Western Railroad Discussion > Do they change crew at the borders?

While talking to a friend about the trains that cross the borders of other countries, I had a question on how KCS, Ferromex, CN and CP do in US. Do they need to change the crew at the border? I imagine that it is a procedure that can delay the trains there.

Pedro

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Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,

pedrop Wrote:
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> While talking to a friend about the trains that
> cross the borders of other countries, I had a
> question on how KCS, Ferromex, CN and CP do in US.
> Do they need to change the crew at the border? I
> imagine that it is a procedure that can delay the
> trains there.

BNSF crews run between Everett Washington and New Westminster British Columbia. BN had crews running between Kettle Falls WA and two places in BC. The current short line operator probably does the same.

TAW

Think the Canada side is a bit different than the Mexican side?
JB

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Think the Canada side is a bit different than the
> Mexican side?
> JB

yes pretty sure....csx runs from Massena ny to Beauharnois qc....the employees are some US and some Canadian but on the same roster....so they can work on either side although they do all have appropriate work permits to do so. Mexico I think requires Mexican employees on Mexican trains, no wonder the BLET is fighting having them come into Texas from Mexico without stopping....if we can't go there....why should they come here?

CP changes crews in Windsor, ON for through trains that cross the Canada/U.S. border at Detroit. I believe the trains that make turns out of Windsor to interchange with NS and CSX in Detroit run with Windsor-based Canadian crews.

I'm not sure of the particulars, but at Port Huron/Sarnia there is definitely a crew change on one side of the border or the other for all trains.

At Buffalo, I believe Canadian crews come over as far as the NS and CN interchange points and there also is an NS crew (historically Wabash) that goes over to Fort Erie to pull interchange. I do not recall the particulars for Amtrak crews, but right now they don't cross the border anyway.

CP crews have always run across the border from Newport, VT, to Montreal and Sherbrooke, QC. I believe they were Canadian crews who laid over at Newport before returning. CN crews run from Montreal to St Albans, VT on the CV (NECR). Not sure where GT crews to and from Portland, ME changed.

If I recall correctly Canadian based crews on C&O  ran cross border into Detroit and Buffalo.  Not sure about Canadian NYC / PC crews.
Doug

It's been 10 years I guess, but a KCS guy once told me they change crews at Laredo,
at a shack adjacent the the bridge for that purpose.  Things may have changed since then though.

BN has had personnel not allowed into canada, at the border occaisionally in the past, if you have to many dui's, or something on your record, not sure

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> CP crews have always run across the border from
> Newport, VT, to Montreal and Sherbrooke, QC. I
> believe they were Canadian crews who laid over at
> Newport before returning. CN crews run from
> Montreal to St Albans, VT on the CV (NECR). Not
> sure where GT crews to and from Portland, ME
> changed.

I believe GT crews changed at Island Pond. That was the dividing line btw French and English dispatching

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At El Paso, Texas Ferromex crews cross border and deliver to UP at their border yard. They pickup and return to Mexico. I assume the same for BNSF. At Laredo and Eagle Pass if a train runs through, the US crew swap with their Mexican counterparts at the US Gate. The other option when delivering cuts is to shove to middle of bridge then cut off and the receiving railroad pull into their country. At the new bridge at Brownsville all interchange is handled by run through power with crews changing at the US Border gate on north head wall of the river bridge. I have not seen operation at Nogales, Calexico or Tijuana. 

Old timers at El Paso told me back in the day N de M crews operated the El Paso to Mexico City passenger train into El Paso Union Station. The N de M and Chihuahua and Pacific crews always delivered to the SPand TP at interchange near the border and old stock yards. 

I do not remember when the change occurred, but old Mopac then UP crews would deliver and pull from the N de M yard at Matamoros, Mx. I believe they quit around 1995. Typical  operation was to shove into Mexico and stop at the first switch in the yard. The Mexican yard crew would line switches for delivery and jump on cut. The Mexican crew would open an angle cock and dump air when they wanted you to stop. Sometimes you would have to double or triple cuts into their yard. After delivery they would line you onto the cut going back to US. Upon arrival back in US, stop and allow US Custom to inspect crew and locomotives for people or contraband. Then slowly pull in for inspection of the inbound cut. 

On FCAB in Chile  eastbound empty trains (all EBs are empties) stop at Ollague, Chile,  on the border with Bolivia.  The Bolivian loaded trains come across into Chile and exchange trains and then return to Bolivia.  No Chilean locos or crews cross into Bolivia.  The Bolivian railway is the Ferroviario Andino.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/22 08:14 by masterphots.

hoggerdoug Wrote:
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> If I recall correctly Canadian based crews on
> C&O  ran cross border into Detroit and Buffalo. 
> Not sure about Canadian NYC / PC crews.
> Doug
Most were based out of St. Thomas, and worked either direction to Detroit or Buffalo.

dan Wrote:
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> BN has had personnel not allowed into canada, at
> the border occaisionally in the past, if you have
> to many dui's, or something on your record, not
> sure

As for Canada, 1 "Dewey" and you are done for at least 10 years, and the after that, you have to go though an obstical course of jumps and hoops before you are able to enter Canada again. 

US crews work the trains between Kettle Falls to Waneta BC and Grand Forks BC.
Engineering/MOW  crews are Canadian who maintain the track in Canada with contractors.

dan Wrote:
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> BN has had personnel not allowed into canada, at
> the border occaisionally in the past, if you have
> to many dui's, or something on your record, not
> sure

More often, it's production MofW gangs that are affected by that.

TAW

Boundary USA/Waneta Canada run by operator of STP&P and Laurier/Cascade operated by KFIR both use the same engineering contactor in 
Canada. Cariboo Rail Services who also does  the  track maintenance for the Teck facility in Trail/Waneta/Warfield BC facility as well. I think I'm up to date

TAW Wrote:
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> dan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BN has had personnel not allowed into canada,
> at
> > the border occaisionally in the past, if you
> have
> > to many dui's, or something on your record, not
> > sure
>
> More often, it's production MofW gangs that are
> affected by that.
>
> TAW

I know an engineer with a single offense (that was not even DUI) that was not allowed into Canada.  

More on the Mexico situation...

https://ble-t.org/news/rail-unions-file-petition-against-fra-over-crews-crossing-from-mexico-into-the-united-states/

> > More often, it's production MofW gangs that are
> > affected by that.
> >
> > TAW

My whole                 MOW  gang i was with                  
including me was arrested on an island in platte, near kearney for having a kegger out there.
What got the cops and dept of wildlife out there was some unrelated party firing guns  out prior to our arrival, we were surrounded after dark.
They searched us and found beer is all, but I was the only one that had $38 to bond out or do a mailbox payment because we were all from out of state.  So the rest of gang was behind bars, and the next morning the  foreman asked me why I didn't get them all out, cause it was my last $38 or so.