BNSF Glendive, MT

badlandnp Sep 6, 2015

  1. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    I knew I'd seen this somewhere before!
    Back in 2019, Gold Bar Wa! SmartSelect_20220823-213455_Chrome.jpg
     
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  2. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Wow! Three years running and it is still a kluge job!! Funny!!!!
     
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  3. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    Bet there's a few yards of duct tape in there...:D
     
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  4. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Here's today's train catch! A double long grain empty heading east to load up again. The Engineer gave me a salute as they went by. They started from a dead stop right behind Whistle Stop gas station and really got the train a rolling after the headend crested the summit of the climb out of the yard which is also the apex of the curve eastbound!

     
  5. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Just another empty coal train . . . . but at least there was a train yesterday, and lets hope they continue!
     
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  6. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    And here's my thoughts, posted elsewhere,
    Short and simplistic;

    The problem, as I see it, is that the big class 1's are doing their best to make working conditions for train crews so bad, that the crews quit. Then, when they don't have enough people to man their trains, they will tell Congress they have a solution. No man crews! Just let us run the trains from our HQ by remote control. They think that this will save them huge money and liabilities. Never mind the safety issues and reliability and......

    They have already pared down their mechanical maintenance for cars and locomotives to the minimum or less. And with declining traffic and customers, with record profits, they think they can dictate to their employees that 'the employee is owned.' They do expect you to be available 24/7/365.

    The train crews I know spend more hours at their 'away' terminal than they do at their home terminal. Getting time off is difficult and usually penalized. I have a freind, a brakeman/conductor on a shortline, that tried working for a class 1. He made it 4 days in their training/orientation. Of the 4 hired, he lasted the longest!! The other 3 quit on days 2 and 3. So there are still 30 open positions for conductors at that terminal. It is difficult to get hired, and easy to get fired! So why work there??

    Yes, the need to make a profit is important for a RR business. But, they have lost customers and traffic due to their new 'operating models.'

    It should be interesting for us here to see how this all plays out.
     
  7. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I know that a pay increase is important. But I believe the RRs are using that as a smoke screen, to keep the "Hi-Viz" work policies ongoing. I will be interested to know the real contents of this "tentative" agreement. If it does not severely back away from "Hi-Viz" thinking, then there could still be a strike.
     
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  8. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    From what little I have read, it does not address the 'Hi-Viz' issue at all.
     
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  9. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I saw a quote from RRs, which essentially says they will see what they can do. Which makes it sound as though that was not really addressed such that a BIG change is mandatory. Hmmm.
     
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  10. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Skepticism abounds!
     
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  11. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    Its been my experience as a former Union official. That unless you have specific language in a signed, ratified agreement, there wont be much if any
    positive movement on the issue. Its kind of like when I asked my mom for something, and she said "we'll see", every knew what that meant.
     
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  12. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Got a quick video of a bit of switching...
     
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  13. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    I managed to carch another of the 4900 GE's that have been 'relettered' for GECX and leased back to the BNSF. As a big bonus, the 1988, a good ole SD40-2!


    My first drive by, not knowing they were going to be pulling so soon,
     
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  14. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Caught this eastbound today. It sat in the yard for most of the day, and shortly after this set of still pics, I was able to catch it heading east. In between, I caught the local crew building the Miles City turn on the west end, and putting the last four cars on the end of the eastbound. A fun day of catching some rail action. PIC_0024.JPG PIC_0028.JPG PIC_0026.JPG

    Then the west end switching,


    In two parts...
     
  15. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    And the eastbound as it leaves! A friendly toot and wave as the power thunders by!


    And a few stills from the train,
    PIC_0036.JPG PIC_0039.JPG PIC_0047.JPG
     
  16. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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  17. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    And here I thought it was Arthur, Iowa! Neat!
     
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  18. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I sure miss those days when we could hear a full set of nothing but SD40-2 units, thundering up a mountain grade. Well, for that matter I miss the old MILW or NP F and GP units with their 567B power plants in full song. Music, it was....
     
  19. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    That and a full on set of U-boats or -7's roaring along! I have a picture somewhere of the last set of BN -7's to pull a coal train through Glendive. What a great sound!
     
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  20. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hmmm. They looked to be a bit underpowered for that job. Ha ha ha....
     
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