jz441 wrote:TB Diamond wrote:Used to play the game on both banner and dark or red intermediate signal tests. Took me about an hour to go two miles once on a dark signal. The TM running the test was a total jerk and the conductor and I got a real chuckle when we saw him driving off in probable disgust. We were ready to go to kangaroo court for delay of train, but it never happened.
I love it...
If everyone did this railroads would get rid of stop test... Great job...
I, for one, have never stated that the railroads should stop using the
banner test. They can't even if they wanted to. They should use better
judgement in where they use them and used them as a safety device and
not with the idea of trying to catch somebody or to make trouble for
their people. On Conrail that was the reason for their use, to drill it into
some of the people who needed drilling and th impress up the others that
it is important to do the job safely and according to the rules. In my
opinion there is nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is when the same
crew encounters two banner tests in the same trip or even in the same
months, this information is all computerized and they can well tell who is
on a train, who has been tested recently and who has not.
When a railroad official goes out to do an efficiency/safety test that
indicates a high number of violations, it does not bode well for that
company either, all of this information has to be maintained for the feds
and I am sure that they are not impressed with a large number of
failures as failures indicate a problem with not only the employee(s)
involved but in company proceedures including training and other factors
that are generally under the control of the company.
Don't be in a big hurry and work safely are most important on the railroad
and this has always been the case and always will be.
Noel Weaver