Hours of Service

Hmm, Cowford..now I know you're just trying to get me goin'

As grumpy and uncompromising as railroaders may appear to be, I believe in the end that they rise to the challenge and adapt to get the job done. A "failure to adapt" can best be describd in my opinion as CSXT's attempts to restructure its Conrail operations into its own image. I believe it ignored the core success of the Conrail model in New England and has damaged the quality of service into New England. I cannot speak to any other part of the CSX system, all I can say with surety is that the former Boston & Albany (NYC) main line is not what it was under Conrail. I don't believe Conrail was the best railroad in the US but in my neck of the woods it could move traffic with speed and precision over the Berkshires. CSXT cannot seem to do that. Therefore I believe that CSXT in its corporate arrogance failed to adapt to the market place. The B&A offered premium service to customers like UPS. Do you think that UPS might share some of my opinions?

Have a great day guys!

Hey CSX,
I was just thinking again about your post. Over sixty 85' car loads of garbage at Beacon Park, mmm that must smell sweet! Thank goodness it isn't summer yet! I can remember that the odor would linger forever after a train load of those cars would "breeze" by you. Can you describe what is causing the meltdown right now. It has been hard on us out here. We get no cars for days and then a couple of hundred will show up within hours of each other.

Supposedly one of the new big shots decided that the hump at Selkirk was not useful........he said it is more effecient to flat-switch. Then of course there was an apparent melt-down at Selkirk. If he truly said that, I think they should drug test him. lol

It's been pretty sporatic for the whole area.

Supposedly one of the new big shots decided that the hump at Selkirk was not useful........he said it is more effecient to flat-switch.

hahahahahaha

Then of course there was an apparent melt-down at Selkirk.

caused by...

Flordia also had a major melt down.

I don't find any "Flordia" on my CSX map.

Cowford wrote:caused by...

Um, let's see.....could it be arrogance? Yeah, yeah -- that's it.

AmtrakFan wrote:Flordia also had a major melt down.

think again...

LCJ, I wouldn't say that the slow-down in Selkirk was a result of arrogance on the part of the employees (T&E service, car knockers, etc.). If anything it was some major ball-breaking (i.e. 50 ft safety stops, not geting off moving equipment....even on the East End buck jobs where it is allowed.) The message to be sent to thi big headhunter was basically "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!"

Everything seemed to be going fine until the newbies came to town with their plans of ways to make changes.

CSX Conductor wrote:....their plans of ways to make changes.

This is the arrogance to which I refer.

As I have stated elsewhere, Selkirk ran just fine under Conrail and it was
the second busiest yard on the railroad, only Elkhart handled more.
There were regular moves where cars would come in and go out not only
the same day but withing a very short time after arrival. In spite of a huge number of classifications, the connections were almost always made
and the freight customers had their cars on schedule. There were hot
cars from the west for the Hunts Point Market that had to go out the same
night that they came in, BRSE connected to OPSE the same night with
those cars and shutdown cars for the GM plant in Tarrytown at the same
time too. Unfortunately the GM plant is history now but I have to wonder
how the perishables make the connection to Hunts Point these days.
Conrail was certainally very pleased with the situation in Selkirk and while
problems would sometimes occur, the place ran pretty well for the most
part. The biggest reason that this very busy terminal ran so well was the
genuine cooperation between labor and management on the local level.
Now comes CSX and it took a while but all of a sudden some "bright star"
in Jacksonville has decided that Selkirk is not running well and we will
straighten out the place and the people. Naturally, they have met
resistance and most likely will continue to meet resistance as this situation
can't improve until the company and union leaders sit down and talk this
thing out.
Millions of dollars have been spent on this terminal but it can't run well
unless the company and the employees work together to run it well and
that will not happen with the present attitude of CSX management in
Jacksonville.
The CSX people walked into Selkirk, fired most of the local management
of the terminal then came down on the employees, what do they expect?
OH YES, I almost forgot, make one mistake, you are fired, go find another
job, not hardly a morale booster either. Change the operating rules to
make things a little more confusing too, this does not help.
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:Now comes CSX and it took a while but all of a sudden some "bright star"
in Jacksonville has decided that Selkirk is not running well and we will
straighten out the place and the people. Naturally, they have met
resistance and most likely will continue to meet resistance as this situation
can't improve until the company and union leaders sit down and talk this
thing out.

its amazing what uncooperative labor can accomplish to try to further their own agenda...

when are they going to realize that conrail is no more and they need to get with the program...

I mean Florida had a major meltdown in the Baldwin Yard Area.

crazy_nip wrote:...they need to get with the program...

Ve haff vays of making you get mitt der program...

WHAT DO YOU THINK, LCJ ? SOUNDS LIKE HE HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF THE NEXT "GREAT" TERMINAL SUPERINTENDENT ! (THAT'LL SHOW THEM THAR AGREEMENT BOYS I MEANS BUSINESS !!!!) FRATERNALLY,

AmtrakFan wrote:I mean Florida had a major meltdown in the Baldwin Yard Area.

I dont see how that is possible...

things back up around moncrief, but not usually baldwin

most of the traffic in and out of baldwin is autoracks these days and to the south its 2 main tracks to Waldo