RedLantern wrote:RCPs take jobs away, sure, but the Diesel locomotive took away the job of the Fireman. Air brakes took away the jobs of the brakemen that used to have to run on the roofs of the cars. The FRED took away the job of the brakeman in the caboose. The automatic crossing protection system took away the job of the crossing tender.
My point being, welcome to real life.
hmmm..... diesel locomotives began appearing in earnest, in the mid 1930's. firemen lasted until 1982, or thereabouts. some 50 years, after diesels arrived. the diesels made operations safer, and cheaper, due to reduced maintenance and operating costs.
airbrakes arrived in the late 1870's, and were in full use, by the turn of the century. brakemen were in full use, across the systems, until halloween, 1985. thats almost 105 years, give or take a year after airbrakes were mandated. airbrakes enabled safer operations, longer and heavier trains, and higher operating speeds, saving lives and money.
the caboose was manned by the conductor, not the brakeman. the conductor still works today, but rides up front. they came off the trains, after the halloween 1985 agreements took effect. the EOT made the operation safer,more efficient and removed the hazards/costs of the hack. it saved lives, and money.
few crossings were protected by crossing tenders. most were protected by "passive systems". automation of the crossing system, allowed for active protection to be placed anywhere/everywhere, saving lives, and money, and allowing for safer operations.
remote platforms have no money savings attached to them. they are not "regulated", by the FRA, and the accidents, and deaths they cause are not recorded as RCP incidents, but merely as SOFA accidents. they produce less work, in an 8 hour shift, than a conventional crew, and have a higher rate of incident/accidents, than a conventional crew. more dangerous, more money, less production. i think this is quite clear, what is an "innovative" step, and what is a regressive one....