I am a cut back engineer in the California region ask me anything

Ok I got a question Hopefully someone can help me out..I was Bad Ordered back in 08 came into the Roundhouse one Day Had 3 Not 1 but 3 Heart Attacks in 24 hours so I have been on Disability ever since I remember back in I believe 96 at Union Pathetic we voted in the 60/30 Clause if you had 30 years of service at 60 you could retire? Is that still in play? Although I am not on the roster or do I wait til 65 ? Can I even receive full bennys if I survive long enough?

Is there a CA code for handling cars not scheduled for your train? If so do they pay out?

Do we have any Carman in here? Especially those in large yards with lots of walking. What boots y’all got?

About 3 months into a pair of Keen Cincinnati’s, which I love to death. Unfortunately with inspecting and walking 10-15 miles a day in one of NS largest yards, I’m already wearing thru the soles.

Bonus points if it’s a NS boot allowance boot, but really just looking for something that lasts.

Thanks!

Husband got these from Orr and, of course, they suck ass.

Any recommendations for ear protection that actually works with radio? If it exists?

I just want to smoke a little weed, this alcohol getting old I hate the outdated restrictions on marijuana

I work for a commuter railroad and I think we might be the only ones required to memorize and draw out the entire railroad by hand. As in all 700+track miles. For months on end all of our new employees trace track maps drawing the position of every single switch labeling if it's a dual control, automatic safety, electric lock or Hand thrown. All derails, cut out ASC sign, Signal bridges, stop boards, end of block signs, and signal types, Reduced Aspect, Color light, Color light low home, G head color light, Position Light, Pedestal, low home exc

Then for the final test they choose one subsection of the railroad and we draw it out by memory, along with answering a couple questions like “Describe and locate”.

With the answer being along the lines of:

[Direction] [Freestanding if applicable] [Signal Type] Signal [on Signal Bridge X if applicable] [Begin ASC/ASC Cut Out if applicable], [easterly/westerly limit if applicable], [#] [home/automatic] signal [east/west] of [station listed on station pages] on [single/No. 1/2/3/4/etc.] track.

So how do y'all do your PC?

Do railroad engineers actually enjoy operating long-distance trains—such as manifest, intermodal (whether high-priority or not), cement, or grain trains? To me, that sounds almost like torture. While a train cab offers a bit more room to stretch or take a few steps, it’s still cramped, though not as compact as a car. On top of that, the constant turbulence from the tracks must get irritating, especially considering how rough some railroads allow their tracks to become. (I am a railfan who was referred to this subreddit for this question specifically)

They’re dumping people left & right at CSX. What the hell is going on? Low profits? Trying to keep shareholders happy? New management cutting to the bone? Anyone know?

I’ve been training at a Class III shortline for three months, and took my conductors test today, passing and receiving my conductors card. I’m effectively now on the extra board, and while excited, am still very nervous. Anybody have any tips?

At a hump yard, nobody drives cars to their tracks. The train is shoved over a small hill, the conductor uncouples cars at the crest, and each cut rolls down by gravity onto its own track.

I did this job for 4 years at Kokand station in Uzbekistan. Now I'm a frontend dev, so I rebuilt the yard in 3D and turned it into a game: walk along the train, uncouple where the car colour changes, radio the driver to slow down before single cars.

Free, runs in the browser on desktop and mobile, no sign-up:

https://kokand-station-gorka.vercel.app/?lang=en

Would love feedback — especially if anything is confusing in the first minute.

• Another intermodal record. The third quarter was the best quarter ever for intermodal. A record-setting August was followed by a stellar September.
• Carload gains are unusually broad. September was the ninth straight month with year-over-year total carload gains. Carloads are now generally at levels not seen since 2019.
• Manufacturing momentum is real. Broad-based manufacturing expansion now appears firmly entrenched, supporting carloads of chemicals, steel, construction materials, and more.
• Significant risks remain, but the economy is shrugging them off. High energy prices, geopolitical tensions, and weak consumer confidence so far aren’t enough to derail the freight economy.

I can hear Jamie getting his LinkedIn profile updated to slide right back in.

1. When in a quiet zone, how does a crew know exactly they're in a quiet zone? Is there any special signage in place to replace the normal whistle post sign?
2. Is it true that there are cell phone detectors in locomotives to make sure the crew isn't slacking off?
3. Is it true that horn shows are banned in quiet zones, even just one blast?
4. How exactly does a crew view DPU information, and link them to the main locomotive? (oof tough question)

Does anyone know why the hours of service rules are so different between passenger and freight? And in a way that seems rather counterintuitive. I’ve worked both and had 15 years in freight before I made the switch, so I’m not knocking freight or saying that freight is easier with this question, but on the passenger side we’re carrying hundreds of people at speeds often exceeding 100mph while alone in the cab of the locomotive.

Freight was pretty straightforward. 10 undisturbed hours off between shifts, with time added 1:1 for anything over 12 hours on duty. If you hit 6 starts without 24 hours off you need 48 hours off to reset.

Passenger you can work up to 14 starts, with only 6 hours undisturbed and only 8 hours total off between shifts. Shifts are often extended with cuts, so while you’re actually on the clock for 14 hours or more, your actual time on duty is only 7 hours, meaning you can work back to back to back 14-15 hour days with only 8 hours off between shifts.

I’m not knocking it or complaining, I’m just genuinely curious. When I’ve brought it up to passenger guys who have never worked freight it’s divided pretty evenly between guys that wish passenger had hours of service rules like freight and guys that like it the way it is.

Street view image from around 2012 in Midland, PA being stored at old Crucible Steel site. I used to see these all the time when I was younger and couldn't identify them because they dont look much like normal coil cars or hoppers.

I drive passenger trains in the United Kingdom, feel free ask me whatever