I was on the AutoTrain a few weeks ago, and we had a re-crew for the last 10-12 miles into Sanford.  53 had suffered delays in Weldon NC and lost more time enroute.

The Florence to Sanford crew notified the DS about an hour before they were to go dead on the law. Which was fine. There was some discussion on the radio about whether they might, just might, make SFA. The decision was made not to risk passenger comfort by going dead in an inaccessible point along the way.  So, a relief crew was ferried out to Deland (IIRC).

The incoming and outgoing crew had their safety briefing, exchange of info, the new crew took over, and brought the train in.

Once upon a time, long ago, I was went on the law and was relieved by a Road Foreman of Engines (no regular crews were available) and he begged me to drive his car back to the Terminal. He said, if I didn't, there would have been no battery, tires or much else left of his car by the time he could get back to retrieve it. He assured me I'd be able to drive to Terminal during the train's trip and passenger stop and then I could ride my own train the rest of the trip home. Needless to say, by the time I got through rush hour traffic and arrived at the station, the passenger train was long gone. The RFE argued with both his bosses and Amtrak for three hours trying to get me a deadhead ticket home. Finally, he threatened to drive me himself, and his railroad decided he was more valuable at the Terminal!