FT Worth NOC-the AGST-Power cuts at Winslow, AZ in Tales of the Jointed Track

Another day at the NOC. The railroad is now going through a measurement phase. They are measuring everything, Velocity, Locomotive Utilization, and the hours / miles traveled each 12 hour period. Locomotive to shop for repair and inspection. Downtime's, all the business units. Track and the Maintenance of Way. Yeah it was an all out throw the baby out with the bathwater scenario.

Sure its important, to see where waste is, but this was an all out assault. The upper management, were bean counters and lawyers. There was a mixture of business and marketing people as well. Do you need that yes, but the operating decisions are now being by people that have no railroad experience. All the senior operations VP's and the lieutenants had to buy in. It filtered down to rest of us, and the terminals and diesel shops physically out in the field.

Phoenix, AZ Saturday night early Sunday morning August / September 2000

I talked to the day trainmaster, about 1500 ( 300pm) that Saturday afternoon. I predicted out the M-PHXBEL (Phoenix to Belen, NM), this was drag freight and would switch at Belen. Z-PHXWSP9 (Phoenix to Willow Springs/Chicago) hot inter modal TOFC. This was the old train 971. The last was a D-PHXCHI (Phoenix to Chicago) this was a 12 unit lite power reposition move. I was told make it a Chicago destination, they may cut some off at Clovis and kill the rest at Kansas City. It was just how the other repositions came out of LA and Richmond. Not only were these lite engine moves, but the Z trains out of there had 8 to 12 units on them as well.

During the night they run a turn from Phoenix to Matthie, AZ and return, to interchange traffic with the Arizona & California. This is roughly 58 miles each way. Last nights turn is dead on the hours of service. They will bring a yard crew out later to Glendale and pick up the train and power. Tonight's Matthie turn is ready and on duty, with no power. They didn't get last nights Matthie turn into town. They didn't call the night man, but took the rear three units off the lite engine. It was two ex Santa Fe SD-40-2's and an ex Santa Fe F-45 , 9600 total hp and enough to do the job. They get to Matthie make the set out and pick up and head back to Phoenix. The westbound Z train enters the picture Z-WSPPHX9, followed by the Q-WINPHX, so this Matthie turn is stuck Alhambra, just outside of Phoenix, to let the inter modals by. The Z-PHXWSP9 is ready to depart after the other 2 inter modals get into the yard. The lite engine move will follow the Z train to Winslow.

I come on duty at 500 am. Take the turnover, refresh the main windows, and make a Winslow cut wire. I talk to LA and Richmond to firm up and look at Long Beach, and San Bernardino. I have to work fast because the computers go down for an hour update of software and maintenance at 900 am CDT. I refresh the Phoenix window, and all the power for the D-PHXCHI has dumped back in the available window. I re predict the units, because the symbol is still there. I save and refresh, to lock them back into place and call the Phoenix trainmaster. "Hey, did you operate that lite engine?" "Yeah it's called and running behind the Z train". Okay well the power dumped back and the symbol is still there". "Well we had problems last night, it wasn't departed in the system". "You want to depart it or I can do it if your still busy". "No give me 10 minutes I'll depart it".

Winslow, AZ Sunday 0840 AM

It is about 20 minutes before the computer outage, the phone rings, it the Winslow trainmaster. "Hey there is no power showing for the lite engine, it is finalled for 0850, I need to get it going so I can get paper work etc". "Okay lemme find em".

I get to the AEI program, that tracks cars and locomotives by the reader, matches it up with a train symbol, and you get a visual and/or print if needed. It shows Phoeni 08/31/2000 0437 TRAIN ID: ?????? ATSF 621 ???? ETD ????? Then the power was listed. I needed a lead unit for the trainmaster at Winslow. "Jerry, they didn't depart it it all fell back, I placed the unit ATSF 621, that is the lead unit on hand at Winslow, I'll predict that so you can order it. I'll bring the rest of the power from Phoenix into Winslow and re predict 'em, you'll have to depart it". "okay thanks". I bring the rest of the units into Winslow, re predict, and here they go. I call Phoenix, "Hey you didn't depart the lite engine, are these three units still there?" "Yes, at Alhambra, an extra crew is getting yesterdays Matthie at Glendale, and last night's at Alhambra". "Okay, Those will be part of the M-PHXBEL tonight, I'll get to them when the computers get back up".

The Arizona Division Call: NOC 1030 am Sunday

The discussion is the plan for Gallup, Winslow and Phoenix. Problems, anticipation for tonnage, extra trains that may be needed. power concerns. Boyd Andrew, a former BN, superintendent is on the call this morning. He is the new AGST (Assistant General Superintendent of Transportation) for the Southwest Region. He is going to make his presence and authority known. Winslow says, "We need some cuts, and they are coming in. Due to failures we went through our supply". I said "I'll make a new cut wire, and get you restocked". Andrew bellows "NO YOU WON'T, there are three unpredicted units and we are not making anymore cuts". I said, these were off a lite power move, that wasn't departed. I moved and re predicted them at Winslow. They fell back into Winslow, when they went by the Holbrook reader. They are not there, they are in Phoenix". I have the Mobest and Darling, AZ readers as well and printed they are not there". "I am not arguing with you on this call !!!, I'll be over there when this is done!!!. Yeah, I think to myself, come on Boyd, I'll have everything ready, to prove you wrong. My manager is on the call says nothing, doesn't even inquire when the call is done. I have the ammunition. Phoenix, is going to be involved as well.

Boyd Andrew storms in with his pathetic wrong information printed at Winslow. He's gonna ream my ass, and let the Power desks, and anyone else HE IS THE FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, right or wrong.

He slams the report down, and starts in. I counter, with the AEI readers at Mobest, AZ Darling, AZ and Holbrook, AZ. "You see them by these Mr. Andrew?" "NO BECAUSE THEY ARE AT WINSLOW!! and YOU!! KNOW IT !!!" "I politely say, I'll bet my next paycheck against it. Here let me call Phoenix". "BNSF Phoenix Trainmaster, Keith Wynn". "Kieth, Bob at the power desk how ya doing?" "Good" "Well I have Mr. Boyd Andrew at my desk, and he is having a dispute on power that shows at Winslow. Here are the numbers, can you verify for me that they are there and are part of tonight's Belen? Here is Mr Andrew". Well Mr. Andrew was informed they were physcially there. He was not pleased and slammed the phone down. He stormed to my manager, complaining of this and that and I should be more respectful.

WTF??? I just informed you that, your information was incorrect. You're the one that's outta joint. He's a little ballistic to the manager as well. I stood up and said, "Ya know Mr. Andrew, the biggest problem with this railroad, is field reporting, and I have had several disputes over this. I have won every one with proof, like I did today. When BNSF gets a major handle on field reporting, most of this will go away". I get the glare..he storms back to his hovel.

My manager comes back, and says "We need to handle these upper managers a little better". "Really, Kevin???, where were you on the call, when he was reaming my ass, and trying to make us look bad?" No reply. "I am not out for a battle, but I will stand up for the Desks and myself, when I am right. I am not above an ass chewing when warranted, but this guy is out of line. I don't care if he's the "NEW AGST. He's pissed, because he was proven wrong, and I am a lower grade officer, and getting the HOW DARE YOU".

I said "I need to make another cut wire. You tell me, yes or no". "Yeah, get it done".

This was probably my undoing, when they made the purge in October of 2001. As I look back, I would do the same thing again. I had the proof and I stood up for myself. I was a Santa Fe man anyway, and they hated us here as well.