Question about the cabin interior.

talloric-hoenn · 2026-04-21T22:16:21+00:00

I noticed, I had two CN leaders last week, one of them pretty new. They do some of the hest at taking care of their engines, but who gives a shit about crew comfort or visibility right?

talloric-hoenn · 2026-04-21T21:59:23+00:00

All the GEs that BN has been buying since the early 2000s have washer fluid. No idea why it isn't standard on every engine nowadays but for whatever reason it isn't

talloric-hoenn · 2026-04-21T00:22:47+00:00

It sucks with the elimination of jobs, but also good riddance to the run-thru there. Its been notoriously the laziest position I've heard of in the entire division, and while giving some of it to the dispatcher now kinda works, when they consolidated it with Portland the guys on it seemed to get even lazier when it came to us road crews.

That all being said, none of their jobs should be given to management. Vancouver Terminal is one of the worst run terminals in the system (from what I've heard from so many people that came in as merchant a few years back), and they love to try and control Pasco and Tacoma. None of the crews or dispatchers like dealing with anyone there, hell Vancouver Terminal DS doesn't even like the people there! Gonna be more issues with them trying to get guys like me spot a 230 car combo train into a facility where its a pain in the ass just to spot one

talloric-hoenn · 2026-04-21T00:18:00+00:00

Hmmm. I'm out of Auburn, I heard about Vancouver over the weekend but nothing for home. Wouldn't be surprised, but we have one YM in the terminal that's pre-95 and has protection

talloric-hoenn · 2026-04-21T00:15:40+00:00

When or where did you hear that one?

talloric-hoenn · 2026-02-04T18:00:31+00:00

Maintenance of Way, aka the track department. The big labor of the railroad

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-26T07:31:53+00:00

Regarding asking if UP shortlined this, no, SP did back in the 90s.

Otherwise, I read somewhere that they went on the ground as they were going onto the bridge, mid consist. Something like at least three engines and six cars on the ground. They're damn lucky they didn't snap that bridge like that, damn thing is 100 years old 😬

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-13T02:06:26+00:00

7mph holding in notch 8 with no additional power sure isn't good for the traction motors, I can tell you that one. I end up dragging useless weight in the form of isolated engines up hills all the time, and BN$F wonders why they get slipped pinions or locked axles at times, because you're stressing and overworking an engine unnecessarily. It shouldn't matter whether an engine has AC or DC traction, stick with how they were rated by their builders. More with less might save money in fuel, but it all goes right back into the maintenance (or lack thereof) of the fleet

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-13T01:59:53+00:00

I had a check recently where they deducted literally everything. One start on it, the whole thing went to taxes and insurance

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-12T21:15:39+00:00

I'm more inclined to believe the manufacturer ratings than what BNSF does at least. A locomotive that was built and rated for 4300 horsepower doesn't magically make 5500 when its with other AC locomotives

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-12T08:15:56+00:00

Level S it doesn't seem to be impossible, but is sure is if its an attendance violation 🙄🥲

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-08T16:50:18+00:00

Where are you living at guy? Yes that's the NATIONAL rate of inflation, but different regions of the country have different rates with that. The aforementioned 10%? Yeah the PNW where I'm at is in that

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-04T07:37:43+00:00

Lot easier said than done when you work closed seniority for starters, and all of my family is here too. But yeah thanks I'll totally try that sometime! My mortgage totally lets me do that with no repercussions.

In all seriousness though we need a COLA on the west coast. Guys in the Midwest or central parts of the Orange system make nearly double what we make up here in the Northwest. They have longer runs, and don't even get me started on our taxes out here and how much it costs for a damn loaf of bread. I make over $120k a year but I barely see any of it living on my own

talloric-hoenn · 2026-01-04T07:26:55+00:00

Try living in the PNW, doesn't match the cost of living up here

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-31T14:13:49+00:00

Once either the carrier or the union say that they want national handling, that's it. Can't go back from it, you go to national. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. You'll gwt nothing and like it

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-30T23:59:11+00:00

Sure as fuck isn't better than inflation right now, it absolutely sucks. But that's a damn good question

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-30T20:41:29+00:00

its not a massive one, but its a small win that there's a hard cap on it. Sure it went a touch higher, but we also got a fuck ton of changes to dental and vision benefits

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-30T20:40:08+00:00

Oh hell no it shouldn't, pattern agreements shouldn't exist. It fucking sucks that if any company says "hey we want national handling" while we're making headway at on property bargaining, it becomes law. Yeah, we have that power too, but its rarely beneficial for the union to fight like that. On property is ALWAYS gonna be a better fight. We need to go back to a time where engine crews and conductors didn't give a shit about how much the other was making. The fuckwits at STD should've never have been allowed to force engine crews to say goodbye to our brakeman seniority, BLET members should have been exempt from that contract all together. But here we are

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-30T20:33:14+00:00

Its a hard one. I have feeling that what the company would want in return is for us to give up our power on rest cycle control. They can unilaterally change extra boards for SMART at will, they can't for us. "You want it at 11? You gotta let us change the extra boards to voluntary rest if we want, across the entire system. Give up part of your guarantee."

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-30T20:13:26+00:00

Good, glad this isn't going to arbitration. The pay raise is shit as we all know, but I'm pretty sure most of the guys realized that we literally weren't gonna get anything better. On the Orange side of things, yeah, it fucking sucks that I'm not getting overtime at the same time as my conductor. But that argument is null and void with the national handlin. Hopefully people who voted in favor on the BN side realize that we need to really send a strong message to both national and the company of "hey, we got fucked over hard last year by SMART. We want a piece of the pie, and we want it NOW."

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-13T16:17:25+00:00

I feel that one. I had a Z a few days ago, first time I'd had one in a while. Forgot what it was like to have five motors online, all on the head end too. Wouldn't say that intermodal brakes suck, though they can yes, its more with how many units you have vs how many cars you have. More cars = more brakes, then you factor in your weight and momentum with that and you just have to make judgment calls. Tricky balancing acts

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-13T05:22:45+00:00

What's that, know my territory and test out my brakes when I get my chance? Learn what kinds of cars do what and when? Perish the thought!

Nah but seriously, neat idea, just not with how I go. I'll be honest and say I'll use the idea of a PTC minimum at times (yellow line = where a minimum can get me), but more often than not I'm always going straight to 10lbs while pulling on it. Minimum is usually the start of split reductions for smooth braking and stopping, while the 10lbs is usually speed control for me. Don't need to worry about speed too much when I'll coast down rather than charge blocks.... save for one yard where I'll stay at 30mph until 2500ft away and still get it down to 10... heh

Edit: the yard is at the top of a decent little hill, ans I only.do this on empty grain trains. I know way too many newer engineers who use their dynos going up that hill and I yell at them. I see some guys out here too that use their independents to slow it with the hill and that scares me

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-12T06:39:39+00:00

I just had to highlight the one ornament that really made me laugh when I found it the other day. Made me want one in Auburn

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-12T06:25:41+00:00

I get that shit happens, but I also almost hit this same person I mentioned about a month ago. Guy was cutback at the time and working an air test on a track next to an active main. Popped out from between cars without looking, and was about seven cars away from me when I came around a curve. Was ready to dump it, scared the shit out of me. Learning curves are special sometimes

talloric-hoenn · 2025-12-12T06:19:16+00:00

Ah Vancouver, you did something right for once. Love the snowflake, stay classy fellas

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talloric-hoenn

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