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). BNSF crews frequently change crews here at Eola yard in Aurora, IL. Zug, you guys must have really been tired. Garrett - Chciago is about 150 miles while Williard - Chicago is around 280. "I would love to get whoever made this policy happen or said okay to it to come and join us for a week on how it is day to day," she urged. Within these districts there are pools that work to/from intermediate terminals, such as Clinton to Marshalltown. OK, LION knows that tey went from 100 mile runs to 200 mile runs some time about 10 years ago. I think the Miles City to Harlowton run was one of them. > anything I'm missing. Each employee would be given 30 points for the rest of their career but would be docked points for taking off weekdays (two points), weekends (four points), and holidays (ten points). For the moment I still have more tracks, trains, and switches then they do, but that is changing rapidly, as two new rail facilities are planned for this town. 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. I'm a teetotaler, so that thought is never on my mind. 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. I haven't heard of this in a long time, so maybe this was a failed idea. One of my easterly buddies is coming to Colorado for some extensiverailfanning this spring. I believe it was cptrainman of the "Hunter, . Forsome railroaders getting in on the other end, actually either end, the first thing they think about is beer. It just affects the waythe train crew's pay is calculated. Jeff, can you tell us the reason for having the two pools (short and long)? Some crew change points were simply the points at which one railroad had a junction with another. Discussion related to BNSF operations. Usually, the two crew districts that abutted became one double-ended district. Also Geographically the Twin Cities would be north of La Crosse what does BNSF consider it (are trains from Chicago to the twin Cities northbound or westbound?) where are they south of La Crosse? BNSF is a critical link that connects consumers with the global marketplace. Other changes on the PCE were Alberton, MT to St. Maries, ID and St. Maries, ID to Othello, WA. The hotel provides transportation for thecrews and for passengers who come in or go out of the station in Renssalaer, and it is possible to ride in a van with the railroad employees. * Pueblo east: ??? The oldest long crew division on CP in Canada is the BrooksSubdivision from Medicine Hat to Alyth (Calgary). ), > * Cheyenne east: North Platte> * Cheyenne west: Rawlins (Green River for hotshots? Whenever I go to the local Amtrak station I enjoy talking with the agent when he is not busy with other people, even telling him that his worst nightmare has come back to him. Plus a new pool might be in place to handle the New Baltimore intermodal terminal. Allan_Love_Jr, Aug 26, 2007 #1. I think the Miles City to Harlowton run was one of them. > * Pueblo east: ?? From the materials that help create products people use every day to the actual finished products, our consistent and cost-effective service takes products of any size to customers when and where they need them. Don't miss this look at the history of America's most influential builder of locomotives. (Some of these are the same ones who always complained about the long pool because the LP crewsusually get priority to get over the road, no matter what type of train they are on, so they usually go around you.). Thanks in advance for your help.Ken Stitzel wrote: You do not have permission to delete messages in this group. Some are overlays on existing crew districts for certain type trains, intermodal for example. I guess he's got a point because all the trains stopat such places. Log in to the Employee Portal to access safety rulebooks, pay and benefits information, sign up for training opportunities and more. There are quite a few who live in central Iowa and drive 200 miles to work the pool. I thought I read that UP phased out Rawlins, and all trains go throughto Green River from Cheyenne. I was wondering about crewchangepoints along the UP and BNSF in the Midwest. I guess you're right. Check this site for information about benefits and retirement plans. I wish I had asked a trainman how the pay was calculated, since some of the turn arounds were short. Alaska Railfanning / My ARR Photos on Flickr. The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota. So if you want to rub elbows with train crews while you travel, the Oak Tree is the place to do it. I'm sure that longer crew districts in other places are coming Our community is FREE to join. Anyone on the seniority district can work the pool, assumingthey have the seniority. So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll. Would this be the right list for the Transcon? U.S. and global economies rely on rail, and BNSF is a vital link in the global supply chain. The satellite view clearly shows impressions of a turntable and roundhouse across the highway from the town. / KC / Ft. Madison / Chicago. Harvey and Enderlin, ND; Glenwood, Thief River Falls, and Minneapolis/St. 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. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) is the largest Class I railroad in the country and is one of the two major freight railroads in Wyoming. (At least it was when I was there last week), Sharon Springs, Kansas (It used to be Oakley), > * Denver south: Pueblo> * Denver west: Bond, then Grand Junction> * Denver north: Cheyenne> * Pueblo south: same as BNSF, presumably. Amtrak runs Whitefish to Havre, but I think all freights recrew at Shelby, MT, I think the other crew change is at Wolf Point, MTrather than Glasgow, MT. Then Alliance, NE? (200+ miles?). I know one is La Crosse, WI and I'm guessing those crews run to the Twin Cities. In older times, it would take much longer as the trains were slower. As trains have become faster, many intermediate terminals have been dissolved, with the trains running through. Her husband is also a conductor. Rail is the most environmentally efficient mode of surface transportation and at BNSF we are committed to improving the efficiency of our network in a way that benefits both our customers and the environment. Crew Change Points, Belen to Barstow; Discussion related to BNSF operations. Every scheduled train from First Class passenger trains to Fourth Class freights had a scheduled stop for water at Bassano. Helpers cut off at Palmer Lakeor Colorado Springs (Grain trains). The Clinton-Mo Valleylong poolhandles mostly intermodal trains. 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. Dickinson crews still run locals between New Salem and Beach including the ever growing rail hub of RICHARDTON ND. BNSF Railway, Monon Route passenger trains photo gallery. She's based in Gillette and works mostly on the route between Gillette, through the Powder River Basin to Guernsey, a crew change point. 237 0 14. "A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable. It takes a lot of workers to keep the railroad running efficiently. BNSF Railway's first-in-the-industry Tribal Relations program seeks to build and strengthen ties . Heres where one railroads train crews go to work, where they lay over, and the tangled routes in between. BNSF Crew Change - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. All in all, it is an interesting aspect to the industry. I'm sure that longer crew districts in other places are coming Our community is FREE to join. > * Denver west (UP trackage rights): do they go all the way to Grand> Junction or do they change at Bond again like UP does? Years ago while overnighting in the Super 8 in Ft Madison, Iowa I had the pleasure to talk to a BNSF (ex Santa Fe) crewman. But I hear it is coming. Most of those are of a standard BNSF design; the center piece, providing 23 feet, 6 inches of clearance over the lower main line, is an 87 four-girden deck-plate steel span. Here there be cats. BNSF Railways first-in-the-industry Tribal Relations program seeks to build and strengthen ties with the many diverse tribal nations on BNSFs network, and to foster within BNSF a greater cultural understanding of these tribal nations, their rights and governance, cultural resources, and other crucial issues. Railroad systems are divided into subdivisions, usually between crew change points. I hear talk about crews having to be changed because trains are late and their time is up, that doesn't seem to go by mileage. Additionally, if employees fall into the top 10 percent of hours worked, they can earn points. "Almost every single day we go to work sick or tired because lineups are terrible," she admitted. A couple less employees to receive benefits. Only the Clinton - Missouri Valley long pool. "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. UP on the east/west line crew bases or change points are: Proviso IL, West Chicago IL (some trains), Clinton IA, Boone IA (short pool), Missouri Valley IA (Clinton long pool), Fremont NE (short pool out of Boone) North Platte NE. During April many coal mtys will govia Cheyenne to the Orin line while the tunnel west of Guernseyis being day lighted. A decline in coal traffic, fewer employees when rail traffic began to rise, and the desire to operate the railroad with fewer employees are all contributing factors, he says. 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. For some reason, I always thought crew change points were determined by how long it took to get there. But completing the historic route wasn't the last piece of the puzzle. Bassano was located at almost the exact halfway point on the Sub. Every scheduled train from First Class passenger trains to Fourth Class freights had a scheduled stop for water at Bassano. To participate you must either login or register for an account. BNSF 1859-345 hump engines. I have to look thru some stuff, but I think they used to change at Melstone, MT. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of. From then to now trains on this subdivision are crewed by running trades employees whose home terminals are at Toronto and Smiths Falls. That's in addition to the $3.3 billion we invested between 2013 and 2017. -- Steve Holmes, Steve Holmes Productions (helping companies communicate through award-winning video)Iowa City, IA, USAhttp://www.shpvideo.com My address: sigerson "at" inav "dot" net (replace "" words withsymbols). It is approximately 185 miles long, which was a huge accomplishment back then. Use this page to find the right person at BNSF to answer your supplier questions. This website is best viewed in Chrome or Safari. Other changes on the PCE were Alberton, MT to St. Maries, ID and St. Maries, ID to Othello, WA. The MBI book "BNSF Railway" has an excellent map that pinpoints all the BNSF crew change points as of 2005. LION *knows* that Mandan is a crew change point, but Dickinson is so no longer, and the next crew change point is Glendive, MT. 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. "The cutoff made traversing New Mexico with freight easier by eliminating the steep grades of the Raton Pass from the route and the use of extra locomotive power to make the trip.". We offer a library of downloadable files, forums to exchanges messages, news and more. Then Casper and Greybull. But I hear it is coming. The 100 mile day was based on how far you would travel in 8 hours at a speed of 12.5 mph. BNSF has added a crew change at Kremmling, Colo., on the former Rio Grande, and abolished the change at Las Vegas, N.M. Railroads included in this map: Also Portal, ND and Noyes, MN, but that is because thay are also Country change points(Canada/US border). "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. The 100 mile day was based on how far you would travel in 8 hours at a speed of 12.5 mph. FORT WORTH, Texas - Capacity projects around three crew-change points on BNSF Railway's busy Southern Transcon will help the railroad gain operational flexibility on its key route linking Los Angeles and Chicago. Goodson said that if employees work on the weekends, they can earn a single point to add to their total. )* UP east from Grand Junction??? Can someone in road service choosewhich pool to work in? In 1992, Santa Fe began a decades-long project to double-track the 512 miles of the route that remained single-tracked. I've searched the Web and have came up with a few locations for the BNSF. Courtney Goodson has been working as a BNSF conductor for about five years. Five years ago, a conductor on the Southwest Chief initiated a conversation with me when, as I was standing in the aisle outside the room my wife and I occupied, she ran into my arms. Our vision is to realize BNSF's tremendous potential by providing transportation services that consistently meet our customers expectations. Some are overlays on existing crew districts for certain type trains, intermodal for example. 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. "With over 17 million intermodal loads transported by rail annually, BNSF's Southern Transcon is one of several key routes for the movement of goods from Southern California to Chicago," said Joni Casey, president and CEO, Intermodal Association of North America. I find it ironic that the MILW expandend some of their districts just as deferredmaintenance caused speeds to drop. 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. Get the answers to the questions most commonly asked about BNSF. Raton, NM??? Which meant that many crewsmight not be able to make the far treminal on their HOS. Sometimes it would take the the full 16 hours on the HOS to make the run. I know OTR truckers are only to work so many hours before they have to sign out and rest. It just affects the waythe train crew's pay is calculated. Then Alliance, NE? 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. Dickinson crews still run locals between New Salem and Beach including the ever growing rail hub of RICHARDTON ND. More than 50% of train crew employees work less than 40 hours a week on average. In older times, it would take much longer as the trains were slower. If this is your first visit, welcome to TrainSim.Com! Many owe their existence to it. From then to now trains on this subdivision are crewed by running trades employees whose home terminals are at Toronto and Smiths Falls. Lately, they are alsohandling most of the auto racks and one Q manifest. We do not sell train simulator software. Here is what I think I know about some of the crew districts andhelper districts in and around Colorado. I recall seeing a Steffee speed survey (mid-1960's?) Sterling, then Guernsey for most trains, Alliancethen Edgemont, Gillette, Sheridan if they are going that way. BNSF doesnt just move freight; we connect with people and communities along the way. . Welcome to the BNSF newsroom. Wondering where the crew change points are on the BNSF from Chicago to the Twin Cities on the Aurora and St. Croix Subs? Need to talk with someone at BNSF about a news report youre putting together? At BNSF, we are committed to providing you the information you need to make informed transportation decisions. 1,907 177 39. I believe it was cptrainman of the "Hunter, . BNSF Editor CTC Board Magazine [ Reply To This Message ] Date: 01/10/02 19:00 Thanks Author: dbm. Union Pacific's crew change point is Yermo, a few miles east of Barstow. ), then Ogden?> > Helper Districts:> > Between the closing of Tennessee Pass and the use of remote units, I'm> not sure there are any permanent helper districts anymore. Considering that input, BNSF will make additional modifications to the program effective June 1 to provide additional clarity and flexibility to employees. And, crew change points were (and still are)not always the same for engine crews and for train crews on the same train. Can someone in road service choosewhich pool to work in? To participate you must either login or register for an account. You can rely on BNSFs team of experts to help educate you on the benefits of incorporating our rail network into your supply chain. At BNSF, nothing is more important than safety. Same with RR'ers in TEY service. For some reason, I always thought crew change points were determined by how long it took to get there. ), Yes BNSF uses helpers if they cant meet the UP HP per Tonrequirements. If. Jeff, can you tell us the reason for having the two pools (short and long)? Tribal Relations. Ensure a safe, slow approach from others with this railroad-themed logo mask! 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. The contract has major safety implicationsespecially amid North America's dangerous, and sometimes deadly, crude-by-rail boom. On the CPR, in Canada, the longest crew district is the Brooks Sub. 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. Thanks for joining us! 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. Barstow MP 745.9 Home to a very large classification yard and crew change point for the BNSF. UP is Distributive Power only.BNSF is all trains over 8000 tons and some under that.No distributive power. For 170 years, BNSF Railway has been an essential connector safely and efficiently transporting freight from point A to point B. I thought they also did a UPcrew district map too, but I may be thinking about a map on the UP company website. In the early 1970's the law was changed to 14 hours and subsequently todays 12 hours. 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 line is known as the Seligman Subdivision, and stretches between Winslow, AZ, and Needles, CA, both of which are crew change BNSF purchases material and service items from an extensive list of sources. I'm not sure if crews run through from Keddie to Stockton, or if there is a crew change at Marysville, CA. "However, just last week, I sat down in Guernsey for 27 hours in the hotel waiting to come home.". It's grown enough that engineer's need about half of that, even less for conductors. "The Hi-Viz was only partially responsible for them getting people back. I find it ironic that the MILW expandend some of their districts just as deferredmaintenance caused speeds to drop. It's grown enough that engineer's need about half of that, even less for conductors. Thanks. If I'm wrong, the UP guys will probably weigh in, but on the OverlandRoute east of Cheyenne, I believe the closest crew change points are inNorth Platte and Fremont, Nebraska and in Boone, Iowa. 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? On 1 February, BNSF Railway, one of the largest railroad freight networks in North America implemented a new point system attendance policy, criticized by workers and unions representing about. (Which I don't happen to remember.). This BNSF rail division sees some of the highest tonnage freight traffic in the world (over 100 million tons annually. Five years ago, a conductor on the Southwest Chief initiated a conversation with me when, as I was standing in the aisle outside the room my wife and I occupied, she ran into my arms. Looking for a media contact within BNSF? : I thought I read that UP phased out Rawlins, and all trains go through: to Green River from Cheyenne. 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 . A minor correction to Agentkid's posting. (Except when that train gets too long, then it goes back to the short pool.) $221/day, with an average annual salary of $70,000 - $82,000. Lately, they are alsohandling most of the auto racks and one Q manifest. (While not directly owned, supposedly the ownership has ties to the UP.) In 1992, Santa Fe began a decades-long project to double-track the 512 miles of the route that remained single-tracked. It would mark a dramatic change to a labor contract that covers about 3,000 workers, or 60 percent of the BNSF system. > > UP crew changes:> * Denver east: no idea> * Denver south: Pueblo> * Denver west: Bond, then Grand Junction> * Denver north: Cheyenne> * Pueblo south: same as BNSF, presumably, No, only one crew Pueblo to Dalhart. 15. Points are deducted for taking time off, especially at times that the railroad deems inconvenient. Open navigation menu Official site: Where are the crew change points between Belen and Barstow, and are Belen and Barstow themselves also crew change points? This was indicated by a bold type stripe across the page for every train at Bassano. --Ken Stitzel ([email protected])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 [email protected]@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. Currently, it's possible to make Clinton and tie up within 6 hours on duty, on a coal train no less. In days past, the away terminal was often a remote hamlet in between two cities. The 100 mile day was based on how far you would travel in 8 hours at a speed of 12.5 mph. They can only work 12 hours by federal law. Also Portal, ND and Noyes, MN, but that is because thay are also Country change points(Canada/US border). Allan_Love_Jr Aug 26, 2007. . erikem 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. "We used to be able to take five weekdays, two weekend days a month off at our discretion and since the implementation of the Hi-Viz policy," she explained. If anybody could help me out, that would be awesome. Some trains that go into LPC or to the connecting roads like the CSX, IHB, BRC, and NS change out at Savanna. Re: BNSF Crew Change Points Author: BN7149 The railroad is run as an East-West route. Back when there were foru passenger trains each way on the division,except for the City of New Orleans, passenger train crews changed southbound (the City train crews changed northbound), ran to New Orleans (Canton), then ran through McComb to Canton (New Orleans), and then back to McComb, covering 400 miles in 24 hours (and then had 24 hours off). erikem Something unheard of even 5 years ago, just before the bottom dropped out. 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. Thanks again,everyone! She also said some of the claims that BNSF is making, especially in regard to working hours, time off, and leave, are misleading. Getting people and freight between Southern California and Chicago once took months, weeks or even years. I thought they also did a UPcrew district map too, but I may be thinking about a map on the UP company website. He likes to check out places where railroads do crew changes and puton helpers, etc. jeffhergert Here GN 441's train entered the Glasgow Sub of the Montana Division; only 145 more miles to Big Sky Country. Here we demonstrate how BNSF's legacy makes us confident in our future. In February, BNSF instituted an attendance policy known as Hi-Viz, which drew immediate criticism from employees and railroad unions. BNSF said more than 50 percent of train crew employees work less than 40 hours on average. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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. You there, Mr. Lee? "There's times I'll go a week without seeing my kids [for] more than 10 to 15 minutes just because it's such a brutal policy.". Amazing the mass of RR knowledge amongst the members of this forum. The "run through"was established in 1970, not too long before I started my railway career with CP in that area. At the time we were having trouble going from Boone to Clinton in 12 hours. > * Denver south: Pueblo> * Pueblo south: Trinidad? Apply early as this job may be filled at any time. 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. In the early 1970's the law was changed to 14 hours and subsequently todays 12 hours. While they have been built to provide lodging for AFHT crews, they are open to the public as well. Jeff, another hotel where you can rub shoulders with men in road service is the Clarion Hotel in Albany, N.Y. Seattle / Spokane / Hauser, ID / Whitefish, MT / Havre, MT / Glasgow, MT / Minot, ND / Fargo, ND / MSP, MN / La Crosse, WI / Chicago . UP on the east/westline crewbases or change points are: Proviso IL, West Chicago IL (some trains), Clinton IA,Boone IA (short pool), Missouri Valley IA (Clinton long pool), Fremont NE (short pool out of Boone) North Platte NE. The dispatchers were forced to make better meets, yardmasters to get trains out of the yards better and so on. Here are> some places I know they run helpers at least occassionally:> > * BNSF/UP: Denver to Palmer Lake. There are quite a few who live in central Iowa and drive 200 miles to work the pool. His perigrinations may take him intoneighboring parts of Wyoming and New Mexico, possibly Nebraska orKansas, too. BNSF crews frequently change crews here at Eola yard in Aurora, IL. BNSF is forever proud of its heritage and history, and we combine that with a never-ending drive to explore new technologies and approaches where appropriate to enhance safety and efficiency. Hugh Cook is Wyoming Public Radio's Northeast Reporter, based in Gillette. > > BNSF crew changes:> * Denver east: used to be in Akron, CO, but I think they moved it all> the way out to McCook, NE. I'm a teetotaler, so that thought is never on my mind. Official site: BNSF.COM (Trains that continue to Ft Worth changenext at Childress but the Dalhart to Childress and Childressto Ft Worth segments are also over ambitious. Originally theyhad the hot trains, with the lesser ones going to the short pool. When they eventually finish their Blair and Clinton projects(not any time soon) I expect a push tochange the crew districts. Someone emailed this info to me. He said the policy is very stringent. At the time we were having trouble going from Boone to Clinton in 12 hours.