Amtrak Empire Service (New York State)

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:08 pm
It is not that they could not, the crews that were qualified wanted to keep their qualifications. Amtrak told them no, due to the viaduct rebuild. As you have stated it is a known project and should have been handled accordingly.
However in my 27 years in working here a few things I have learned proactiveness is not top of the list, slogans are way more important that actually fixing the issue, and lastly rules classes are less about the rules and more about ways to keep the company out of the lawyers office.

An example I have had a drivers license for 40 plus years. Amtrak gave me a license to operate a 100 ton rolling toilet at speeds in excess of 80mph. Yet in order to drive a GOLF CART I have to watch a video and answer questions on its use and safe operation.

And you want to know why...

Remember to stopp and your PB&J

CSRR573 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 12:19 am

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:08 pm
It is not that they could not, the crews that were qualified wanted to keep their qualifications. Amtrak told them no, due to the viaduct rebuild. As you have stated it is a known project and should have been handled accordingly.
However in my 27 years in working here a few things I have learned proactiveness is not top of the list, slogans are way more important that actually fixing the issue, and lastly rules classes are less about the rules and more about ways to keep the company out of the lawyers office.

An example I have had a drivers license for 40 plus years. Amtrak gave me a license to operate a 100 ton rolling toilet at speeds in excess of 80mph. Yet in order to drive a GOLF CART I have to watch a video and answer questions on its use and safe operation.

And you want to know why...

Remember to stopp and your PB&J

Another prime example. I had to ask on this one when I first saw the banner and was thinking WTF.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 9:42 am
Another prime example. I had to ask on this one when I first saw the banner and was thinking WTF.

I cant take anything seriously that's its "mascot" is a gown man eating a sandwich. Im sure who ever came up with that was already given a promotion

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:08 pm
However in my 27 years in working here a few things I have learned proactiveness is not top of the list, slogans are way more important that actually fixing the issue, and lastly rules classes are less about the rules and more about ways to keep the company out of the lawyers office.

This becomes more apparent every day. The result is that good employees kind of give up and get along with the slow process, and sub-average employees know they can really slack without consequence.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:08 pm
An example I have had a drivers license for 40 plus years. Amtrak gave me a license to operate a 100 ton rolling toilet at speeds in excess of 80mph. Yet in order to drive a GOLF CART I have to watch a video and answer questions on its use and safe operation.

Yes, I spend a lot of time at jobsites selling them heavy equipment, yet they tell me all the time not to operate any of the heavy equipment. Okay........

Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:30 am

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:08 pm
However in my 27 years in working here a few things I have learned proactiveness is not top of the list, slogans are way more important that actually fixing the issue, and lastly rules classes are less about the rules and more about ways to keep the company out of the lawyers office.

This becomes more apparent every day. The result is that good employees kind of give up and get along with the slow process, and sub-average employees know they can really slack without consequence.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:08 pm
An example I have had a drivers license for 40 plus years. Amtrak gave me a license to operate a 100 ton rolling toilet at speeds in excess of 80mph. Yet in order to drive a GOLF CART I have to watch a video and answer questions on its use and safe operation.

Yes, I spend a lot of time at jobsites selling them heavy equipment, yet they tell me all the time not to operate any of the heavy equipment. Okay........

Can you operate the heavy equipment?? If not then I can see why you should not. However a GOLF CART has the same general controls as an automobile except it goes a lot slower. The reason for the class?? Well some maybe more than one (pick your favorite descriptor) decided that the big shinny thing with a bell, lights, and horn is good to play chicken with. Again don't fix the problem, have a class. So that if and when it happens again and it will, we can organize a safety committee on cart safety. Have more classes on how to drive a GOLF CART and perhaps a slogan or two. Instead of fixing the problem, the golf cart is just one example of many.

This is about Empire Service trains and the loss of three round trips a day and the lack preparation done by anyone in management to prevent the loss of such.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Mr. Junkie, how are golf carts used at an Amtrak facility?

Many industrial facilities such as Beech Grove or Albany Shops have oodles of golf carts for moving men and tools about the campus. I just rode on one around a very large shipyard last week, easily more than I've been on a golf cart at a golf cours in a couple years.

Think of how you see guys on golf carts at OHare - same idea. If the electrician has one chiller out in terminal A and one out in Terminal D, he can walk a mile with his 50lb tool bag, ride the tram, or take a golf cart.

Makes sense, Mr. Dunville.

However, I never noted one at any MILW facility when I was there 70-81 - and I was often in their shop facilities.

But then, that was 44 years ago.

But also, I never expected to see golf carts on the SKS campus as I did last June for the Centenary close. Of course, the checkbooks they "expected" us Alumni to have with us kind of weighted us down - and The Hillside is just as steep as it was when I was a 14 to 18yo student there!!

It's all about liability, and many companies here have continued the covid restrictions to stop anyone except employees accessing anywhere on the property that is not public.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 5:34 pm Mr. Junkie, how are golf carts used at an Amtrak facility?

T&E has one dedicated to us for transportation to and from the shop facility, myself I prefer the walk. A busy night can get ya 3 to 4 miles. It is nice to catch a ride though when the wind is blowing off the Hudson and it is zero degrees with a negative 20 wind chill. Mechanical forces have them at the station, one for the station foreman and one for the carman and electrician. Amtrak does not like when the station foreman walks train sets to put up or take down blue flags. Nor when the carmen and electrician walk from cut to cut.

David Benton wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:21 pm It's all about liability, and many companies here have continued the covid restrictions to stop anyone except employees accessing anywhere on the property that is not public.

Yes, like I said don't fix the problem. Just keep us out of the offices of Dewy Cheatem and Howe. As an employee you screw up its your fault not the companies. You are trespassing and get hurt, you didn't belong there in the first place. At least that's how I was raised.

This reminds me of some non-rail related scenes in various writing circles. For instance, one fictional group requires all it's field agents to be forklift certified.

"Wait, what?" you say.

Well, the idea is that it's a test. It proves you can follow basic instructions, observe safety protocols, be observant to your environment, maintain situational awareness, and maintain control of any vehicle or machinery you may be tasked to operate. To be certified means you can be trusted to safely work.

Back to golf carts at Amtrak shops et al, it's a trust issue that you're not going to blow their insurance.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:34 pm

David Benton wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:21 pm It's all about liability, and many companies here have continued the covid restrictions to stop anyone except employees accessing anywhere on the property that is not public.

Yes, like I said don't fix the problem. Just keep us out of the offices of Dewy Cheatem and Howe. As an employee you screw up its your fault not the companies. You are trespassing and get hurt, you didn't belong there in the first place. At least that's how I was raised.

Unfortunately the liability thing went from costly to astronomical. We were taught at one time that insurance was a safety net, shared risk. We all put money in, and they guy that gets hurt takes it out to be made whole again. That's not the case anymore.

Today's insurance company is basically a non-bank loan firm. You get hurt? They might pay out, but the premiums are going to go up so much that essentialy you are going to repay that claim over 3-5 years with interest, and because it's not a bank and they don't call it interest, there are no usury laws (which prevent high interest rates).

For example: I want a car loan for $30k, the bank gives it to me at 9pct or somethign based on my credit and income. The gov't says they can't go over Xpct because that's bad for the community, so they just deny the loan if they can't make the interest rate work. I keep riding the bus until I save enough or fix my credit to buy that car.

But if I smash my hand and it costs $30k medical bills, the company's insurance premiums will essentially reflect a 20pct interest rate because the insurance company is not a bank, and they don't call it interest, they just build it into the premium. Also if I sue the company, they are now on the hook for a lot more than $30k. That happens a lot these days. I get involved in cases like this and it is very common for a big company to settle out of court for $300-500k because the legal fees might be $1m.

And thats why we have the idiotic forkift/golf cart "learn to drive in 20 minutes" video and quiz, to prove you were adequatly trained.

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 9:15 am

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:34 pm

David Benton wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2024 11:21 pm It's all about liability, and many companies here have continued the covid restrictions to stop anyone except employees accessing anywhere on the property that is not public.

Yes, like I said don't fix the problem. Just keep us out of the offices of Dewy Cheatem and Howe. As an employee you screw up its your fault not the companies. You are trespassing and get hurt, you didn't belong there in the first place. At least that's how I was raised.

Unfortunately the liability thing went from costly to astronomical. We were taught at one time that insurance was a safety net, shared risk. We all put money in, and they guy that gets hurt takes it out to be made whole again. That's not the case anymore.

Today's insurance company is basically a non-bank loan firm. You get hurt? They might pay out, but the premiums are going to go up so much that essentialy you are going to repay that claim over 3-5 years with interest, and because it's not a bank and they don't call it interest, there are no usury laws (which prevent high interest rates).

For example: I want a car loan for $30k, the bank gives it to me at 9pct or somethign based on my credit and income. The gov't says they can't go over Xpct because that's bad for the community, so they just deny the loan if they can't make the interest rate work. I keep riding the bus until I save enough or fix my credit to buy that car.

But if I smash my hand and it costs $30k medical bills, the company's insurance premiums will essentially reflect a 20pct interest rate because the insurance company is not a bank, and they don't call it interest, they just build it into the premium. Also if I sue the company, they are now on the hook for a lot more than $30k. That happens a lot these days. I get involved in cases like this and it is very common for a big company to settle out of court for $300-500k because the legal fees might be $1m.

And thats why we have the idiotic forkift/golf cart "learn to drive in 20 minutes" video and quiz, to prove you were adequatly trained.

I just learned of this particular incident a couple of days ago. A person in baggage who took the golf cart driving class and probably the fork lift class drove out in front of a moving locomotive at night, The cart had no lights on nor flashing beacon. Pretty sure that is covered in the training video. Thankfully they were not hurt as there was no cart train intercourse. Proving that "fluff" classes are given to keep the company out the lawyers office. It all comes down to common sense on how to avoid putting yourself in harms way.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 11:48 am ...there was no cart train intercourse...

PHRASING!!!