Conference calls. Santa Fe SOC 1994 in Tales of the Jointed Track

Wow what can I write here ? The Conference calls, yes important, the confessions of sins and demands and needs are expressed. The terminals are saying this is what is projected, this is actual, this is what we need. IBU ( Intermodal Business Unit ) and other units, Grain, Unit train,Coal, and my personal favorite Intermodal equipment. M.O.W, can and could chime in for work trains and heavy projects, requiring ballast moves, rail trains. Does this ever end, no it is part of the railroad.

A few of what I remember and stand out:

I did the Eastern part of the Santa Fe, Dave Lackey was my “East” MCO or Chief. Eddie Moore was my Texas MCO or “Chief”. MCO is Manager of Corridor Operations. Basically on the Santa Fe we had the 730 am call for Chicago, Ft. Madison, KC, Emporia, Wellington, Newton and Arkansas City. ( I’d brush the Central call for La Junta, to Albuquerque) They would call or come over if I was needed. Then the Texas Call around 900 am. This also repeated on the night rotation. Texas took Ark City, south all the way to the gulf. Houston Terminal, Alliance,Tx, Temple. Temple to Sweetwater,Tx. The Conroe sub. Sommerville to Silsbee and the locals up to Longview. With the BNSF merger this has changed. Galveston,Tx in the mix, with the lil branches.

East Call 0730 am Schaumberg, IL:

Take a transfer and you are out of the chute. I am still working this, new, scared, but I have the idea. Dave Lackey the chief is directing the call. Dave is sharp, but a master of the mute switch.
As I can remember, we hit Corwith (Chicago ), Ft Madison, KC (Argentine Yard), Emporia, Newton ( covered Wichita ) ,Dodge City, Ark City, Wellington,KS. Those were the major players.

Day call, Date 1995:
The call is the call, Dave is orchestrating, and all the terminals are “touched” . “Okay to the business units. Intermodal Equipment is whining. They need “X” number of TOFC/COFC cars to Willow Springs. Hello!!! This stuff is stored, and one of the morning locals will deliver. The 199-198-197 are covered for the day. The are bitching about the Willow Springs to Alliance,TX Intermodal. For tomorrow Damn, I can’t remember the numeric..but Z-WSP ALT.. Danny Reynolds ( A Director of the region) at that time watched this train. I got criticized about being below the 4.0 HPT, ( Horsepower per Trailing Ton ). It was at 3.8, really lets waste a unit we don’t have, and when units fail, you don’t get an e-mail, or a call, the bell rings that you have a unit down. Can ya predict failure? Nah, could never, here in management or out on the road when I ran. Crisis solved.

Terri Vorhees.. Unit trains:
I need a U-XXX-XXX-1 at this location. She just springs this on the call . Like I need power and crew at this location, and “X” number of cars. Okay, I can’t remember, the date the time or location, but those of us that worked this, know the scenario. Dave: “Terri, do you have a solid count of cars?” “NO”. Okay Dave is getting to be Dave. Terri: “We need it now to, make sure we can provide service”. Dave: Well, Terri, we need to get a symbol, and allow for crew rest and call, power man needs to gather to the location”. Terri Blah blah blahhh. Okay, we are going off, “voice” via the mute switch. “God Damn, this fucking heifer , what doesn’t she get ? Yes maa’m we’ll look into the requirements, but we need more information”. Terri.. “Bllahha blahhh blahh’. One slip of the switch, we are getting fired. I get the Dave look, we’ll talk. More cursing off, the mike, LOL. “Terri come over and talk to us, after the call”… I really liked working for Dave.

Night rotation TX call waiting:

At night the “North California” call, was short and sweet. During the Day shift they blended in. I am waiting for the Texas call. I have great idea!! Do you smell hair burning? I have two phones. I can listen to the call on the speaker, and have my main phone, available as needed. I can mute the other phone. Did I NO!!, cause I got slammed with a bunch of calls.

Dale Pryor… California Chief:
At the end of the call, Dale says, “Is there anything else we need, before we hand it over to the Texas end?” ME, thinking I am muted NOT!!! “ya I’d like to go home”. I am getting slammed, with failures etc. Dale: “Well when ya get yer work done, you can go home”. SHIT!! I broadcasted that over the system call. I did the Texas call. After that I went over to the California side. “Dale, was me that wanted to go home”. “Is your work done?’ “NO” “Well ya gotta stay”. We laughed Like working with Dale as well.

Northern California Call Night Rotation Ft Worth:
We are now BNSF . I am working the Southwest region. To but not including Belen,NM, thru to Barstow, CA. At Williams Jct, the cut-off down to Phoenix. Barstow northward to Richmond,CA and south to LA, which includes San Bernardino, the wharves at Long Beach, and to San Diego. And all point in between, Kaiser,CA, Cadiz,CA, Winslow,AZ, Mathie,AZ for the Arizona & California RR. We will get them at Cadiz,CA. Gallup,NM .

Jonanne Massey IBU Equipment:
Really, and here it comes. Joanne: “We have XX amount of cars that need to go to Stockton,CA at Richmond,CA. We need them to be delivered tonightII” Do ya, why do you wait, thinking we can shit power and crews? The Chief, is getting into the mix. Me, I have no power for this P.O.S.
“Well we are under, line up and power constraints”. “We need this for tomorrows operation”. Really where is your communication? NO, lets just spring something. Chief: “Power can you do it? ” “No, I can’t but need to steal the Oakland local”. Richmond Trainmaster: “No you arent taking this power”. LOL Well I guess it will have to wait. She is lucky on this one. The yardmaster says, “If the crew base will support. Have a crew to run lite power for the Z-STOWSP, and gather the train at Stockton. They can take these cars, and deliver and get the train outbound”. Problem solved, The crew delivered the cars, and were relieved at Stockton with and extra board crew. Fail to plan, plan to fail.

Great Chiefs to work with:
Dave Dunkel, Barry Anderson, Dennis Zwick, Dennis Iler, Dale Pryor, Debbie Brown, Dave Lackey, Kieth Carnes, Raymond Torres, Ronny Charleston, Eddie Moore.