07-05-2010, 08:11 AM
I just had to cut in here guys. As a "former" rail with 18 years, all this talk is "bringing back that urge again". It's all coming back to me now: kicks, cuts, bleed, drops (these are not injuries I'm talking about folks).
My two cents here - while I remember "the way it was". You see, working for a railroad is a truly unique way of life. You are taught and trained by people who understand what it takes to do the job. It takes a certain individual to perform these duties, day in and day out. And they knew who was going to make it and who was going to "skate". It's not just riding on trains and waving to people at the crossings from the locomotive - that's "Fantasy Land". If you think that is what a railroader does, well then you are very much uninformed.
The constant struggles with management were common because "managers" were "not railroaders". Managers came from college - where everything was learned and rehearsed from a book with a "test on Friday". Managers are "by the book" because they have to be. :hey: They have to report to their superiors about why a job did not get done. Besides - the FRA is always poking around too. Railroaders learned "on the job" - as it should be. No book can teach that.
Railroaders learned from the actions and instructions of their peers. Yes, the "book of rules" was thrown in for good reading, but it's not how the work got done. If the rules were followed to the letter - work would not get done. I am not saying that rules should be exempt - they are needed. But it takes a certain person to "read between the lines" and get it done - SAFELY!
I''ll explain: When I worked for the railroad (Conrail), there were 2 groups of railroaders - the "workers" and the "riders". The "workers" respected their job and it showed every day. They "ensured" the job got done. Whereas the "riders" showed up for the paycheck and nothing else. I'll explain about the "worker" because he deserves it - the "rider", well.....you can figure it out.
The "worker" has 1 basic rule to "live by", that is: expect equipment to move on any track, in any direction, at any time. The railroad is a dangerous place to work and you need to have your head in the game at all times. The worker WAS NOT a person who "laughed at a rule book". The "worker" "knew the rule book" and combined that with knowledge and common sense and GOT THE WORK DONE! A worker knew how to get 13 hours of work done in 12 hours. They did not cheat nor speed nor run. They used the knowledge of the railroad to get the work done. All this talk of cuts, bleed, kick etc...was how he got it done. Kicking a car to a track was faster than putting it in with a locomotive. Bleeding off a car to drop into a siding saved him time so that he would not have to do it on the return trip - when he maybe running behind.
As for the rule book - well, you see, every rule in a rule book was - as they say - written in blood. For every rule written, someone was either hurt or killed doing something. So a rule was written to say "you can't do this or that". But, a railroader looks at it a bit different. A railroader says "yes, that should not have been done.......that way, but, if you do it this way...". He is always thinking ahead instead relying on the rules to dictate his job. This way makes the difference between getting in and going home or dieing on the road and deadheading in. The former allows more family time while the later can put you in a motel or less rest.
That's the difference between a rider and a worker. A worker "wants" to get it done whereas the rider "will wait for the track department to show up so they can sweep the snow from the switch". Ah...the good old days.
For the record...I considered myself a worker - I hate leaving a mess for the next guy to clean up. The Golden Rule applies to railroads as well. "Leave not a mess for the next crew to fix if ye would not like a mess left for your crew".
thanks for the memories guys...
My two cents here - while I remember "the way it was". You see, working for a railroad is a truly unique way of life. You are taught and trained by people who understand what it takes to do the job. It takes a certain individual to perform these duties, day in and day out. And they knew who was going to make it and who was going to "skate". It's not just riding on trains and waving to people at the crossings from the locomotive - that's "Fantasy Land". If you think that is what a railroader does, well then you are very much uninformed.
The constant struggles with management were common because "managers" were "not railroaders". Managers came from college - where everything was learned and rehearsed from a book with a "test on Friday". Managers are "by the book" because they have to be. :hey: They have to report to their superiors about why a job did not get done. Besides - the FRA is always poking around too. Railroaders learned "on the job" - as it should be. No book can teach that.
Railroaders learned from the actions and instructions of their peers. Yes, the "book of rules" was thrown in for good reading, but it's not how the work got done. If the rules were followed to the letter - work would not get done. I am not saying that rules should be exempt - they are needed. But it takes a certain person to "read between the lines" and get it done - SAFELY!
I''ll explain: When I worked for the railroad (Conrail), there were 2 groups of railroaders - the "workers" and the "riders". The "workers" respected their job and it showed every day. They "ensured" the job got done. Whereas the "riders" showed up for the paycheck and nothing else. I'll explain about the "worker" because he deserves it - the "rider", well.....you can figure it out.
The "worker" has 1 basic rule to "live by", that is: expect equipment to move on any track, in any direction, at any time. The railroad is a dangerous place to work and you need to have your head in the game at all times. The worker WAS NOT a person who "laughed at a rule book". The "worker" "knew the rule book" and combined that with knowledge and common sense and GOT THE WORK DONE! A worker knew how to get 13 hours of work done in 12 hours. They did not cheat nor speed nor run. They used the knowledge of the railroad to get the work done. All this talk of cuts, bleed, kick etc...was how he got it done. Kicking a car to a track was faster than putting it in with a locomotive. Bleeding off a car to drop into a siding saved him time so that he would not have to do it on the return trip - when he maybe running behind.
As for the rule book - well, you see, every rule in a rule book was - as they say - written in blood. For every rule written, someone was either hurt or killed doing something. So a rule was written to say "you can't do this or that". But, a railroader looks at it a bit different. A railroader says "yes, that should not have been done.......that way, but, if you do it this way...". He is always thinking ahead instead relying on the rules to dictate his job. This way makes the difference between getting in and going home or dieing on the road and deadheading in. The former allows more family time while the later can put you in a motel or less rest.
That's the difference between a rider and a worker. A worker "wants" to get it done whereas the rider "will wait for the track department to show up so they can sweep the snow from the switch". Ah...the good old days.
For the record...I considered myself a worker - I hate leaving a mess for the next guy to clean up. The Golden Rule applies to railroads as well. "Leave not a mess for the next crew to fix if ye would not like a mess left for your crew".
thanks for the memories guys...
Doing my best to stay on track and to live each day to it's fullest, trying not to upset people along the way. I have no enemies.....just friends who don't understand my point of view.
Steve
Let's go Devils!
Steve
Let's go Devils!