Railroaders' Nostalgia > You moving yet?

I described here https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?18,4571783 the radio arrangement that some train and engine folks would use to "punish" us on Havre West for the transgressions involved in handling too many trains on not enough track with not enough us to do it all as immediately as most folks (labor and management) wanted. Part of the ire of the folks on the trains was related to the CTC not being able to keep up with the traffic. Everything on a CTC machine happens in sequence, so there is no immediate hazard in delay (but there is secondary hazard in using the times on the graph if you aren't aware of whether the machine is current or behind). When it was busy, the machine could be a couple of minutes behind. (Back in Seattle, after they "modernized" the Everett - Bellingham CTC, it could get to be up to five minutes behind with only a couple of trains on the railroad). Some of the very demanding engineers would be upset when they didn't get the signal immediately upon the passage of whatever train they were in for. There was no stacking back then. Seeing the train pass, the train passing, and changing the route/lining a signal were separate events. We had to see the opposing train clear, then line the switch and signal manually. Some of the T&E folks would understand when we explained it. Others would not, and even adamantly not.

One day, I had one of those guys on a west man. The train was heavy, full single tonnage. I dived him at Browning for Amtrak 8. The Browning siding is on a 1% grade ascending westward on a 3 degree curve. It's not an easy place to start a heavy train. It's not at all the worst place, but not easy. I had only two trains on the Blackfoot - Conkelley machine, this west man, (Amtrak) 8, and a hot east man (maybe 80 or 82, don't remember) behind 8. The machine could handle that much traffic, so I knew exactly where everything was as it was happening. The west man didn't have time to go to Spotted Robe for the east man after No 8 got by, so he was there for two. I didn't tell him that. This engineer was one of the biggest offenders of very dangerously "punishing" me with the radio even after being politely (and eventually not politely) told of the effect of his actions. On several occasions, I heard him talking with the conductor about having to wake that idiot dispatcher up and ...well, I'll fix him.

Well, today, fate made it my turn.

I selected Browning West on the CTC. It was ready for me to call the switch and signal as soon as it knew that No 8 was by, which today would be within seconds. I had my fingers on the switch and signal buttons, watching the west switch at Browning and nothing else. No 8 cleared the switch. As soon as the OS circuit light went out, I called switch reverse, left signal, start. Within about 30 seconds, the signal in the siding cleared. I watched the clock. After a few minutes to be sure that he was pulling but didn't have a full release and wasn't moving, I called on the radio, which I had also preselected to be live on the dispatcher phone.

You moving yet?

Of course not!

Too late, you're there for an east man coming into Glacier Park.

...and I took down the signal down. In this configuration, it wouldn't be easy - not the most difficult thing in the world, but some work would be involved. I immediately shut off the radio. I didn't want to hear the ensuing radio conversations.

Apparently, somebody out there explained to him what just happened and that it wasn't because I didn't know what I was doing. That type of advice being provided by mystery voices had happened out there before. I didn't wait around to find out. It was a rare easy day and I really didn't want to deal with the nonsense. However, I never heard a word for that guy again.

TAW

Rule #1: Don't mess with the dispatcher. Thanks for another great story, Thomas.

What goes around, comes around.

As I told many brakemen and conductors, you may get a dispatcher once, but he will get you a thousand times before you get another chance.

TAW,
I just LOVE your stories!! Because they are true.
Many railroad stories are tragic and some funny.
This one is funny.One thing I also enjoy,if anyone
that reads your post is not a railroad man,they
have no clue what you are talking about.Ex,"west
man".While reading I can picture in my mind exactly
what is going on.

Dispatcher,"out".

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TAW,
> I just LOVE your stories!! Because they are true.
> Many railroad stories are tragic and some funny.
> This one is funny.One thing I also enjoy,if
> anyone
> that reads your post is not a railroad man,they
> have no clue what you are talking about.Ex,"west
> man".While reading I can picture in my mind
> exactly
> what is going on.


I assume that anyone on here is enough of a rail or fan to understand, so that is the audience I write for - faster that way. If not, I'm always happy to answer questions.

TAW

I remember one evening summer 1976 wirking as 2nd trick alliance north out at alliance, me. At the time edgemont to Gillette was dark. With major track work the trains mainly ran evenings and night.

Sometime after sitting down I get informed that a planned hi rail car trip with bn and kcs officials from Gillette to edgemont will commence around 1700. Trying to enlist the assistant chief train dispatcher was no help as he was either sleeping or avoiding work as usual.

So, I waited and didn’t issue any train orders for about 30 minutes. A hi rail in the evening was the last thing I needed and they could have ridden on 1st trick when virtually no trains were running. About 15 minutes before the expected departure from Gillette, wy I rang up all my operators and begin issuing train orders non stop. Several times during the 30 or so minutes the operator at Gillette tried to raise me and knowing what was wanted, I ignored her.

At the end of issuing the first batch of orders I finally answered the Gillette operator and was told that the high rail entourage was driving to donkey creek and would set on there. So I waited about 15 minutes and started issuing train orders again, this time ignoring the operator at donkey creek.

Now it’s crunch time and the folkes want a track car line up. So after a bit of complaining, I issue the damn thing with plenty of phantom trains. The operator at donkey creek remarks on how busy things are getting and that the high rail bunch have left via hiway with the intent of setting on further east.

After a bit the train master calls via radio and says there are to many trains and they’ll finish the trip to edgemont on the road. What a relief as the night is getting busier with no rest for the wicked.

Posted from iPhone

"phantom trains"! you are my hero......

66

The cool thing about good dispatchers is they know their crews. They know who will get stuff over the road, and who will focus more on safety. Both options are positive, but many times this will affect by one or more sidings on where trains will meet. Good dispatchers know this when they walk through the door for turnover and shift change.