BNSF crew changes:* Denver east: used to be in Akron, CO, but I think they moved it all the way out to McCook, NE. Some were/are longer, some were/are shorter. I find it ironic that the MILW expandend some of their districts just as deferredmaintenance caused speeds to drop. You there, Mr. Lee? November 3, 2022 INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, (Nov. 3, 2022) The BLET and SMART-TD will host a joint town hall meeting next week to discuss the tentative national rail agreement. I though I saw articles in the mainstream press in the '80's that they were extending crew districts from east of Spokane, WA, across the Idaho panhandle, and over onto the flatland's of Montana. In order to get a minimum speed of 12 or so MPH on the 0.5% ruling grades, the locomotives should have been able to maintain 25 or more MPH on level track, hence my wondering about 200 mile crew changes. I'm sure that longer crew districts in other places are coming Our community is FREE to join. Approaches to the bridge had to stay under the ruling grade for the area of 1.4%. About ten years ago the railroad proposed moving almost everyone from Boone to Rochelle. The only BNSF jobs @ Kingman is a daytime rd swtchr followed by a afternoon one. Goodson said the previous attendance policy wasn't nearly as strict and allowed more time for family events and time with her three children. Dickinson crews still run locals between New Salem and Beach including the ever growing rail hub of RICHARDTON ND. Then Alliance, NE? Men in road service on the Louisiana Division of the IC were based in McComb, Mississippi, which is about 100 miles from New Orleans and from Canton, Mississippi--and about 149 miles from Gwin, Mississippi, on the route through the Delta(the last two were junctions with the Tennessee Division) Passenger trains ran between Canton and New Orleans, and through freights ran between Gwin and New Orleans, on the Louisiana Division. Apparently extending crew districts is in E. Hunter Harrison's bag of tricks, which as far as I know now, he hasn't yet pulled out. This website is best viewed in Chrome or Safari. BNSF crew changes: * Denver east: used to be in Akron, CO, but I think they moved it all the way out to McCook, NE. "And as far as working 40 hours per trip, again what they're not telling you is, yes, we may be on a train for seven to eight hours going to our destination or back," she said. Plus a new pool might be in place to handle the New Baltimore intermodal terminal. Melstone was almost certainly a crew change location in that it was almost exactly halfway between Harlow and Miles, along with being the only spot between Roundup and Miles City with more than two parallel tracks. Opposition is mounting among workers at freight railroad BNSF to a new points-based attendance policy which management has unilaterally implemented. Or, did they get rid of it because there was too much congestion / delays east of Clinton? In Canada CN began running longer crew districts on the prairies in the 1990's, I think. All Rights Reserved. There really are some Knowledgeable Fans out there. Amarillo is a crew change point, so there is a lot of activity along the city's rail lines. According to Knutson, taking time off for a doctor or dental appointment can cost an employee several points. Members of both unions from all involved railroads are welcome to attend. This year alone, BNSF is investing approximately $1 billion into the 2,200-mile Southern Transcon route. I'm sure that longer crew districts in other places are coming Our community is FREE to join. (200+ miles?). Usually, the two crew districts that abutted became one double-ended district. Welcome to the BNSF newsroom. But I hear it is coming. Back in my road days, when we'd end up at a hotel after a very long and tiring trip, and some guy who was obviously an over-eager railfan would see us and ask us if we were railroaders, we'd always answer: NOPE! Since crews are usually pooled on a first-in, first-out basis, everyone still has the same opportunity to rack up miles and thus pay. She said the policy isn't compassionate toward employees. All engine crews changed in McComb; thus all passenger engine crews ran 100 miles from start to finish. No, Rawlins is still a crew change point for all trains 50 mph and less. The last time we were in Albany, werode back to the station with a road crew in the van, and I engaged in some conversation with them. Goodson said that if employees work on the weekends, they can earn a single point to add to their total. Usually though, a long pool crew on trains that normally go to the short pool will still change out at Boone and theLP crew will continue on to the other end in a van. BNSF crews frequently change crews here at Eola yard in Aurora, IL. Then run pools (through Clinton) to Missouri Valley (hot intermodals only), to Boone (everything else), and pools to Des Moines and Mason City. Then Casper and Greybull. Satellite view on Google maps shows a lot of empty lots in the town and I guess that the population may have been 300 to 500 at its peak. Many times after the adoptionof the 130 mile day, the terminals didn't change. In February, BNSF instituted an attendance policy known as Hi-Viz, which drew immediate criticism from employees and railroad unions. For some reason, I always thought crew change points were determined by how long it took to get there. They also handle (normally) the salad shooters. The crew change point on the South Transcon is Wellington Kan, Amarillo Texas Belen New Mexico Needles California Barstow, California (on some trains) Fresno, California Stockton California--also some trains change crews at Bakersfield, California Maybe others can fill in Dale Smith [ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] Date: 09/07/16 19:16 Back in the 60's, the SP had a run out of Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, CA. Learn more about our trains, how we operate them, and the variety of railcars we haul, in the informative BNSF Virtual Train Tour. However, the longestcrew division is CP's Belleville Subdivision from Smiths Falls ONto Toronto Yard (197 track miles) where the Toronto Terminal officially begins or ends. Maybe an old BN expert can help us here, but didn't BN change some crew districts in Montana to run up to 450 miles? I recall seeing a Steffee speed survey (mid-1960's?) Back to CP for a moment, Calgary-Edmonton, AB is broken into two Sub's.,Red Deer and Leduc, totaling about 180 miles. With only one curve sharper than 3 degrees between the two points, the track alignment was well suited for 50 to 60 MPH freight running - though track maintenance may have been another story. Railroading is a big world filled with impressive and interesting people. Which meant that many crewsmight not be able to make the far treminal on their HOS. Men in chain gang freightservice preferred being called in McCombfor a run to Gwin, since it was farther than a run to New Orleans. Retirees may not work at BNSF any longer, but many are active in their communities and play an important role as unofficial ambassadors for BNSF. BNSF crews frequently change crews here at Eola yard in Aurora, IL. The 100 mile day was based on how far you would travel in 8 hours at a speed of 12.5 mph. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of. In these stories you'll meet some of the thousands of diverse, talented, and dedicated employees who do their part to keep freight moving for our customers. Hugh Cook is Wyoming Public Radio's Northeast Reporter, based in Gillette. That's in addition to the $3.3 billion we invested between 2013 and 2017. Someone recently asked me how many crew changes it takes to get from Chicago to LA vs. Chicago to Seattle. Some railroaders have said the policy incentivizes employees to work while sick or tired, something that Goodson can very much relate to. The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota. On the CPR, in Canada, the longest crew district is the Brooks Sub. One of my easterly buddies is coming to Colorado for some extensiverailfanning this spring. Get in touch with us using the Media Contacts list on the left. > * Pueblo east: ?? "At any given time, there are about 300 trains running along the Transcon," added Rasmussen. Why Sign In? The oldest long crew division on CP in Canada is the BrooksSubdivision from Medicine Hat to Alyth (Calgary). Ideally, a crew goes on duty, gets its paperwork, gets out of the yard, reaches its destination, and ties up comfortably within the maximum 12 hours on duty allowed by the federal hours-of-service law. Then in 1972 (after the HOS was changed to 14 hours, Dec. 26, 1970) the company decided to open up an inter-divisional run fromLA to San Luis Obispo), and have us do it in 14 hours, which really worked good. BNSF Crew Change Locations In order to set up activities for the BNSF and other railroads, I can't recall anyone putting out any kind of a list for where crew changes take place. If I had not already packed my 1893 Guide in preparation for moving, I could give you the name of each road. Back in the 60's, the SP had a run out of Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, CA. Some crew change points were simply the points at which one railroad had a junction with another. Can someone in road service choosewhich pool to work in? Anyone on the seniority district can work the pool, assumingthey have the seniority. Don't miss this look at the history of America's most influential builder of locomotives. Not every crew change point has one (Mason City, IA may be getting one in the future) but except for the few in the eastern US, all are UP crew change points. Lowest Point : 456 ft @ Topock, AZ. Others are where two adjacent crew districts were merged into one, with the crews running through the former change point between the two on all, or most trains. If the district is too long tor its conditions of traffic and geography, the crew hogs out short of its final terminal, and is dogged or patched by a relief crew (idiom varies) two crews have been paid a days wages to do what was supposed to be the work of one. A train in the long pool uses one less crew than if it goes to the short pool. Paul MN. Crew change points on the old Santa Fe Transco Author: chicohogger. Jeff:Thanks for the explanations. The railroad has been one of the major economic drivers and employers for many of the Wyoming communities it passes through. where are they south of La Crosse? I wish I had asked a trainman how the pay was calculated, since some of the turn arounds were short. The mainliners just blast through town. TEXAS, USA On Tuesday, a federal judge in Fort Worth granted BNSF, one of the nation's largest freight companies, a temporary restraining order, blocking nearly 17,000 employees from striking. "It was a way to limit time off even though they didn't have a lot of people and they needed a lot of people," said Knutson. Zug, I still enjoy talking with railroad employees, but I am very careful about initiating conversations. Major stations: Barstow, Ash Hill; Yards: Needles; Crew Change Points: Needles, Barstow Junctions: Daggett (UPRR Cima Sub) MP 739.6 Highest point: 2187 @ Lavic; Lowest Point: 620 @ Amboy . Crew Change Points, Belen to Barstow; Discussion related to BNSF operations. The satellite view clearly shows impressions of a turntable and roundhouse across the highway from the town. In older times, it would take much longer as the trains were slower. Plus a new pool might be in place to handle the New Baltimore intermodal terminal. Here, youll find news releases, customer notifications and media assets available for use by news organizations. Since trains are stopping to give one crew rest and to pick up fresh conductors and engineers, adding another "lane" allows trains that have completed their crew change to get moving again and for faster traffic to pass slower traffic more readily. EDIT: To answer the original poster's question I checked with what limited ressources I have, and found the following CP (ex Soo Line) crew change points in his part of the world. Barstow CA. "I honestly hope that this isn't going to be the new normal because people are walking out faster than we can hire them on," said Goodson. Jeff, another hotel where you can rub shoulders with men in road service is the Clarion Hotel in Albany, N.Y. Back in my road days, when we'd end up at a hotel after a very long and tiring trip, and some guy who was obviously an over-eager railfan would see us and ask us if we were railroaders, we'd always answer: NOPE! Barstow MP 745.9 Home to a very large classification yard and crew change point for the BNSF. Some trains that go into LPC or to the connecting roads like the CSX, IHB, BRC, and NS change out at Savanna. Kevin Knutson is a Gillette-based conductor and union leader who has worked for the railroad for over 40 years. For some reason, I always thought crew change points were determined by how long it took to get there. But apart from the policy, she said she loves her job. Here is what I think I know about some of the crew districts andhelper districts in and around Colorado. I believe it was cptrainman of the "Hunter, . Correct, the hours of service were changed as follows: 16 hours to 14 hours on December 26, 1970, 14 hours to 12 hours on December 26, 1972. This Map of the Month appeared in theMay 2004 issue of Trains magazine. from Calgary to Medicine Hat, AB, created in 1910. To participate you must either login or register for an account. I haven't heard of this in a long time, so maybe this was a failed idea. jeffhergert Today, 41 years later and the HOS at 12 hours (changed Dec. 26, 1972) the crew usually do not have trouble making it from SLO to LA (which is still inter-divisional, but only a one ended pool). I thought they also did a UPcrew district map too, but I may be thinking about a map on the UP company website. To participate you must either login or register for an account. (200+ miles?). Radio Frequencies: AAR 55, 160.935, DS-10, Winslow to Seligman; AAR 36 160.650 DS-11 Seligman to Topock; AAR 55 160.935 Topock to Needles. BNSF modified their policy on June 1. By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our, Get our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. This is via La Junta,they can't go via Trinidad. Not every crew change point has one (Mason City, IA may be getting one in the future) but except for the few in the eastern US, all are UP crew change points. Although you may have to be a subscriber to access it, there is a map of BNSF crew districts in the Trains'Railroad Reference section under railroad maps. Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands! I'd wonder if the average speed of the slowest Milwaukee freights on the Trans-Missouri Division during the first generation diesel era would have been more like 25 MPH as opposed to 12.5 MPH. The Milwaukee Road in the 1970s combined orchanged some crew districts, both on the Puget Sound extension and elsewhere. So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll. Thanks in advance for your help.Ken Stitzel wrote: You do not have permission to delete messages in this group. Going the extra mile for our customers and our communities. Staying at one of the lodging motels can be interesting, but I wouldnt suggest being too inquiring these days. Also Portal, ND and Noyes, MN, but that is because thay are also Country change points(Canada/US border). myemployer, any other railroad, company, or person. She also said some of the claims that BNSF is making, especially in regard to working hours, time off, and leave, are misleading. Thanks very much guys. -Ryan [ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ] Date: 07/18/07 21:48 Which meant that many crewsmight not be able to make the far treminal on their HOS. It's grown enough that engineer's need about half of that, even less for conductors. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Garrett - Chciago is about 150 miles while Williard - Chicago is around 280. Need to talk with someone at BNSF about a news report youre putting together? If I had not already packed my 1893 Guide in preparation for moving, I could give you the name of each road. Someone emailed this info to me. "However, just last week, I sat down in Guernsey for 27 hours in the hotel waiting to come home.". I listen to the CSX on my scanner and often the dispatcher will ask if they are a Garrett or Williard crew. Note that the Puget Sound Extension and the WP were built in the 1905-1910 time frame and train speeds were up significantly from 30 to 40 years earlier. Meanwhile, BNSF is spending $581 million this year to forge . Additionally, if employees fall into the top 10 percent of hours worked, they can earn points. Whenthe pool was smaller, you had to have about 30 years in to hold it. * Denver south: Pueblo* Pueblo south: Trinidad? Here we demonstrate how BNSF's legacy makes us confident in our future. With only one curve sharper than 3 degrees between the two points, the track alignment was well suited for 50 to 60 MPH freight running - though track maintenance may have been another story. It's not just bad news for workers. This was indicated by a bold type stripe across the page for every train at Bassano. > * Denver northeast: Sterling, CO? It's a way to stay informed about the company, learn more about how freight rail contributes to our way of life, explore the company's rich history and connect with other BNSF supporters. The additional high iron allows 70-mph intermodal trains to leap ahead of slower-moving merchandise and unit trains at crew-change points, which BNSF says will alleviate congestion, boost average train speed, and improve service on the busiest intermodal route in North America. Note that the Puget Sound Extension and the WP were built in the 1905-1910 time frame and train speeds were up significantly from 30 to 40 years earlier. ), > * Cheyenne east: North Platte> * Cheyenne west: Rawlins (Green River for hotshots? I thought I read that UP phased out Rawlins, and all trains go throughto Green River from Cheyenne. I have to look thru some stuff, but I think they used to change at Melstone, MT. The railroad is run as an East-West route. --Ken Stitzel (k@fc.hp.com)Learning Products Engineer (tech writer with functional enhancements), Hewlett-Packard Company (a pretty cool company to work for), Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (somewhere east of Masonville), (Opinions stated herein are provided without warranty and are not, representative of official or unofficial HP policy on shootercrew changes. ;-), --Kirk PettyABC Sign Productskpe@psd.k12.co.uskpe@abcsignproducts.comhttp://www.abcsignproducts.com ____________________________ __________________________ ___/oo|====~~~~~~~~~~~########|| |########~~~~~~~~~~====|oo\____ I_|______UNION PACIFIC__=_=_=_=|_I I_|______UNION PACIFIC___|_____|_I `-'O==O==O`-------------'O==O==O`-'~`-'O==O==O`-------------'O==O==O`-, Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message. I have to look thru some stuff, but I think they used to change at Melstone, MT. This was indicated by a bold type stripe across the page for every train at Bassano. BNSF crews frequently change crews here at Eola yard in Aurora, IL. I'd wonder if the average speed of the slowest Milwaukee freights on the Trans-Missouri Division during the first generation diesel era would have been more like 25 MPH as opposed to 12.5 MPH. We do not sell train simulator software. The Milwaukee Road in the 1970s combined orchanged some crew districts, both on the Puget Sound extension and elsewhere. Learn more about what it means to do business with BNSF and the process we use for working with suppliers. Existing Suppliers may access the Supplier Portal here. Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Long pools for some runs where Intermodals can skip crew changes, but slower freights can't. Details are as follows: Time: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9 Location: BLET National Division . For instance, Sanford, Florida, was the south end of one railroad and the north end of another; both roads were absorbed by the Plant System--which went into the Atlantic Coast Line. She's based in Gillette and works mostly on the route between Gillette, through the Powder River Basin to Guernsey, a crew change point. - Erik. I find it ironic that the MILW expandend some of their districts just as deferredmaintenance caused speeds to drop. I find it ironic that the MILW expandend some of their districts just as deferredmaintenance caused speeds to drop. At times they will change within minutes of stopping at the "crosswalk" where employees cross the mainline, and at other times the incoming crew will "tie down" their train on the main-line and the train will wait for literally hours on the main for the outgoing (new) crew. At the time we were having trouble going from Boone to Clinton in 12 hours. Things changed since Sept 11, 2001. The average daily rate while in training as a new hire conductor will be approximately $221 per day, or $27.68 per hour (based on . Click here to learn about the Unlimited Membership. "A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable. Does the UP still have a Proviso to Boone long pool? "We have had a lot of people resign, quit working, and not just Gillette, across the system, because they went and found other jobs. "The Belen cutoff was established in 1908 and that was really the first major enhancement," explained Craig Rasmussen, assistant vice president, Engineering Services and Structures. Log in to get the latest information on your invoices, payments and purchase orders. ), then Ogden? While it may not save the railroad money on wages, it saves them on the cost of benefits. Zug, you guys must have really been tired. "It is important to note that there has been no change in how much time off an employee receives. Sometimes it would take the the full 16 hours on the HOS to make the run. This year BNSF will spend nearly $2.6 billion to maintain its system, including 11,000 miles of track surfacing work, replacement of 489 miles of rail and nearly 2.7 million ties. This change made two crew districts out of what were three, running thru the traditional terminals atAvery, ID and Malden, WA. I think the Miles City to Harlowton run was one of them. They can be added if employees work during periods that are more in demand. 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I spent quite a few summers in Miles City (my dad's home town) during the 1970's and heard Harlowton mentioned quite a few times, but don't recall hearing about Melstone. Under the new policy, which is slated to. I believe it was cptrainman of the "Hunter, . Microsoft Train Simulator BNSF Phoenix Sub Crew Change Points? A minor correction to Agentkid's posting. I think the Miles City to Harlowton run was one of them. ----------------------------------------------, BNSF Railway (Burlington Northern Santa Fe), It is currently Sun Mar 05, 2023 12:55 am, http://www.motorbooks.com/Store/Product _31803.ncm, Brightline Trains LLC (formerly All Aboard Florida and Virgin), California Commuter, Rail Transit, and High Speed Rail (HSR). The Hi-Viz policy impacts all employees, not just the ones that are operating trains. I know OTR truckers are only to work so many hours before they have to sign out and rest. This BNSF rail division sees some of the highest tonnage freight traffic in the world (over 100 million tons annually. Or, did they get rid of it because there was too much congestion / delays east of Clinton? Goodson said that if employees work on the weekends, they can earn a single point to add to their total. Otherwise there is a pool that runs straight through Savanna to Cicero and also a pool out of La Crosse to Galesburg. I have to look thru some stuff, but I think they used to change at Melstone, MT. A train in the long pool uses one less crew than if it goes to the short pool. I'm a teetotaler, so that thought is never on my mind. So if you want to rub elbows with train crews while you travel, the Oak Tree is the place to do it. (Except when that train gets too long, then it goes back to the short pool.) No, they never had aProviso- Boone long pool. Good threads on this string. Even a 25 MPH scheduled speed would result in an 8 hour trip. Or even less: As late as the 1990s, there were still a few crew changes in the middle-of-nowhere, consisting of only a few sidings, a crew dormitory, and a 24-hour lunchroom. Here are> some places I know they run helpers at least occassionally:> > * BNSF/UP: Denver to Palmer Lake. We see this very often here. Drawback for those that don't live near Clinton is the drive. Anything north of Cheyenne WYor south of Pueblo, CO, I don't know much about. BNSF Editor CTC Board Magazine [ Reply To This Message ] Date: 01/10/02 19:00 Thanks Author: dbm. Alaska Railfanning / My ARR Photos on Flickr. The last time we were in Albany, werode back to the station with a road crew in the van, and I engaged in some conversation with them. Find the right person to help you with your retirement benefit questions, including health insurance, the Employee Assistance Program and payroll. Some crew change points were simply the points at which one railroad had a junction with another. BNSF doesnt just move freight; we connect with people and communities along the way. I threw inFremont and Boone in case he's driving that way, or in case wanderlusttakes him east the same way my "as long as I'm in the neighborhood"reasoning got me to Albuquerque when I'd only planned on going as farsouthwest as Denver. Job Location: Mandan Other Potential Locations: Mandan, ND Anticipated Start Date: 04/10/2023 Number of Positions: 20 Salary Range: Entry rate is approx. For nearly 170 years, BNSF has been safely and efficiently transporting freight and helping shape our country's history. When crews are tight on either pool at either end, they use crews out of either pool. LION *knows* that Mandan is a crew change point, but Dickinson is so no longer, and the next crew change point is Glendive, MT. Crew changes can happen anywhere of course, but crews do frequently change in Savanna, IL which is the convergence of the C&I line to Chicago and the Barstow Sub south to Galesburg. The contract has major safety implicationsespecially amid North America's dangerous, and sometimes deadly, crude-by-rail boom.