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I found the August 2010 issue very interesting, especially the article on "Safety", page 54. But it appears that the roadway workers in the photo lack some Personal Protective Equipment, such as hardhats, safety glasses, and gloves. Test failures?
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Not so sure that the numbers would support this conclusion. Granted, there are significant differences in train size, but transit and commuter operations carry millions of people every day, without DOAs, and with only an Engineer in the cab. We know of many, many instances on freight railroads where the "second pair of eyes" has not prevented
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The UTU has taken a more progressive stance on technology issues, in realizing that change will come, regardless of union attempts to block it. Far better to gain a share of the productivity improvements for the members, as was done in the Remote Control Operation of locomotives. UTU got the work, and more money, while the BLE attempted to stonewall
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The UTU has done a pretty good job in handling Remote Control Operation. They realized that this technological change was going to occur regardless, and they might as well do all they can to insure that their members shared in the productivity gains. The BLET tried every possible means to oppose, and were unsuccessful. So it's UTU members who are
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A good point. But truckers run "Engineer-only" for 10 hours between rest ... certainly not a totally valid comparison, but something to consider. And generally they run as far and as fast as they can in that time, with minimal breaks, as they are paid by the mile ... "You ain't earin' if the wheels ain't turnin' "
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My apologies! However, one of the supposed benefits of smaller crews is shorter, more frequent trains. Yes, they can run more closely, but the signal systems have spacing to accommodate the stopping distance of the longest, heaviest trains on the line. And so it would seem that the benefits of shorter trains wouldn't improve capcity unless ALL the
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James states And with that said it can when applied correctly (hence the need for professional conductors,and engineers, both with licenses) improve the capacity dillemna, and using shorter trains at higher frequency amounts to more professional TEY employees as opposed to less. When BNSF's Transcon was fully loaded, they ran longer , not shorter
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In Europe all the road trains are one-man crews. Granted, the trains are shorter generally, and there is a greater installation of PTC-like systems, but perhaps that is what's needed for one-man operation. It clearly can be done under certain conditions.