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RE: Leo's collector story...I was never involved in any passenger (suburban) train surveylance activity, being almost "chained to the chair" in traimaster's office at Blue Islnd dealling with the unending crises occurring on a regular basis an night long..
One night..actually early morning in the winter I had not been able to move from the office all night..(the night started at 6:00pm and was officially supposed to end at 6:00am, but it was usually 8:00am or later). I had not even been able to get off the phone long enough to get anything to eat.
Things stopped happening around 5:30am so I took a quick run up the hill and got some coffee and "Sliders" at White Castle..By the time I got back there were umpteen phone calls to return plus all the other stuff..The sliders and coffee sat there and aged until about 7:00am..Finally I was so hungry I couldn't stand it..I ate those cold sliders and drank that lukewarm coffee...what a breakfast...I can't believe I had all that fun and got paid for it also.
Anyhow, as to cash fare discrepecy affairs one trainmaster colleage while I was stationed at El Reno had suspected some hanky panky by a certain passenger trainman..He said...they sent "one of them WHITE RATS" down from Chicago to watch the suspect and they got him.
There was one old conductor here on the Wymore Division the last summer I worked who had apparently had his hand in the till for some time and everybody knew it...He finally got caught and suffered the permanent loss of his job...He was an old head and should have known better, but his greed and perceived immunity got him.
Another test, semi related to the lifiting of cash fares which I just now thought of was the "stealing" of time. ie...showing more time on duty than was actually worked. Again at El Reno the TM suspected that the crew on the Richard's Spur Turn which did some heavy duty switching at Lawton OK on a remote branch and had lots of overtime which someone thought was excessive...Hence a couple of TM's went to Lawton one night,...hid out and observed the time the crew actually tied up and compared the actual with the claimed time on the timeslip..They had "fudged" an hour or so...I think the conductor and maybe the two brakemen all got fired..Don't know bout the engine crew.
Pete
-----Original Message----- From: qutlx1 <qutlx1@aol.com> To: cbq <cbq@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tue, Aug 21, 2012 10:34 pm Subject: Fwd: [CBQ] Fwd: Fire Insurance Efficiency tests As usual Pete has done a pretty complete job of covering the various types of efficiency tests. Keep in mind these were usually done on low density lines. For example I dont ever recall an efficiency test on the triple track east end between Aurora and CUS(by the way we never called it the speedway or anything other than the East End). I also dont ever recall a test in a yard. Most of the tests I remember were done during the day on branch lines.
Pete be sure to read all the way to the bottom as there's a "test" of sorts for you at the end.
One test that I previously described was done at Aurora Tower. The rules required that a crew observe a signal until it had been passed. The layout of the tower and one eastbound signal made it possible to test from the comfort of the tower by changing the signal indication just a split second before the engine would go under it. When this test was being done the train was routed in such a way as to be lined into a red absolute signal less than about a quarter mile away on a curve that was hidden until very near it. Why do I remember this particular test so well. It was pulled on me and an engineer one night and I thought we failed as we did get just past the red signal. Never heard another word about it, not even so much as a friendly better be more careful. And yes I was sure it was a test because I saw the guy standing at the window in the tower.
I believe another kind of test was to drop in on a crew while they were eating somewhere out on the road at a local establishment. One crew on one particular wayfreight was "said" to be having liquid lunches in a particular town. One day while the crew was lunching the trainmaster and roadforeman dropped into the restaurant. Along with their food a couple crew members seemed to have a drink not allowed under Rule G and also a glass of water or soda.
When asked if the alcohol was his,each member said no his drink was the soda or water and didn't know who the booze was for.
Another time at this same establishment the crew came in for lunch and the bartender took their orders and then sat only a glass of water in front of each. Momentarily the trainmaster/roadforeman team walked in.
I believe another form of testing was to ride a passenger train and see if the fares were collected and tickets punched correctly. I believe this usually happened when something was suspected.
Now you knew there was going to be a story....................
One night I was called off the passenger extra list to work a night dinky as the regular man had laid off. On my way into the depot another trainman was going home after just arriving but stopped me to say watch out, your working in so and so spot tonight and they think he's splitting duplexes and are on the train. The suspect trainman had laid off with short notice and apparently word had not reached the testers or they decided to observe anyway.
You know how it's been described that RR mgmt used to dress in an easily identifiable manner, seems to me RR police also did or I was just aware that night of certain out of place appearances. The upper deck had at least two observers in each half of the car I was responsible to collect tickets in and each bought a cash fare. It was only a few weeks later that the regular colllector on the job was no longer a RR employee.
I believe another possible form of testing was for local mgmt to visit the away from home terminal restaurants and bars. This was a bit tricky for all because back in those days you were OK drinking in your off duty time as long as you didn't come to work under the influence. You could be in town in some cases for a day or more.
Things are very, very much different today.
The thing I often wondered about was if the tests were totally random or were certain crews or crew members selected specifically?
Leo Phillipp
Attached Message
Steve et al...re efficiency tests....An efficiency test was, as all tests are, a measure of the knowledge and application of rules which are to be followed under a given set of conditions...
The tests which I'll describe are from "back in the day" and probably some if not most of these would be conducted differently today.
Most testing was done at night although that was not a requirement..Tests were to be made under various sets of conditions to determine how efficiently train crews handled their duties and complied with the applicable rules.
Flagging tests...Normallly these tests would be done by a team of operating officers...Trainmasters, Road Foremen etc.
In "dark territory"..(no signals) the testors would go out to a given spot and put down two torpedoes. Normally two men would then go down the track a mile or so..whatever would be deemed a reasonable stopping distance and wait there.
One member of the team would get into a position where he could see the rear end of the train when it stopped.
When the train came along and hit the two torpedoes the men down the line ahead of the train would "bust" a fusee. The rules required that the fusee be answered with two short blasts of the engine whistle and the stop must be made before passing the fusee. The man watching the rear end of the train would expect to see...when the torpedoes went off and were answered the flagman come out and throw off a fussee from the waycar. When the train stopped the flagman was to get off and proceed to the rear with his flagging equipment.
If everybody did what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it they all "passed"...If the engineer ran by the fusee before he got stopped or if the flagman didn't throw off a fusee and get on the ground promptly they didn't pass and the guilty parties would be invited to a "party" as has been previously discussed.
That's just one kind of test...Another test called a "signal test" woould be done by officers using a shunt across the rails to cause a block signal to display a stop indication. The officers would then wait.."in the weeds" to check if the train got stopped..that the flagman performed properly and then, if in ABS territory and the signal didn't clear the train would "flag" through the block at restricted speed.
Another type of test would be used in train order territory...A favorite "trick" was to put the wrong date on a clearance Form A or leave an order off the clearance. If a crew didn't catch that...it was a "big time NO NO...Good for time off or worse.
Another test would be to turn the light out on a train order signal or block signal....The rules require that A signal imroperly displayed or the absence of a signal at a place where a signal is normally shown must be regarded as the most restrictive indication which can be displayed by a signal"...This would be a "biggie" also if the crew ignored a dark or absent signal.
Another test applicable to Train Order Operators or trains being met or passed would be to take a marker down, or at night extinguish it. This matter was to be reported immediately to the dispatcher.
Another test was called a "curve check" Train and enginemen were required to look their train over on all curves and at every opportunity. This was an easy test for a trainmaster when it was getting near the end of the month and he didn't have all his tests done..(Guess how I know that one). Another easy one was to check for proper whistle at grade crossings...Another easy one come end of month and not enuf tests.
Speaking of looking the train over...In my early days as a trainee with the RI I was out with some officer I don't remember who it was who said..When your'e checking a passenger train crew you look at that flagman and see if his face is dirty...If it wasn't he wasn't looking his train over. Most of the RI passenger crew were pretty good about that and most all flagmen had dirty faces.
When you went out testing it was normally with at least one other officer sometimes two others...Two reasons..1. It took at least one man at each end of the train...and 2. If something went wrong it was good to have a witness..."for the prosecution"
After the advent of the radio...which was getting almost 100% by the time I came along it was nigh onto impossible to maintain the element of surprise..Something always got put on the radio that.."they're in the weeds" tonight or words to that effect and everybody was "on their toes.
Well that's most of the story regarding tests...Leo, John and Steve might have a few anecdotal comments to supplement what I've written here.
Pete
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Levine <sjl_prodigynet@yahoo.com> To: CBQ <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tue, Aug 21, 2012 1:44 pm Subject: Re: [CBQ] Fwd: Fire Insurance
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