Eastern Railroad Discussion > Anything as well as Railroading

Other than being a flagman, warning motorists/pedestrians, being assertive of what is around you and maybe gesturing back to railroad enthusiasts, when passing by, does/do any railroad fieldwork employment position(s) require the ability to take the outside world's existence into account, in addition+ to railroading, while ON the job?

This is an awkward, somewhat loaded question, I know, but I can't help from asking.

Matthew

Dispatchers, train crews and anyone else on RR property are trained to be aware of their surroundings especially blocking road crossings were there are no alternative road over or under passes; and people on or too close to railroad property or in yards. Listen to railroad radio net, you hear concern all the time, especially on AMTK about tresspassers oblivious to the fact that Acela's in my area can cover two miles in less than a minute.

The degree to which the railroad pays attention to blocking road crossings is quite variable.
 

Cumberland Wrote:
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> Other than being a flagman, warning
> motorists/pedestrians, being assertive of what is
> around you and maybe gesturing back to railroad
> enthusiasts, when passing by, does/do any
> railroad fieldwork employment position(s) require
> the ability to take the outside world's
> existence into account, in addition+
> to railroading, while ON the job?
>
> This is an awkward, somewhat loaded question, I
> know, but I can't help from asking.

During my train dispatcher shifts, I have handled an airplane crash, a couple of boats sinking, highway wrecks that didn't involve a train, structure fires, arranged evacuation of folks from flooding, helped the CTA Chicago Transit Authority) bus dispatcher locate some of his buses during a blizzard,  furnished an engine for the cops and helped chase down a Bad Guy, and helped cops in a multi-county manhunt for a murderer (who killled a guy on the sidewalk in front of King Street Station in Seattle just as I was coming to work.).

In rural areas, small towns, and generally in severe weather, rails are the only folks awake and looking around at night.

TAW



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/16 07:22 by TAW.