Are all shortlines this cavalier?

Question

I've been pursuing a job on a Pennsylvania shortline, and they invited me to ride with one of their crews last week and get a feel for the operation. I was pretty shocked with what I saw. I don't think the conductor had much classroom training before they put him out on the road, and the engineer was reacting a little too quickly to unclear commands. I finally worked up the gall to ask him why they weren't using three-step protection, and he told me that their rulebook doesn't require it.

I was really amazed that the cardinal safety rules could be disregarded like that, and even more amazed that the FRA allows them to write off some of the most fundamental precautions. Is this common among small railroads? I know how to watch my back, but will that be enough to stay safe on a line like this?

Answer 1

Some are like that but from people I have talked to on other short lines, I think that one is somewhat of an exception.
Some short lines are almost obsessed by safety as well they should be.
If you really are concerned, I think I would look elsewhere, only go there as an absolute last resort.
You can only do so much to insure your safety, from what you describe, you will be working with substandard equipment and poorly trained employees.
I guess I would be asking myself if that is the kind of conditions I want to be placing my life in every time I go to work.

Answer 2

Three step protection isn't the One True Way. A lot of people use "set & centered" instead. Some people don't use either. But you're getting lost in rules technicalities. The real question is a human one. Would you trust this guy?

Rules like set-n-centered are a lot more necessary on big roads where anyone could be working with anyone at any time. On a short line you're more likely to have crews that know each other well and communicate better than you think.

Of course, familiarity is a double edged sword, and people can be just plain dumb. A couple guys blew up a steam engine because nobody at the railroad knew how to blow down a sight glass. That's pretty hard to imagine when they were only 50 miles from Strasburg.

Bottom line if you don't trust them don't work for em. But don't hold them to CSX rules if they aren't CSX.

Answer 3

Bad news.

Short lines are, in large, non-union operations and, in keeping with shoe-string budget, training is, in large, minimal.

You have to watch your back where ever you work for a railroad or any heavy equipment, for that matter. The road is usually poorly maintained with much defective equipment, usually outside the scope of FRA regulations, but dangerous, none the less.

I would recommend a short line rail experience only be used as a stepping stone for employment with a major carrier

Good luck, and try to keep the wheels on the steel...