And now we know who's REALLY to blame! 
Mitch
Attachments
Images (1)
steam fan posted:Plain and simple. If the dispatcher gives you an order and you don't obey it, they you're the one who's getting called on the carpet and probably disciplined.
Well, I guess that if your Trainmaster, Road Foreman of Engines, or other official is a meathead or a Nazi (and there are a few of each out there), they might try to place blame on you, but the railroad is not run on personalities -- it's run on rules, and they are clearly written. Two of the ancient and still standing General Rules are:
- Safety is of the first importance in the discharge of duty.
- In case of danger to the Company's property, employees must unite to protect it, and must take every precaution to guard against loss and damage from any cause.
Since the railroad can only discipline you for violating rules, and (pleasantly but steadfastly) refusing to follow an instruction from another who is directing you, which is genuinely unsafe and/or would cause significant loss or serious damage, is not a violation, but instead is required by the two rules cited above, the union, if there is one, acting in the employee's behalf, will normally be able to get unjustified charges dropped. If all fails at the railroad, union and non-union non-management employees are under the Railway Labor Act, whereby the U S Government protects them from unfair labor practices, including arbitrary or unwarranted discipline. Even managers who are participating in work normally done by non-management employees (such as helping out with a complicated switching maneuver at an elevator during the grain rush) the management employee is protected under RLA as to consequences resulting from that work.
You see the difference, don't you, between the C&NW crew who intentionally went passive and tore up a train and a bridge because they were irritated by the Dispatcher's incompetence, and Wyhog, who went passive and harmlessly accepted an incorrectly lined route and then stopped before any rules or safety were compromised, in order to demonstrate the need for some attitude adjustments in the Dispatching Office?
Here's a real life example:
In the 1970's, I was an Engineer when Barstow's new yard opened. All the yard switches were controlled by the hump Yardmaster. I was on an ugly old drag freight departing from the west end of the Departure yard. To get to the main line, I had to go through a trailing point switch, proceed up the lead track over a couple of more switches, pass an inside crossover which would be lined so that you either went out toward the CTC signal that lined you onto the south main track, or the nearby CTC signal that lined you onto the south main and then through a main line crossover to the north main track. The hump Yardmaster called our train and said, "Take right off. You're all lined up, " inferring that he had all the inside switches lined for our movement toward the Main Track. It was night, and there was a yellow or a green light at each electric switch leading to the CTC signal which actually gave authority to trains when they entered the Main Track. All of those little switch lights were green and they were correctly showing the position of the yard switches. Our CTC signal displayed red over green, meaning proceed through diverging route (take the crossover to the North Main). The CTC signal for the South track displayed red (Stop). I had only departed from there a couple of times, both during daylight, as the yard was brand-new, and I misunderstood the inside crossover position relative to the switch lights. As I got close to the main tracks , running at about 15 MPH instead of the allowable 30 MPH, I switched the headlight from dim to bright and saw that I was actually lined right into a red signal for the South main instead of my signal, the red over green for the main track crossover to the north Main. I immediately moved the automatic brake valve to Emergency, and - just before we stopped -- the heavy cars on the rear end ran in and pushed the engine about 15 feet past the signal. Uh Oh. The Yardmaster saw what happened, was quite aware of what he had done, and called the Dispatcher, who was willing to cover it up. The Yardmaster asked me to back up "so we can run you the other way." Back on the waycar, the Conductor sensed trouble and all he said was "Back up when you're ready." It would have worked, too, except that a stuck vent valve on an old tired car in the train would not close and I could not get the brake pipe restored and the brakes released. The carmen, who were called to help, some of whom were always eager to turn in a road crew for anything, alerted the Trainmaster, who got there while we were still stuck with our nose past the signal. Although it was highly unusual, they let us work the train home to San Bernardino and did not remove us from service pending formal investigation until the next day.
Okay . . .that whole long paragraph has this to do with the beginning paragraphs of this post. Following improper instructions violates rules and is grounds for discipline for him who follows the instructions, and - possibly - also for him who gave them. All the Yardmaster should have done was advise us that we could pull out of the departure track and depart the yard. The responsibility for proceeding at a speed that would allow stopping before passing any improperly lined switch was mine and the Head End Brakeman's and that's what I was trying to do, in spite of the Yardmaster's improper but well-intentioned cheery good-bye to us. The union tried to use the Yardmaster verbal instruction as the reason we passed the signal, but that did not work. I should have been going slower because I had not been through there enough times to have certainty of the yard track switch indicator meaning in the dark of night. I went up to the Superintendent's Office myself with a representative from a different union, had a friendly chat with the big boss, we shook hands over a 60-day suspension, he and I shared a cigar, and I served my time. The Yardmaster, on the other hand, got his rear end really ripped out by the Trainmaster who got his rear end ripped out even worse by the Superintendent for allowing improper instructions to be given by Yardmasters. I didn't care for that Trainmaster, and that a-- ripping he got was almost worth my 60 days off. 
The moral of the story: I allowed an improper instruction to influence my judgment of a proper departure speed, and I received discipline that was appropriate for the signal rule violation that occurred as a result. I should have known better and certainly did after that.
Tom, Thank You for a very interesting and educational write-up. 
Getting back to the original report, is it possible that Burt Lancaster might have had something to do with it?
Arthur P. Bloom posted:Getting back to the original report, is it possible that Burt Lancaster might have had something to do with it?
Only if a Spitfire had strafed the train. 
Mitch
So you thought it was a good joke to amplify someone else's screw-up? Isn't there a larger goal of running the railroad efficiently, and you could have insisted that you were lined up wrong instead of compounding a problem? That's a real failure to communicate effectively.
Reminds me of things that occasionally went on in the offices where I worked. Sometimes people had to do things they knew were wrong because someone with authority over them instructed them to do so.
And I know several individuals who effectively ended their careers because they refused to follow instructions to do something they knew was wrong.
Not every person in authority is willing to listen to someone they direct.
I was always willing to hear what someone had to say, but that didn't mean I would change what was to be done.
These was in a car, but I think the concept of safety applies:
1. I was on Heights Blvd, in Houston, where it crosses the old SP/now UP Sunset Route. Line at the time was Double Track, now 2 MT. Train went by. Crossing gate was up, but the red lights were still flashing. Hence I stopped behind the stop bar. Horns and "D" fingers were going off. As soon as I got to the bar, the gates came back down. A train in the other direction.....
2. Was on Antione Dr. and the North Belt WB Service Road. In the left turn lane. Light was green. However, I COULD NOT CLEAR THE CROSSING! Stayed behind stop bar. 18 Wheeler ran red......
Lesion: Just because it is GREEN does not always mean it is CLEAR! It is not worth people being dead!
Arthur P. Bloom posted:Getting back to the original report, is it possible that Burt Lancaster might have had something to do with it?
Was this the Art Train?
Martin Derouin posted:I am surprised it took the engineer that to realize he was going the wrong way.
Marty
Are you serious?
Point taken, 90. You still got reprimanded for following a dispatcher order. That was my point. Regardless of how it went down,, you still got a vacation. Nowadays you'd be unemployed for that violation.
steam fan posted:Point taken, 90. You still got reprimanded for following a dispatcher order. That was my point. Regardless of how it went down,, you still got a vacation. Nowadays you'd be unemployed for that violation.
That's not the way I read it. Tom was reprimanded for running a STOP signal. He paid his dues. He trusted the Hump Master which led to his demise and I bet it never happen again.
I don't know If rule 106 is still; in the rule book.
Crew Responsibilities
(a) The train will run under the direction of the conductor.
(b) The locomotive engineer of a train is in charge of and responsible for the operation of the engine of such train.
(c) when the train is operated without a conductor, the locomotive engineer will perform the duties of the conductor,
(d) The conductor and locomotive engineer, (also pilot if any) are responsible for the safe operation of the train or equipment in their charge and for the observance of the rules, they must take every precaution for protection. Other crew members are not relieved of their responsibilities under the rules.
