Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Road Foreman Question

In the last few weeks I have picked up on the scanner, multiple radio communications where the individual identifies himself as “Atlanta Road Foreman” Based on the communications I have concluded that the individual may be located in the NS Operations Center in Atlanta. Communications have been with both Georgia and Alabama Division train crews. Recently after a train broke a knuckle and reviewing the trains operation at the time he asked the crew to go back to the third unit and reset a component. I gathered from that request that he wasn't able to see the operating data for that unit. 

To the question... In other parts of the NS System have any of you heard the same type communications and if so how is this individual identifying himself when communicating with train crews? “Atlanta Road Foreman” or something else? It may be that this is something just occurring just in the Atlanta area at this time? 

Thanks for stopping by and always be safe when out track side!!!
NSSpike

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

I have heard the same in Harrisburg, PA. It has been within the last couple weeks.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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> I have heard the same in Harrisburg, PA.

Assuming identified as "Atlanta Road Foreman" ?
Thanks for the reply.

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

That is correct.

Phil:

I know from the return address on company mail my NS employed son receives at home that the System General Road Foreman of Engines office is based here in Atlanta. What you are hearing must be communication with someone in that central office. I’ll ask him later today when I see him and then post here again.

Edit: Notice NSrlink provided a very thorough answer below so I’ll stand down.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/19 12:32 by Juniata.

EHH abolished road foreman on CSX  I always found them valuble aids when I was a TM on my road.  Has CSX ever reinstated them?

Yes but with much larger territories to cover.

raytc1944 Wrote:
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> EHH abolished road foreman on CSX  I always found
> them valuble aids when I was a TM on my road.
>  Has CSX ever reinstated them?

NS *had* a Road Foreman (or two) assigned to each (most) district that mostly mirrored the crew district(s ) for the train crews.  These folks usually had an office near the trainmaster or crew base for the districts. The district RFE reported to the Division RFE (one for each operating division, & located in each Division office building) & those Division RFEs reported to the (2 or 3) Regional RFEs & those 2 or 3 RFEs reported to the System RFE, located in Atlanta (which was & is mainly an administrative role.)

With NS's Division & Regional consolidations tied to PSR & clumping everything in Atlanta, they established a "Centralized Road Foreman's Desk" aka NS Atlanta Road Foremen, adjacent to the NOC.  It is manned by 3 RFEs per desk per 12 hr shift (7am -7pm & 7pm -7am; work 4 shifts, off 3 shifts, and a relief RFE that covers their 3 off shifts,) that cover a region North, South, & West.  (They might be down to 2 now per shift with a recent change, NS can't seem to decide how many regions they want.)  The "desk" or "radio" RFEs monitor compliance with fuel conservation, review event recorder data that is auto uploaded by the locomotives every 15 minutes, download locomotive data at a crossing or tresspasser incident, monitor PTC usage & compliance (they can see the PTC stuff in "real time.")  The "desk" RFEs can talk to any train anywhere within the region that the desk is set up for.  They also review event recorder data whenever a train has a seperation (such as a knuckle or drawhead /drawbar /coupler.)  Supposedly, they are also there to help engineers with setting up /troubleshooting DP locomotives & a few other engineer related things, though the quality /knowledge of the "help" can vary with who answers the radio.  Any crew can tone them up system wide on any "road channel" by pressing 1-1-7.

*Most* of the District Road Foremen (out in the field near the crew districts,) saw their jobs eleminated & they were scattered to the wind, though a few remain among the T&E folks with vastly expanded territories.  Some became trainmasters, some went back to running the engine.  NS eleminated the position of "Division RFE" all together. 

spike5343 Wrote:
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> Yes but with much larger territories to cover.
>
> raytc1944 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > EHH abolished road foreman on CSX  I always
> found
> > them valuble aids when I was a TM on my road.
> >  Has CSX ever reinstated them?

Also Road Foreman are now part of the "safety" department, not transportation. Then there is a "Fuel conservation desk" in Jacksonville that tells you on the radio when to isolate engines or put them on line depending on how they are doing schedule wise.

Big Brother is watching you.

Altoona used to have 4 road foremen because of the mountain grades, and they were posted so that at least one of them was on duty at any given time.  Does anyone know if that arrangement still exists?

ERAD Wrote:
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> Also Road Foreman are now part of the "safety"
> department, not transportation. Then
> there is a "Fuel conservation desk" in
> Jacksonville that tells you on the radio when to
> isolate engines or put them on line depending on
> how they are doing schedule wise.

I wonder if actually running a locomotive in train service is a job requirement for these new age RFEs.