Western Railroad Discussion > How is derailing looked upon?

Whether in snow-service or just moving the freight how does a derailment reflect on a railroader?

No clue here at all so thanks for some insight. 

Chuck

Usually 30 days off. As in an unpaid suspension.

Depends…I’ve been part of several derailments over the years and nothing ever came of it, came in and worked again as soon as I was rested. Rails break, wheels crack, switch points gap…all sorts of things happen that aren’t a train crews fault to cause a derailment…used to be part of doing business.

Now…with as bad as inspections and safety items have been deferred, it’s even worse though.

Posted from iPhone

Derailments and other incidents, such as car-vehicle collisions, are no fun, just a lot of extra work for everyone who is already busy.  Supervisors who are already working to ensure safety and that traffic keeps moving, instead get pulled off their regular duty to go to the derailment site, take crews for drug tests, investigate, fill out paperwork, attend later investigations, and supervise clean-up. 

Derailments interrupt the crews' normal workflow and even small ones may keep them from completing their assigned tasks.  They'll have paperwork to fill out as well.  Meanwhile, recrews may have to do the work, or the original crew may have to come back and do the work the next day.  Train and car movements are delayed, sometimes even for minor derailments that occur in the wrong place at the wrong time.  With customers' just-in-time shipments, delays in receiving cars in interchange, and shutdown car threats always looming, it's enough to keep cars rolling, let alone have a derailment or other incident cause further delays. 

Track department personnel get pulled from regular duty to repair track, switches, etc.  Car department personnel may have to make repairs on site to either return the equipment to service or at least repair it sufficiently to be able to send it somewhere else for homeshopping.  Even the clerks or customer service people have to gather documentation to support management, contact customers to advise that their shipments have been delayed, and assist supervisors in making arrangements to get traffic moving again once the rail line has reopened.        

I hated derailments; I never witnessed or experienced anything positive from a derailment.

Posted from Android

From an engineer's perspective: the first thing the company will do (provided no crew members are injured) is "pull the tapes", and look for any train handling violations. I've been gone a while. From what I read, there are at least some locomotives that allow for the data to be read remotely at a central location. The local supervision may or may not interview the crew. If the crew is innocent, that's pretty much the end of it for them. If they are guilty, or are perceived to be, of some violation(s), they will be subject to the disciplinary process. That's a whole 'nother can of worms.

Now, from the carrier's point of view: a derailment is a glitch in the process. Delays...extra costs...people diverted from their normal duties...perhaps crew availability disrupted. From what I read and hear, these days they don't operate with much cushion.

 

The train crew blames the track dept. The track dept. blames mechanical. Mechanical blames whomever. Somewhere in there, God gets blamed several times.

The observation that the company doesn't operate with much cushion is an important one. Stuff happens. Always has, always will. Understanding that, and planning for that is key to a resilient organization.

Years ago, Continental Airlines had a dance at Newark airport every morning, as 767 aircraft came in from European runs. Mostly from second tier cities. They turned in about six-eight hours to go back to Milan, Brussels, Vienna, etc. The dance card was set up to assure the first in aircraft was the first out that evening, even if it went to a different destination than the one it arrived from. Having a serviced, ready to go plane for the waiting crew, passengers, and freight was more important than working on a tight, bare bones, low expense directive.

RetiredHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From an engineer's perspective: the first thing
> the company will do (provided no crew members are
> injured) is "pull the tapes", and look for any
> train handling violations. I've been gone a while.
> From what I read, there are at least some
> locomotives that allow for the data to be read
> remotely at a central location. The local
> supervision may or may not interview the crew. If
> the crew is innocent, that's pretty much the end
> of it for them. If they are guilty, or are
> perceived to be, of some violation(s), they will
> be subject to the disciplinary process. That's a
> whole 'nother can of worms.
>
> Now, from the carrier's point of view: a
> derailment is a glitch in the process.
> Delays...extra costs...people diverted from their
> normal duties...perhaps crew availability
> disrupted. From what I read and hear, these days
> they don't operate with much cushion.
>
>  
Nothing makes them more unhappy than finding out the energy management system auto throttle was running the train when some thing goes wrong

Posted from Android

57A26 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RetiredHogger Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > From an engineer's perspective: the first thing
> > the company will do (provided no crew members
> are
> > injured) is "pull the tapes", and look for any
> > train handling violations. I've been gone a
> while.
> > From what I read, there are at least some
> > locomotives that allow for the data to be read
> > remotely at a central location. The local
> > supervision may or may not interview the crew.
> If
> > the crew is innocent, that's pretty much the
> end
> > of it for them. If they are guilty, or are
> > perceived to be, of some violation(s), they
> will
> > be subject to the disciplinary process. That's
> a
> > whole 'nother can of worms.
> >
> > Now, from the carrier's point of view: a
> > derailment is a glitch in the process.
> > Delays...extra costs...people diverted from
> their
> > normal duties...perhaps crew availability
> > disrupted. From what I read and hear, these
> days
> > they don't operate with much cushion.
> >
> >  
> Nothing makes them more unhappy than finding out
> the energy management system auto throttle was
> running the train when some thing goes wrong
>
> Posted from Android

To be quite frank: they made their bed. They can lie in it.
 

Ah, nobody to blame but themselves. How nice.
—Mac

57A26 Wrote:
> Nothing makes them more unhappy than finding out
> the energy management system auto throttle was
> running the train when some thing goes wrong
 

irhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The train crew blames the track dept. The track
> dept. blames mechanical. Mechanical blames
> whomever. Somewhere in there, God gets blamed
> several times.

And the last department to arrive on scene takes the blame, ad everyone else has figured out how to pass the buck!

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

RetiredHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 57A26 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RetiredHogger Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > From an engineer's perspective: the first
> thing
> > > the company will do (provided no crew members
> > are
> > > injured) is "pull the tapes", and look for
> any
> > > train handling violations. I've been gone a
> > while.
> > > From what I read, there are at least some
> > > locomotives that allow for the data to be
> read
> > > remotely at a central location. The local
> > > supervision may or may not interview the
> crew.
> > If
> > > the crew is innocent, that's pretty much the
> > end
> > > of it for them. If they are guilty, or are
> > > perceived to be, of some violation(s), they
> > will
> > > be subject to the disciplinary process.
> That's
> > a
> > > whole 'nother can of worms.
> > >
> > > Now, from the carrier's point of view: a
> > > derailment is a glitch in the process.
> > > Delays...extra costs...people diverted from
> > their
> > > normal duties...perhaps crew availability
> > > disrupted. From what I read and hear, these
> > days
> > > they don't operate with much cushion.
> > >
> > >  
> > Nothing makes them more unhappy than finding
> out
> > the energy management system auto throttle was
> > running the train when some thing goes wrong
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> To be quite frank: they made their bed. They can
> lie in it.
>  

BINGO!!

Posted from iPhone