What’s being done about all the open doors on container trains? Trains travel the entire system from origin to destination with co tai er doors open. Merchandise falling out or attracting thieves. Trains can’t be stopped because of velocity. Employees quit reporting because it seems no one cares. Seems like a major accident t waiting to happen.
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Watch out for open doors, I saw one bang on the cab nose of my train , as we waited for that train to go by us in a siding.
Because of velocity baby! We said we would get the car to you by this date, we never said your freight would be on it!
I had an upper door almost hit our cab the other day, called it in. Two hours later the doors hadn't been looked at and the train was still in holding pattern inside our terminal.
I've only had one crew call up to dispatch to report it and fix it. I've called up to dispatch to report it and they don't do anything either. What's the point of doing roll byes if noone is going to stop anyways? Might as well do them in cab where it's safe and you can look down at the wheels.
I hope not but it will probably take a catastrophic event to change this.
Are open doors considered an FRA violation? Certainly a safety violation?
Certainly a safety concern. A potential catastrophic derailment waiting to happen. Innocent lives placed at risk. Large pieces of equipment falling onto the railcars, right of way, and possibly onto someone. How is this allowed? Mechanical has no time to close doors, not enough Special Agents, train dispatchher can’t stop trains, train crews giving good roll by inspections ignoring the open doors and merchandise falling out.
Granted no conductor could do anything about the diesel engine, but
- ALL the conductors should at least be polite when we inform them of an open door. At least note down the car number. DONT be sarcastic or rude to a fellow employee for doing the right thing.
- when a chain is dragging and bouncing dangerously, stop the train and secure the chain. As an engineering employee many of us are more than happy to pick you guys up and assist in giving a ride to the defect.
Oh boy! Looks like we brought out the carman haters. Probably a transportation manager or one of those conductors always calling a carman to come get a hand brake off. Of course they don't mind walking trains until there's something that needs done, then they call the carman. That's about the only physical activity they get. Just about every time I see a conductor, they're waddling at turtle speed with their gut hanging half way out the bottom of their shirt. That's probably why the RR wants conductors to do carmans work now. Trying to get them boys and girls or whatever gender they are in shape. Them transportation managers could use a little exercise also.
Conductors don't have a problem walking trains.
What do you want a Conductor to do with a diesel engine?
#1 UP fired many of their Special Agents so not many to inspect let alone arrest the theives.
#2 Giant PSR trains being put together on the west coast means lots of opportunity for theives to hit THOSE trains AS WELL AS the ones HELD OUT due to the congestion caused by doubling and tripling over these monster trains.
Managers have ruined this company because do what the big bosses tell them to do they have no brains to think for themselves
“We haven’t got to them yet”.
Atta Boy. Safety first. “We’re working on it”.
Hi
As an engineering employee one day during a roll by last year I saw what ended up being a 4cyl diesel engine on a pallet fall out of the open doors of a top Intermodal car. Called the crew on the radio, they acted like I was a nuisance that was annoying them. Then I called the dispatcher, he was modestly interested but the corridor wanted to know if I thought the train would make it to the next terminal? Meanwhile this diesel engine was blocking the right of way. Another recent repeat was empty military trains dragging chains off to one side of the rail and some had caught on and damaged switches, switch points, signals, etc. We'd report the dangerous dragging and bouncing chains to the crews, the train crews act like we are id--ts for reporting it to them. Again, report these defects to the dispatcher and they tell us they will have it looked at, at the next terminal. I get it the conductor doesn't want to walk a 3 mile long train and managers don't want a ding to their velocity but these things shouldn't be happening.
Like everything else.. It became carman’s job
Can you imagine if the EPA ever did a soil sample of a railyard lol.
I have brought it up to clueless management multiple times! They leave plug doors open and hump the car anyway then bi--h we have doors falling off! We have cars the spill it's entire contents all over the yard and NO ONE reports it or even explains what is being spilled! Is it toxic??? WHO KNOWS. I'm about to whistle blow this mess. Someone needs to reach down and grab a pair. Who knows what chemicals everyone is exposed to anymore. Management has failed!